JP2001256020A - Printer controller and its method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer controller capable of flexibly coping with transmission/reception states of signals between a host device and a printer, and its method. SOLUTION: In the printer to which plural host devices are connected via an interface, the printer controller to select whether timing to control transmission/reception of the signals on each interface is created by hardware or software is provided with an ID response command detecting means (117) to detect whether or not an ID response command to suggest that transmission/ reception control of the signals is performed between the host device and the printer is included in received data from the host device and a hardware/ software creation selecting means (118) to select creation of the timing by the hardware or creation of it by the software according to a detection result by the ID response command detecting means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer control device and method, and more particularly, to a strobe (STR) for transmitting and receiving data to and from a plurality of host devices connected to the printer device via a printer interface.
OBE), ACK (ACKNLG), busy (BUS
The present invention relates to a printer control device and a method for controlling signals such as Y).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An ordinary printer can be connected to a plurality of host devices. Since the timing for controlling the signal differs depending on the host device, the communication with each host device is normally performed. Therefore, there are a plurality of timings for controlling the signal, and it is possible to select a timing suitable for the host device.

There are two types of methods for creating the timing for controlling signals, hardware and software. The timing generated by the hardware controls the signal in order to normally communicate with the host device, but does not control the signal according to the data received from the host device. On the other hand, data received from the host device includes a command called a printer ID response. After transmitting the printer ID response command, the host device transmitting this command requests control of a signal of the printer device in accordance with the transmitted data, confirms control of the signal in accordance with the data, and transmits subsequent data. That is, the printer device must control the signal according to the data received from the host device. As described above, in order to control the signal in accordance with the data, the timing for controlling the signal is created not by hardware but by software.

Whether the timing for controlling the signals of the parallel interface is created by hardware or software is determined for each emulation. For example, emulation A is created by hardware, and emulation B is created by software. That is, when the host device that transmits the ID response command is connected, the emulation B is selected. However, since the command system is emulation B, even when emulation B is selected, a host device that does not transmit the ID response command may be connected. That is, even when the emulation B is selected, not all the connected host devices transmit the ID response command, and it may not be necessary to create the timing for controlling the signal by software. That is, when a host device that selects the emulation B and transmits the ID response command is connected, the timing for controlling the signal must be created by software. However, when a host device that does not transmit the ID response command is connected, it is not necessary to create the timing for controlling the signal by software, and there is no problem if it is created by hardware.

In the case where the timing for controlling the signals of the parallel interface is created by software, an interrupt operation may occur when the printer waits for paper ejection, and the timing for controlling the signals may be shifted. Therefore, if there is no problem even if the timing for controlling the signal is created by hardware, the creation by hardware is more stable in view of the operation.

[0006]

However, whether the timing for controlling the signal is created by hardware or software is determined for each emulation, so if emulation B is selected, Can only be created with software.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printer control apparatus and a printer control method capable of flexibly responding to a signal transmission / reception state between a host apparatus and a printer apparatus. I do.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in a printer device in which a plurality of host devices are connected via an interface, timing for controlling transmission and reception of signals on each interface is hardened. The printer control device according to the present invention, which selects whether to create by software or software, responds to data received from the host device by ID response indicating that signal transmission / reception control is performed between the host device and the printer device. ID response command detecting means for detecting whether or not a command is included;
It is characterized by having hardware / software creation selection means for selecting creation by hardware or creation by software according to the detection result by the ID response command detection means. Therefore, for example, it is possible to flexibly cope with a signal transmission / reception state between the host device and the printer device so as to prevent a timing of controlling a signal from being shifted due to an interrupt operation due to a paper discharge waiting of the printer device.

Further, the ID response command detecting means performs detection at regular intervals, and after the lapse of the fixed time, returns to the state before the selection by the hardware / software creation selecting means, thereby receiving data from another interface. This makes it possible to construct a printer capable of always receiving data normally.

Furthermore, by displaying the hardware / software creation status selected by the hardware / software creation selection means, the user can grasp the timing.

According to the printer control method as another invention, the data received from the host device includes an ID response command indicating that signal transmission / reception control is performed between the host device and the printer device. By detecting whether or not it is performed, and selecting creation by hardware or software according to the detection result, it is possible to flexibly cope with the signal transmission / reception status between the host device and the printer device.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In a printer control device according to the present invention, data received from a host device includes an ID response command indicating that signal transmission / reception control is to be performed between the host device and the printer device. ID to detect whether or not
It has a response command detection means and a hardware / software creation selection means for selecting creation by hardware or creation by software according to the detection result by the ID response command detection means.

[0013]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printer control apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a printer control apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a program in a program ROM 104 described later, and a panel device 11 described later.
CPU 1 that controls the entire controller according to a mode instruction from 0 and commands from host devices 112 and 114
01, an IC card 102 for externally supplying font data and programs, a nonvolatile storage device (hereinafter abbreviated as NVRAM) 103 for storing the contents of mode instructions from a panel device 110 described later, and a printer control device. 100, a program ROM 104 storing a control program, a font ROM 105 storing font pattern data and the like, a work memory of the CPU 101, an input buffer for input data, a page buffer for print data, a memory for a download phone, and the like. RAM 106 to be used and an engine 108 described later
Interface (hereinafter abbreviated as engine I / F) 107 for communicating commands, status, and print data with the printer engine 10 for actually performing printing
8, a panel interface (hereinafter abbreviated as panel I / F) 109 for communicating commands and status with a panel device 110 to be described later, and a panel device for notifying a user of a current printer state and giving a mode instruction. A host interface (hereinafter, abbreviated as host I / F) 11 which communicates with a host device 112, 114, which will be described later, and which is usually a Centro I / F or 232C.
1 and 113, and the host device 1 which is a host device of the printer.
12, 114, a disk interface (hereinafter abbreviated as "desk I / F") 115 for communicating with a disk device 116, which will be described later, and a floppy disk device for storing various data such as font data, programs and print data. Response command detecting means 117 for detecting an ID response command included in the received data;
The host I / Fs 111 and 11 respond to the detection of the response command.
And a hardware / software creation selecting means 118 for selecting whether to create the timing 3 by hardware or software.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2 showing an operation flow. First, emulation is selected (step S101). Here, emulation B is selected. In the emulation B, the timing for controlling the signal of the host I / F is created by software. That is, emulation B corresponds to the ID response command transmitted from the host device. Then, through the host I / F 111,
The data is received from the host device 112. The first 256 bytes are fetched into the receiving buffer, and it is determined by the ID response command detecting means 117 in FIG. 1 whether the first 256 bytes include an ID response command (step S1).
02). The number of leading bytes for determining whether an ID response command is included may not be 256 bytes. If the ID response command is included (step S102), it is necessary to create the timing for controlling the signal of the host I / F 111 by software by the hardware / software creation selecting unit 118 in FIG. It is created by software without any change, and the subsequent data is received (step S105). If an ID response command is included in step S102, it is not necessary to determine all 256 bytes.
The determination operation ends when the response command is included. On the other hand, when the ID response command is not included in the first 256 bytes in step S102, the host I / F
It is not necessary to create the timing for controlling the signal 111 by software, and there is no problem if it is created by hardware. Therefore, the fact that the default for creating the timing for controlling the signal of the emulation B is software is stored in the RAM (step S103), and the timing for controlling the signal is changed from software to hardware and created (step S104). , And subsequent data is received (step S105).

Then, the data is received (step S10).
5) If there is data (step S106), data is received again (step S105). Step S10
If there is no data in step 6, it is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed (step S107). As a result, if the predetermined time has not elapsed, data is received again (step S
105). On the other hand, if the predetermined time has elapsed in step S107, the emulation B stored in the RAM
The default for creating the timing for controlling the signal is compared with the current method for creating the timing for controlling the signal (step S108). If the default and the current creation method are the same software, that is, the first 256
When the ID response command is included in the byte, the process returns to step S102. If the default and the current creation method are different, that is, if the method for creating the timing for controlling the signal is changed from software to hardware, the method for creating the timing for controlling the signal of the host I / F 111 will be based on the hardware. (Step S109). In this way, by returning to the timing before the switching after the elapse of the fixed time, it becomes possible to receive data from another parallel interface. For example, if the method for creating the timing for controlling the signal of the host I / F 111 in FIG. 1 is changed from software to hardware and the state is unchanged,
From the host device 114 through the host I / F 113, I
When data including the D response command is transmitted, it is impossible to normally receive the data. Therefore, by returning the method of creating the timing for controlling the signal of the host I / F 111 to software, the host device 1
It becomes possible to normally receive data from the host 14 through the host I / F 113.

The panel device 110 shown in FIG. 1 determines whether the timing for controlling the signal of the host I / F is created by hardware or software.
, The user can know the timing.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and needless to say, various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope of the claims.

[0018]

As described above, in a printer device in which a plurality of host devices are connected via an interface, the timing for controlling transmission and reception of signals on each interface is created by hardware or software. The printer control device according to the present invention selects whether or not the received data from the host device includes an ID response command indicating that signal transmission / reception control is performed between the host device and the printer device. It is characterized by having ID response command detection means for detecting the above, and hardware / software creation selection means for selecting creation by hardware or creation by software according to the detection result by the ID response command detection means.
Therefore, for example, it is possible to flexibly cope with a signal transmission / reception state between the host device and the printer device so as to prevent a timing of controlling a signal from being shifted due to an interrupt operation due to a paper discharge waiting of the printer device.

Further, the ID response command detecting means performs detection at regular intervals, and returns to the state before the selection by the hardware / software creation selecting means after the lapse of the constant time, so that data can be received from another interface. This makes it possible to construct a printer capable of always receiving data normally.

Further, by displaying the hardware / software creation status selected by the hardware / software creation selection means, the user can grasp the timing.

According to the printer control method as another invention, the data received from the host device includes an ID response command indicating that signal transmission / reception control is performed between the host device and the printer device. By detecting whether or not it is performed, and selecting creation by hardware or software according to the detection result, it is possible to flexibly cope with the signal transmission / reception status between the host device and the printer device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the printer control device according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

100: Printer control device, 101: CPU, 102:
IC card, 103: NVRAM, 104: program ROM, 105: font ROM, 106: RAM, 1
07: engine I / F, 108: engine, 109: panel I / F, 110: panel device, 111, 113: host I / F, 112, 114: host device, 115: desk I / F, 116: desk, 117: ID response command detecting means, 118: hardware / software creation selecting means, 119: bus.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A printer device in which a plurality of host devices are connected via an interface, wherein the printer control device selects whether hardware or software creates timing for controlling transmission and reception of signals on each interface. Detecting whether or not the data received from the host device includes an ID response command indicating that signal transmission / reception control is to be performed between the host device and the printer device.
A printer control device comprising: a D response command detection unit; and a hardware / software generation selection unit that selects generation by hardware or generation by software according to a detection result by the ID response command detection unit. 2. The printer control device according to claim 1, wherein said ID response command detection means performs detection at regular intervals. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein after a certain period of time has elapsed, the selection is returned to a state before the selection by the hardware / software creation selection unit.
3. The printer control device according to claim 1. 4. The printer control device according to claim 1, wherein a hardware / software creation status selected by said hardware / software creation selection means is displayed. 5. A printer control method for selecting, by hardware or software, timing for controlling transmission and reception of signals on respective interfaces connecting a plurality of host devices and a printer device, the data being received from the host device. Detects whether or not an ID response command indicating that signal transmission / reception control is performed between the host device and the printer device is included, and creation by hardware or creation by software is performed according to the detection result. A printer control method characterized by selecting. 6. The printer control method according to claim 5, wherein an ID response command detection operation is performed every predetermined period, and after a predetermined period has elapsed, the operation returns to the state before selection.