Optical data transmission system for direct digital marking systems

An apparatus for printing a latent image comprising:

• a light source to receive the digital data signals and to transmit encoded optical data signals;
• a photodetector to receive the encoded optical data signals and to transmit received digital data signals, the received digital data signals corresponding to selection signals and digital pixel voltages;
• a rotary contact configured to receive operating voltage potentials from the controller;
• a power supply to receive the operating voltage potentials from the rotary contact and to generate a low voltage potential, a ground potential and a high voltage potential;
• driving electronics configured to receive the low voltage potential, the ground potential, selection signals and the digital pixel voltages, and to generate bias signals and pixel voltages;
• and
• a plurality of thin-film transistors (TFTs) arranged in a TFT backplane configured to receive the high voltage potential and to receive the bias signals and the pixel voltages and to drive the hole injection pixels to generate an electrostatic latent image in response to the bias signals and pixel voltages.

A printing device, comprising:

• a controller configured to receive a digital image file from a computer and to generate digital signals corresponding to the received digital image file and to generate voltage potentials;
• a light source configured to receive the digital signals, to optically encode the digital signals using a modulation protocol and to transmit the optically encoded digital data signals;
• a photodiode configured to receive the optically encoded digital data signals, decode the encoded digital data signals and to generate digital data signals corresponding to the received digital image file;
• a rotary contact configured to receive the voltage potentials and to transfer the voltage potentials;
• driving electronics to receive the transferred digital data signals from the photodiode, wherein the transferred digital data signals include control signals and pixel voltages which bias individual thin field transistors (TFTs) in a backplane to generate a latent electrostatic image;
• and
• a power supply to receive the voltage potentials from the rotary contact and to generate a first voltage potential and a ground potential that is supplied to the driving electronics and to generate a high voltage potential to drive the backplane of TFTs.