Expansion interface board system for connecting several personal computers to an electronic typesetter connected to a host personal computer

摘要

A personal computer/electronic typesetter interface includes an expansion board suitable for insertion into each of a plurality of personal computers functioning as page composition work stations, wherein one or more of the work stations is also connected for communication to an electronic typesetting machine. The expansion board includes logic for converting the data obtained in a preselected file from the coded format generated by the page composition work station to a second coded format recognized by the electronic typesetter to which the file is directed for output. The interface of the present invention also includes logic for continuously monitoring the status of the files in each of the queues, logic for interrupting the normal operation of the work station and displaying the first and second queues in response to a preselected command, and logic for allowing the operator to perform other file routing and queuing operations in response to other preselected commands. The interface of the present invention also preferably includes an offsite automatic initialization system which automatically downloads a pre-boot program into the memory on the expansion board, allowing the expansion board to initialize without the need for storing an initialization program in non-volatile memory on the expansion board.