Formatter system
The Formatter PCA is responsible for the following:
lReceiving and processing print data from the printer interface.
lMonitoring Control Panel Button and relaying printer status information.
lDeveloping and coordinating data placement and timing with the print engine.
lStoring font information.
lCommunicating with the host computer through the
The Formatter PCA receives print data from the
On the HP LaserJet 5L and 6L, the Formatter PCA also provides mounting locations for additional memory.
CPU
The Formatter PCA incorporates a microprocessor operating at a minimum of 24 MHz.
Read only memory (ROM)
Besides storing microprocessor control programs, the ROM stores dot patterns of internal character sets (fonts).
Random access memory (RAM)
The RAM stores printing and downloaded font information received from the host system and temporarily stores a full page of print image data before the data is sent to the print engine. (See “Page Protect” later in this chapter.) For the HP LaserJet 5L and 6L printers, memory capacity can be increased by adding a DRAM memory card to the Formatter PCA. Note that adding memory may also increase print speed when printing complex graphics. The HP LaserJet 6L Pro does not support memory expansion or the use of a JEDIA card.
Parallel interface
The Formatter PCA receives incoming data through its
Control Panel
Status LED lights
The Formatter uses three LEDs mounted under the printer cover to communicate printer status to the user. Refer to “Using the Control Panel” in Chapter 3 and “Printer Error Troubleshooting” in Chapter 7 for more information on the lights.
Control Panel Button
The Control Panel Button is used for such functions as self test, reset, and to display error codes. Refer to “Using the Control Panel” in Chapter 3 for more information on the Control Panel Button.
58 Functional overview | EN |
