dot matrix printer

dot matrix printer
Name	Dot matrix printer
Invented	1960s
Inventor	Various
Manufacturer	Epson; OKI Electric Industry; IBM; Digital Equipment Corporation; Canon Inc.
Introduction	1970s–1980s
Type	Impact printer

dot matrix printer

A dot matrix printer is a type of impact printer that creates characters and images by striking an ink-soaked ribbon with a pattern of pins. Early commercial development involved companies such as IBM, Epson, OKI Electric Industry, Canon Inc., and Centronics integrating mechanical printheads with electronic controllers for business applications. The technology was widely adopted in conjunction with minicomputer and microcomputer platforms produced by Digital Equipment Corporation, Commodore International, Apple Computer, IBM PC and others during the 1970s and 1980s.

History

Development traces to impact printing research in the 1960s by laboratories linked to firms like IBM and Honeywell, with mechanical index and chain printers preceding pin-based systems. The 1970s saw introduction of modular printheads from Centronics and refinement by Epson engineers who produced compact mechanisms suitable for personal computers, driven by demand from Hewlett-Packard compatible peripherals and terminals used with DEC PDP-11 systems. The 1980s expansion of the IBM PC ecosystem, the rise of software publishers such as Microsoft and Lotus Development Corporation, and standards groups including IEEE shaped interface and control conventions. By the 1990s, inkjet and laser technologies from Xerox, Canon Inc., and Hewlett-Packard reduced dot-matrix market share; however, niche sectors tied to Point of Sale systems, logistics firms, and governmental agencies kept production ongoing into the 21st century.

Design and operation

A typical unit consists of a printhead containing an array of electromagnetically driven pins, a ribbon cartridge holding fabric or polymer ink, and a platen roller to advance paper. Control electronics implement character generation using firmware, microcontrollers from vendors like Intel or Motorola, and interfaces conforming to IEEE pseudo-standards or proprietary protocols used by Commodore International and Apple Computer peripherals. Print resolution is determined by pin arrangement and timing; common arrangements include 9-pin and 24-pin heads developed by manufacturers such as Epson and OKI Electric Industry. Paper handling systems support single-sheet, continuous-form, and multipart carbonless sets often used with tractors standardized in office equipment by firms such as Pitney Bowes. Impact operation produces audible strikes and requires mechanical tolerances similar to precision electromechanical devices used in Automotive instrumentation.

Types and configurations

Models vary from compact desktop units marketed to home users by Epson and Canon Inc. to industrial, wide-carriage printers used by logistics firms like FedEx and postal services such as United States Postal Service. Configurations include serial, parallel, and later USB or network-attached variants implemented by manufacturers including IBM and Hewlett-Packard. Mechanisms differ: single-carriage designs traverse the head across the page; line printers use fixed heads spanning entire line widths and were employed by mainframe vendors like IBM and Unisys. Special-purpose variants integrate multiple ribbon colors or near-continual feed for cheques and invoices used by financial institutions such as Bank of America.

Performance and quality

Speed is measured in characters per second (cps) or lines per minute (lpm); practical throughput depends on head pin-count, motor torque, and controller buffer designs by semiconductor suppliers like Texas Instruments or National Semiconductor. Higher pin-count heads, for example 24-pin units, enable finer dot density and enhanced near-letter-quality modes, a development driven by Epson engineering. Print quality is inherently dot-based: grayscale and rudimentary graphics are achieved through dithering techniques implemented in driver software published by companies such as Microsoft and Apple Computer. Durability metrics—mean time between failures and ribbon yield—were important selling points for enterprise customers including AT&T and General Electric.

Uses and applications

Impact capability made these printers indispensable where multiple carbon copies were required: invoices in manufacturing supply chains such as General Motors and Toyota, delivery manifests for carriers like United Parcel Service, and serial-numbered receipts for retail chains like Walmart. Their robustness suited industrial control rooms in utilities like Southern Company and transportation agencies including Amtrak. Educational institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and government bodies used dot matrix units for low-cost, continuous-form reporting prior to widespread adoption of nonimpact printers.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages include ability to print through multipart forms, low cost per page for monochrome output, and mechanical resilience in harsh environments encountered by Boeing and mining companies. Disadvantages include limited typographic quality relative to Canon Inc. and Hewlett-Packard laser printers, audible operation, slower graphics capability, and the ongoing need to replace fabric ribbons—a supply chain factor influenced by chemical producers and distributors like 3M.

Legacy and influence

Dot-matrix technology influenced interface and driver standards that persisted into the USB and network printing eras championed by Microsoft, Apple Computer, and Linux Foundation. Concepts from impact printing informed ruggedized peripheral design for sectors served by Siemens and ABB. Collectors and restoration communities preserve historical models from Epson and IBM in museums such as the Computer History Museum, while niche industries continue to rely on multipart impact printing for regulatory and logistical workflows.

Category:Printers