JPH02289395A - Speed control method for raster printing plotter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow a mechanism part to control a printing speed according to transfer contents by counting the number of vector-type data in a control part and transmitting not only the number but also the length in the subscanning direction of one plotting unit to the mechanism part. CONSTITUTION:A 32-bit microprocessor is used for a vector-type data processing circuit 4. A vector-type data memory 6 is controlled by 2 kilobytes, and vector- type data are counted by 2 kilobytes. When plotting vector data 13 are input to the vector-type data processing circuit 4 of a control part 1, they are stored in the vector-type data memory 6. Unless completion is confirmed after 2 kilobytes storage ends, access is made beyond the control unit. After these operations are repeated, the number of memory control units used is stored in a memory using amount counter 2B, and the number is equivalent to the number of plotting vector data. On receiving transfer data, a mechanism part 2 divides the memory using amount by the length of the subscanning direction and calculates the density of the plotting data. The contents in the vector-type data memory 6 are developed into raster data, which are transmitted to the mechanism part 2 through a raster data bus 10.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a speed control method for a raster print plotter that manually converts vector format drawing data into raster format print data and prints using a line head. .

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention provides a raster printing system in which a control section that converts vector format drawing data into raster format print data and a mechanism section that prints the converted print data on paper using a line head are connected by a control information transmission means. In the print plotter, the control section stores all vector-type data input from the outside in a vector data memory for one plotting unit. At the same time, the number of data stored in the vector data memory is counted by a vector data counting circuit or by software if the operation of storing data in the vector data memory is performed by software. Since the speed at which vector format data is developed into raster format data is finite, there is a limit to printing speed. Therefore, when all vector format data for a drawing unit is prepared in the vector data memory, the control information transmission means transmits to the mechanical section the length of the drawing unit in the sub-scanning direction and the drawing unit. The number of vector type data within is transmitted. In the a-lateral section, the speed of drawing is determined based on the transmitted content, and drawing is performed.

[Conventional technology]

Conventional speed control for raster printing plotters involves the operator setting the printing speed, preparing raster data for plotting units in advance in a storage device such as a semiconductor memory, and printing at a constant speed. A buffer was provided in the raster data input section of the mechanical section, and the printing speed was controlled by checking the speed at which raster data was stored in this buffer.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The problems with the conventional method are that when the user sets the speed, not only can the drawing speed not be set completely, but also an online automatic drawing system cannot be built; In the case of storage, a large capacity storage device is required, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost.

The method of providing a buffer is also advantageous in terms of cost compared to the method of using a raster data storage device, but it is still necessary to increase the capacity of the buffer in order to perform appropriate speed control, so it is still cost-effective. was insufficient.

An object of the present invention is to provide a control method for a raster print plotter that solves these conventional problems.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to solve the conventional problems, in the method of the present invention, a circuit or a microprocessor for counting the number of vector type data is installed in the control section of the raster printing plotter, and liftware is used to count the number of vector type data in one drawing unit. The control information transmission bus transmits the information along with the length of the plotting unit in the sub-scanning direction to the mechanism section, and the mechanism section controls the printing speed based on the transmitted contents. be.

[Effect]

When vector format data is input from the outside, the control section stores all the vector format data for one drawing unit in the vector data memory. At the same time, the vector type data number counting means counts the amount of data in -drawing units. The control information transmission means transmits the length of the plotting unit in the sub-scanning direction and the number of vector type data to the a-lateral section, and the mechanical section determines the plotting speed based on the transmitted contents and starts plotting. It will be done.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

The present invention will be explained in detail using FIG.

When drawing vector data 13 is externally input to the vector type data processing unit 3 of the control unit l, the vector type data processing unit 3 transfers the data bus 14 to the vector type data memory 6.
Vector type data is stored via address bus 15 and memory control signal 16. At the same time, the vector format data processing section 3 counts the number of vector format data. When the human power of the lid data 13 for plotting is completed by - plotting unit, the vector type data processing unit 3 sends the mechanical unit 2 the length in the sub-scanning direction of the printing to be performed and the vector type data through the control information transmission bus. tell the number. The mechanism section 2 calculates the density of the vector type data based on the transmission contents, and sets a printing speed proportional to the density.

The vector type data processing section 3 develops the data in the vector type data memory 6 into raster data, and plots the raster type data sent through the raster data bus 10 at the printing speed.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described based on FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 shows an overall plotter diagram, and FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a part that counts the number of vector type data.

In this embodiment, it is assumed that a 32-bit microprocessor is used in the vector type data processing circuit 4, the vector type data memory 6 is managed in units of 2 kilobytes, and the vector type data is counted in units of 2 kilobytes. Also, data bus 1
6 has a bus width of 16 bits. It is also assumed that a microprocessor is used in the mechanism section 2 to perform various calculations and controls.

When the drawing vector data 13 is manually input to the vector type data processing circuit 4 of the control section 1, the vector type data processing circuit 4 stores the vector type data in the vector type data memory 6. The storage is carried out by the vector type data memory control unit 5.
5T, which is the bus control signal of the vector type data processing circuit 4.
B17. Receives R/W1+3 and address bus 15,
The address decoder 2A and AND gate) 2F and 2G supply memory control signals C322, WR23, RD22'li- to the vector type data memory 6, and send DTACK21 indicating the end of the matahus cycle to the vector type data memory 6. By returning to the processing circuit 4, the bus cycle is completed and performed. The memory 6 for vector type data is 2
Since the data processing is performed in kilobyte units, after the end of 2 kilobytes, the vector type data processing circuit 4 does not yet recognize the end, so access is performed beyond the management unit. Then,
AND gate 2C detects this and outputs memory control signal C3.
At the same time, the BERR20 signal indicating an abnormal bus cycle is generated from the AND gate 2D and is notified to the vector type data processing circuit 4. At the same time, memory usage counter 2B counts up.
This means that 2 kilobytes were newly used. The abnormal bus cycle prohibition signal WEN19 is used to inhibit the BERR20 signal and perform a normal bus cycle when accessing a 2 kilobyte starting address.

When the vector type data processing circuit 4 prepares a new management unit and repeats the above operation for one drawing unit to continue processing, the memory usage counter 2B stores the number of used memory management units. The zero-order vector type data processing circuit 4 reads the value of the memory usage counter 2B, which is a numerical value corresponding to the number of drawing vector data. is used to output the data to the data bus 14.

The CLR 26 is also used to initialize the contents of the memory usage counter 2B to φ. The aforementioned numerical value received from the memory usage counter 2B and the length in the sub-scanning direction included in the plotting vector data are transmitted to the mechanism section 2 via the control information transmission bus 11. @ structure part 2
When receiving the transmitted data, the printer divides the memory usage amount value by the length in the sub-scanning direction to calculate the density of plotting data. 41! The microprocessor of the l structure 2 sets the speed according to the density. On the other hand, the vector type data processing circuit 4 develops the contents of the hector type data memory 6 into raster data, and transfers the data to the mechanical unit 2 via the raster data bus 10.
The mechanical section 2 prints the length in the sub-scanning direction at the set speed, and the printing ends.

Although this embodiment uses a circuit to count the number of vector data, this can easily be done by software. FIG. 4 shows a flowchart when the process is performed using software. When processing begins, first the memory usage counter prepared in the register is cleared to φ.

Subsequently, the drawing vector data is stored in the vector format data memory. If an exception occurs in units of 2 kilobytes, the memory usage counter is incremented by 1. Next, one drawing unit of the drawing vector data is judged to have ended, and if it has not been finished, the storage process is performed again and the process is completed. In this case, the series of processing is completed, and the memory usage amount is completed in the value of the memory usage amount counter.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the present invention can control the speed of a raster print plotter much more cheaply than using a raster-type data storage device or a task-type data buffer, and also eliminates the need for speed settings by the user, creating a complete online system. It has the effect of being able to.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plotter diagram showing the outline of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a plotter diagram representing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram representing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart representing an embodiment of the present invention. l...Control unit 2...its unit, vector type data processing unit, vector type data processing circuit, memory control unit for vector type data, memory for vector type data and above

Claims (1)

[Claims] It is composed of a control section that converts vector format drawing data into raster format print data, and a mechanism section that prints the converted print data on paper using a line head, and between the control section and the mechanism section. In the raster printing plotter having means for transmitting control information, the control section includes means for counting the amount of plotting data, the amount of plotting data is transmitted to the mechanism section by the control information transmitting means, and the amount of plotting data is transmitted to the mechanical section by the control information transmitting means; A speed control method for a raster print plotter, characterized in that drawing is performed at a printing speed according to the amount of drawing data.