PRINT ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM

摘要

A control system capable of being connected to a plurality of printers (30), said printers (30) employing print engines (30) of the same or different configurations, and using the same or different data protocols, each printer (30) including a print head controlled by the associated print engine (30) t o mark a substrate, at least one of said print head and said substrate moving relative to the other at a rate which is not controlled by said control syst em or said printer (30), said control system comprising: a) an image processor (20) capable of generating image data in more than one protocol representing individual pixels or vectors to be marked on said substrate; b) a synchronization signal generator (24, 72) for generating synchronization signals representative of the relative location of said print head and said substrate; and c) an interface connecting said image processor (20) and said synchronization signal generator (24, 72) to said print engine (30), and allowing said image data and synchronization signals to be transferred to sa id print engine (30), said interface accommodating different print engine protocols, thereby to allow various print engines (30) to be interfaced to t he same control system.