Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for interactively providing selected messages asynchronously at a plurality of separate sites. At least one message is stored in an addressable memory for each site and is read out to control the output on an output device for the site in response to die operation of an input device for the site. A plurality of messages may be stored for each site with the message to be read out from the addressable store and provided at the associated output device being selected in response to appropriate operation of the input device. The input device may also be initially utilized to select an appropriate message for a given site and to select a desired volume for the site.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for interfacing a thermal printer with a selected processor. A strobe latch is provided with a bit position for each byte section in a line to be printed. By selectively loading one or more bits into the strobe latch, any combination of one or more sections may be strobed during a given strobe cycle. This permits the peak power requirements for the printer to be controlled.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for interfacing a thermal printer with a selected processor. The interface determines the operating speed of the processor as an initial step by running a speed routine which determines the time required by the processor to load a data byte and overhead time for such loading. A line of bytes, which may be grouped into sections, are then loaded into a first printer buffer at the same time a line of data in a second printer buffer is being strobed to control printing. After each line is loaded and printed, the contents of the first buffer are transferred into the second buffer. Strobe duration is controlled to be equal to a selected number of byte load times fine adjusted by byte overhead times. A strobe latch may be provided with a bit position for each byte section in a line to be printed. By selectively loading one or more bits into the strobe latch, any combination of one or more sections may be strobed during a given strobe cycle.