Microprocessor control for a high-speed serial printer

A high-speed serial matrix printer is used as the framework for presenting an approach to the use of microprocessors in place of complex sequential logic networks. This approach consists of viewing the microprocessor as a logic element that with a program can replace a significant amount of sequential logic circuitry. Instead of translating a logic flow diagram into a circuit schematic, one simply translates the logic flow diagram into the computer program. The resulting product, consisting of fewer packages, is much less expensive and more reliable than its equivalent implemented with random logic. In fact, within the restriction of cost, the design of a printer using random logic with all of the resulting features would not have been attempted. The development was implemented by the use of a generalpropose microprocessor development system.