Control system for a printing plant

A control system for a printing plant, the printing plant performing on-press operations involving a printing press and off-press operations involving auxiliary equipment, the control system comprising, in combination:

• a central computer having a central computer memory;
• a plurality of substantially identical peripheral computers, at least one of which is interfaced with the printing press for on-press functions and at least one of which is interfaced with auxiliary equipment for off-press functions;
• the central computer memory having locations for storing definition information for defining the functions of each of the peripheral computers;
• each of the peripheral computers including a plurality of connectors for interfacing with the press and the auxiliary equipment, each of the peripheral computers also having its own memory including a definition memory;
• a data link linking the central computer to each of the peripheral computers and allowing transfer of information between the central computer memory and the memories of the peripheral computers, said information including definition information transferred from the central computer to the definition memory of each of the peripheral computers for defining the respective functions thereof;
• means in each peripheral computer for reading the definition memory to define the functions to be performed by that peripheral computer and the allowable auxiliary devices with which it can be interfaced;
• interface control means in each peripheral computer for sensing the busy or non-busy status of each of said connectors, means for comparing the busy or non-busy status of each connector with the functions attributed to that particular peripheral unit by the definition memory for determining the allowed or non-allowed status of the connected unit of auxiliary equipment, and means for exchanging signals with only the allowed auxiliary equipment for each particular peripheral computer as defined by the definition memory;
• and
• the definition memory further comprising a table of functions to be performed by the peripheral computers, and means assigning particular functions to the respective peripheral computers for performance thereby.