JPH06314178A - Sense information transfer control method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] One or more necessary sense information is tested once from a large number of sense information composed of printer device setting information, unique information and error information. To allow a higher-level device to download by issuing a command. [Structure] As shown in FIG. 1 (b), the parameter data of the test command has an n-bit structure, and each bit has a one-to-one correspondence with sense information. Upon receiving the test command, the printer device sends sense information corresponding to the ON bit of the parameter data to the host device. Figure 1
As shown in (c), the type of sense information may be designated by the parameter data of the test command.
In this case, when the test command is received, the printer device sends all the sense information belonging to the type designated by the parameter data to the host device.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sense information transfer control in which a printer device receives a test command sent by a host device and the printer device sends the sense information designated by a parameter of the test command to the host device. It concerns the improvement of the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a printer system. In the figure, 1 is a printer mechanism, 2 is a printer controller, 3 is an interface controller, and 4 and 5 are host computers, respectively. The interface controller 3 is connected to the host computer 4 via a serial interface and receives / edits data page by page / transmits data for one line in line with the printer.

The printer controller 2 is a controller for operating the printer mechanism section 1. Although not shown, the printer controller 2 has one processor, ROM, RAM and the like. The printer controller 2 has an interface control unit. This interface control unit has two ports, the upper port is connected to the host computer 5 via the bidirectional interface, and the lower port is connected to the interface controller 3 via the bidirectional interface. Has been done. The printer controller 2 can communicate with the host computer 5 and can communicate with the interface controller 3. The bidirectional interface has a 1-byte data line and a direction signal line DIR.
(Direction signal line), data strobe signal line DSTB, response signal line ACK, change direction signal line C
It is composed of GDIR (change direction signal line).

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a conventional example of a test command. In the figure, 1B + 59 + P (1B, 5
9 indicates hexadecimal) indicates command data,
1B is an escape code indicating that it is a command,
Reference numeral 59 indicates a code indicating a test command, and P indicates a parameter.

When collecting sense information on the printer side, the host side first sets the direction signal DIR to 1. The sense information includes printer device setting information, unique information, error information, and mechanical status information. The unique information is information on the functions supported by the apparatus, such as the mounted state of the color ribbon and the presence / absence of the reading function. The setting information is information that is set by the offline function of the device itself, and includes, for example, a high copy mode and ANK typeface switching. The host side is a concept including a host computer and an interface controller. Next, the host side puts the first 1 byte of command data on the data line and turns on the data strobe signal DSTB. When the data strobe signal DSTB is turned on, the printer takes in the data on the data line and turns on the response signal ACK. Hereinafter, the same operation is repeated.
When the transmission of all command data is completed, the host sets the direction signal DIR to 0.

When the printer receives the command data, it analyzes the command data, and when it is found that the command is a test command, it senses the sense information (one sense information is 1 byte) designated by the parameter. create. When the creation of the sense information is completed, the printer sets the change direction signal CGDIR to 1. In the illustrated example, the parameter P of the test command specifies the third sense information. When the change direction signal CGDIR becomes 1, the host side turns on the data strobe signal DSTB. When the data strobe signal DSTB is turned on, the printer side puts the sense information specified by the parameter P of the test command on the data line and turns on the response signal ACK,
After that, the change direction signal CGDIR is set to 0. When the response signal ACK turns on, the host side takes in the data on the data line.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another conventional example of the test command. In the figure, 1B + 59 + 00 (1B,
(59,00 is a hexadecimal display) indicates command data, 1B is a code indicating a command, 59
Indicates a code indicating a test command, and 00 indicates a parameter value designating all sense information.

When collecting sense information from the printer, the host first sets the direction signal DIR to 1. Next, the host side puts the first 1 byte of command data on the data line and turns on the data strobe signal DSTB.
When the data strobe signal DSTB is turned on, the printer takes in the data on the data line and outputs the response signal AC.
K is sent to the host side. After that, the same operation is repeated, and when the transmission of all command data is completed, the host sets the direction signal DIR to 0.

Upon receiving the command data, the printer side analyzes the command data, and when it is found that the command is a test command, creates the sense information designated by the parameter. When the creation of the sense information is completed, the printer sets the change direction signal CGDIR to 1. When the change direction signal CGDIR becomes 1, the host side turns on the data strobe signal DSTB.

On the printer side, the data strobe signal D
When the STB is turned on, the first sense information of the sense information to be sent to the host side is placed on the data line, and the response signal A
Turn on CK. When the ACK signal turns on on the host side,
The data on the data line is taken in and the data strobe signal DSTB is turned on. Hereinafter, the same operation is repeated. The printer puts the last sense information on the data line, turns on the response signal ACK, and then changes direction signal CGD.
Set IR to 0.

[0011]

In the conventional example of FIG. 7, when the host side issues a test command, the printer side sends back one piece of sense information, and the host side tries to obtain N pieces of sense information. , It is necessary to issue the test command N times from the host side, and it takes time to absorb the necessary N pieces of sense information from the printer side. As a result, the interface processing time is long in the printer device operating at high speed. However, there is a problem that the device (mechanical) performance cannot be realized.

In the conventional example of FIG. 8, when the host side issues a test command, the printer side returns M pieces of sense information. The M pieces of sense information also include sense information that the host side does not need, and the number of transfer bytes on the interface is large, resulting in a long processing time.
As a result, similarly to the conventional example shown in FIG. 7, a printer device operated at high speed has a long interface processing time, which causes a problem that the device performance cannot be realized.

The reason why the above problems occur will be described. As an interface control process when receiving / transmitting data from the host side, the printer side generally inserts an interrupt (DSTB interrupt) for each byte into one CPU in order to simply and quickly receive the controller. Reception / transmission processing. However, if the amount of data to be received / transmitted increases, the processing time for executing the main processing such as character editing of 1-line sentence, mechanical control (interrupt activation processing) and operation panel control will increase, and as a result, mechanical performance will be maintained become unable. That is, the character editing of the next line is not completed within the time for printing one line sentence.

The present invention was created in view of this point, and is required from among a large number of sense information including setting information of printer, unique information, error information, mechanical state information and the like. An object of the present invention is to provide a sense information transfer control method in which a higher-level device can absorb one or more pieces of sense information to be executed by issuing a test command once.

[0015]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the principle of the present invention. In the sense information transfer control method according to claim 1 of the present invention, the host device sends a test command including n-bit parameter data indicating the sense information to the printer device, and the printer device receives the test command. , Each bit of the n-bit parameter data of the test command is made to correspond to the sense information, and the sense information corresponding to the ON bit is sent to the host device.

According to another aspect of the sense information transfer control method of the present invention, the host device sends a test command including parameter data indicating the type of sense information to the printer device, and the printer device receives the test command. It is characterized in that the sense information of the type specified by the value of the parameter data of the test command is sent to the host device.

[0017]

The operation of the sense information transfer control method according to claim 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1 (b), it is assumed that the parameter data of the test command has an 8-bit structure, of which bit 1, bit 2, and bit 8 are on. Upon receiving the test command having such parameter data, the printer device transfers the first sense information, the second sense information and the eighth sense information to the host device.

The operation of the sense information transfer control method of claim 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1 (c), it is assumed that the types of sense information include error information, setting information, mechanical state information, etc., and the parameter data value of the test command is 2. Upon receiving such a test command, the printer device transfers all the sense information belonging to the setting information to the host device.

[0019]

2 and 3 are diagrams for explaining a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1B + 59 + P ₁ + P ₂
˜P _m (1B, 59 is hexadecimal notation) indicates command data, 1B is a code indicating a command, 59 is a code indicating a test command,
P ₁ + P _{2 to} P _m indicate parameters.

Parameter data of the test command will be described with reference to FIG. The parameter data has an n-bit structure. However, n is m times 8 (m is an integer)
Is. The first bit of the parameter data is the first
Corresponds to the second sense information, the second bit corresponds to the second sense information, the i-th bit corresponds to the i-th sense information, and the n-th sense information. The bit corresponds to the nth sense information. The 1 bit indicates that the corresponding sense information should be transferred to the host side.

Since the data line of the bidirectional interface connecting the host side and the printer side is 1 byte, the n-bit parameter data is divided into 1 byte and sent 1 byte to the host side. When the n-bit parameter data is divided into 1-byte units, the first byte unit is P ₁ , the second byte unit is P _2, and the m-th byte unit is P _m. ing.

The parameter data of FIG. 3 includes the first sense information, the third sense information, the ninth sense information, the tenth sense information, ..., The n-8th sense information, It indicates that the n-6th sense information and the nth sense information should be sent to the host side. In the example of FIG. 3, the first byte P ₁ of the parameter data is $ A0
($ Indicates a hexadecimal number), and the m-th
The byte P _m has a value of $ 41.

A first embodiment of the sense information transfer processing of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. When collecting sense information on the printer side, the host side first sets the direction signal DIR to 1 and switches to the data transmission mode. Next, the host side puts the first 1 byte of command data on the data line and turns on the data strobe signal DSTB. When the response signal ACK is turned on, the host side puts the next 1 byte on the data line and turns on the data strobe signal DSTB. Thereafter, the same operation is repeated, and when the transmission of the command data is completed, the direction signal DIR is set to 0.

When the change direction signal CGDIR becomes 1, the host side enters the data receiving mode, the data strobe signal DSTB is turned on, and the response signal ACK is turned on.
Capture the data on the data line. After capturing the data, when the data strobe signal DSTB is turned on and the response signal ACK is turned on, the data on the data line is captured. Hereinafter, the same operation is repeated.

When the direction signal DIR becomes 1, the printer side enters the data reception mode, and the data strobe signal D
When STB is turned on, the data on the data line is taken in,
The response signal ACK is turned on. Hereinafter, the same operation is repeated. When the direction signal DIR becomes 0, the printer side analyzes the fetched data, and when it recognizes that the data is a test command, it creates the sense information designated by the parameter data of the test command.

The printer side sets the change direction signal CGDIR to 1 after creating the sense information to be sent to the host side,
Switch to data transmission mode. Direction change signal CGDI
First data strobe signal DST after R is set to 1.
Upon receiving B, the printer puts the first 1 byte in the created sense information on the data line and turns on the response signal ACK. Hereinafter, the same operation is repeated. When all the generated sense information has been transmitted, the printer sets the change direction signal CGDIR to 0.

4 and 5 are views for explaining the second embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1B + 59 + P (1
(B and 59 are hexadecimal notations) indicate command data, 1B is a code indicating a command, 59 is a code indicating a test command, and P is a parameter for specifying the type of sense information. -It is data.

When it is desired to absorb the sense information of the printer device, the host side sets the direction signal DIR to 1 and
The first 1 byte of data is placed on the data line and the data strobe signal DSTB is turned on. When the data strobe signal DSTB is turned on, the printer side takes in the data on the data line and turns on the response signal ACK. Less than,
Similar operations are performed. The host side sets the direction signal DIR to 0 after sending all the data.

When the direction signal DIR becomes 0, the printer side analyzes the fetched data, and when it recognizes that it is a test command, it creates sense information of the type designated by the parameter data P. In the example of FIG. 4, the value of the parameter data P is 2. FIG. 5 shows an example of the types of sense information. The types of sense information include error information, setting information, mechanical state information, and the like. P =
2 indicates setting information. Therefore, when P = 2,
The printer side creates the 1st to 16th sense information belonging to the setting information.

After the sense information to be sent to the host side is created, the printer side sets the change direction signal CGDIR to 1 and the data strobe signal DSTB is turned on. Ride
The response signal ACK is turned on. Data strobe signal D
When the STB is turned on again, the printer puts the second sense information on the data line and turns on the response signal ACK.
Hereinafter, the same operation is repeated. After sending all sense information, the printer side changes direction signal CGDIR
To 0.

[0031]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, one or a plurality of necessary sense information can be taken up by the host device by sending the test command once. The interface processing time required to acquire the sense information can be shortened. According to the present invention, the interface processing time required to acquire the sense information can be shortened, so that the performance of the printer device capable of high-speed operation can be sufficiently exhibited.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a first embodiment (continued) of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment (continuation) of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a printer system.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a conventional example of a test command.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating another conventional example of a test command.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Printer Mechanism 2 Printer Controller 3 Interface Controller 4 Host Computer 5 Host Computer

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A host device sends a test command including n-bit parameter data indicating sense information to a printer device, and the printer device receives the test command and performs a test command.
A sense information transfer control method, wherein each bit of n-bit parameter data of a command is associated with sense information, and sense information corresponding to an ON bit is sent to a higher-level device. 2. The host device sends a test command including parameter data indicating the type of sense information to the printer device, and the printer device receives the test command and executes the test command.
A sense information transfer control method characterized in that sense information of a type specified by a value of parameter data of a command is sent to a host device.