Patent ID: 8290422
Filing Date: 2012-10-16
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming device, comprising: a main body control part for controlling an image forming part; a plurality of additional equipment control parts that can be attached and detached to/from the image forming part; a serial communication line and a plurality of select signal lines for designating a transmission target, which connect the main control part to the plurality of additional equipment control parts; and a communication mode switching part constituted to be capable of switching a communication mode between a unicast mode that selects each of the additional equipment control parts individually and a broadcast mode that selects all of the additional equipment control parts based on select signals transmitted via the select signal lines, the communication mode switching part, when it is necessary to control each of the additional equipment control parts simultaneously, switching the communication mode for each of the additional equipment control parts to the unicast mode, and switching the communication mode to the broadcast mode after control data transmitted with the unicast mode is transmitted individually to each of the additional equipment control parts via the serial communication line.