JPH01133165A - Peripheral device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the independency of inherent function parts and a user interface part and to make design or the like easy by constituting a peripheral part of the inherent function parts and the user interface part and informing the set states and operating states of the inherent function parts to the user interface part. CONSTITUTION:The inherent function parts 34, 42, 44, 38, 40 extract and store data indicating set states or operating states inputted from a control panel 42, and when a status change to be informed to the user interface (IF) part 14, inform the generation of the status change to the IF part 14. The IF part 14 inquires the category of the state and the inherent function parts transmit the category of the state. The IF part 14 successively request and receives the value of the required specific state in the category. Even when the information is not received from the inherent function part, the IF part 14 can request the value of the status. The informed status includes all the status required by the IF part 14. Namely, the IF part 14 can form information necessary for a computer and status necessary for the control of the peripheral device from the informed status. Thereby, the IF part 14 and the inherent function parts can be designed with high independency.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a peripheral device controlled by a computer.

[Prior art and its problems]

The main function of peripheral devices controlled by computers is to input and output signals. For example, in a printing device, data signals output from a computer are printed on printing paper in a format specific to the device. Conventionally, the unique functions of a peripheral device have only a relatively small number of operating states, and the signals sent from the peripheral device to the computer indicate whether the peripheral device is in a state capable of processing input data signals. They had a simple content, limited to only notification signals, and were few in number.

For example, the Centronics interface, which is a computer interface used in printing devices, only transmits two signals: a signal indicating that the input data signal can be processed and a signal indicating that the input data has been received.

However, the latest peripheral devices have become multi-functional, and the computers that control the peripheral devices have also become more versatile. As a result, the computer load for controlling peripheral devices increases,
It became necessary to alleviate this. Peripheral devices have come to be provided with user interface units to share the computer load depending on the specific computer and language.

The user interface section receives input from the computer, translates it into peripheral device input, and outputs it.

The unique function section of the peripheral device that receives this output basically has the same function as a conventional peripheral device. Therefore, the interface between the user interface section and the specific function section is a conventional computer interface (eg, Centronics interface in a printing device, etc.).

However, as the number of connections between different computers increases these days, this conventional technology has the following problems.

The user interface section translates the computer output and the input of the specific function section, and if either of these changes, the translation method must be changed.

However, in the prior art, it is extremely difficult to respond to such changes due to the lack of a status notification signal from the specific function unit. That is, even though the details of the specific function section are unknown, it is necessary to take into account the state of the specific function section when translating.

For example, even if a paper feed was performed from the control panel in an offline state, that information was not notified to the user interface unit. Therefore, the specific function part is, for example, "
Even though the user interface section recognizes the "one line forwarding", the user interface section manages the printed page as if it were not there, resulting in the printing position being one line forward.

Even if the operation history of peripheral devices is retained from the time the power is turned on to the present time in order to know the unspecified status, most of the status changes caused by signals input from the control panel are known as described above. I can't. Moreover, such operation history requires memory and the like to store it, which adversely affects the complexity and cost of the peripheral device. The user interface section and the unique function section are often handled independently by different designers and repair tools, and in such cases, the design, repair, and other maintenance of the user interface section is handled by the user interface section and the unique function section. This becomes extremely difficult due to strong interference. The same can be said about the specific functional parts.

[Purpose of the invention]

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to increase the independence of the specific function section and the user interface section by notifying the user interface section of the setting state and operating state of the specific function section, and to improve the design and repair of the user interface section and the specific function section. , and other peripheral devices that are easy to maintain.

[Summary of the invention]

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the specific function section collects and stores data indicating the setting state and operating state based on the control panel input, and when a state change that should be notified to the user interface section occurs, the specific function section detects the occurrence of the state change. Notify the user interface section. The user interface section assigns the category of status (STATUS) to the specific function section. The specific function transmits the category of state. The user interface sequentially requests and receives values for the desired particular state within that category. The user interface unit can request a status value even if it does not receive a status change occurrence notification from the specific function unit. The states notified to the user interface section essentially include all the states required by the user interface section. That is, the user interface unit can generate information required by the computer and states necessary for controlling peripheral devices from the notified state.

Therefore, the user interface section and the specific function section can also be designed with a high degree of independence. In addition, the rate at which one party can respond to new demands in the future independently of the other party will increase significantly.

[Embodiments of the invention]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printing device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a timing diagram of signals of various parts of the printing device 10 shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, a user interface unit 14 has its own microprocessor and memory, and transmits and receives control signals and data signals from a computer (not shown) via a line 12 in accordance with interface standards such as R8 series or GPIB. Let's do it. The specific functional units include a controller 34 including a microprocessor and a control panel 42.
, a printing mechanism 44 and wiring 38, 40 connecting them.

The user interface section 14 receives signals from the computer and transmits them to the controller 34 according to a predetermined protocol. The controller 34 receives signals from the control panel 42 and the user interface section 14, and controls the printing mechanism 44 to perform printing.

Furthermore, the controller 34 monitors the control panel 42, the printing mechanism 44, and its own status, and controls the user interface unit 1.
4, state change occurrence signal PPUT and state signal 5TATU
Send S Bus.

The control panel 42 outputs a signal to the controller 34 via a wiring fa 38, which transmits information inputted from the outside through a switch or the like, or information inputted from a magnetic disk drive (not shown) which is a peripheral device of the controller 34.

It is well known that peripheral devices for the controller 34, which are functionally included in the control panel 42, are built into or externally attached to the printing device 10. °The connection between the user interface unit 14 and the controller 34 is the DATABus line 16, BUSY
The well-known Centronics interface 15 and 5 TATUS consists of line 18 line image 8 TB line 20, ACK line 2 line color 2
Bus line 24.5 TATUS REQUEST line 26
, a PPUT line 28, a PSTB line 30, and a status interface 23 consisting of three 5-REQ lines (color 2).

The operation of the Centronics interface 15 is as follows: First, the user interface section 14 detects the low level of ACK, checks the BUSY line 18 line image 8 bells, and learns that the controller can input data. D.A.
Output data to TA Bus line 16 and connect to DSTB corridor 20.
Outputs the upper 20 upper lobe signal. The controller 34 is D
The data is read by the upper lobe signal on the STB line 20, the reception completion is notified by the ACK line, and the BUSY line 18
Make the line image 8 bells. The user interface section starts the next transmission again. The status interface 23 is newly provided in the printing device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, and inputs various status signals such as the following from the controller 34 to the user interface 14. The communication protocol is as shown in the timing chart shown in FIG.

The control panel 42 also selects the mode of operation of the printing device 10. The modes include a normal mode for printing, a setting mode for setting various parameters of the printing device 10, and a test mode for performing a self test. There is a status signal that indicates what mode the printing device is in. Further, various settings are made in one go from the control panel, and a status signal 1 is generated.

For example, many settings are made, such as the page length of printing, signal assignment of the R5232C signal line, printed character quality, character type, character pitch, communication procedure, etc., and each setting causes a state change occurrence signal P.
The PUT is sent to the user interface unit 14 and its status is read.

The printing mechanism 44 generates and transmits status signals mainly indicating operational malfunctions (errors). A number of error conditions may be notified, such as print paper presence, diagnostic errors, time outs, blown fuses, print ribbon system errors, and the like.

Status signals indicating the type of test in the test mode and fixed settings of the printing device (for example, communication baud rate, etc.) are also notified.

The status signals of the printing device 10 are hierarchical, and first the major category of the status signal is known, the next intermediate category is known as needed, and finally a specific status can be fixed. Next, referring to FIG.
Bus) is transmitted.

In order to simplify the explanation below, the user interface section 14
is called A, and the controller 34 is called B. Also, the signals on each line of the status interface are the same as the name of each line.

B detects the state change and sets P and PUT to "1". A receives PPUT and sends 5TATUS REQUE
Generates ST. 5TATUS REQUEST is a 5-bit parallel signal, and the first 5TATUS REQUEST
T SRI is output. Next, 5-REQ is “1”
” and notifies B that SRI is valid.B
receives the 5-REQ, sets PSTB to "0", reads the SRI, and transmits the designated status signal (or a combination thereof) to A as an 8-bit 5TATUS Bus STI. A reads ST1 and sets 5-REQ to "0". B returns PSTB to l″.

A is classified into another lower category S depending on the STI content.
To read T2, 5 TATUS REQUESTS
RI is output and 5-REQ is set to "1" again. Thereafter, similar communication is performed to learn the necessary state and perform the processing.

Through the above communication, the status signals STI, ST2, ST3,
A more detailed example in which ST4, . . . is obtained is shown below.

5R1 from A = (00000) (However, the value in parentheses is S.
The bit configuration of RI is shown. ), the STI from B indicates that bit 6 is 1'', indicating that an error has occurred, so A sends 5R2= (00100) to request the error category. ST2 of
When bits 2 and 6 are "l", the occurrence of paper jam and shuttle system dirt is notified. Therefore, in order to further investigate the shuttle system error, A sends 5R3=(00101). In response, bit 3 of B’s reply ST3 is “
1''', it is known that a print timeout has occurred, and it is known that a mechanical error has occurred in the shuttle system.

Correct printing cannot continue if this continues, so the printer is taken offline to stop printing, and error information is output to the control panel to notify the user.

The user interface unit further transmits a signal to the computer to stop data transmission from the computer.

It is also possible to receive knowledge.

As described above, the user interface section 14 can know virtually all of the states of the specific function sections. As a result, new information is generated from these states, and the information is notified to the computer, the printing mechanism 44 is controlled, the settings of the control panel 42 are cleared, the display is changed, and the like.

Since it is clearly stated what kind of state exists, it becomes easy to make mutually independent design changes to the user interface section 14 and the specific function section.

Up to now, an embodiment of the printing device 10 has been described, but it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the technical idea of the present invention is equally applicable to and can be implemented in other peripheral devices.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the embodiment of the present invention described above, by implementing the present invention, the operating state of the peripheral device can be made transparent to the user interface unit. Therefore, it becomes easy to independently change the design of the user interface and the specific functional unit for realizing the operating mode of the peripheral device that is dependent on the host computer.

Furthermore, since the host computer can be notified of the status of essentially all peripheral devices, the computer can take appropriate measures, including for abnormal conditions.

The man-machine interface is improved because the display and response of the peripheral device itself becomes more adaptable and detailed to the system including the host computer.

Therefore, the present invention is useful in practical use.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a timing diagram of each signal of the printing device of FIG. 10: Printing device; 14: User interface section; 15
: Centronics interface; 23: Status interface; 34: Controller; 42: Control panel; 44: Printing mechanism

Claims (1)

[Claims] Consists of a specific function section and a user interface section that translates and transfers control signals, status signals, or data signals externally input to the specific function section, and notifies the user interface section of the setting state and operating state of the specific function section. A peripheral device characterized by: