JPH04101866A - Serial printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a serial printer which is easy to be used and excellent in operation property by a method wherein in the case where fetch of a reception data does not exist for a specific time, printing treatment of the residual reception data is performed. CONSTITUTION:When a code data to be sent from a host computer is gone, all signals from a reception buffer 4 are sent to an image buffer side to evacuate the reception buffer 4, a timer is started, and the procedure waits until a specific time elapses. Further, this time is longer than the maximum value of a time interval between the code data to be sent from the host computer, is not too longer time than that, and is established to approx. 200msec. Furthermore, in the case where there is no reception data and the reception buffer 4 is blank after a specific time has elapsed, when a dot pattern code data remains on the image buffer 5, the residual code data is printed by indicating start of printing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Field of Industrial Application> The present invention relates to a serial printer with improved printing control method.

<Prior art> Conventionally, in serial printers, a method of printing received data (code data) sent from a host computer in hexadecimal numbers, so-called Hex (r Hexade), has been used.
There is a dump mode (abbreviation for cimal J).

In this Iex dump mode, a method is used in which printing is performed every time received data equal to the number of bytes to be printed in one line (usually 16 bytes) accumulates in the reception buffer.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> However, in the conventional printing processing method described above, if the received data sent from the host computer is less than the number of bytes for one line, it is not printed, and the number of bytes for one line is not printed. Even when there are more than numbers! Fractional bytes after the printout are not printed. Therefore, when printing ends, special processing operations must be performed to print the remaining received data, which may cause problems such as poor operability. Ta.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a serial printer that is easy to use and has excellent operability.

Means for Solving the Problems> In order to achieve the above object, the serial printer according to the present invention sequentially receives received data and prints it every time a predetermined number of bytes accumulate, and when the received data is not received for a certain period of time. The system is equipped with a control means for printing the remaining received data when the received data is received.

According to this configuration, if code data is not sent after a certain period of time, the remaining received data is automatically printed, so the last fractional byte is not printed forever. There will be nothing left. This eliminates the need for special operations for printing residual received data.

<Example> Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail using the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic control circuit block diagram showing an embodiment of a serial printer according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, this serial printer 1 includes a control circuit (CPU) 2 for controlling the overall operation of this serial printer 1, and an interface connecting this control circuit 2 and a post computer (not shown). (I/F)3
In addition, the control circuit 2 includes a reception buffer 4. Image buffer5. Character generators 6 are connected to each. In addition, a print head 8 is connected to the output side of the control circuit 2 via a driver 7, and a space motor 10.
A paper feed motor 12 is connected via a driver 11, respectively.

Next, to explain the general print processing operation of this serial printer 1, first, when a signal is sent from the host computer, it is read into the control circuit 2 as received data through the interface 3, and this received data is stored in the reception buffer 4. Once stored. The received data stored in the receive buffer 4 is again read into the control circuit 2, and a dot pattern corresponding to the code data is read from the character generator 6 and stored in the image buffer 5.

On the other hand, when received data is stored in the receive buffer 4, this received data is converted into a hexadecimal character code, and when the image buffer 5 has all the code data for one character, printing processing is instructed. Then, the dot pattern in the image buffer 5 is sent to the driver 7 through the control circuit 2 and printed through the print head 8.

FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) are flowcharts showing the printing process procedure of the serial printer shown in FIG.
) is a schematic flowchart of the control procedure, and (b) is a flowchart showing the control procedure shown in (a>) in more detail.

Therefore, the operation of the serial printer shown in FIG. 1 together with FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) will be further explained.

First, basically, when code data is sent from the host computer, as shown in Figure 2 (a), a reception interrupt is activated, the prescribed reception processing is performed, and then the normal routine returns again. It looks like this.

When the reception interrupt is activated, processing is performed (Hex dump mode processing) according to the subroutine flowchart shown in FIG. Received data is stored sequentially. In this case, since the received data is sequentially input to the receive buffer 4, the process advances from step ST1 to step ST2, and the received data is converted into a hexadecimal character code.

The received data is developed into a dot pattern in the character generator 6 and stored in the image buffer 5 (step 5T3).The received data is thus stored in the image buffer 5, and when the code data for the - character is complete, printing processing begins. is instructed (Step ST4. Step ST5m)
This will be printed.

On the other hand, when there is no more code data sent from the host computer and all the signals from the reception buffer 4 are sent to the image buffer side and the reception buffer 4 becomes empty, the process advances from step ST1 to step ST6. Activate a timer (not shown) and wait until a certain period of time has elapsed (timeout) (step 5T7). Note that this time is longer than the maximum time interval between code data sent from the host computer, and longer than this. It's not too long, and it's about 200m5l! It is set to about c. Also, after a certain period of time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step ST8, and in this step ST8 it is determined whether or not there is any received data remaining in the receive buffer 4. If there is no received data and the receive buffer 4 is empty, the process proceeds to step ST9. Then, it is determined whether there is dot pattern code data in the image buffer 5. At this time, image buffer 5
If dot pattern code data remains on the top, the process advances to step 5TIO, instructs to start printing, and prints the remaining code data. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST8 that the reception buffer 4 is not empty, step ST8
2, and thereafter the processing is performed through steps ST3 to ST5 described above.

Therefore, according to the serial printer according to this embodiment, if code data is not sent after a certain period of time, the remaining received data is automatically printed, so the last fractional byte is will no longer remain unprinted. Further, since no special processing is required for this purpose, operability is improved.

Note that in the above embodiment, the number of bytes printed on the - line is 16.
Although the case where it is set to byte has been described, it goes without saying that it may be set to a value other than 16 bytes.

<Effects of the Invention> As explained above, according to the serial printer according to the present invention, if code data is not sent after a certain period of time, the remaining received data is automatically printed. , the last fractional byte will no longer remain unprinted. This eliminates the need for special operations for printing residual received data, and improves operability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic control block diagram showing an embodiment of the serial printer according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) are flowcharts showing main part control procedures of the serial printer shown in FIG. 1. be. 1... Serial printer, 2... Control circuit (control means). Patent applicant Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. Agent
Patent attorney Norishita Funabashi, rL7 synta elp ghe/60 λ to'-sigΔqt-evening 21ED crying f-evening≠ni/2riγ every time Ell'1llPE/noi7〃nk Z
Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a serial printer that performs printing processing every time a predetermined number of bytes of received data accumulate, the received data is sequentially fetched and subjected to the printing processing, and if the received data is not fetched for a certain period of time, the data remains. A serial printer characterized in that it is provided with a control means for printing received data.