JPS6377774A - Printing controller for line printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable optimal test printing by designating a printing column by means of a switch according to the width of a print sheet attached to a line printer, and generating test data matched to the sheet. CONSTITUTION:When a test printing is executed, a column to be printed is designated by the attaching state of a print sheet 11 by a printing column designation switch 15. Then, information 15a is applied to a test printing control circuit 2. The control circuit 2 controls the generation of test printing data on the basis of a column to be printed. That is, a signal 2a is so supplied and designated to a test printing data generation circuit 4 to generate a printing data code to the column to be printed. The generation circuit 4 generates a blank code in a column except the column to be printed and a printing data code in the column to be printed, and feeds the signal to a printing data memory 5. When data of one column are fed to the memory 5, a printing operation is executed only on the column to be printed attached with a print sheet.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a print control device for a line printer, and particularly to a print control device for a line printer having a test printing function.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, print control devices for line printers do not have a test printing function, or even if they do, the test pattern to be printed out is related to the width of the printing paper loaded in the line printer. always the maximum number of printable digits for that device,
or - Printing on electrodeposition fS6 [Problems to be solved by the invention] The print control device of the conventional line printer described above does not print when performing test printing when using narrow printing paper. There are drawbacks such as the occurrence of a so-called blank printing phenomenon in which printing occurs in areas where there is no paper, which has an adverse effect on the lifespan of the printing hammer, type drum, and ink ribbon. The LI aspect of the present invention eliminates such problems and allows optimal test printing by specifying the printing digit with a switch according to the width of the printing paper loaded in the line printer and generating test data that matches the printing paper. An object of the present invention is to provide a printing control device for a line printer that enables the following.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, this embodiment is a line printer that prints using a type drum 13 and a plurality of printing hammers 10, and includes an external data source 3 that sends out print data in response to a print command from a host device, and stores this print data. a synchronous pulse detection mechanism 14 that detects the rotation of the type drum, a type code generation circuit 6 that generates a type code using the synchronized pulses, and a print data code and type data from the print data memory 5. A comparison circuit 7 that compares the printed code from the code generation circuit 6, a shift register 8 that inputs the comparison result of the comparison circuit, and a hammer drive circuit that drives the printing hammer 10 by adding j to the contents of the shift register 8. 9, and is further controlled by the test print control circuit 2 connected to the eggplant 1 to print switch 1, the print digit designation switch 15, and both switches 1 and 15, and the print data memory 5. and a test print data generation circuit 4 for supplying test print data to the test print data.

First, the normal printing operation will be explained. The line printer stores one digit worth of print data 3a sent from the external data source 3 in the print data memory 5. On the other hand, the type drum 13 rotates at a constant speed and generates a synchronous pulse that is output in synchronization with the moving position of the type, and this pulse is detected by the synchronous pulse detector m14, and the pulse 14 a
It is added to the printed code generation circuit 6 as As a result, the printed character code generating circuit 6 always holds the printed character code corresponding to the printed character coming before the printing hammer 10. Upon receiving one digit worth of print data, the comparison circuit 7 compares the output code 5a of the print data memory 5 with the output code 6a of the print code generation circuit 6, and adds the comparison result to the shift register 8 as a signal 7a. The shift register 8 stores the comparison results for each print digit, and its output is applied to the hammer drive circuit 9. The hammer drive circuit 9 drives the printing hammer 10
The print hammer 10 strikes the type on the type drum 13 via the print paper 11 and the ink ribbon 12 to perform printing.

Next, the test printing operation will be described. The operator specifies the digit to be printed using the printing digit designation switch 15 depending on the mounting state of the printing paper 11. For example, a line printer has 132 hammers 10 from the 1st digit to the 132nd digit, and a printing paper 11 with a width of 254 mm (1.0 inch) is currently installed, and from the 10th digit of the printing hammer 10, Assuming that it is desired to print between the 100th digit, the operator operates the printing digit designation switch 15 to add information 1.5a indicating that digits 10 to 100 are to be printed to the eggplant 1 to print control circuit 2. Next, the operator presses the test print switch 1 and sends a test print start request 1a to the test print control circuit 2.
Add to.

The test print control circuit 2 controls the generation of test print data based on the print digit. i.e. 1 digit to 9 digits and 10
Blank code for 1st to 132nd digits, 10th to 100th digits
For the digit, a signal 2a is supplied to the test print data generation circuit 4 to instruct it to generate a print data code. The test print data generation circuit 4 generates a blank code for the 1st to 9th digits, a print data code for the 10th to 100th digits, and a blank code for the 10th to 9th digits.
A blank code is generated for digits 01 to 132, and the signal 4a is sent to the print data memory 5.

When one digit worth of data is sent to the print data memory 5, the printing operation is executed in the same manner as in the case of printing described above. In this case, the printing operation is performed only on the printing digits with printing paper attached, and printing on the printing digits with no printing paper attached is prohibited by the blank code, so blank printing can be prevented and the printing paper installed state The most suitable test printing will be performed.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention provides a print digit designation switch in the line printer 6, and 1. By generating the test data in conjunction with the second information, printing on the printing digits to which no printing paper is attached is prohibited, and there is an effect that the life of the printing hammer, type drum, and ink ribbon is not adversely affected.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In response to a print command from a host device, the print data code sent from the data source is successively compared with the print code corresponding to the moved position of the print character, and if they match, the print hammer of the relevant digit is driven to print. In a line printer, a test print switch for starting test print, a print digit designation switch for designating the digit to be printed, a test print control circuit that controls test printing by the test print switch and the print digit designation switch. and a test print data generation circuit that generates test data to be printed according to a command from the test print control circuit.