Driving apparatus and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a plurality of exposure heads;
• a plurality of element image forming components configured to form a plurality of element images by using exposure by the plurality of exposure heads;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• cause the plurality of element images respectively formed by the plurality of image forming component to overlap each other, and to form one image;
• respectively generate a plurality of pieces of driving data for causing each of the plurality of exposure heads to emit light for forming the plurality of element images;
• and
• differentiate light emission start timings of the plurality of exposure heads based upon each of the plurality of pieces of driving data between at least one of the exposure heads and another exposure head,
• wherein
• the plurality of exposure heads start the light emission at a timing determined by a control clock and a synchronization signal, and wherein
• the processor is further configured to:
• generate the control clock by frequency-dividing an internal clock;
• generate the synchronization signal;
• and
• respectively correlate the plurality of exposure heads, and output, to the exposure heads, the control clock and the synchronization signal as they are or after delaying the control clock and the synchronization signal by a predetermined delay amount,
• wherein the predetermined delay amount is a predetermined cycles of the internal clock and the predetermined cycles of the internal clock is smaller than one cycle of the control clock.

A driving method, comprising:

• respectively generating a plurality of pieces of driving data for causing each of a plurality of exposure heads to emit light for forming a plurality of element images;
• and
• differentiating light emission start timings of the plurality of exposure heads based upon each of the plurality of pieces of driving data generated between at least one of the exposure heads and another exposure head, wherein the plurality of exposure heads start the light emission at a timing determined by a control clock and a synchronization signal,
• generating the control clock by frequency-dividing an internal clock;
• generating the synchronization signal;
• and
• respectively correlating with the plurality of exposure heads, and output, to the exposure heads, the control clock and the synchronization signal as they are or after delaying the control clock and the synchronization signal by a predetermined delay amount,
• wherein the predetermined delay amount is a predetermined cycles of the internal clock and the predetermined cycles of the internal clock is smaller than one cycle of the control clock.