JPH03286887A - Controlling method of increased paper feed part of printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To achieve decrease of space necessary for a number and wiring of CPU ports by a method wherein increased paper feed parts are made to have each microcomputer, and each microcomputer communicates with a CPU by a common serial interface bus line. CONSTITUTION:Communication is performed among a first increased paper feed part microcomputer 7, a second increased paper feed part microcomputer 8, a control part CPU 5, and a printer part CPU 6 by serial data to be inputted and outputted in synchronization with a clock for serial data. Therefore, a serial interface bus 9 is composed of a common serial data line 9a for exchanging a command and a status between the control part CPU 5, and the printer part CPU 6, and between the first increased paper feed part microcomputer 7, and the second increased paper feed part microcomputer 8, a serial data clock line 9b for synchronization, an interrupt line 9c for sending a signal when the first increased paper feed part microcomputer 7 or the second increased paper feed part microcomputer 8 is varied, and a line 9d which sends a signal for discriminating either a condition for receiving the command or a condition for sending the status.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a method of controlling an additional paper feed section of a printer.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, a printer, for example, a non-impact printer employing an electrophotographic method, is provided with a paper feeding device section for conveying paper that is a medium for image formation.

The paper feed section includes a paper feed roller for transporting paper, a motor for driving the paper feed roller, a sensor for detecting the paper size, a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of paper, etc. , conveys the paper necessary for image formation to the rotary developing device section.

In particular, non-impact printers print on a large amount of paper or on paper of different sizes. lf!
- A plurality of paper feeder sections may be provided as necessary.

In order to control the standard paper feed section and the additional paper feed section, each paper feed section includes a paper feed roller for transporting paper, a motor for driving the paper feed roller, a sensor for detecting the paper size, Sensors and the like for detecting the presence or absence of paper are provided, and these are connected to a control section or a printer section.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the above-mentioned conventional method for controlling additional paper feed units of a printer, as the number of paper feed units increases, signals to drive the paper feed units are generated accordingly. There is a need,
Drive power must be supplied to the paper feed unit, and drive signals include motor phase excitation signals, motor drive on/off control signals, paper size detection signals, and paper presence/absence detection signals. All the lines for sending these signals must be connected to the CPU that controls the printer itself.

Therefore, a large number of CPU boards are required, and space for wiring is also required.

The present invention solves the above problems and reduces the number of CPU ports required to send signals between the additional paper feed units and the space required for wiring between the control unit, the printer unit and the additional paper feed unit. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for controlling an additional paper feed section of a printer, which makes it possible to downsize the printer and reduce costs.

(Means for Solving the Problem) For this purpose, in a method for controlling the additional paper feed section of the Plink provided in addition to the standard paper feed section, a CPU is used in the control section and the printer section, and a microcontroller is used in the additional paper feed section. are provided respectively. Then, a serial interface bus connects the two, and commands are sent from the control section and printer section to the additional paper feed section via the serial interface bus, and status is sent from the additional paper feed section to the control section and printer section. send.

The above command is represented by the additional paper feed unit address and command field, and the status is represented by the status field.

(Function) According to the present invention, in the method for controlling an additional paper feed section of a printer in which another paper feed section is added to the standard paper feed section as described above,
A CPU is provided in the control section and the printer section, and a microcomputer is provided in the additional paper feed section.

Since the two are connected by a serial interface bus, the signals for driving the additional paper feed unit, namely the phase excitation signal of the motor, the drive on/off control signal of the motor, the signal for paper size detection, and the presence or absence of paper. Detection signals and the like can be sent via the single serial interface bus.

In other words, when the control section and printer section send commands such as inquiries about the paper size, the presence or absence of paper, commands to start and stop the motor, etc. to the additional paper feed section, the status is sent from the additional paper feed section to the control section and printer section. Sent.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a method of controlling an additional paper feed section of a printer showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is a control section, 2 is a printer section, 3 is a first additional paper feed section, and 4 is a second additional paper feed section.

The control section includes the Wi-Fi CPU 5 and the printer section 2.
, the printer unit CPU 6 is connected to the printer unit CPU 6, the first additional paper feed unit microcomma is connected to the first additional paper feed unit 3, and the second additional paper feed unit is connected to the second additional paper feed unit 4.
An additional paper feed unit microcomputer 8 is provided, and a control unit CP [l 5
and the printer unit CPυδ, and between the printer unit CPυ6 and the first additional paper feed unit microcomputer and the second additional paper feed unit microcomputer 8 are connected via a serial interface bus 9.

The first additional paper feeding unit microcomputer 7 and the second additional paper feeding unit microcomputer 8 control the paper conveyance motors of the first additional paper feeding unit 3 and the second additional paper feeding unit 4, detect the presence or absence of paper, and determine the paper size. Performs detection etc.

Communication between the first additional paper feed section microcomputer 7, the second additional paper feed section microcomputer 8, the control section CPυ5, and the printer section CP06 is carried out using serial data that is humanly output in synchronization with the Norial data clock. Therefore, the soreal interface bus 9 is a common serial bus for exchanging commands and status between the control unit CPU 5, the printer unit CPU 6, the first additional paper feed unit microcomputer, and the second additional paper feed unit microcomputer 8. A data line 9a, a serial data clock line 9b for synchronization, a first additional paper feed unit microcomma, and a second additional paper feed unit microcomputer 8.
An interrupt line 9c sends a signal when there is a change in the status, and a line 9d sends a signal to identify whether a command is being received or a status is being sent.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a procedure regarding data transfer between the control section, the printer section, the first additional paper feeding section, and the second additional paper feeding section.

From the control unit 1 to the first additional paper feed unit 3 or the second additional paper feed unit 4
When sending a command to the printer unit 2, the control unit 1 sends a command to the printer unit 2.
Sends a direct communication request command (STX) to the additional paper feed unit. If the printer unit 2 allows this, the command is sent between the control unit 1 and the first additional paper feed unit 3 or the second additional paper feed unit 4. and status are exchanged.The contents of the commands at this time include inquiries about the paper size, inquiries about the presence or absence of paper, etc.

When the communication is completed, the control section 1 sends to the printer section 2 a "direct communication end command (ETX) to the first additional paper feeding section 3 or the second additional paper feeding section 4". When the printer unit 2 receives this, commands and status are exchanged between the printer unit 2 and the first additional paper feed unit 3 or the second additional paper feed unit 4. The contents of the command at this time include starting and stopping the motor.

Figure 3 is a system diagram of commands and status, Figure 3 (A
) is a command system diagram, and FIG. 3 (B) is a status system diagram.

In the case of a command, the lower 5 bits of the 8 bits 11yti are the command field, and the 6th and 7th bits are the field indicating the address that specifies the target additional paper feed unit. When the signals of the 1st and 7th bits are 00, the standard paper feeding section is designated, when the signal is 01, the first additional paper feeding section is designated, and when it is 10, the second paper feeding section is designated.

In the case of status, the lower 7 bits of the 8 bits constitute the status field.

The specified additional paper feed unit returns a status in response to the received command, and the other additional paper feed units discard the received command.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an interface between the standard paper feeding section and the additional paper feeding section, FIG. 4(A) is an exploded perspective view of the main parts, and FIG. 4(B) is a perspective view of the printer.

Reference numeral 21 denotes a printer, in which a standard paper feed section 22 is provided in front, and an additional paper feed section 23 is provided below the standard paper feed section 22.

A through connector 25 is provided on the printer unit board 24 and a through connector 27 is provided on the power supply unit 26, and both are connected via a first connection board 28.

Further, the TFX unit 26 is connected to a control unit board 31 having a through connector 30 via a second connection board 29.

A press-contact connector 32 is attached to the second connection base Fi29, and is connected to a press-contact part 34 on the board 33 of the additional paper feed section 23.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments,
Various modifications are possible based on the spirit of the present invention, and these are not excluded from the scope of the present invention.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained in detail above, according to the present invention, each additional paper feed section is provided with a microcomputer, so motor control, paper size detection, paper presence/absence detection, etc. are controlled by this microcomputer. In addition, each microcontroller communicates with the CPU through a common serial interface pass line, reducing the number of CPU boards and the space required for wiring, making the printer more compact.
Cost can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a method for controlling an additional paper feed section of a printer showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a control section, a printer section,
A diagram showing the procedure for data transfer between the first additional paper feed unit and the second additional paper feed unit, Figure 3 is a system diagram of commands and status, Figure 3 (A) is a system diagram of commands, Figure 3 (B
) is a status system diagram, Figure 4 is a diagram showing the interface between the standard paper feed section and additional paper feed section, Figure 4 (A) is a perspective exploded view of main parts, and Figure 4 (B) is a perspective view of the printer. It is. 5...Control unit CPLI, 6...Printer unit CPU
, 1... First additional paper feeding unit microcomputer, 8... Second additional paper feeding unit microcomputer, 9... Serial interface bus. -fi January ＾ Postage P1 Shortage 1 File 7-Addition 12 How to import paper section) Meng / 17" 0.77 Figure 1 Is it about time to pull out Denik Transfer I? Figure 7 Figure 2 COMMAND Kay 1 # section, link section → expansion candy true circle section command ° and status/) # 'fF, a Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A method for controlling an additional paper feed section of a printer provided in addition to the standard paper feed section, comprising: (a) connecting a CPU of the control section and printer section and a microcomputer of the additional paper feed section via a serial interface bus; (b) A printer characterized in that a command is sent from the control section and the printer section to the additional paper feed section via the serial interface bus, and a status is sent from the additional paper feed section to the control section and the printer section. How to control the additional paper feed section.