Configurable printhead apparatus and method
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsDARYL E. ANDERSON, JEFFERY S. BECK, DENNIS J. SCHLOEMAN
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Abstract
A configurable printhead that includes a plurality of potential signal inputs. The printhead preferably contains logic that is responsive to a signal from a printer controller or elsewhere that specifies the number potential signal inputs that are going to be used for signal (data) transmission. Configurability of the input lines and clock speeds permits use of the printhead in a range of printer environments and may serve to reduce EMI. Printer arrangements and a processing method are also disclosed.
Claims17
A printing apparatus, comprising:
- a printhead substrate;
- a plurality of ink expulsion elements formed on said substrate;
- a plurality of potential signal inputs formed on said substrate;
- and
- logic coupled between said potential signal inputs and said plurality of ink expulsion elements that is configurable to receive and serialize data from one or more of said inputs.
A printing apparatus, comprising:
- a controller;
- a printhead substrate coupled to said controller and having a plurality of potential signal inputs and a plurality of ink expulsion elements formed thereon;
- configuration logic formed on said substrate and coupled to said plurality of potential signal inputs;
- and
- logic in said controller that generates:
- (1) a first signal indicative of the number of said plurality of potential signal inputs to which said controller is to propagate data to;
- and
- (2) data in separable components equal in number to the number indicated by said first signal.
A method for a printing apparatus, comprising the steps of:
- providing a printhead substrate having a plurality of ink expulsion elements and a plurality of potential signal inputs formed on said substrate;
- providing processing logic coupled between said potential signal inputs and said plurality of ink expulsion elements that is configurable to receive and serialize data from one or more of said inputs;
- and
- configuring said processing logic based on a received configuration signal to receive data from a given number of said plurality of potential signal inputs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.