Modular machine having distributed fault recovery-assist user interfaces

A modular toner image producing machine having plural modules including redundant modules, said modular toner image producing machine comprising:

• (a) a photoreceptive module including a movable endless photoconductive member having an image bearing surface;
• (b) toner image forming modules for forming a toner image on said image bearing surface, each of said toner image forming modules including module-specific fault detecting means, and a distributed module-specific control subsystem having a fault recovery-assist user interface device;
• (c) at least one sheet feeding module for feeding a copy sheet to receive said toner image from said image bearing surface;
• (d) a fusing module for heating and fixing said toner image onto said copy sheet forming a hard copy;
• (e) at least one finishing module for preparing and arranging a series of hard copies into sets thereof for removal by an operator;
• and
• (f) a control module including a main electronic control system having a centrally located user interface device, and each said distributed module-specific control subsystem, each said distributed module-specific control subsystem having a dedicated module and being connected to said main electronic control system and to module-specific fault detecting means of said dedicated module, and each of said module-specific control subsystems having said fault recovery-assist user interface device located at said dedicated module and remotely from said centrally located user interface device for providing in situ recovery-assistance for each of said dedicated modules, and for enabling recovery-while-running isolation for a redundant dedicated module.