JPH0655525B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a printing apparatus of a line printer, and in particular, a print timing signal can be easily obtained by using a management table without calculating it by a complicated calculation. About what you did.

[Conventional technology and problems]

If invited, a type running body such as a type belt is run, and a desired type passing through the position of the hammer is ejected by a hammer provided with a printing digit number for one line to perform printing. In the line printer, as a type selection method, the mark corresponding to the type is read for each print by a sensor such as a magnetic sensor or photo sensor, which is usually close to the type running body, and the mark and the digit position stored in the memory are read. The data to be printed is collated, and if there is a match, the hammer magnet is excited and the hammer is operated to print.

When collating the mark corresponding to each type and the data in the memory, in the type belt type line printer, the type of the hammer and the type belt do not correspond one-to-one because of the matching time. The circuit for generating the collation hammer address and the printable character code becomes very complicated. Further, even if it is realized by a microprocessor or the like, in order to increase the printing speed, it is necessary to considerably increase the operation speed.

In the line printer, as shown in FIG. 1, the characters A, B, C, D.
..) is in a relationship in which the letter E faces the hammer when the letter A faces the hammer (print scan 1), and the letters A and E are the hammer,
After printing by the type belt, the type belt runs in the direction of the arrow d in the drawing, and the letters B and F can be printed by the hammer which is the next digit. That is, the deviation between the center of the type A hammer and the center of the type A is zero, the deviation between the type B and the center of the hammer is d, and the difference between the type C and the hammer is 2d ..・ And d
In the initial state, when the first digit hammer faces the type A, the positions facing each other at this timing are the sixth digit hammer and the letter E. Therefore, in the state of FIG. 1, the letters A, E, ... Corresponding to the hammers, ... Can be printed. Figure 2 (a)
The print scan 1 shown in FIG. 2 shows the print timing of the characters A to D by the hammer.
In, print each digit of hammer, ...
During this period, the type traveling body V travels by d in FIG. 1, so in the next sub-scan 2, a hammer, ...
In contrast, the characters B, F, ... Can be printed facing each other, and each digit of the hammers, ... Can be printed at the same timing. When the sub-scan 5 is performed in this manner, the printed character traveling body V becomes D in FIG.
Then, the print scan 2 is performed, and the letter B faces the hammer and the letter F faces the hammer. The print scan 2 in FIG. 2A shows the state at this time. Therefore, in the sub-scan 1 of the print scan 2, the type B (numeral 8 in FIG. 1) can be printed by the hammer and the type F (numeral 12 in FIG. 1) can be printed by the hammer. The relationship between them is shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C.

Here, the numbers 7, 8, 9 ... Described above the letters A, B, C ... Shown in FIG. 1 are character numbers.

In addition, in FIG. 2 (b), the numbers 1, 2, ...
Corresponds to a hammer, ..., and the column of collation AD in the row direction shows the hammer number that enables printing with d, 2d, ... 5d while the printing traveling body V travels D. The column direction indicates the hammer numbers that can be printed simultaneously by the sub-scans within each print scan. Then, in FIG. 2 (c), the numbers 7, 8, 9 ...
・ As shown in Fig. 1, type A, B, C ...
Therefore, in FIG. 2 (c), the type A, E ...
Indicates that the characters can be printed, and the characters B, F, ... Can be printed during the sub-scan 2.

The hammer excited for printing is shown in Fig. 2 (a).
As shown in, the sub-scan is turned off after 7 cycles.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2B, the hammers that can be excited in the sub-scan 1 are turned off in the sub-scan 3 in the next print cycle. As described above, the excited hammer is turned off after 7 cycles in the sub-scan, so the hammer excited in the sub-scan 1 is turned off at the beginning of the sub-scan 3 of the next print scan 2. .. shown in the stop AD of the sub-scan 3 in FIG. 2B shows this state. Of course, when returning from the last address of the sub-scan to the first address of the next sub-scan, it returns to a predetermined address as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C.

In the line printer, since the print control has such an order, conventionally, this has been realized only by the hard logic and by the high speed microprocessor. However, the circuit of the hard logic becomes considerably large, and when a high-speed microprocessor is used, it becomes difficult to cope with the increase in the speed of the type traveling body, and it becomes necessary to perform parallel processing, etc. There were many

Also, when using a new device in which the distance between the type belt on the type belt and the distance between the hammer and the type belt is different due to replacement of the type belt, etc., it is necessary to change the memory access addition constant. Was needed.
In the case of hardware, it was necessary to change the count value, decode value, bit width, etc. and redesign the circuit.

[Object of the Invention]

In order to solve such a problem, the present invention provides a printing apparatus which has a relatively small amount of hardware and can easily cope with a high speed of the printing type traveling body and can flexibly deal with a change in an excitation condition or the like. The purpose is to provide.

[Structure of Invention]

In order to achieve this object, in the printing apparatus of the present invention, Ms are arranged on the belt at predetermined intervals.
N (integer) print hammers are arranged at intervals different from the above intervals, and (n) integers of the print hammers are provided for every n + 1 (m <M; integer) print characters. (n <N; integer) A printing apparatus having a type belt and a type hammer configured such that the thirty-third faces face each other, and an address register 3 for holding information of a print hammer position at which printing is possible when the type belt is running, A print data area that is accessed by the information held in the address register 3 and stores a print code of a character to be printed corresponding to the position of the print hammer, and a control area in which a flag indicating the excitation state of the print hammer is written. A print god memory 4, a code memory address section 7 having printable character number information, and the code memory address. Is accessed by the character number information stored in the section 7, a code memory 8 which holds the print codes in print character number information corresponding a print code which is output from the printing memory 4, the code memory address 7
The print codes output from the code memory 8 are compared by the information held in the
A comparator 5 that outputs a coincidence signal that is a print hammer excitation signal, a magnet set address area that holds the print hammer number of every n + 1 where the type and print hammer face each other, and the activated print hammer are reset. A magnet reset address area for holding timing information, a code memory address area (1) for holding character number information of printable characters by the printing hammer, and a first character number information of sub-scan 1 of each print scan A code memory address area (2), a code memory address area (3) for holding character number information for returning from the sub scan to the main scan, and a character number information for returning to the head of the next sub scan from each sub scan. A code memory address area (4) for holding, and each area according to a selection signal A control table 2 is selected, the address counter 1 for outputting address data to access the magnet set address region of the control table 2
And a selector 6 that selectively outputs either the output from the address counter 1 or the output from the code memory address unit 7 to the control table 2, and sets the print data in the print data memory 4. , The print set hammer number is sequentially read by accessing the magnet set address from the control table 2, and the print data output from the print data memory 4 corresponding thereto and the printable characters by the print hammer from the control table 2 are printed. The information is sequentially read out and the print data output from the code memory 8 is compared by the comparator 5, and when a match is obtained, the print hammer of the hammer number is energized for printing, and The timing information for resetting is read from the control table 2 and the biased printing hammer is reset based on this. Characterized by being adapted to bets.

Example of Invention

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a concrete explanatory view of its control table, and FIG. 5 is a concrete explanatory view of its print data memory.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 1 is an address counter, an initial address is set by a signal 10, and a clock 11 is applied.
The control table 2 is filled with the table shown in FIG. 4, and is composed of, for example, a ROM.

This control table 2 is, for example, a magnet on page 1
The set address is entered, and the magnet is set on page 2.
The reset address is filled in, page 3 is filled in with the code memory address (1), page 4 is filled in with the code memory address (2), page 5 is filled in with the code memory address (3), page 6 The code memory address (4) is written in. For this magnet set address, the hammer shown in Fig. 2 (b),
The printable information of each hammer indicating which of the subscans 1, 2 ... Is printable, that is, each hammer number in the collation AD column for each subscan is entered. The magnet reset address of page 2 is information as to which hammer scan resets the excitation signal for which hammer as shown in FIG. 2 (a), that is, the sub scan stop AD column shown in FIG. 2 (b). Is included.

In the code memory address (1) of page 3, printable characters indicating which characters of the print characters of the print carriage shown in FIG. 2 (a) can be printed in each sub-scan 1 to 5 can be printed. The information is entered and the number output is the character number of the printable characters shown in each sub-scan 1 to 5 in FIG.

Since the code memory address (2) of page 4 needs to keep track of the position of the print type with respect to the hammer when the print running unit is running, the print position of the print running unit when printing is not performed. Each time a pulse indicating is output, information for incrementing by 1 is entered, indicating the first character of the print scan. Information is written in the code memory address (3) of page 5 so that the last printed character information of the sub-scan 5 is output from the first printed address of the sub-scan 1 of the next print scan cycle. The return address from each sub-scan is written in the code memory address (4). That is, when the print scan 1 has been scanned to the end of the sub scan 1, the process moves to the next sub scan 2. Information indicating that the start address at the time of transition is 8 (that is, the character B) is stored. Similarly, when scanning is performed up to the end of the sub-scan 2, the process moves to the next sub-scan 3, but the start address at that time is stored as 9.

Each print scan (main scan) is composed of, for example, five sub scans. Further, among the sub-scans (sub-scans), the scan order 1, 2 in FIG.
As shown in 3, 4, 5, ..., It is composed of small cycles for accessing the memory (referred to as a memory cycle). On the other hand, the scan order in FIG. 2C also has a correspondence relationship with this memory cycle. In this way, when the memory cycle of the sub-scan is completed to the end, the process moves to the next sub-scan, for example, the sub-scan 1 to the sub-scan 2. When the last sub-scan (for example, sub-scan 5) is completed, the next print scan (main scan), for example, the print scan (main scan) for (letter A) to the print for (letter B) as shown in FIG. Move to scan (main scan).

An address register 3 is used to set an address for accessing the print data memory 4.
This address is the one to which the magnetoset address (page 1) of the control table 2 shown in FIG. 4 is entered.

In the print data memory 4, a character code indicating a character to be printed is set for all digits of at least one line, and is entered for each digit, that is, for each hammer ,. . Therefore, if the sub-scan is the sub-scan 1 now, the collation AD is performed from the address register 3.
The addresses 1, 6, 11, ... In the columns are output, and the addresses (1,
The character code set to 6, 11, ...) Is output.

Reference numeral 5 is a comparator for checking whether or not the character code to be printed output from the print data memory 4 and the character code output from the code memory 8 to be described later match. The set signal SET9 for exciting the hammer is output and the register 2
A flag will be set in the control data memory 4 via 8.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a selector, which selects the 23 side by a select signal 12 except in the print cycle, inputs the output signal of the code memory / address section 7 to be described later into the control table 2 via the selector 6, and Sometimes, the select signal selects the 22 side to make the control table 2 accessible.

Reference numeral 7 is a code memory address section, in which an address for accessing the code memory 8 is written. The code memory 8 stores the letters A, B, C, ... Indicated by the numbers 7, 8, 9, ... In the sub-scan item shown in FIG. For example, if the code memory 8 is accessed by 7, the character code of A is output. Then, such stored data is prepared in advance in the code memory 8. Addresses for accessing the code memory 8 are selectively set to the code memory addresses (1), (3) and (4) of the control table 2 shown in FIG. In case of, the following operation is performed. During the print cycle, the pulse 25 corresponding to the type on the type running body, which has been inhibited by the AND gate 33 by the signal 26 (hereinafter referred to as the type pulse), passes through the OR gate 34 during the period other than the print cycle and passes through the code memory. -It is input to the address section 7 and the output of page 4 of the control table 2 is set. Then, it is reset by the reset signal 19. The input signal to the selector 6 is the select signal 12
The output signal 24 of the code memory / address unit 7 is input to the control table 2 via 23 of the selector 6 by switching to the 23 side by. At this time, in the control table 2, page 4 is selected by the page selection signal 13, and in order to indicate the position corresponding to the type on the type running body,
The contents of the output signal 24 + 1 of the code memory address unit 7 are accessed. In this way, the code memory / address unit 7 is incremented by +1 by the type pulse 25 except in the printing cycle. Further, when the set of characters on the character traveling body reaches one set, the signal 19 resets the address of the code memory address unit 7.

In the print cycle, print data for at least one row of each hammer, ... Is set in the print data area of page 1 of the print data memory 4.

(A) In the print cycle, the address counter 1 is reset to all zeros by the signal 10 and sequentially incremented by 1 by the clock 11. At this time, the selector 6 selects the signal 22 side by the selector switching signal 12 and thereby accesses the control table 2. First, the address of all zeros and the page selection signal 13 output the magnet set address of page 1 in FIG. 4, that is, the number of the collation AD shown in FIG. It is set in register 3. The output of the address register 3 is the set signal 1
It is output after being set by 5. The code memory address of the code memory address section 7 is output after the data is set at the set timing 18. The output of this address register 3 and the code memory
The output of the address unit 7 is input to the print data memory 4 and the code memory 8, respectively. On the other hand, print data memory 4
The page selection signal 16 indicates the print data area of page 1 in FIG. 5, and the page selection signal 20 of the code memory 8 selects the page of the character set corresponding to the type belt at that time. With the page by these selection signals and the contents of the address registers 3 and the address registers of the code memory address section 7 which have already been set,
Each output, that is, the contents of the data 1 corresponding to the collation address of the scan order 1 of the sub-scan 1 of FIG. 2B, for example, the character A and the character code of the scan order 1 of the sub-scan 1 of FIG. 2C. The data of the character A corresponding to 7 is read. Each bit of the data is input to the comparator 5 and compared with each other at the timing of the timing signal 17, and the set signal 9 is obtained if all the bits match.

(B) After setting the collation AD in the address register 3, the selector 6 is switched by the select signal 12, and the output of the code memory address unit 7 and the page select signal 13 are used to access the control table 2 to access page 3
The address of the printable character number is output while incrementing from the code memory address (1) of the set timing signal 18 via the OR gate 34.
Is set in the code memory address section 7. In this way, from code memory 8 to Prince Scan 1
Character numbers 7, 11 ...
The character codes of A, E, ... Thereby, in the comparator 5, the character code to be printed corresponding to the hammer and the character code of the character A indicated by the character number 7, the character code corresponding to the hammer and the character number 11
The character code of the character E indicated by is compared, and the character code that matches the character code is output to the register 28, and the set signal 9 and the output of the print data memory 4 are temporarily stored. The set signal 9 is output to the hammer drive circuit to perform printing. By the way, the coincidence signal set in the register 28 is output by the write signal 29 through the buffer 30, and the print data memory 4 in FIG.
The flag A indicating which hammer has been excited is stored in the control area at. The buffer 30 and the register 28 correspond to a plurality of signals. The information in this control area is used for the following purposes.

That is, in the main scan 7 of FIG. 2, the excitation of the first digit is performed on the hammer. Same timing as main scan 8
However, since the set signal 9 output in the main scan 7 before that timing is set in the control area of the print data memory 4 via the register 28 as described above, the flag (A flag) is set. The register 2 is used to judge the contents and prevent the set signal 9 from being output again, and to reset the excitation signal.
The contents produced in the control signal from the set signal 9 are output to the control area 8. Therefore, this signal is stored again in the control area as the B flag, and the reset pulse is output only when the B flag is turned on at the reset timing (stop address shown in FIG. 2B). When the A flag is read and written as the B flag, the print end flag C flag is also written at the same time so that the next collation is not performed.

The generation states of the A flag, B flag, and C flag will be described with reference to FIG. The flag A is stored in the control area of page 2 of the print data memory 4 when the Hammer excitation is performed. In the above case, the main scan 7 in FIG.
It is generated and stored at the timing of sub-scan 1. The flag B is generated at the same sub-scan timing of the next main scan and is also stored in the control area.
The flag C is also generated at the same timing as the flag B and stored in the control area.

(C) When the character code is printed at the hammer position that is verified in the sub-scan 1 as described above, the sub-scan 2
The print collation of hammer, ... Is performed, and only the collated print is printed. In this way, when the sub-scan 5 is performed and only the collated print is printed, the next print scan 2 is started. In this print scan 2, character addresses 8, 12 ...
Thus, some of the characters that cannot be collated by the sub scan 1 of the previous print scan 1 can be collated by the sub scan 1 of the print scan 2. If the collation cannot be obtained even in this case, the hammers, ... Correspond to the character addresses 9, 13, ... In the sub-scan 1 of the print scan 3 (not shown). By repeating the print scan by the number of character types accommodated in the running body, the character types can be printed on all the digits.

In this way, the desired printing can be performed by the sequence shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C.

In addition, the time series such as the print cycle and the time other than the print cycle in the above description and the time series relationship of each scan, hammer excitation, print data storage / readout, print data memory and code data / Momelli collation, etc. It is shown briefly in the figure. The print data is stored prior to the print cycle.

The type pulse, reset signal, selector signal, and page selection signal are generated in the following states.

The type pulse is generated by the sensor that reads the type clock mark provided for each type existing on the type running body when the type running body is running, and the reset signal reads the index mark of the type set. Occurs and these are well known.

As shown in FIG. 2 (a), the reset signal is output at the beginning of the 8th cycle of the sub-scan on condition that the flag B exists because the excitation signal is continued for 7 cycles of the sub-scan. Is.

The page selection signal is used when sequentially selecting the contents of the control table 2, and changes at the time of individual reading of the sub-scan.

The select signal is a signal for switching the output data from the address counter 1 or the code memory / address unit 7 input to the control table 2. The output data from the address counter 1 is used when accessing the control table 2 when reading the collation address. The output data from the code memory / address unit 7 is read from the last address of the sub-scan at the time of reading the address of a printable character and when reading the first address of the next sub-scan from the last address of the sub-scan. It is used when accessing the control table 2 when reading the address such as the beginning of the print scan.

Then, each signal in FIG. 3 is output in the state as shown in FIG. For simplification of description, FIG. 8 shows each signal by numeral.

The magnet reset address described on page 2 of FIG. 4 is read out in correspondence with the collation address in the scan order in the memory cycle in each sub-scan during the print scan, as shown in FIG. 2 (b). It is an address. This is shown, for example, in FIG.
The excited signal verified in the sub-scan 1 of the print scan 1 is supplied to the sub-scan 3 of the next print scan 2.
It corresponds to resetting with.

That is, when the verification AD1 is printed in the scan order 1 of the sub-scan 1 in FIG. 2B and is excited, 1 is read as the stop AD in the memory cycle of the scan order 1 of the sub-scan 3, and the same excitation signal is output. Will be reset. Note that this reset is controlled so that the reset is performed in the print scan next to the excited print scan as shown in FIG. Such operation is realized by the flags A, B, C, etc. in the control area of page 2 in FIG. To explain this with reference to FIG. 3, the stop AD (address) read from the control table 3 is set in the address register 3 to access the print data memory 4. On the other hand, the print data memory 4 reads the flag B by selecting the page in FIG. 5, that is, the control area, by the page selection signal 16. Although not shown, the flag B is logically ANDed with the reset timing signal to form a reset signal. On the other hand, the output of the address register 3 is transmitted to the circuit for driving the hammer (not shown), and the latch circuit of the digit already excited is selected. The above-mentioned reset signal is input to the selected latch circuit, and the excitation signal is turned off.

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the present invention, focusing on the fact that the print control sequence is uniquely performed, the control sequence is stored in the control table in advance, and the print control is performed using this control sequence. It can be simple.

That is, the control table can be composed of a memory such as a ROM, and does not require a huge amount of hardware such as a large number of adders as in the prior art, so that the size and size of the control table can be simplified. You can

Also, when using a new device that has a different gap between the type belt on the type belt and the hammer due to replacement of the type belt, it is necessary to change the memory access addition constant. However, the present invention can be easily dealt with by simply converting the contents of this control table, for example, by replacing the ROM.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of the correspondence between the type and hammer of a line printer, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of its operation, FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a control table explanatory diagram, and FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a print data memory, FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of each flag generation state, and FIG.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of signal generation timing. In the figure, 1 is an address counter, 2 is a control table, 3
Is an address register, 4 is a print data memory, 5 is a comparator, 6 is a selector, 7 is a code memory address section, and 8 is a code memory.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-57-210862 (JP, A) JP-A-47-45335 (JP, A) JP-A-55-117676 (JP, A) JP-A-57- 64581 (JP, A) JP-A-54-54529 (JP, A) JP-A-57-113190 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A printing machine comprising M (integer) number of characters arranged on a belt at a predetermined interval, and N (integer) printing hammers arranged at intervals different from the above intervals. In a printing apparatus having a type belt and a type hammer configured such that every (n + 1) th (m <M; integer) number of the print hammers face each other, An address register 3 that holds information on a print hammer position that can be printed during traveling, and a print that is accessed by the information held in the address register 3 and that stores a print code of a character to be printed corresponding to the position of the print hammer. A print data memory 4 having a data area and a control area in which a flag indicating the excitation state of the print hammer is written; A code memory address unit 7 having character number information; a code memory 8 which is accessed by the character number information held in the code memory address unit 7 and holds a type code corresponding to the character number information of a type character; The print code output from the code memory 8 is compared with the print code output from the code memory 8 read by the information held in the code memory address section 7, and when a match is found, a print hammer excitation signal is obtained. A comparator 5 that outputs a signal, a magnet set address area that holds the print hammer number for every n + 1 where the type and print hammer face each other, and a magnet reset that holds timing information for resetting the energized print hammer. Holds address area and character number information of printable characters by the printing hammer A code memory address area (1), a code memory address area (2) holding the first character number information of the sub-scan of each print scan, and a code memory address holding the character number information returning from the sub-scan to the main scan A control table 2 having an area (3) and a code memory address area (4) for holding character number information for returning to the beginning of the next sub-scan from each sub-scan; , An address counter 1 for outputting address data for accessing the magnet set address area of the control table 2, an output from the address counter 1, or an output from the code memory address unit 7 selectively. A print data memory 4 is provided with a selector 6 for outputting to the control table 2. The printable hammer number is sequentially read by accessing the magnet set address from the control table 2, and the print data output from the print data memory 4 corresponding to the printable hammer number is printed by the print hammer from the control table 2. The possible type information is sequentially read and the print data output from the code memory 8 is compared by the comparator 5, and when a match is found, the print hammer of the hammer number is energized and printed. Further, the printing apparatus is characterized in that reset timing information is read from the control table 2 and the energized print hammer is reset based on the read timing information.