JP2844747B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to a printer having a memory check function.

(Prior Art) In recent years, printers have been equipped with various memories in order to enhance the printing operation. These memories include a ROM storing a program for executing a printing operation, and an ANKCG (Alphabet Numeric Kana Character Gen.) storing patterns such as alphabets and numerals.
erator), ROM such as kanji CG in which kanji patterns are stored
There is also provided a RAM such as an input buffer and a print image buffer. The CPU appropriately refers to these memories when executing the printing operation.

However, since the various memories are directly soldered on the printed circuit board, a long-term use or vibration may cause a solder defect. In particular, in recent years in which ICs are formed into flat packages, the incidence of defective solders tends to increase. When the soldering between the memory and the printed circuit board becomes defective as described above, an error occurs when the CPU refers to the memory for the printing operation, and the printing operation is hindered. Therefore, in a printer having a memory referred to for a printing operation, it is desirable to execute a memory check for detecting the occurrence of an abnormality in the memory, for example, when the power is turned on. However, in the case of a ROM having a large storage capacity such as a kanji CG, it takes a long time of several tens of seconds to execute a memory check. For this reason, if a memory check is performed for each of these, each time the power is turned on, it is necessary to wait a long time until printing can be performed.
The fact is that only the RAM area is checked for memory.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the configuration in which the memory check of the kanji CG or the like is omitted as described above, even if an abnormality occurs in the kanji CG, it cannot be detected. When the pattern is printed, it is completely unknown whether the cause is an error in the data input by the user or an abnormality in the kanji CG. Therefore, if an error occurs in the kanji CG, there is a problem that the user has to accept printing with an erroneous pattern read from the kanji CG.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to make the diagnostic area of the memory check variable so that the memory check can be normally completed in the minimum necessary time, and when necessary, other areas can be used. It is to provide a printer that can check the memory.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention relates to a printer provided with a memory referred to for a printing operation, for selecting a diagnosis area before executing a diagnosis of the memory. Operating means for being operated; selecting means for selecting a diagnostic area of the memory in accordance with the operation state of the operating means; and memory checking means for executing memory diagnosis for the diagnostic area selected by the selecting means. It is a thing.

The present invention also relates to a printer including a plurality of areas including a program storage area referred to for a printing operation, a RAM storage area, and a ROM area other than the above. And selecting means for selecting whether or not to perform a memory diagnosis on a ROM area other than the RAM area, and for all or a part of the memories of the plurality of areas according to the selection result of the selecting means. A memory check means for executing a memory diagnosis is provided.

(Operation) In a normal case, the diagnosis area by the memory check means can be set so as to minimize the time required for the memory check. In addition, by operating the selection means while the diagnosis area of the memory is selected by the operation means, The area where the memory check is to be performed can be expanded as necessary. According to the second aspect, the area in which the memory check is to be performed can be expanded to the ROM area other than the program storage area and the RAM area.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, a CPU 1 serving as a memory check unit and a selection unit inputs a code given from an external device 2 and prints a symbol indicated by the input code by driving a printing device 3 based on the input code. Execute the printing operation. The CPU 1 is connected to a program memory 4, ANKCG5, a first RAM 6, a second RAM 7, a first kanji CG8, and a second kanji CG9. Here, the program memory 4 is a ROM in which a program for executing printing and a program for executing memory check are stored.
Executes a printing operation based on a print execution program and executes a memory diagnosis based on a memory check program. ANKCG5 is a ROM that stores printing patterns indicating alphabets, numbers, and kana.
PU1 executes a printing operation by reading a pattern corresponding to the input code from ANKCG5. The first RAM 6 corresponds to, for example, an input buffer, and the CPU 1 sequentially stores codes input from the external device 2 in the first RAM 6. The second RAM 7 corresponds to, for example, an output image buffer,
U1 stores the print pattern in the second RAM 7 and executes a print operation based on the print pattern. First kanji
CG8 is, for example, a ROM in which a kanji pattern corresponding to the first level is stored. The CPU 1 reads a kanji pattern corresponding to the input code stored in the first RAM 6 from the first kanji CG8 and reads the second kanji pattern. It is stored in the RAM 7 as a print pattern. The second kanji CG9 is, for example, a ROM in which kanji corresponding to the second level is stored, and the CPU 1 converts a kanji pattern corresponding to the input code stored in the first RAM 6 into a second kanji.
The data is read from the CG 9 and stored in the second RAM 7 as a print pattern.

Now, each of the memories 4 to 9 is directly soldered on a wiring circuit board (not shown), so that the electrical connection between each of the memories 4 to 9 and the CPU 1 becomes defective due to aging or vibration. Sometimes. If such an electrical connection becomes defective, the program memory 4, which is a ROM, the ANKCG5, the first
In the kanji CG8 and the second kanji CG9, the pattern is read and an error occurs. Further, in the first RAM 6 and the second RAM 7, data write and read errors occur. So, CP
U1 has a memory check function for diagnosing the occurrence of an abnormality in each of the memories 4 to 9, and outputs the result of the memory check to the display 11. In addition, the CPU 1 selects a memory area in which a memory check is to be executed in response to the operation of the switch 10 that constitutes the selection means. Hereinafter, the memory check function of the CPU 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

When the power is turned on, the CPU 1 transmits a BUSY signal indicating that data cannot be received (step A0) and diagnoses the program memory 4 (step A1). In this case, as a method of memory check, since the program memory 4 is a read-only ROM, data stored in the entire memory area of the program memory 4 or a predetermined memory area is regarded as a numerical value, and the sum thereof is calculated. Is executed by confirming that the calculated value matches the value stored in the program memory 4 in advance. That is,
When the total value of the data stored in the program memory 4 does not match the stored value, it can be determined that a memory error has occurred. When it is determined that a memory error has occurred (step A2), an error occurrence area, that is, “program memory error” is displayed on the display 11 (step A3). If it is determined that the total value of the data matches the stored value and no memory error has occurred,
1. Diagnose the second RAM 6,7 (step A4). in this case,
Since the first and second RAMs 6 and 7 are both write and read memories, specific data is written to all the areas of the RAMs 6 and 7 at the time of diagnosis, and the data is read and written. Is equal across all regions,
6, 7 can be determined to be normal. That is, RAM
If, for example, data "1" is written in all the areas 6 and 7, and the data sequentially read from the entire area is not "1", it can be determined that a memory error has occurred.
When it is determined that a memory error has occurred (step A5), the display unit 11 displays an error occurrence area, that is, “RAM error” (step A3). The data used at the time of the above diagnosis may be “0”.

Subsequently, the CPU 1 determines whether or not the switch 10 has been operated (step A6). If it has determined that the switch 10 has not been operated, the CPU 1 transmits a READY signal indicating that data can be received to the external device 2. The printing device 3 performs printing based on the input data. When it is determined that the switch 10 has been operated, ANKCG5 is diagnosed (step A
7). In this case, since ANKCG5 is a ROM, the memory check is executed in the same manner as the memory check for the program memory 4 described above. When it is determined that a memory error has occurred (step A8), an error occurrence area, that is, “ANKCG error” is displayed (step A8).
3). When it is determined that no memory error has occurred, the second kanji CG9 is diagnosed (step A11), following the diagnosis of the first kanji CG8 (step A9). Since each kanji CG is also a ROM, the memory check is executed in the same manner as the memory check for the program memory 4. If a memory error has occurred in one of the first and second kanji CGs 8 and 9 (steps A8 and A10), an error occurrence area, that is, "kanji CG error" is displayed (step A3). If no memory error has occurred, the READY signal is sent to the external device 2 and printing is performed based on the input data.

In short, according to the above embodiment, when the power is turned on with the operation of the switch 10 released, the CPU 1
Limits the diagnostic area to the program memory 4 and the first and second RAMs 6 and 7, and when the power is turned on while the switch 10 is operated, the CPU 1 sets the diagnostic area to ANKCG5, the first and second RAMs. Because the kanji CGs 8, 9 are expanded, the diagnostic area for memory check is variable. Therefore, unlike the conventional example in which the diagnosis area is limited, in the normal case, the program memory 4,
Diagnosis time can be set as short as possible by diagnosing only the first and second RAMs 6 and 7, and ANKCG5,
By diagnosing the second kanji CG8,9 these memories
5, 8, and 9 can also be diagnosed reliably.

Also, the CPU 1 sends a BUSY signal to the external device 2 before starting the memory check, and upon completion of the memory check, the RE 1
Since the ADY signal is transmitted, it is possible to prevent the external device 2 from transmitting data during the memory check and losing the data.

In the above embodiment, the operation of the switch 10 causes each CG
Although configured to diagnose 5, 8, and 9, instead of this, a non-volatile memory is provided, and the memory is provided so as to store the number of times the power is turned on.
The configuration may be such that the diagnosis of each of the memories 5, 8, 9 is executed when the number of times has reached ten.

Further, when the power is turned on while the switch 10 is operated, all the memories 4 to 9 may be diagnosed. Furthermore, the switch 10 may be configured to execute the memory check at the operation timing without being limited to when the power is turned on.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, according to the printer of the present invention, by operating the selection means in a state where the diagnosis area is selected by the operation means, the area in which the memory check should be performed as necessary The diagnostic area of the memory check is made variable so that the memory check can be completed in a minimum time normally, and the other areas can be checked when necessary. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a memory diagnostic program. In the figure, 1 is a CPU (memory check means, selection means), 4
Is the program memory (memory), 5 is the ANKCG (memory), 6 is the first RAM (memory), 7 is the second RAM (memory), 8 is the first Kanji CG (memory), 9 is the second Kanji CG
(Memory) and 10 are switches (selection means).

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B41J 29/46

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A printer having a memory referred to for a printing operation, an operation means operated to select a diagnosis area before executing a diagnosis of the memory;
A printer comprising: a selection unit that selects a diagnosis area of the memory according to an operation state of the operation unit; and a memory check unit that performs a memory diagnosis for the diagnosis region selected by the selection unit. 2. A printer provided with a plurality of areas of memory including a program storage area, a RAM storage area, and a ROM area other than these, which are referred to for a printing operation. RAM
Selecting means for selecting whether or not to perform a memory diagnosis on a ROM area other than the area; and performing a memory diagnosis on all or a part of the memories of the plurality of areas according to a selection result of the selecting means. A printer characterized by comprising a memory check means for executing.