Patent Application
20210221128
Printing devices can include printers, copiers, fax machines, multifunction devices including additional scanning, copying, and finishing functions, all-in-one devices, or other devices such as pad printers to print images on three dimensional objects and three-dimensional printers (additive manufacturing devices). In general, printing devices apply a print substance often in a subtractive color space or black to a medium via a device component generally referred to as a printhead. Printheads can employ fluid actuator devices, or simply actuator devices, to selectively eject droplets of print substance onto a medium during printing. For example, actuator devices can be used in inkjet type printing devices. A medium can include various types of print media, such as plain paper, photo paper, polymeric substrates and can include any suitable object or materials to which a print substance from a printing device are applied including materials, such as powdered build materials, for forming three-dimensional articles. Print substances, such as printing agents, marking agents, and colorants, can include toner, liquid inks, or other suitable marking material that in some examples may be mixed with other print substances such as fusing agents, detailing agents, or other materials and can be applied to the medium.
An inkjet printing system, which is an example of a fluid ejection system, can include a printhead, a print substance supply, and an electronic controller. The printhead, which is an example of a fluidic actuator device or actuator device, can selectively eject droplets of print substance through a plurality of nozzles, each of which can be an example of an actuator, onto a medium during printing. The nozzles can be arranged on the printhead in a column or an array and the electronic controller can selectively sequence ejection of print substance. The printhead can include hundreds or thousands of nozzles, and each nozzle ejects a droplet of print substance in a firing event in which electrical power and actuation signals are provided to printhead. Each nozzle can consume tens of milliamperes (mA) of current during a firing event. The amount of electrical power required to simultaneously fire all nozzles on the printhead can exceed a current limit of the printing device, which can reduce print quality or cause substantial damage to the printhead.
Consequently, printheads often stagger the firing events to reduce peak power consumption during printing. Printheads typically employ digital circuits having flip-flops driven with a continuously running clock signal to stagger the firing events. In one example, firing events are staggered in the order of 100 nanoseconds apart. Each firing event can be triggered with a fire signal provided to each nozzle. The fire signal is provided from the digital circuit that may include a logic high, or a signal driven to a selected voltage, for approximately a microsecond to trigger the firing event or actuate the nozzle. Rather than simultaneously actuate hundreds or thousands of nozzles, the digital circuits may simultaneously actuate a dozen or so nozzles and substantially reduce peak current consumption, extend printhead life, as well as increase print efficiency.
As printheads and associated circuits get smaller, several circuit architectures are changed. These architecture adaptations have affected how the nozzles are fired and how the firing events are staggered. For example, the circuit architecture may no longer include a continuous running clock available to stagger firing events, and reductions to power routing and circuit area reduce the peak currents that can be tolerated by a printhead die.
This disclosure is directed to a circuit having a series of programmable analog delay elements that can stagger the fire signals provided to the fluid actuators. In one example, a fluid ejection device includes a first actuator and a second actuator that selectively eject a print substance in response to a fire signal. A first analog delay element is operably coupled in series with logic to receive the fire signal and a second analog delay element. The first analog delay element receives the fire signal and provides the fire signal to a first output after delay. The first output is coupled to the first actuator and the second analog delay element. The second analog delay element receives the fire signal from the first output and provides the fire signal to a second output after delay. The second output is operably coupled to the second actuator. A bias circuit is coupled to the first and second analog delay circuits to adjust the delay.
The integrated circuit 100 includes a bias circuit 110 operably coupled to each of the analog delay circuits 104a . . . 104n. The bias circuit 110 provides a bias signal 112 to each of the analog delay circuits 104a . . . 104n to control the delay. In one example, the bias signal 112 can be a control voltage that provides an amount of delay in each of the analog delay circuits 104a . . . 104n to the fire signal 108 prior to the fire signal 108 provided at the output 114a . . . 114n. The control voltage of the bias signal 112 can be a continuous control voltage. In some examples, the bias signal 112 can be a control current, such as a continuous control current. The bias signal 112 provided to the analog delay circuits 104 can be selected from a plurality of bias signals that can be generated by the bias circuit 110. In this example, a length of the delay in an analog delay circuit 104 is variable. Each of the plurality of bias signals that can be provided to the analog delay circuits 104 can provide a different amount of delay in the analog delay circuits 104. In one example, a single bias signal 112 can be output from the bias circuit 110, but that single bias signal 112 can be selected from a plurality of available bias signals that can be generated by the bias circuit 110. The bias circuit 110 can programmably adjust a length of the delay of the analog delay circuits 104a . . . 104n via the bias signal 112.
The analog delay circuits 104 are characterized by producing an output waveform similar to the input waveform, such as an input fire signal 108, but locally delayed by a selected amount of time. In general, this selected amount of time is variable and is based upon a selected input control voltage, such as a continuous control voltage. For instance, a first amount of continuous control voltage provides a first amount of delay and a second amount of continuous control voltage, which is different than the first amount of continuous control voltage, provides a second amount of delay that is different than the first amount of delay. In this example, the bias signal 112 provides the continuous control voltage. Example analog delay circuits 104 can employ a shunt capacitor technique, a current starved technique, or a variable resistor technique. In some examples, analog delay circuits 104 can be configured from cascaded delay circuit elements, such as a cascaded current starved inverter. An output of an analog delay circuit having current starved inverter circuit is provided as an input of a successive current starved inverter in a successive analog delay circuit. Analog delay circuits 104 are not characterized by receiving a free running clock signal.
In one example, each analog delay circuit 104a . . . 104n includes a current starved inverter circuit configured to receive a supply voltage VDD and a bias signal 112 as control voltage VCTRL. In one example, the current starved inverter circuit is configured to receive two simultaneous control voltages during operation. The bias signal 112 having a control voltage VCTRL can include a plurality of control voltages such as control voltages VCP and VCN, during operation and to receive an input fire signal 108 on an input line. Each analog delay circuit 104a . . . 104n is also configured to provide an output fire signal 108 on an output line. The control voltages VCP and VCN provided to the current starved inverter determine an amount of delay applied to the input fire signal prior to providing the output fire signal. For instance, an amount of difference between the control voltages VCP and VCN affects the amount of delay. A relatively larger difference between the control voltages VCP and VCN can provide a relatively longer delay, and a relatively smaller difference between the control voltages VCP and VCN can provide a relatively shorter delay. The bias circuit 110 provides the control voltages VCP and VCN from a programmable input. In one example, the bias circuit 110 includes a digital-to-analog converter to receive the programmable input and to output a corresponding bias signal 112 as a set of continuous control voltages VCP and VCN. In one example, the digital-to-analog converter is a five-bit digital-to-analog converter that can receive a five-bit digital signal as the programmable input and output one of thirty-two control voltage outputs, such as one of thirty-two control voltages VCTRL or one of thirty-two sets of control voltages VCP and VCN to control an amount of delay of the analog delay circuits 104.
Compared to traditional delay circuits based on free running clock, analog delay circuits 104 self-generate delay of the fire signal 108. Each analog delay circuit 104a . . . 104n, however, is susceptible to variations of delay due to combinations of voltage, temperature, silicon process speed, delay strength, and, in examples of the integrated circuits 100 used in printing systems, print density. In the example of printing systems, it has been discovered that such variations in delay are negligible in producing print substance drop placement and print quality. Bias circuit 110 can be used to finely adjust delay of the analog delay circuits 104 as well as adjust delay for various print speed modes of a printhead system.
The plurality of analog delay circuits 204 are configured to drive the plurality of fluid actuators 202 with a fire signal 208, which triggers a firing event in the fluid actuators 202 to eject a fluid such as a print substance. Each of the fluid actuators 202a . . . 202n corresponds with an analog delay circuit 204a . . . 204n, and each fluid actuator 202a . . . 202n is configured to receive the fire signal 208 from the corresponding analog delay circuit 204a . . . 204n. In one example, the number of fluid actuators 202 may be different than the number of analog delay circuits 204. For instance, the number of fluid actuators 202 may be greater than the number of analog delay circuits 204, and an analog delay circuit 204 may correspond with a plurality of fluid actuators of the plurality of fluid actuators 202. The plurality of analog delay circuits 204 are also coupled together in series to pass the fire signal 208 from one analog delay circuit to another analog delay circuit. The fire signal 208 is locally delayed at each analog delay circuit 204 as it is passed through the plurality of analog delay circuits 204 in series. The bias circuit 210 provides a bias signal 212 to each of the plurality of analog delay circuits 204 to locally control an amount of delay of the fire signal 208 as the fire signal 208 is pass through the analog delay circuits 204. In one example, the bias circuit 210 can be operably coupled to the analog delay circuits 204 via line 226 to provide bias signal 212.
Each analog delay circuit 204a . . . 204n can receive an input waveform on an input line and, after a delay, produce an output waveform on an output line. The analog delay circuits 204 are coupled together in series such that an output line of an analog delay circuit of a sequence is linked to the input line of a successive analog delay circuit of the sequence. The output waveform of each analog delay circuit 204a . . . 204n is similar to the input waveform of the analog delay circuit but is locally delayed by a selected amount of time as controlled by the bias signal 212. In the illustration, the plurality of analog delay circuits 204 include first analog delay circuit 204j and second analog delay circuit 204k coupled together in series in a sequence. First analog delay circuit 204j includes a first input line 214j and first output line 216j. Second analog delay circuit 204k includes a second input line 214k and a second output line 216k. Second input line 214k is coupled to first output line 216j such that the second analog delay circuit 204k receives an input waveform provided as the output waveform from the first analog delay circuit 204j. An initial analog delay circuit 204a in the sequence includes an initial input line 214a operably coupled to a fire logic circuit 218, which can provide a fire signal 208 on input line 214a, and the fire signal 208 is sequentially passed through the analog delay elements 204 to a final output line 216n of a final analog delay circuit 204n.
In one example, the final output line 216n is coupled to test logic circuit 228. The test logic circuit 228 can receive the fire signal from the final analog delay circuit 204n and determine the total amount of delay of the fire signal 208 through the plurality of analog delay circuits 204. For example, the test logic circuit 228 can be coupled to the fire logic circuit 218 both directly and through the sequence of analog delay circuits 204, and the fire signals received from each coupling can be compared to determine the total amount of delay of the fire signal provided through the plurality of analog delay circuits 204. The total amount of delay can be measured and adjusted by programming the bias circuit 210 to adjust the bias signal 212. In one example, the bias circuit 210 can adjust the total amount of delay from between 1 microseconds to 5 microseconds, and an appropriate total amount of delay can be selected based on a factor such as a print mode speed of the ejection device 200. The total amount of delay can be selected to be short enough to allow the final analog delay circuit 204n to output a fire signal before a new fire signal is provided to the initial analog delay circuit 204a. Also, the total amount of delay can be selected to be long enough so that few analog delay circuits 204a . . . 204n are simultaneously outputting fire signals 208 to the fluid actuators 202 to reduce peak currents from firing events. The total amount of delay can also be selected based on other factors such as rate of change of current per time, or ∂i/∂t. For example, longer delays can reduce peak currents that can decrease the rate of change of current per time, which can reduce current supply droop and electrical noise in the fluid ejection die 220.
Each fluid actuator 202a . . . 202n is operably coupled to the output line 216a . . . 216n of a corresponding analog delay circuit 204a . . . 204n. In the illustrated example, a plurality of fluid actuators, such as fluid actuators 202g and 202h, are operably coupled to an output line of a corresponding analog delay circuit, such as output line 216j of analog delay circuit 204j. Also in the illustrated example, fluid actuators 202p and 202q are operably coupled to output line 216k of analog delay circuit 204k.
The plurality of actuators 202 can be arranged into a plurality of actuator primitives, or primitives 224, on the actuator device 222. For example, a selected number of proximate fluid actuators, such as fluid actuators 202g, 202h, can comprise a primitive 224j of the plurality of primitives 224. Primitive 224k can include fluid actuators 202p, 202q. The plurality of primitives 224 may be arranged along an axis of the column of the die 220 as primitives 224a to 224n. Each actuator 202 in a primitive 224 is assigned an address. In one example, each primitive 224 may include sixteen proximate fluid actuators 202 and the sixteen fluid actuators 202 on each primitive 224 can each be assigned an address from 0x0 to 0xF. In one example, one actuator 202 of a primitive 224 is selected at a time for ejecting a fluid as determined by the address. A controller can select the address and provide it to the primitives 224. (The controller can be located on the fluid ejection device 200 or can be remote from the fluid ejection device and provide a signal to the fluid ejection device 200 to select the address.) In one example, the selected address is applied to each primitive 224 on the actuator device 222. In this example, each analog delay circuit 204a . . . 204n corresponds with a primitive 224a . . . 224n, and each output line 216a . . . 216n of a corresponding analog delay circuit 204a . . . 204n is operably coupled to the corresponding primitive 224a . . . 224n. For instance, each output line 216a . . . 216n of a corresponding analog delay circuit 204a . . . 204n is operably coupled to the fluid actuators 202 comprising the corresponding primitive 224a . . . 224n. A fire signal 208 provided on the output line 216a . . . 216n triggers a firing event in a fluid actuator 202 of the corresponding primitive 224 as selected by the address.
The fire signal 208 can be provided to the initial analog delay circuit 204a and passed through the plurality of analog delay circuits 204 and provided to primitives 224 to trigger firing events in the fluid actuators 202 corresponding with a selected address. For example, a fire signal 208 can be provided to input line 214j and analog delay circuit 204j can locally delay the fire signal 208 and provide the fire signal 208 on output line 216j to primitive 224j. In this example, a controller can select an address assigned to fluid actuator 202g of primitive 224j. Upon receiving the fire signal 208 at primitive 224j, a firing event is triggered in fluid actuator 202g to eject fluid from fluid actuator 202g. The fire signal 208 provided on output line 216j is also provided to input line 214k, and analog delay circuit 204k can locally delay the fire signal 208 and provide the fire signal 208 on output line 216k to primitive 224k. In this example, a controller can select an address assigned to fluid actuator 202p of primitive 224k. Upon receiving the fire signal 208 at primitive 224k, a firing event is triggered in fluid actuator 202p to eject fluid from fluid actuator 202p. In this example, after the fire signal 208 has been output from the final analog delay circuit 204n, the controller can select another address (such as the next address in sequence) and another fire signal can be provided to the initial analog delay circuit 204a and passed through the plurality of analog delay circuits 204 and provided to primitives 224.
Firing events in the primitives 224 are staggered as the fire signal 208 is passed through the sequence of analog delay circuits 204, and peak currents are reduced compared to simultaneously firing all primitives. The amount of peak current consumed in the die 220 can be selected by adjusting the amount of delay in the analog delay circuits 204 with the bias circuit 210. A long delay relatively reduces peak currents and a short delay relatively increases peak currents in the die 220 during the firing events.
Printing device 300 includes a controller 310 operably coupled to the printhead cartridge 302. The controller 310 can include a combination of hardware and programming such as firmware stored on a memory device. The controller 310 can receive signals regarding a file, such as a digital document, to be printed, and provide signals to the printhead cartridge 302. In one example, portions of the controller 310 can be distributed on hardware or programming throughout the printing device, and portions of the controller 310 can be included on printhead cartridge 302. In one example, the controller 310 can incorporate features of fire logic circuit 218 and test logic circuit 228. The controller 310 can provide signals to the actuator device 222 regarding address of fluid actuators 202 and can provide signals to the bias circuit 210 to program the bias signal 212. In one example, the controller 310 can receive signals from the analog delay circuits 204 to determine the status and health of components of the printhead cartridge 302. In one example, the printhead cartridge 302 can include conductive pads configured to mate with conductors on the printing device 300 such that the controller 310, or portions of the controller 310, can communicate with a printhead cartridge 302 that can be removably coupled to the printing device 300.
Although specific examples have been illustrated and described herein, a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific examples shown and described without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific examples discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that this disclosure be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2019/016744 | 2/6/2019 | WO | 00 |
