The IPDS architecture is divided into command sets, each representing a major printer capability. A command set consists of IPDS commands, including semantics and syntax. The IPDS commands are available in one ore more subsets. Some command sets contain more than one subset of IPDS commands and some command sets can only carry object data. When a command set contains one or more subsets of IPDS commands, the command set contains a "data tower". For example, the command set "Text" contains the subsets PT1, PT2, PT3 and PT4. Each of these subsets is a level in the data tower of the "Text" command set. A higher level subset in the data tower contains its own unique commands and the commands of all lower levels. In this example, subset PT4 contains its own commands and all commands of the subsets PT1, PT2 and PT3.
When a command set can only carry object date, the command set does not contain a "data tower".
The IPDS architecture contains the following command sets:
|
Command set |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Device Control |
The Device Control command set contains the IPDS commands that initialise the environment for a logical page. Furthermore, it communicates device controls, manages resources, and handles the acknowledgement protocol. This command set is mandatory. |
|
Text |
The Text command set contains the Presentation Text Object Content Architecture (PTOCA) control sequences used to present text information. The text information can be used in a page, a page segment or an overlay. |
|
IM-Image |
The varioPRINT 140 Series support the old IM-Image command set. However, this raster image format should be avoided. The IM-Image format is an obsolete, resolution dependent and uncompressed image format.  NOTE
The IO-Image (IOCA) format is preferred for all applications. |
|
IO-Image |
The IO_Image command set contains the Image Object Content Architecture (IOCA) fields used to present image data. The image data can be used in a page, a page segment or an overlay. The IO-Image command set provides functions, that are not provided by the IM-image command set, such as image compression and grayscale. |
|
Graphics |
The Graphics command set contains the Graphics Object Content Architecture (GOCA) drawing orders used to present graphics. The graphics can be used in a page, a page segment or an overlay. |
|
Bar Code |
The Bar Code command set contains the Bar Code Object Content Architecture (BCOCA) data controls used to present bar-coded information. The bar-coded information can be used in a page, a page segment or an overlay. |
|
Object Container |
The Object Container command set contains the IPDS commands for presenting data whose definitions are not controlled by AFP. It is not possible to use object containers in a page segment. |
|
Page Segment |
The Page-Segment command set contains the IPDS commands to temporarily store text, graphics, image and bar code information in the printer. Page segments are merged with the pages during printing. |
|
Overlay |
The Overlay command set contains the IPDS commands to temporarily store text, graphics, image and bar code information in the printer as overlays. An overlay is defined for a logical page. |
|
Loaded Font |
The Loaded Font command set contains the IPDS commands to load font information. |