JPH03183584A - Serial printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To save wasteful sheet consumption by providing a print width display part which displays print width visibly and a print width display control part which displays print width information on a print width display part in accordance with a signal from a microprocessor which controls the current designated value of a print width designated by an external device through an interface part. CONSTITUTION:A print width display part 4 having a display length equal to the maximum size width of sheet is installed at a position along and near the sheet 9 loaded in a main printer system, and the print width display part 4 is controlled to drive a print width display control part 3. The print width display control part 3 is allowed to display print width information by the print width display control part 3 based on a signal from a microprocessor which controls the current designated value of a print width designated by an external device via an interface part 1. Data can be printed on an area within a printable range without being crowed out of the left and right ends of the sheet 9.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial use de F1 +The invention relates to a serial printer.

[Conventional technology 1 (,'(=East) A serial printer forms a character pattern based on character data received from an external device, manages digits corresponding to the number of received characters, and then calculates the number of digits per print line. In addition, in order to be able to change or specify the print width or the first print position from an external device, it has an extended control code and can be used via the interface. The control code received is decoded by a microprocessor to determine the first printing position or the rightmost printing position, thereby executing the digit management.

These digit positions are only internal management information for printing control, and because conventional serial printers do not have a means to display this information, the operator cannot directly know it, and can only know it from the print result. It was like that.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The conventional serial printers described above do not display the print width, so if, for example, narrow width printing paper is used, the printer's internal settings may differ from the operator's requests or information held. When printing, if the paper is inserted at the wrong position or the data from the host is too long, printing paper may be wasted or printed on the platen.

An object of the present invention is to provide a serial printer that solves the above problems.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the serial printer according to the present invention includes an interface unit that takes in data from an external device, and a microcontroller that forms a printed character pattern based on the data from the interface unit and controls a printer mechanism control unit. A serial printer equipped with a processor, a print width display section that visually displays the print width, and a microprocessor that manages the currently specified value of the print width specified from an external device via the interface section. and a printing width display control section that displays printing width information on the printing width display section.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment 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, and FIG. 2 is an external view of the same.

In the figure, 1 is an interface section that takes in data from an external device, 2 is a microprocessor that forms a printed character pattern based on data from the interface section 1 and controls the printer mechanism control section 5, and 3 is a print width display control section. , 4 is a print width display section. 6 is a horizontal feed mechanism, 7 is a paper feed mechanism, and 8 is a printing mechanism.

As shown in FIG.
It is installed parallel to and adjacent to the paper 9 loaded in the paper 9, and the print width display section 4 is driven and controlled by the print width display control section 3.

The print width display control unit 3 displays print width information using the print width display unit 4 based on the output signal of the microprocessor 2 that manages the current designated value of the print width specified from an external device via the interface unit 1. do. When data is sent from an external device to the interface section 1, the microprocessor 2 creates a print character pattern using this data and stores the left and right ends of the print digits of the data. The microprocessor 2 outputs the left end and right end positions to the print width display control section 3, and the print width display control section 3 prints the data on the print width display section 4 at the left end position.

Display the rightmost position. Since the print width display section 4 is located parallel to and close to the route through which the printing paper 9 passes, as shown in Fig. 2, the operator at this time, while looking at the display on the print width display section 4, selects the display from the left and right ends. A large width printing paper is set and a horizontal feeder $6. Printing is performed by a paper feeding mechanism 7° and a printing mechanism 8. This serial printer displays print width information on the print display section, so
It is possible to print within the printing range without protruding from the left or right end of the paper 9.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, by displaying the print width, the present invention allows the operator to directly know the current print width setting value of the printer, and prevents the use of an incorrect paper size or the paper setting position in advance. This has the effect of not wasting paper.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an external view of the same. 1... Interface unit 2... Microprocessor 3... Print width display control unit 4... Print width display unit 5... Printer mechanism control unit 6... Horizontal feed mechanism 7... Paper feed Mechanism 8...printing mechanism

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A serial printer comprising an interface section that takes in data from an external device, and a microprocessor that forms a printed character pattern based on the data from the interface section and controls a printer mechanism control section, the printer having a print width. A print width display section that visually displays print width information, and a print that displays print width information on the print width display section based on an output signal of a microprocessor that manages the current specified value of the print width specified from an external device via the interface section. A serial printer comprising a width display control section.