Homelite 2400C Printer User Manual


 
10/10/03
CHAPTER 2 "PCL" - 78
# = 5 indicates that adaptive compression is to be used.
This compression compresses multiple rows (a block) into one transfer graphics command.
Most other compression methods compress only one row to one transfer graphics command.
One transfer graphic command (ESC *b##W) can contain only up to 32,767 bytes.
As mode 5 compression compresses multiple rows, the amount of transferred data may become large.
If compressed data exceeds this limit, reduce the number of rows in the block.
We can use mode 0 to mode 3 compression to compress each row. We can even compress empty (white)
rows and duplicate rows with these compression methods.
Command byte
Mode 5 compressed data consists of multiple elements. Each element contains 3 header bytes at the
beginning.
The first byte of the header bytes is a command byte.
First byte Second, third byte
0 Unencoded
1 Run-length Encoding Number of bytes of data
2 TIFF
3 Delta Row compression
4 Empty Row Number of empty row or repetition
5 Duplicate Row
Command byte
0 - This element is an uncompressed row. The next two bytes contain the byte count of the uncompressed
data. Uncompressed data follows the header.
1 - This element identifies a compressed row. Compression method is mode 1. The next two bytes
(upper byte first) contain the byte count of the compressed data. Compressed data follows the header.
2 - This element identifies a compressed row. Compression method is mode 2. The next two bytes
(upper byte first) contain the byte count of the compressed data. Compressed data follows the header
3 - This element identifies a compressed row. Compression method is mode 3. The next two bytes
(upper byte first) contain the byte count of the compressed data. Compressed data follows the header
4 - This element identifies multiple empty rows. The next two bytes (upper byte first) contain the empty
row count.
5 - This element identifies duplicate rows. The next two bytes (upper byte first) contain the duplicate
row count.
# = 9 Mode 9 compression
Like mode 3 compression, this mode 9 compression data contains only the difference of the current row
from the preceding row.
Replacement data often consists of a repetition of a particular byte in mode 3 compression.
Mode 9 compression is effective in such cases.
Simple mode 9 compression data consists of a command byte and the replacement data.
A Command byte consists of 3 parts. These are the control bit, the offset count and the replacement count.
The Control bit is the most significant bit (bit 7) of a control byte.
76543210
Offset count Replacement count-1
Control bit
0
Command byte for mode 9 compression (non repeated replacement data)