Abstract: There is provided a scheduling apparatus for a printing system, the scheduling apparatus including a memory for storing a set of two or more feed signals, the set of feed signals including a first feed signal and a second feed signal with the first feed signal and the second feed signal corresponding respectively with a special sheet and an imagable regular substrate having opposing sides. The scheduling apparatus further includes a controller for generating the first and second feed signals. The controller, which communicates with each of a print engine and a special sheet insertion apparatus determines whether the imagable regular substrate is to imaged on both of the opposing sides and, when it is determined that the imagable regular substrate is to be imaged on both the opposing sides, the controller schedules the first and second feed signals to be transmitted respectively to the print engine and the special sheet insert apparatus during a single pitch.

Abstract: A high speed electronic printing system for processing ordered stock such as tabbed sheets is determined for use in maintaining the prints produced in correct sequence with the tabbed stock.

Abstract: A high speed electronic printing system in which the number of paper trays for supplying print media is substantially less than the number of different print media selections that can be programmed for each print job, with a system for identifying missing print media while printing together with an available paper tray into which the print media can be loaded to allow uninterrupted processing of print jobs.

Abstract: The present invention is a multiprocessor control system that allows full job recovery after a machine power down or after a malfunction or software crash or temporary power outage. In particular, essential variables such as the state and status of the machine and the programmed job at the time of the malfunction are maintained in nonvolatile memory. This information is continually updated in nonvolatile memory. Once the control system has reset and reinitialized all the control elements after a malfunction, the control restores or downloads all the relevant variables in the nonvolatile memory to the various control elements to maintain status. In another embodiment, the essential variables are maintained in RAM locations in a master processor and saved for downloading to the control elements.