Microprocessors: Design case history: The `infinite¿ matrix printer: Royden Sanders´ microprocessor-based printer transcended the market and kept his troubled company afloat

Discusses the `infinite´ microprocessor based printer developed by Santec. In the first generation of the printer, Model 12/7 printer, a Zilog Z-80 microprocessor controlled most of the operations except for those delegated to the input-output board, which buffered the incoming data stream from the host computer. The second generation printer, the S-700, is an improvement on the 12/7 with the addition of two more microprocessors. One is used as a memory-management chip and the other takes the place of some of the hardware formerly on the input-output PCB.