GB2192476A - Vertical format apparatus for a printer - Google Patents

Abstract

A Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) 3 containing printing vertical format information is removably plugged to an integrated control panel 2. The format information content of such PROM is read by a microprocessor 5 within the integrated control panel 2, and transferred for use by the control section of a printer. Recovery of the format information from the PROM is automatic upon initiation of power, or may be initiated by operator activity at a switch panel 9 also within the integrated control panel 2. The format information contents of the pluggable PROM are emplaced therein offline by a hand-held PROM programmer 12. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Solid state vertical format unit Background of the invention Fieldoftheinvention The present invention generally concerns controlling a printer in the vertical format of a workpiece form printed by such printer. The present invention specifically concerns an integrated system for storing and for reading a solid-state, electronic, electrically alterable memory medium with format data used in and by a printer.

Description ofthe prior art Avertical format unit for a printer is a control area by which information concerning the format of a workpiece paperform being printed by such printer may be input into the printerforthe purposes of controlling registration and advance of such form, nominally in a vertical direction, during sequential printing.

The prior art method and apparatus for informing printers which move paper forms, either a line at a time or a page at a time, ofthe indexed positions upon, and relative to, such forms is by an endless loop of tape. Such tape loop may be constructed of paper or of mylar (RTM). The tape loop is generally as long in length as the length oftheform being used, although such one-to-one correspondence is notafixed requirement.

Information encoded in the tape loop is read, sometimes continuously during printing and somet imes only once upon the initiation of a form, to printer logics in orderthatthe print operation may be indexed relative to that particularform which is reflected by a particular tape loop. Sprocket holes on the tape provide means to move the tape and to indexthe line position definitions along the tape loop. Usually, one channel, nominallychannel number one oftwelve such channels, is defined as the top of form position. A punch atthatchannel, nominally at column one, corresponds to the first printable line of the form.By convention, another channel, nominally channel numbertwelve, is re servedforthe bottom ofform and a punch atthat channel (column twelve) correspondsto the last nor- mally printable line upon the form. Normallythere are exactly as many additional twelve-column lines, orfields, on the endless tape loop between the line containing thetop ofform punch and the line containing the bottom of form punch as there are printable lines upon the workpiece paper form. Additional of the twelve-channel fields are often used to identify the vertical positions of certain printable areas within the workpiece paper form, and/orthe equidistant vertical displacements from the top to the bottom of such workpiece paper form.Sometimes a single one encoded papertape can be madeto sufficeforthe control of printing upon a variety of paper forms.

The manner of the recovery of the vertical format information impressed upon such a tape loop by punching is by an electromechanical tape reader.

The tape reader moves the tape loop, and encodes the information represented by the punched holes within the channels ofthe paper loop into electrical signals. The papertape loop may be cycled continuousiy, and electrical signals generated continuouslytherefrom, during the repetitive printing of paper forms. Alternatively, the paper tape loop may be cycled but once and the information thereon, starting with the top of form punch, may be loaded but once into a control memory of a printer,thereafterto control the printing of successive forms.

Regardless of the frequency of repetitive usage, mechanical tape loops have certain intrinsic problems. Paper is relatively fragile and subject to damage, as is evidenced by the widespread use of mylar (RTM)tapeswhichare more durable.Tape loops of anytypeareinconvenienttostoreifa large number in supportofa large number of forms ofdiffering formats needs be accumulated. The sprocket holes of eithertype oftape, either paper or mylar (RTM), may become deformed ifthetape has been cycled through a mechanical tape reader many times. After sufficient deformation or use, the tapes will require regeneration or erroneous reading of data may result.The means of generating such forms-control tape loops is by a manual punch and by manual join ing ofthe ends ofa punched strip in order to form an endless loop. This process of mechanically punching tapes involves bulky material, is cumbersome, is time-consuming and is highly subject to error be causethereare no English language prompts nor any feedback communication of the information being registered upon the tape to the human generatorthereof. Many times a tape loop will be originated or duplicated with a mechanical registration error, or with an error in layout. The propensityfor such errors might have been mitigated if there was a clearer form of feedback display evident to the generator and/ortranscriber ofthe format information being emplaced on the tape.

Summary ofthe invention The present invention of a solid-state Vertical Format Unit (VFU) replaces tape loops and tape punches and tape readers which were used in the prior artto impart vertical format information to a printer.

TheVFU isan integrated system forstoring and reading format information in a solid-state Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) chip. The PROM is for storing information relating to the printable lines upon, and the format of, a form being printed by a printer. The PROM contains identical information, and information in the same columnarformat, as does the traditional multi-channel tape loop. The contents of the PROM, the format information, are programmed buy a special PROM programmer. The PROM programmer does not implement any unique electrical function but, as a part of the VFU system which is used off-line, it allows the entry offormat data into the PROM in a manner similarto the punching of a tape and particularly tailored to the nature ofthe information being programmed.In this regard, the PROM programmer is hand-held with a userfriendly, interactive, alpha-numeric display. Consequently, the ease and accuracy of inserting the format information into the PROM acting as the vertical format storage media is enhanced over the prior art method of punching tape.

In orderto usetheformatinformationstored within the electrically-alterable nonvolatile memory (the PROM), the present invention further incorporates a microprocessor for extracting the format information. After programming off-iine, the PROM is pluggableforconnection to the microprocessor.

The microprocessorwithintheVFU is partofan in tegrated control panel which functions to transfer the format information read from the PROM to the main control logics of the printer, wherein it is thereafter stored in a volatile memory and used to affect forms control during printing operations.

Thus, the PROM is read by the microprocessor only upon first application of powerto the printer, or, as an alternative, by manual activation of a switch also upon, and part of, the integrated control panel.

Briefdescription ofthe drawings Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of the present invention of a solid-stateVertical Format Unit.

Figure2shows a schematic block diagram ofthe integrated control panel of the present invention of a solid-state Vertical Format Unit.

Figure3 shows a diagram of the organization of the PROM memory ofthe present invention of a solid state Vertical Format Unit.

Figure 4shows a pictorial diagram ofthe handheld PROM programmer ofthe present invention of a solid state Vertical Format Unit.

Figure 5shows a functional block diagram ofthe hand-held PROM programmer ofthe present invention of a solid state Vertical Format Unit.

Description of the preferred embodiment The present invention is a solid-state vertical format unit used as an alternative to paper, or mylar (RTM),tape loops and to the electromechanicaltape readers of such loops forthe storage and retrieval of formatting information relatingto aform being printed by a printer.A pictorial representation ofthe VER- TICAL FORMAT UNIT 1 ofthe present invention is shown in Figure 1.TheVERTICAL FORMAT UNIT1 is illustrated to consist ofthree major constituent com ponent parts: the INTEGRATED CONTROL PANEL2, THE HAND-HELD PROM PROGRAMMER (for) OFF LINE USE 12, and the PLUGGABLE FORMAT MEMORY3 consisting functionally only of PROM 4 mounted upon a small, approximately 1 inch by 1.75 inch, pluggable printed circuit card.

The active element ofthe INTEGRATED CONTROL PANEL2 is essentially MICROPROCESSOR 5, shown in dashed linefor being physically within the IN TEGRATED CONTROL PANEL 2, which connects to the PROM 4 upon the PLUGGABLE FORMAT MEMORY 3 through RECEPTACLE 6. The MICRO PROCESSOR 5will interrogate the information contents, meaning the format information, of such PROM 4 and will serially transfer such information contents to the PRINTER ELECTRONICS 7 via a communications bus. The PRINTER ELECTRONICS 7 is the normal control section of a printer, including control ofthe feeding of forms. It receives the format information from the INTEGRATED CONTROL PANEL 2 and the MICROPROCESSOR 5 therein identically as if such format information had originally been derived from a tape loop, as opposed to being stored within PROM 4.Additionally supported in the operation of INTEGRATED CONTROL PANEL2 is a 16-character alpha-numeric DISPLAY 8, a 4 x 4 SWITCH PANEL 9 and light-emitting diodes LED's 10.

The 16-characteralpha-numeric DISPLAY 8 may be controlled by MICROPROCESSOR Sto issue prompts to the operator, such as calling forthe insertion of the PLUGGABLE FORMAT MEMORY 3. The 4 x 4 SWITCH PANEL9 contains a particular switch, called an alarm clear switch (not shown), which will, additionally to the transfer upon the initial energizing of the INTEGRATED CONTROL PANEL, cause the entire contents of PROM 4to be read by MICRO PROCESSOR 5 and transferred to PRINTER ELEC TRONICS7.The INTEGRATED CONTORLPANEL2 does not write the PROM 4, the contents (the format information) of such PROM 4 being written therein off-line by the HAND-HELD PROM PROGRAMMER.

The HAND-HELD PROM PROGRAMMER (for) OFF LINE USE 12 also pluggably receives the PLUG GABLE FORMAT MEMORY3 containing PROM 4 into its RECEPTACLE 16. Likethe INTEGRATED CON- TROL PANEL 2,the HAND-HELD PROM PRO GRAMMER also has a 16-character alpha-numeric DISPLAY 18 and a 4 x 4SWITCH PANEL 19 both of which interface to MICROPROCESSOR 15 (shown in dashed line for being physically within HAND-HELD PROM PROGRAMMER 12).Thefunction ofthe HAND-HELD PROM PROGRAMMER 12 isto support user friendly, interactive, programming offormat information into the PROM 4within the PLUGGABLE FORMAT MEMORY 3 through switch actuations within 4 x 4 SWITCH PANEL 19, and through messages and data upon DISPLAY 18, which are similar to the actions previously performed in punching holes at a particular channel upon a tape, and which actions are substantially self-explanatory and obvious. By such programming the occurrence of both format design and format transcription error is reduced. The PROM 4 within the PLUGGABLE FORMAT MEMORY3 is non-volatile, and neitherlosesthe format information therein upon physical transfer from HAND-HELD PROGRAMMER 12 to INTEGRA TED CONTROL PANEL 2 nor upon any power lossto the INTEGRATED CONTROL PANEL 2 which iswithin the printer. The entire VERTICAL FORMAT U NIT 1 is of solid state construction, and the electronics therein are generally more reliable for the storage and retrieval of information than were priorarttape loops and electromechanical tape readers.

A schematic block diagram ofthe VERTICAL FORMAT UNIT 1, previously seen in Figure 1, ofthe present invention is shown in Figure 2. The MICRO PROCESSOR 5 is nominally Intel type 8051, which micropressor has four sets of 8-bit universa I input and output busses. Afirst such set is labelled P0 and used to communicate with PROM 4 and DISPLAY 8, previously seen in Figure 1,swell as with OCTAL LATCH 21. The determination as to which individual one ofthese three circuits connected to P0 is being communicated with at any one time is based on enabling signals derived from various bits of other onesofthel/O portsets ofthe MICROPROCESSOR 5.

In particular, the bit 4 of port set P2 is inverted and used as the chip select signal CS to the PROM 4, nominally a 512 x4 bit PROM type 74571. The nine addressing bits required to address such PROM 4 are derived, least significant th rough most significant, from the least significant to the most significant bits of port P0, plus, as the single most significant bitthe bit 6 of port P3. The four data bits read of PROM 4 at the selected address are received into the MICRO PROCESSOR 5 as least significant bit0through most significant bit 3 into bits 0-3 of port P2.

The normal format of information organization within the PROM 4shown in Figure 2 is shown in Figure 3. Three contiguous address locations therein are used to contain each 12 bits of information which was previously contained within a single 12-channel line of a paper, or mylar(RTM),tape loop. Although the PROM 4 contains 512 such addresses, only 144 times 3 addresses (432 addresses) are programmed with format information. Therefore, paper forms of up to 144 lines can be controlled (80 address loca tionswithin PROM 4 are unused). Other configurations of PROM 4 are possible, for example, a 1024 x 4 bit PROM.

Returning to Figure 2, the MICROPROCESSOR 5 executes a microcoded program for the performance of the vertical formatfunction ofthe present invention, as well as otherfunctions, which is stored in read only memory (ROM) which is contained on board, or within the MICROPROCESSOR 5. The mic roprogram contained therein, those parts ofwhich are pertinentto the present invention being contained in Appendix A, is entered at an initial address upon occurrence of signal RESET received from the PRINTER ELECTRONICS 7 (shown in Figure 1) through FOURTEEN CONDUCTOR RIBBON CABLE 25 upon the initialization of power to the entire printer, including the INTEGRATED CONTROL PANEL 2 (shown in Figure 1 and entire Figure 2).Upon unitialization ofthe MICROPROCESSORS for execution ofthe microcoded program contained in its on board ROM, the MICROPROCESSOR Swill, under the con- trol of such program, read entire of the addresses of PROM 4 including that least significant one of contiguous three address words which contains, as the least significant bit, the top of form bit and that most significant one ofthree contiguous address words which contains, as the most significant bit therein, the bottom ofform bit (reference Figure 3). The processor always reads 14 lines of VFU info from the panel regardiess of how long the form actually is.

When the panel is reading the PROM, it looks for a second bit programmed in the channel 1 position indicating the end of form. The total bits ofthetotal addresses (which total addresses will be a multiple ofthree) between the top of form bit and the bottom ofform bitwill be read from PROM 4 by MiCRO- PROCESSOR 5 and reduced to serial information.

This serialized information is transmitted as signal PANEL IN through the FOURTEEN CONDUCTOR RIBBON CABLE 25to the PRINTER ELECTRONICS 7 (shown in Figure 1). In the normal, preferred, implementation of PRINTER ELECTRONICS 7, this transmission of format information needs be done only once, itthereafter being stored within a volatile memory within such PRINTER ELECTRONICS 7 and used to control the printing of a workpiece form. It would be possible because of existing bidirectional communication to the INTEGRATED CONTROL PANEL2from PRINTER ELECTRONICS 7 (shown in Figure 1)through additional signal PANEL OUT (shown in Figure 2), to alternatively microprogram the MICROPROCESSOR Sto repetitively interrogate and transmit the informational contents of PROM 4 during the course of printing.Normally, however, this is inefficient and is notdone.

It may be, however, desirableto reinitialize the printer during a power-on condition, as would be required upon the change of a workpiece paper form.

Upon the occurrences of such reinitialization, or upon printerfaults,the MICROPROCESSOR 5 might be programmed so as to cause to be displayed at 16 character alpha-numeric DISPLAY 8, nominally Hitachi type LM020, and English language message, or prompt, to insert, if desired, a new PLUGGABLE FORMAT MEMORY 3 (shown in Figure 1). There is, however, in the preferred embodiment implementation no such message or prompt to tell the operator to install the VFU PROM because it is considered ob viousthatthe operator should do so.At any time that such a PLUGGABLE FORMAT MEMORY3 is loaded, or reloaded, an operator may, by depressing a part icularswitch called "alarm clear" on the 4x4 SWITCH PANEL 9, directthe MICROPROCESSOR 5to retrans- ferthe contents of PROM 4 serially as signal PANEL IN to the PRINTER ELECTRONICS 7 (shown in Figure 1).

The microcoded subroutine pertinentto the con trol ofthe MICROPROCESSORS shown in Figure 2 in performance ofthevertical format unit function of the present invention is contained in Appendix A.

The routine for reading the PROM 4 is called READ VFU PROM. The displacement addresses of such 8 microinstruction routine are nominally numbered lines 2030-2035. At microinstruction line address 2030, the desired line address 2030, to be referenced within PROM 4 is moved to port0 ofthe MICRO PROCESSOR 5. The chip select ofthe PROM 4 being cleared allows the reading of the PROM 4 at the input ADDRESS. At displacement line address 2031 the DATA read from such PROM 4 is moved from port P2 of MICROPROCESSOR wherein it is received, to an accumulatorwithin such MICROPROCESSOR 5. At displacement line address 2032 the upper four bits of the accumulator are masked. Next in line address 2033 the address at which PROM 4will be next referenced is incremented. At displacement line address 2034 a check is made as to whether the last address to be referenced within PROM 7 has been referenced, the program proceeding until 256 decimal addresses have been read. Ifthe last, 256th, address ofthefirst half of PROM 4 has been read, then the program does switch at displacement line address 2035 to interrogating the second half of the 512-address memory of such PROM 4.

Likewise as to the interpretation of the routine for reading the PROM 4, the routine called SEND VFU contained within Appendix A is a subroutine by which the contents, the format information, read of such PROM 4 might be serially transmitted across an interface to PRINTER ELECTRONICS 7, where it may be used to control printing identically as it had orgin- ally been derived from atapeioop read by an electromechanical reader.

Apictorial representation of the HAND-HELD PROM PROGRAMMER (for) OFF-LINE USE 12, pre viouslyseen in Figure 1,isshown in Figure 4. Within the operation ofthe PROM PROGRAMMER format data is programmed by line, each line having twelve channels. A maximum of 144 lines may be programmed for Vertical Format Unit (VFU) information; however, other memory locations are accessible for entering a checksum or identification data. VFU data is entered exactly as if a tape were being used; a hole punch is represented by a channel stop entered into memory. The VFU PROMs have a 512x4format (types DM74S571 or63S241).

The switches, part of 4x4 SWITCH PANEL 19 previouslyseen in Figure 1,shown in Figure4havethe following functions: Upon power up 2 the PROM is cleared and "READY" is displayed in the area of DISPLAY 18, pre viouslyseen in Figure 1.

In orderto enter data the LINE CHAN key 40 is depressed. "LINE 001" is displayed and may be changed to any desired line from the keypad. When correct line is displayed,the LINE CHAN key 40 is depressed again and the channel stops are entered by keying in a number from one to twelve and pressing the ENTER key 41 for each number. Pressing the LINE CHAN key 40 again will automatically incrementto the next line number.

In orderto check data afterthe format data is entered into the PROM,theSTEPfunction key42 maybe used to viewthe location of each channel stop. Pressing the STEP key 42 will display each channel stop by line number, starting from line 001. To start step- ping from any line number, simplykey inthe line number and press the STEP key 42.

In orderto program data it is requiredthatthe format information in memory should be entered and checked. The format data is programmed permanently into the PROM cartridge (previously seen as PLUGGABLE FORMAT MEMORY3 in Figure 1) which plugs into a connector on the INTEGRATED CONTROL PANEL 2. The PROM cartridge should be blank before programming -- COPY is used to check this. The PROM cartridge is inserted into the side connectorontheprogrammer(PROMfacing up) and the PROG/COPY key 43 is pressed. When messgae "PROGRAM PROM?" is displayed, ENTER key 41 is pressed and a shortwaittranspires before themes- sage "READY" is displayed. This "PROGRAM PROM?" message is the sample messgae illustrated in Figure 4.A verify between programmer memory and PROM is automatically performed after programming. The PROM programmeralsocontains circuitrywhich will checkthevoltage level ofthe PROM output data while it is being read to ensure that each bit has been programmed correctly.

Acapabilityto copy a PROM is implemented. A PROM which has been previously programmed can be copied into memory for duplication. The PROM cartridge is plugged in (PROM facing up) and the PROG/COPY key 43 is pressed twice. When message "COPY PROM?" is displayed, ENTER key 41 is pressed which loads from the PROM into memory.

Other functions implemented are the clearfunc- tion and thetestfunction. Pressing the CLEAR key 44 at any time except during programming will exit from the currentfunction and go back to a "READY" condition . Depressing CLEAR key 44 does not affect the contents of memory.

The TEST key 45 provides the functions of clearing memory, verifying PROM memory, and computing a checksum. In orderto CLEAR MEMORY, press ENTER key 41 when this function is displayed in order to clear the entire contents of the programmer's memory. Pressing the TEST key 45 again will showthe message "VERIFY PROM" which will check the programmer's memory against that of a PROM cartridge that has been plugged in. Pressing TEST key 45 a third time shows the message "CHECKSUM" which will get a checksum ofthe programmer's memory and display it as a hexadecimal number.

The following prompts and error messages occur during operation ofthe HAND-HELD PROM PRO GRAMMER.

The "INSERT PROM" prompt is displayed ifthe PROGRAM orCOPYfunctions are attempted without a PROM cartridge installed. Install the cartridge and press ENTER key 41 to continue.

The "LINE RANGE ERROR" message is displayed if the line numberentered isgreaterthanthemax- imum value of 170. VFU data occupies the first 144 lines, the remaining lines are for optional use.

The message OVER 12 CHANNELS" is displayed ifanattemptismadetoenterachannel number greaterthan 12. Entering a "0" forthechannel numberwill clear all the channel stops at the current line.

The message FAILUREAT***" ###" is # " is displayed if an error is detected during a verify between programmer memory and VFU PROM. This message will display the line numberwhere the failure occured.

In the programming mode, a check is made to en surethata channel stop exists at line 1, channel 1 indicating the beginning of the form, and a second channel 1 stop which should be placed in the line after the last line in the form to indicate the end ofthe form. If either of these is missing, the error message "TOFMISSlNG"will be displayed and the programming function is not allowed.

The "PROM OUT FAULT" message is displayed if the PROM cartridge is removed from its socketwhile programming.

Finally, during power up and the CLEAR MEMORY function, a test is made on the internal memory of the programmer. The "RAM TEST FAILURE" message is displayed if a failure is detected during the test.

The functional block diagram ofthe HAND-HELD PROM PROGRAMMER 16, previously seen in Figure 1, is shown in Figure 5. The construction and operation of such a PROM programmer is conventional in the art, being replicated in many commercially available PROM programming units. The microcode pro gram employed in the operation of the PROM PRO GRAMMER is contained in Appendix B, and is interpretable in consideration ofthefunctional block diagram shown in Figure 5. The purpose of the HAND-HELD PROM PROGRAMMER 16 is not to evidence any different electrical apparatus or method forthe programming of PROM memory chips, but only to show the tailoring of a PROM programmer so that it might exhibit an operator interface particularly directed to the emplacement of vertical format data within a PROM memory.

Consequently, the present invention will be understood to utilize an alternative medium to a tape loop, and an integrated system appropriate to such alternative medium, to store format data used in printing a workpieceform. Such data is normally called "verti caul " format data, although the form needs not be moved "vertically" through the printer. The present invention teaches of a medium which is readily generatable, replicatable and pluggable: an electrically alterable, nonvolatile memory in the form of a programmable read-only memory (PROM) chip mounted upon a miniature printed circuit board. Such miniature printed circuit board is further pluggable into a PROM programmer or into an integrated control panel.When programmed with format information in the PROM programmer and inserted into the integrated control panel, a microprocessorwill read the contents of such PROM and transfer such contents to the control electronics of the printerwithin which both such integrated control panel and the PROM pluggable thereto are contained. The control electronics of the printer subsequently use the format information to control forms while printing.

Certain alterations in the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be evidentto a practitioner of the design of digital control circuits. The type or size of the electrically alterable, nonvolatile memory (the PROM) can bevaried.The modeormannerofits encasement, and plugging, may be selected from amongst well known structures for the temporary mounting of electronic components and/or assemblies. Finally, the intelligence contained therein such pluggable PROM component need not be exclusively limited to vertical format information, but may be made as diverse as is required to appropriately represent characteristics of the workpiece to the prin terwhich will operate upon such work piece.Consequent to such alternatives, the present invention should be conceived broadly in accord ance with the language of the claims which follow, and not solely in accordance with the particular preferred embodiment implementation within which such invention has been taught.

Claims (22)

1. Avertical format apparatus for a printer comprising: electrically-alterable nonvolatile memory means for storing information relating to printable lines upon a forum being fed through a printer; microprocessor means for extracting said information from said electrically-alterable nonvolatile memory means in order to relay said information to a controller of said printer.

2. The vertical format apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: display means for displaying information; and wherein said microprocessor means are further comprising: microprocessor means for causing said display means to display said information relating to printable lines extracted from said electrically-alterable nonvolatile memory means.

3. The vertical format apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electrically-alterable nonvolatile memory means further comprises: removably-pluggable electrically-alterable nonvolatile memory means.

4. The vertical format apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electrically-alterable nonvolatile memory means further comprises: a programmable read only memory chip.

5. A method of controlling a printer in the vertical format of a workpiece form to be printed by said printer, said method comprising: storing information concerning the vertical format of a workpiece form in an electrically-alterable nonvolatile memory; extracting said information from said nonvolatile memory upon the printing of said workpieceform; printing said workpiece form in accordance with extracted said information.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein said storing further comprises.

storing in a programmable read only memory; and wherein said extracting further comprises: extracting buy a microprocessor.

7. The method according to claim 5 which between said storing and said extracting furthercomprises: plugging said nonvolatile memory within said printer in a manner permitting pluggable insertion and removal.

8. The method according to claim 5 wherein said extracting further comprises: extracting upon applying power to said printer.

9. The method according to claim 5 which after said extracting further comprises: displaying said information extracted from said nonvolatile memory.

10. Aformatapparatusfora printercomprising: a pluggable electricaily-alterable nonvolatile programmable read only memory plugged to integrated control panel means for reading any information stored within said memory and fortransmitting any said information to printer paper advance means for controlling the advance of a workpiece form printed by said printer in accordance with said any information.

11. Theformatapparatus according to claim 10 wherein said integrated control panel means further comprises: integrated control panel means for displaying said any information.

12. The format apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said integrated control panel means further comprises: integrated control panel means for reading upon the application of power to said printer.

13. The format apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said integrated control panel means further comprises: a microprocessor.

14. An integrated system for communicating format information to the controller of a printercomprising: format data programming means for storing format information into an electrically-alterable nonvolatile memory; and integrated control panel means for reading the stored format information within said electricallyalterable nonvolatile memory and communicating said information to the controllerof a printer.

15. The integrated system of claim 14wherein said format data programming meansfurthercomprise: a PROM programmer; and wherein said electrically-alterable nonvolatile memoryfurthercomprises: aPROM

16. The integrated system of claim 14wherein said format data programming means furthercom- prise: a keypad replicating the columnar punches employed in placing format information on punched tape media; and a display showing operator prompts and messages.

17. The integrated system of claim 14wherein said format data programming means is physically and electrically separate from said integrated control panel means, said electrically-alterable nonvolatile memory being physically transferable from an electrical connection for said storing by said format data programming means to an alternative electrical con nection for said reading by said integrated control panel means.

18. The integrated system of claim 17wherein said format data programming means is hand-held.

19. A vertical format control system for delivering vertical format information to a printer vertical format control unitwhich controls the vertical advance of a paper form during printing thereon comprising: a plug-in type solid state memory module; a hand-held format programmer pluggably receiving said memory module, said programmerincluding programming means, responsive to manual oper ator inputs, for program m ing into said memory module information defining the top of form and other vertical format control, and alphanumeric display means, cooperating with said programming means, for providing alphanumeric messages to said operator, concerning said information entered into said memory module by said operator of said programming means; and control panel means, on said printer, for pluggably receiving said memory module programmed by said programmer and for reading said information programmed therein and for delivering said information to a printer vertical format control unit in order that it may be used to control the vertical advance of a paperform during printing thereon.

20. Aformatapparatusfora printer, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. A method of controlling a printer in the vertical format of a workpiece form to be printed by said printer, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

22. An integrated system for communicating format information to the controller of a printer, sub- stantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.