Patent ID: 7003585

Claim:
A high speed serial interface, comprising: an initiator device for generating data and messages, wherein the initiator device includes a transceiver for sending and receiving data and messages using a serial protocol; a target device for receiving data and messages, wherein the target device includes a transceiver for sending and receiving data and messages using the serial protocol; and a transmission media for coupling the initiator device and the target device; wherein the serial protocol comprises a plurality of time frames comprising an idle message time frame for indicating a device is ready for communication, wherein each of the initiator device and the target device transmits an idle frame when it is ready for communication; a target control word frame for sending a data request from the target device; an initiator control word frame for indicating a transfer mode from the initiator device; and a data frame, wherein in response to a target control word frame containing a data request from the target device, the initiator device transmits an initiator control word frame followed by the requested data; wherein the initiator device comprises a digital front end (DFE), the target device comprises a printer and the transmission media comprises fiber optics; and wherein the printer control word frame further comprises a verification bit, a mode bit, a page request bit, a line request bit, a buffer status bit and a reset status bit.