JP2565163B2 - Peripheral equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a peripheral device such as a graphics printer, the operation of which is controlled by a command from a computer.

[Outline of Invention]

The present invention relates to a peripheral device, by providing an arbitrary code setting means and comparing the set code with a command from the host computer to control the operation, the operation control by the command from the host computer is smoothly performed. It is something to be seen.

[Conventional technology]

When controlling the operation of peripheral devices such as a graphics printer by a command from the host computer, an arbitrary code is usually set on the peripheral device side, and this code is set as a command from the software of the host computer. A predetermined operation is performed by the instruction of the code.

However, in such an apparatus, for example, when a color graphex printer or the like is newly provided in place of the dot printer for a system provided with the dot printer, the code set in the color graphex printer is There is no problem if it is the same as the conventional dot printer, but if it is different, it is necessary to rewrite the software used.

Therefore, conventionally, when changing the system as described above, special knowledge or the like for rewriting software or the like was required, and the change could not be easily performed.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

As described above, the conventional technique has a problem that it is necessary to rewrite software or the like when changing the system, and the change cannot be easily performed.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention relates to a peripheral device (200), the operation of which is controlled by a command from the host computer (100), and a DIP switch (3) which is built in the peripheral device and sets a predetermined code; A comparison means (system control circuit (5)) for comparing a command (interface (1)) with a code set by the dip switch is provided, and operation control (video processing) according to the comparison result by the comparison means. A peripheral device characterized by comprising a circuit (7) and a head control circuit (11).

[Action]

According to this, the code for controlling the operation can be arbitrarily set, and by comparing the code with the command, the operation control by the command from the host computer can be smoothly performed.

〔Example〕

In FIG. 1, an operation control command from the host computer (100) is supplied to an input / output port (2) of a peripheral device such as a graphics printer (200) through an interface (1) such as so-called Centronics. A signal from the code setting display switch (3) or the like is supplied to the input / output port (2) through the encoder (4). The signal from the input / output port (2) is supplied to the system control circuit (CPU) (5).

On the other hand, the video signal supplied from the host computer (100) to, for example, a display device (not shown) is supplied to the video processing circuit (7) of the graphics printer (200) through the video interface (6). The processing circuit (7) is supplied with the sampling clock from the sampling clock generation circuit (8), and the signal from the display switch (9) is supplied to the generation circuit (8) through the encoder (10). The phase of the sampling clock is controlled.

Further, the video processing circuit (7) is driven by a control signal from the system control circuit (5), and the signal from the processing circuit (7) is also driven by a signal from the system control circuit (5). It is supplied to the print head (12) through a head control circuit (11) to be controlled.

Then, in this apparatus, the system control circuit (5) performs the following processing.

That is, FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of processing, and when the apparatus is started (start), initialization is first performed in step [1]. Next, in step [2], the host computer (10
The arrival of the command from 0) is discriminated, and when it has not arrived, this step [2] is repeated. On the other hand, when a command arrives, the command is detected in step [3], the code set in the step switch (3) is detected in step [4], and the detected command and code are detected in step [5]. And are compared. If they do not match, the process returns to step [2]. On the other hand, if the two match, the operation control routine for the video processing circuit (7), the head control circuit (11), etc. is executed in step [6]. This step [6]
After execution of, the process returns to step [2].

Therefore, in this device, the host computer (10
Printer operation control command from 0) is "48H"
In the case of an error, the code of the display switch (3) is set to this "48H", and this graphic printer (200) is operated by the command of "48H" from the host computer (100). Therefore, a desired command can be executed without rewriting the existing software of the host computer (100).

In the above-mentioned device, the host computer (10
Since the video signal supplied from the (0) to the display device is processed and printed, the host computer (10
It is not necessary to provide special video signal processing software on the 0) side, and by returning the end command from the system control circuit (5) to the host computer (100) through the interface (1) after printing is completed. , The host computer (100) can proceed to the next processing operation.

That is, according to the apparatus described above, for example, when a new color graphex printer (200) is provided in place of the system provided with the dot printer, the code of the conventional dot printer is added to the display switch (3). By setting, the graphics printer (200) can be operated as it is by the operation control command from the host computer (100).
The operation control can be smoothly performed.

Thus, according to the above-mentioned device, the code for controlling the operation can be arbitrarily set, and by comparing this code with the command, the operation control by the command from the host computer can be smoothly performed. You can

The above-described configuration is applicable not only to the graphics printer but also to other general peripheral devices. Further, the date switch may be provided with code setting means by other hardware or software.

Further, according to the above-described device, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of peripheral devices (printers) can be connected in parallel to the same interface bus to control them smoothly. That is, in the figure, the host computer (10
0) and the display device (300) are provided, and the interface (1) and the video interface (6) from the host computer (100) are connected to the graphics printer (200). For example, a dot printer (400) is connected in parallel to the ace (1).

Furthermore, in this system, a dot printer (400)
If the code is "48H", the display switch (3) of the graphics printer (200) is set to a value other than "48H", for example, "50H".

Then, the software provided in the host computer (100) can output these "48H" and "50H" commands arbitrarily to control these printers (200) and (400) independently. . When the interface (1) is, for example, Centronics, by designing the control line on the printer side as an open collector, mutual influence can be eliminated and smooth control can be performed. Video information to the dot printer (400) is supplied through the interface (1).

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the present invention, a code for controlling the operation can be arbitrarily set, and by comparing this code with the command, the operation control by the command from the host computer can be smoothly performed. It became like this.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams for explaining the same. (1) is the interface, (2) is the input / output port,
(3) and (9) are display switches, (4) and (10) are encoders, (5) is a system control circuit, (6) is a video interface, and (7) is a video processing circuit,
(8) is a sampling clock generation circuit, (11) is a head control circuit, and (12) is a print head.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Shoichi Hori 6-735 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Sony Corporation (56) References JP-A-58-114289 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A peripheral device, the operation of which is controlled by a command from a host computer, which is built in the peripheral device and sets a predetermined code; and a command from the host computer and the dip switch. A peripheral device characterized by comprising: a comparison means for comparing the code with the above-mentioned code, and the operation is controlled according to the result of the comparison by the comparison means.