JPS5899890A - Printer controlling system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make a character format easier to read and to increase the number of characters printed in one line, by constituting a printer in such a way that a fixed space between characters is set by finding the address of the leading head, in which a character font is stored, and the width of the character font. CONSTITUTION:Upon receiving an input-output command, a processor unit 41 finds an address, in which the leading head address of the corresponding printing font is stored, and the width of the printing font from character codes stored in a character code buffer 45. Then, the unit 41 loads a character font on a printing buffer 45 from the corresponding leading head address of a printing font ROM44 to be found based on the printing font thus found. The unit then sets a space between characters in the dot printing buffer 45. By performing the control in such a way, a printing font of one character can be produced. When a printing font having a variable length is produced in this way, the space between characters becomes a fixed one (2 dots), and thus the number of characters printed in one line is increased.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a print control system, and more specifically to a means for generating a variable length print font.

Normally, in a dot matrix type impact printer device, input/output commands are issued to the printer device by executing software commands issued from the machine body (CPU), and the desired printing operation is performed. It will be done.

A printer control section built into the printer device prints a desired character pattern by driving a character printing bin mounted on the printer mechanism section in accordance with input/output commands obtained from the CPU.

The following explanation assumes that one character consists of 11 horizontal dots x 16 vertical dots. The printing fonts of the printer are stored in the ROM built in the printer control unit in the order corresponding to the character codes (20H~), and the fonts of one character are allocated in the ROM in the numerical order shown in FIG.

By the way, according to this method, the character X, which uses 11 full horizontal dots as shown in Figure 2 (-), or the character 1, which uses only one horizontal dot as shown in Figure 2 (b), can also be Left and right spaces (θ byte for character X,
20 bytes for the letter I), always 2 per character.
This is a 2-byte printing font that occupies and stores in ROM. This pattern is shown in Figure 3.

When creating print data, each character requires 22 bytes (
Since a printing font of 11 dots (horizontal) and a 4-byte space between characters (2 dots horizontally) are generated, in actual printing, when characters with narrow dot widths are adjacent, the space between characters is wide, When the characters are adjacent to each other, the space between the characters becomes narrow, resulting in the disadvantage that the printed characters look blurry.

For example, when character 1 is adjacent, that is, the space between characters (11) is 11 dots, and when character X is adjacent, that is, (X
The character spacing for X) is 2 dots.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, and has a configuration in which a processor determines the starting address where a corresponding character font is stored and the width of its printing font from a character code, and sets a constant space between characters. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer control method that is easy to see and can increase the number of printed characters per line.

The present invention will be described in detail below using FIG. 4 and subsequent figures.

FIG. 4 shows a printer system in which the present invention is realized. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of an AW device.

In the figure, number 4 is the processor unit (PU), and the firmware stored in the control memory (0842) is called a firmware routine. Processing such as 9 calculation branches and 9 input/output interrupts is performed based on the case instruction (called a firmware instruction).

A character code buffer (CCB) 43 stores character codes transferred via the path 46 in the order of arrival according to instructions from the processor unit 41. This character code buffer 43 is composed of RAM.

44 is a ROM (printed phono). This print font ROM 44 stores a print font and information (2 bytes/character) regarding this font. Information regarding this font will be described later. 45 is a print buffer (pa) in which at least one line of print data (a column of print fonts) is stored.

The processor unit 4 firmware memory 42
轡Character code buffer 43/Print phono) ROM44
- The print buffer 45 is commonly connected to the path 46.

Path 46 is address, data 1. The signal lines for control are composed of multiple lines, and each unit 47, 42.4J, and 1.45 stored in this path 46 is
Data is exchanged with other units via. Note that 47 is a printer mechanism section (PRT).

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the print phono ROM shown in FIG. 4 on a memory map.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the first address of the 12-bit printing font and the 4-bit printing font width (the number of horizontal dots excluding the left and right spaces) are stored in the small address area in the order corresponding to the character code. , 11 for the character X in FIG. 1, and 2) for the character 1 in FIG. 2 are stored. Furthermore, following this, print fonts are stored in areas with larger addresses. According to the embodiment of the present invention, the character font of character X is at address X, =~X
The character font for 1 character 1 to II is 12. and Ilm.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flowchart of the firmware routine stored in the control memory in FIG. 4, and only the portions related to the present invention are extracted and shown. For reference, the sixth factor shows a flowchart of firmware according to a conventional example corresponding to FIG.

Hereinafter, the operation of the present invention will be explained in detail using FIG. 4 and subsequent figures.

The CPU executes a series of software instructions stored in main memory (none of which are shown in the figure), and if it recognizes that the instruction is an input/output command to the printer device, it sends the command to the printer device via the system path. Transfer the information necessary for execution.

The processor unit 41 that has received the input/output command performs the following operations in accordance with the firmware stored in the control memory 42.

First, from a certain character code stored in the character code buffer 43, the leading address of the corresponding printing font is stored, and the address (CODE-20H) X2 and the printing font width are determined. The former consists of 12 bits, and the latter consists of 4 bits. Next, the print font ROM44 obtained from the above
A print font with a print font width of N
Load into.

1. As mentioned above, in the case of characters:, address 1 and 1. If the content of 1 character is X, the content of X, %XIt is loaded. Then, the inter-character space is set in the two-dot print buffer 45.

By controlling in this manner, it is possible to generate a one-character printing font, and by creating a variable-length printing font as described above, the space between characters becomes constant (two dots).

As described above, according to the present invention, the space between characters is constant, so the print format becomes easier for the operator to see. In addition, the number of characters printed per line increases, and wasted area can be further reduced.
will be used effectively.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 shows the font structure of one character, Figure 2 (1)
@ (b) is a diagram showing examples of printing fonts (X and 1, respectively), Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a ROM on a memory map (Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a conventional printing phono), and Figure 184 is a printer control device realizing the present invention. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the print font ROM used in the present invention on a memory map. Figure i46 is a diagram showing a firmware flowchart according to the conventional example, and Figure 7 is a diagram showing a firmware flowchart according to the present invention. 4. Processor unit, 42. Control memory, 43. Character code buffer, 44. Print font ROM, 45. Print buffer. Patent Attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 1 (a) (b) Figure 3 Figure 5 Figure 4 Figure 6 Figure 1 Figure 7

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a printer device controlled by a process unit, a character code buffer in which character codes are stored;
a print font memory that stores the first address where the print font corresponding to the code order stored in the character code buffer is stored, the print font width constituting the character, and each of the print fonts; a print buffer for storing at least one line of data of the print font stored in the print font memory; Find the first address where is stored and the print font width that makes up that character, load the print font with the length specified by this print font width from the print font memory to the print buffer, and create a constant space between characters. A printer control method characterized in that the printer is driven to perform desired printing by setting.