INTRO TO COMPUTING
ASSIGNMENT #3
TOPIC:
LINE PRINTERS
SIDRA NASIR
BS(CS)
TO:
MAM FAKEEHA
DATED:22_11_2010
PRINTERS
In computers, a printer is a device that accepts text and graphic output from a computer
and transfers the information to paper, usually to standard size sheets of paper.
Types of printers
Impact printer
Non impact printer
Impact printer:
To a Refers class of printers that work by banging a head or needle against an ink ribbon
to make a mark on the paper. This includes dot-matrix printers, daisy-wheel printers, and
line printers.
Line printer
A high-speed printer capable of printing an entire line at one time. A fast line printer can print as many as
3,000 lines per minute. The disadvantages of line printers are that they cannot print graphics.
Types of line printers:
Chain printers
Band printers
Chain printers:
chain printer
An early line printer that used type slugs linked together in a chain as its printing
mechanism. The chain spins horizontally around a set of hammers. When the desired
character is in front of the selected print column, the corresponding hammer hits the
paper into the ribbon and onto the character in the chain. Chain and train printers
gave way to band printers in the early 1980s.
Working of chain printers;
It is the character printer. The print element in a chain printer is a metallic band or chain containing
the embossed characters that rotates horizontally in front of paper. A complete chain consists of the
five sections; each section consists of 48 characters. As the print chain rotates, properly timed print
hammers strike the paper along with linked ribbon, against the proper character on the chain as it
passes. Chain printer are one of the fastest impact printers that can produce up to 400 to 2500
characters per second.
Introduction of band printer:
Band printers, impact printers and line printers have been used within the print
production environment for over twenty five years. They are fast, reliable and
inexpensive to operate and maintain, and even today, despite the explosion in digital print
technology, they are still used by a large number of organisations throughout the world
Band printer:
A type of line printer that uses a fixed set of characters attached to a continuously
revolving metal band. A set of hammers (one for each column) hit the paper, pushing it
into the ribbon and against the character image on the band.
Working:
A line printer that uses a metal band, or loop, of type characters as its printing
mechanism. The band contains a fixed set of embossed characters that can only be
changed by replacing the band. The band spins horizontally around a set of hammers, one
for each print column. When the required character in the band has revolved to the
selected print column, the hammer pushes the paper into the ribbon and against the
embossed image of the letter, digit or symbol.
Band printers can print up to approximately 2,000 lpm and can exist in very harsh
industrial environments, although they are mostly used in datacenters. Band printers and
line matrix printers are the two surviving line printer technologies
Advantages of line printers(chain and band printers):
A type of line printer that uses a fixed set of characters attached to a continuously
revolving metal band. A set of hammers (one for each column) hit the paper, pushing it
into the ribbon and against the character image on the band.
advantages:
they are very fast.
Typical main-frame line printers (IBM) use a metal "band saw" character loop, and
solenoids for each character position, typically 132 columns. The band spins at several
RPS and as each letter aligns with the column it's intended to be, the solenoid, or hammer
behind that column fires striking the letter through the ink ribbon, onto the paper.
The speed is obvious. Since each letter passes each column several times per second, the
entire line of print can be struck at once. 10 lines per second is typical and the sound is
quite high; necessitating heavy sound insulation
Disadvantages:
The standard "line printer" can only use pin feed paper, cannot use other than standard
widths {17"} typical, and is pretty specialized to the system being used. No color other
than black.
Summarizing:
They're very fast, faster than most other technology, can print multi-part forms,
something only impact printers can do, are large, loud, and something not available in the
general retail system. An office desk takes up the same or less space.
Watching one print 10 lines per second, entire lines at once is impressive.
Oh a final disadvantage: price. They're not your $99 home photo printer! About 4 digits
last I checked (mid 80's, IBM system 34/36, slower and less RAM, HDD space then a
standard desktop! - but multi-user, multitasking - with green on black monitors)
