JPS62205420A - Printer diagnosis system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow a host controller to make the diagnosis of a printer external control action by providing a means transmitting a local printing test and its dot pattern data to the host controller. CONSTITUTION:The host controller 2 has an interface control part to face the interface control part 12 of a dot printer 1. Namely the controller has an interface timing control circuit 21, a transmission data buffer 22, a reception data buffer 23 and a state signal reception circuit 24. Both interface control parts act as exchanging data between the host controller 2 and the dot printer 1, and normally transfer data to the buffer 122 of the printer 1 from the buffer 22 of the host controller 2. In a local printing state, data pattern data on printed characters is transferred to the buffer 23 of the host controller 2 from the transmission data buffer 123 of the printer 1. The interface timing control circuits 121 and 21 have circuits to switch the switching direction by switching a mode.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] In a dot printer that has a built-in character dot pattern, it is possible to perform a local print test and also to transmit the dot pattern data of the printed characters to the host control device. This enables diagnosis of the printer's internal control operations.

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to diagnosis of the functional operation of a dot printer connected to a host control device.

A dot printer is used as an output device for a computer, etc., and converts code data sent from the computer into a dot pattern of characters built into the printer, and performs printing operations.6 Therefore, the internal operation of the printer Normally, the only way to detect abnormalities is to visually check the printed output.

However, it has become indispensable for personal computers, word processors, etc., and has begun to spread widely, creating a demand for a method that allows users to easily test it.

[Prior Art] Conventional dot printers have the concept of being dedicated to output devices, so the direction of data at the interface with the host control device is unidirectional, from the host control device to the dot printer, and the operating state of the dot printer is variable. Since only certain signal lines are provided, abnormalities such as internal data disturbances and character dot pattern defects can only be detected from the printed output results.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and provide a new printer diagnostic method that enables a higher-level control device to test and diagnose a printer. be.

[Means for Solving the Problems] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a general dot printer and its connection relationship with a host control device.

As shown in the figure, a dot printer consists of a main control section that controls printer operations, a print output section that actually performs printout operations, an operation section that allows the operator to operate switches, etc., and a dot pattern that stores the dot patterns of printed characters. The computer is comprised of a character dot pattern storage section that performs a character dot pattern storage section, and an interface control section that interfaces with a host control device.

The upper control device connects to the dot printer through a printer interface, sends character code data to the dot printer, and instructs it to print.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the principle of the printer diagnosis method of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 1 indicates a dot printer, and 2 indicates a host control device.

The dot printer 1 includes a main control section, an operation section, a print output section, an interface control section, and a control section for performing normal printing operations.
In addition to the character dot pattern storage section, the printer 10 is provided with local print control means 18 and data transmission means IB.

The local printing control means IA changes from an online state in which data can be received and printed from the host controller 2 to an offline state by stopping reception from the host controller 2, and prints locally according to a predetermined pattern. Control.

Character pattern data sending means IB controls to send dot pattern data of characters to be printed during local printing.

The local print control means 1^ is actually incorporated into a part of the main control section.

The data transmitting means IB transmits character pattern data to the host control device 2, and is actually incorporated as a part of the interface control section, and also includes an interface control switching function.

The host control device 2 is equipped with data receiving means 2A and comparison inspection means 2B in addition to various functions for performing normal printing control.

The data receiving means 2A receives data transmitted from the data transmitting means 1B of the dot printer 1.

The comparison inspection means 2B compares and inspects the data received by the data reception means with predetermined correct data.

[Operation] When diagnosing a dot printer using the above configuration, the dot printer is switched to local printing mode, the host controller is also switched to dot printer diagnosis mode,
By pressing the local print start switch on the dot printer, the code data and dot pattern data of the characters to be printed are sent to the host controller, and the host controller performs diagnosis by checking whether the data is normal or not. be exposed.

Dot printers also have several types of local printing patterns, and when a test pattern is set and the local printing start switch is pressed, the test pattern number is first sent to the host controller. There is no need to send code data, and the host control device can read and compare dot patterns using test patterns stored within its own device.

If there is an abnormality in locally printed characters, it can be immediately determined whether the cause of the abnormality lies in the dot pattern data or the wire dot print head.

As described above, the present invention enables the host controller to inspect or diagnose the local printing operation of a dot printer, which has conventionally been completely unrelated to the host controller.
It improves the printer interface.

[Example] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to Examples shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a printer interface in an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 3, 1 is a dot printer, 2 is a host control device, 11 is a main control section of the dot printer, and 12 is an interface control section.

The interface control unit 12 includes an interface timing control circuit 121 that controls the timing of an interface signal, a reception data buffer 122, a transmission data buffer 123, and a status A3 transmission A3 circuit 124.

The upper control device 2 includes an interface quota signal receiving circuit 24 facing the interface control section 12 of the dot printer 1.

In a local printing state in which both interface control units transmit and receive data between the host control device 2 and the dot printer 1, data is transferred to the buffer 23 for characters to be printed.

The interface timing control circuits 121 and 21 are equipped with circuits that enable data transfer in both directions and switch the transmission/reception direction by mode switching.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing signal lines of a printer interface in an embodiment of the present invention.

In Fig. 4, the difference from the conventional printer interface is that the 13th source of each signal is the data strobe (DSTB) in the first term, the data <DATA I-DATA 8) in the second term, and the acknowledgment signal (ACKNI, G). It has become a two-way street.

4th term BUSY, 5th term vapor end (
PE), 6-term input prime (INPR?I
), the fault (FAULT) in item 7 is the same as before.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, not only the local printing function, which is a general test method for dot printers, but also the printing data contents are inspected by a host control device, the dot printers can be It becomes possible to diagnose the internal operation of the system, and its practical effects are extremely large.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the principle of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the dot printer and the connection relationship between the upper control WW, Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the printer interface in an embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 4 is FIG. 3 is a diagram showing signal lines of a printer interface in an embodiment of the present invention. In the drawing, 1 is a dot printer, 2 is a host controller, and IA
is local printing control means, IB is data transmission means, 2A
1 is a data receiving means, 2B is a comparison inspection means, 11 is a main control section, 12 is an interface control section, 121 and 21 are interface timing control circuits, 1
22 and 23 are reception data buffers, 123 and 22 are transmission data buffers, 124 is a status signal transmission circuit, and 24 is a status signal reception circuit, respectively. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the principle of the present invention; Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a dot printer and the connection relationship between the upper control device; Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the printer ink interface in an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a printer interface in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 shows the signal lines of

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] In a dot printer that has a built-in character dot pattern, local print control means controls the built-in character dot pattern to be printed out based on instructions from an operation unit without being controlled by a host controller. and data transmitting means for transmitting dot pattern data of characters to be printed to the upper control device during a printing operation under the control of the local print control means, and to the upper control device, data transmitting means of the dot printer. The data receiving means receives the data transmitted from the printer, and the comparison checking means compares and inspects the data received by the data receiving means with the data stored in the printer. A printer diagnostic method characterized by being configured to check control operations.