JPS6313206B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a plotter with an automatic pen exchange device that performs multi-pen recording in response to a recording command from a host computer.

[Conventional technology]

In conventional plotters with a pen changer, when storing the recording pen at the end of recording or when recording is interrupted, the recording pen must be stored manually or by software that includes a recording pen storage command in the recording command from the host computer. Two methods were used to perform the storage operation.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

When manually retracting the pen, the pen must be retracted during and at the end of recording, which is troublesome.

Furthermore, it is inconvenient to provide a recording pen retraction command in the drawing program of the host computer because it requires consideration of operations unrelated to straight line drawing.

The present invention aims to eliminate these drawbacks.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve this object, the present invention includes a monitoring means for checking the amount of recording commands stored in a buffer memory that temporarily stores recording commands from a host computer, and a monitoring means for checking the amount of recording commands stored in a buffer memory for temporarily storing recording commands from a host computer, and a monitoring means for checking the amount of recording commands stored in a buffer memory for a certain period of time. and storage signal means for generating a recording pen storage signal in response to the output of the monitoring means.

Further, a state storage means is provided for storing the state of the recording pen held in the movable pen holder, such as the position immediately before storage and the type of pen.

[Effect]

Therefore, when the recording command from the host computer stops for a predetermined period of time (including the end of recording), the recording pen held in the movable pen holder is held at a predetermined position in the storage pen holder.

Furthermore, when the state storage means is operated, when the next recording command is input, recording is restarted in the same state as immediately before recording was interrupted.

These actions can also prevent the recording pen from drying up or deteriorating drawing due to drying up due to interruption of recording.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is an electrical configuration diagram of a plotter showing an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a host computer, 2 is a plotter, 21 is a buffer memory, 22 is a control circuit, 221 is a recording control circuit,
222 is a monitoring means, 223 is a storage signal means, 22
4 is a state storage means, and 23 is a pen driving mechanism.

A predetermined amount of recording commands from the host computer 1 are taken into the buffer memory 21 of the plotter 2 via an interface (not shown). A recording command suitable for the plotter 2 is outputted from the buffer 21 and inputted to a recording control circuit 221 in the control circuit 22. The recording control circuit 221 performs a predetermined calculation and outputs the result to the pen drive mechanism 23. The pen drive mechanism 23 receives this and performs desired recording.

Buffer memory 2 from host computer 1
When recording memory to 1 stops, buffer memory 2
1 is empty. When this empty state continues for a predetermined period of time (approximately 5 seconds in this embodiment), the monitoring means 222 generates an output signal to the state storage means 224 and the storage signal means 223. In response to this output signal, the state storage means 224 stores the current state of the pen position, pen type, etc., and the storage signal means 223 issues a command to the pen drive mechanism 23 to store the recording pen. Therefore, the pen drive mechanism 23 performs a pen storage operation.

When the recording command is read into the buffer memory 21 again, the recording control circuit 221
24 is read and sent to the pen drive mechanism 23. As a result, the pen drive mechanism 2
3 operates the movable pen holder to hold a predetermined recording pen in the same state as when recording was interrupted. Next, a recording command from the buffer memory 21 is input to the recording control circuit 221, and desired recording is resumed.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the recording pen is automatically retracted when recording stops for a predetermined period of time. Therefore, there is an advantage that the drawing program is simplified. Furthermore, if the storage pen holder is equipped with an automatic pen cap means (a cap operation is performed when the recording pen is stored), the recording pen can be automatically held in the pen holder when it is in an inactive state. This has the advantage that dry-up of the recording pen and recording deterioration due to dry-up can be prevented.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of a plotter according to the present invention. 1... host computer, 2... plotter, 22
2... Monitoring means, 223... Storage signal means, 224...
State memory means.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A storage pen holder that stores and holds a plurality of recording pens, and a movable pen holder that selectively holds a desired one of the plurality of recording pens held in the storage pen holder. , has a buffer memory that temporarily stores recording commands from a host computer, and a control circuit that processes recording commands from the buffer memory, and automatically exchanges recording pens between the storage pen holder and the moving pen holder to perform desired recording. A plotter that obtains a printer includes monitoring means for checking whether or not the recording command is stored in the buffer memory, and a monitor that receives an output from the monitoring means when the buffer memory is empty for a predetermined period of time, and is held in a movable pen holder. 1. A plotter comprising storage signal means for generating a signal for storing a recording pen in a predetermined position in a storage pen holder. 2. The plotter according to claim 1, further comprising state storage means for storing the state of the recording pen held in the movable pen holder at the time of output from the monitoring means.