Character generator for raster printers

@ A character generator for a raster printer which prints in the page mode. Input format data is generated in response to the input print data which defines for each pattern the position of the pattern on the page, the size of the pattern and the location of the pattern in the raster pattern storage. The format data is accessed for all patterns beginning with a predetermined plurality of scan lines and raster data is accessed in response to the format data to store in an output buffer the raster pattern data in the sequence, size and position defined by the format data. The raster pattern data can then be accessed to control a printer to print on a print medium a pattern defined by the input print data.As shown in the drawing print data is received by channel adapter 14 from the host system channel 10 and is passed to control means 16. The control means includes a microprocessor 24 which processes the received print data and supplies pattern control data to the character generator 32. The pattern control data is entered in storage 34 and is transferred therefrom to pattern shifter 36 under the control of pattern generator 35. Pattern shifter 36 properly positions the data in partial page buffer 38. The data is then gated from the buffer 38 to serializer 39 which supplies the data serial to the raster printer.