The J-Laser was another thing we used when developing
that
business graphics/presentation package. Really impressive
at the time, just for the size of the memory. And the direct
video interface to the laser printer was soooo fast...
This interface was, of course, avaiable as an option for the PERQ (all
models). The normal PERQ OIO (Optional I/O) card could be populated with
either or both of an ethernet interface and a Canon CX-VDO laser printer
'video' interface. On the PERR, of course, the graphics 'raster op
machine' was used to generate the laser printer bitmaps, the interface
consisted of a FIFO buffer and a little state machine to control it and
synchronise it with the printer.
I have my home-made CX-VDO printer. It started off as a Canon LBP-8A1,
the formatter board failed and after many long nights of tinkering with
the mechanism, staring at a logic analyser and 'scope, looking at the
PERQ , etc, I got it going as the VDO model (no internal formatter
board). The 'video interface' is just the interface on the 34 pin header
on the engine controller (DC controller board) in a Canon CX printer.
Now that CX toner cartridges are essentailly unobtainable, I've been
wondering if any other printers supporr this interface? I know there was a
version of the SX (Laserjet II etc) which had a PCB of buffers in place of
the intenral formatter board and which had video interface which was
claimed ot be much the same thing. Alas that version seems very hard to
find. Was it supported on anything later?
-tony