Achieving faster engines and higher resolutions means print controllers with higher CPU performance and memory capacity. In turn, that means higher costs. Canon developed the UFR (Ultra Fast Rendering) printing system to address this problem. The system integrates a number of printing functions previously processed with the iR controller CPU into a single chip. Distributing print data processing to the PC enables highspeed output at low cost.

SURF — UFR's rendering engine — employs a pipeline architecture, a technology that delivers improved processing speeds by dividing instruction execution into several stages and performing multiple stages in parallel. Making full use of the microprocessor's capabilities at all times, SURF ensures high-speed rendering with an inexpensive CPU and low-capacity memory.

Network MFPs and laser beam printers incorporate UFR II, a page description language created for Canon printers. UFR II, a next-generation extension of Canon's original architecture nurtured in UFR, incorporates a load-balancing capability for efficient distribution of data processing loads between the PC and printer. UFR II delivers stable output that is unaffected by variations in process data or print environment, and achieves dramatically increased processing speeds — up to five times faster than conventional architectures.