Canon Canada / Canon USA

SCSI Fax Communications Interface

In partnership with Canon (Canada/USA/Japan) we designed and developed an SCSI interface between a host computer and a high-end Canon fax machine. The SCSI interface was the next step in the evolution of computer to fax machine interfaces, from the earlier RS232 interface. Capable of 5 Mb/sec. transfers the interface worked with two Canon fax machines, the L6500 and the L4600. Both machines were capable of G3 and G4 communications and with the software interface could be utilized as high resolution scanners, 30 page per minute laser printers and send/receive fax devices. This Generated Solutions product was known as 4Fax.

To supplement the above communication API, a graphics conversion library was developed to convert images between fax formats and TIFF or PCX. The supported fax formats were the standard ones for G3 and G4 transmissions; namely, Modified Huffman, Modified Read and Modified Modified Read. A PCL 5 conversion library was also developed to allow the conversion of word processor documents directly into fax images.

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FootNote: Generated Solutions developed the 4Fax API into a full product and pursued OEM agreements for the product with Canon Canada and Canon USA. We also pursued agreements for variations of this product with Panasonic and Fujitsu. We participated as co-exhibitors with Canon at a number of government and industry trade shows and as development partners with Canon, working to land customers such as the Executive Office of the President in Washington DC.