Claims
- 1. An inkjet printhead comprising:nozzles; firing resistors; and fire pulse generator circuitry including a start fire detection circuit receiving a start fire signal and verifying that a valid active start fire signal is received and pulse width registers for holding pulse width values, and responsive to at least one valid active start fire signal to generate a plurality of fire signals, each having a series of fire pulses, by controlling the initiation and duration of the fire pulses, wherein the duration of the fire pulses is based on the pulse width values, wherein each fire pulse controls timing and activation of electrical current through selected firing resistors to thereby control ejection of ink drops from the nozzles.
- 2. The inkjet printhead of claim 1 wherein the fire pulse generator circuitry comprises:counters, each responsive to the initiation of a corresponding fire pulse to count to a corresponding count value representing the duration of the corresponding fire pulse.
- 3. The inkjet printhead of claim 2 wherein the fire pulse generator circuitry further comprises:pulse width registers for holding pulse width values, wherein the counters are each preloaded with a corresponding pulse width value and respond to the initiation of the corresponding fire pulse to count down from the corresponding pulse width value to determine the duration of the corresponding fire pulse.
- 4. The inkjet printhead of claim 2 wherein the fire pulse generator circuitry further comprises:controllers controlling corresponding counters, each controller providing a corresponding fire pulse and activating a start signal to the corresponding counter to initiate the count, and wherein each counter activates a stop signal to the corresponding controller to terminate the corresponding fire pulse when the count value is reached.
- 5. The inkjet printhead of claim 1 wherein the start fire detection circuit receives a clock signal having active transitions and verifies that the valid active start fire signal is received by requiring that the active start fire signal is present for at least two of the active transitions of the clock signal.
- 6. The inkjet printhead of claim 1 wherein an active start fire signal is provided to the fire pulse generator circuitry prior to each time a fire pulse is generated.
- 7. The inkjet printhead of claim 1 wherein an active start fire signal is provided to the fire pulse generator circuitry only at the beginning of a print swath.
- 8. The inkjet printhead of claim 1 wherein the fire pulse generator circuitry also controls dead-time between fire pulses in the series of fire pulses in each fire signal.
- 9. The inkjet printhead of claim 8 wherein the fire pulse generator circuitry comprises:dead-time registers for holding dead-time values, wherein the dead-time between fire pulses is based on the dead-time values.
- 10. The inkjet printhead of claim 8 wherein the fire pulse generator circuitry comprises:dead-time counters, each responsive to a termination of a corresponding fire pulse to count to a corresponding dead-time count value representing the duration of the dead-time between fire pulses.
- 11. The inkjet printhead of claim 10 wherein the fire pulse generator circuitry further comprises:dead-time registers for holding dead-time values, wherein the dead-time counters are each preloaded with a corresponding dead-time value and respond to the termination of the corresponding fire pulse to count down from the corresponding dead-time value to determine the dead-time between fire pulses.
- 12. An inkjet printhead assembly comprising:a carrier: N printheads disposed on the carrier, each printhead including: nozzles; firing resistors; and fire pulse generator circuitry including a start fire detection circuit receiving a first start fire signal and verifying that a valid active first start fire signal is received and responsive to at least one valid active first start fire signal to generate a plurality of fire signals, each having a series of fire pulses, by controlling the initiation and duration of the fire pulses, wherein each fire pulse controls timing and activation of electrical current through selected firing resistors to thereby control ejection of ink drops from the nozzles; and a module manager disposed on the carrier and receiving a second start fire signal from a printer controller located external from thc inkjet printhead assembly and providing the first start fire signal representing the second start fire signal to each of the N printheads.
- 13. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 12, wherein the first start fire signal is provided from a printer controller located external from the inkjet printhead assembly.
- 14. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 12 wherein the module manager is adapted to receive a serial input data stream and corresponding input clock signal from the printer controller located external from the inkjet printhead assembly and to demultiplex the serial data stream into N serial output data streams and to provide the N serial output data streams and N corresponding output clock signals based on the input clock signal to the N printheads.
- 15. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 12, wherein the module manager is implemented in an integrated circuit.
- 16. An inkjet printhead assembly, comprising:a carrier; N printheads disposed on the carrier, each printhead including nozzles and firing resistors; and a module manager disposed on the carrier and including: fire pulse generator circuitry including a start fire detection circuit receiving a start fire signal and verifying that a valid active start fire signal is received and responsive to at least one valid active start fire signal to generate a plurality of fire signals, each having a series of fire pulses, by controlling the initiation and duration of the fire pulses, wherein each fire pulse controls timing and activation of electrical current through selected firing resistors to thereby control ejection of ink drops from the nozzles of the printheads; and wherein the module manager is adapted to receive a serial input data stream and corresponding input clock signal from a printer controller located external from the inkjet printhead assembly and to demultiplex the serial data stream into N serial output data streams and to provide the N serial output data streams and N corresponding output clock signals based on the input clock signal to the N printheads.
- 17. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 16, wherein the start fire signal is provided from a printer controller located external from the inkjet printhead assembly.
- 18. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 16, wherein the module manager is implemented in an integrated circuit.
- 19. An inkjet printhead assembly, comprising:multiple inkjet printhead modules, each inkjet printhead module including: a carrier; N printheads disposed on the carrier, each printhead including nozzles firing and resistors; fire pulse generator circuitry including a start fire detection circuit receiving a first start fire signal and verifying that a valid active first start fire signal is received and responsive to at least one valid active first start fire signal to generate a plurality of fire signals, each having a series of fire pulses, by controlling the initiation and duration of the fire pulses, wherein each fire pulse controls timing and activation of electrical current through selected firing resistors to thereby control ejection of ink drops from the nozzles; and a module manager disposed on the carrier and adapted to receive a serial input data stream and corresponding input clock signal from a printer controller located external from the inkjet printhead assembly and to demultiplex the serial data stream into N serial output data streams and to provide the N serial output data streams and N corresponding output clock signals based on the input clock signal to the N printheads, and wherein the module manager includes the fire pulse generator circuitry.
- 20. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 19 wherein the fire pulse generator circuitry is integrated into each printhead.
- 21. A method of operating a printhead assembly comprising:receiving a start fire signal at a printhead assembly, which includes at least one printhead having nozzles and firing resistors; verifying that a valid active start fire signal is received; holding pulse width values; generating, in response to at least one valid active start fire signal, a plurality of fire signals, each having a series of fire pulses, by controlling the initiation and duration of the fire pulses internal to the printhead assembly including determining the duration of the fire pulses based on the pulse width values; and controlling, with each fire pulse, timing and activation of electrical current through selected firing resistors to thereby control ejection of ink drops from the nozzles.
- 22. The method of claim 21 wherein receiving the start fire signal, verifying that a valid active start fire signal is received, generating the plurality of fire signals, and controlling timing and activation of electrical current through selected firing resistors are all performed in each printhead.
- 23. The method of claim 21 further comprising:receiving, at a module manager disposed on a carrier, a serial input data stream and a corresponding input clock signal from a printer controller located external from the carrier; demultiplexing, at the module manager, the serial data stream into N serial output data streams; providing, from the module manager, the N serial output data streams and N corresponding output clock signals based on the input clock signal to N printheads disposed on the carrier; and wherein receiving the start fire signal, verifying that a valid active start fire signal is received, generating the plurality of fire signals, and controlling timing and activation of electrical current through selected firing resistors are all performed in the module manager.
- 24. The method of claim 21 further comprising:counting to a count value in response to the initiation of a corresponding fire pulse, wherein the count value represents the duration of the corresponding fire pulse.
- 25. The method claim 24 further comprising:activating a start signal to initiate the counting step; and activating a stop signal to terminate the corresponding fire pulse when the count value is reached.
- 26. The method of claim 21 further comprising:receiving a clock signal at the printhead assembly, wherein the clock signal has active transitions; and verifying that a valid active start fire signal is received by requiring that the active start fire signal is present for at least two of the active transitions of the clock signal.
- 27. The method of claim 21 wherein the receiving step comprises:receiving an active start fire signal at the printhead assembly prior to each time a fire pulse is generated.
- 28. The method of claim 21 wherein the receiving step comprises:receiving an active start fire signal at the printhead assembly only at the beginning of a print swath.
- 29. The method of claim 21 further comprising:controlling dead-time between fire pulses in the series of fire pulses in each fire signal.
- 30. The method of claim 29 further comprising:holding dead-time values; and determining the dead-time between fire pulses based on the dead-time values.
- 31. The method of claim 29 further comprising:counting to a dead-time count value in response to a termination of a corresponding fire pulse, wherein the dead-time count value represents the duration of the dead-time between fire pulses.
- 32. A fluid ejection device comprising:nozzles; firing resistors; and fire pulse generator circuitry including a start fire detection circuit receiving a start fire signal and verifying that a valid active start fire signal is received and pulse width registers for holding pulse width values, and responsive to at least one valid active start fire signal to generate a plurality of fire signals, each having a series of fire pulses, by controlling the initiation and duration of the fire pulses, wherein the duration of the fire pulses is based on the pulse width values, wherein each fire pulse controls timing and activation of electrical current through selected firing resistors to thereby control ejection of fluid drops from the nozzles.
- 33. The fluid ejection device of claim 32 wherein the fire pulse generator circuitry comprises:counters, each responsive to the initiation of a corresponding fire pulse to count to a corresponding count value representing the duration of the corresponding fire pulse.
- 34. The fluid ejection device of claim 33 wherein the fire pulse generator circuitry further comprises:pulse width registers for holding pulse width values, wherein the counters are each preloaded with a corresponding pulse width value and respond to the initiation of the corresponding fire pulse to count down from the corresponding pulse width value to determine the duration of the corresponding fire pulse.
- 35. The fluid ejection device of claim 33 wherein the fire pulse generator circuitry further comprises:controllers controlling corresponding counters, each controller providing a corresponding fire pulse and activating a start signal to the corresponding counter to initiate the count, and wherein each counter activates a stop signal to the corresponding controller to terminate the corresponding fire pulse when the count value is reached.
- 36. The fluid ejection device of claim 32 wherein the start fire detection circuit receives a clock signal having active transitions and verifies that the valid active start fire signal is received by requiring that the active start fire signal is present for at least two of the active transitions of the clock signal.
- 37. The fluid ejection device of claim 32 wherein an active start fire signal is provided to the fire pulse generator circuitry prior to each time a fire pulse is generated.
- 38. The fluid ejection device of claim 32 wherein an active start fire signal is provided to the fire pulse generator circuitry only at the beginning of a selected firing sequence.
- 39. The fluid ejection device of claim 32 wherein the fire pulse generator circuitry also controls dead-time between fire pulses in the series of fire pulses in each fire signal.
- 40. The fluid ejection device of claim 39 wherein the fire pulse generator circuitry comprises:dead-time registers for holding dead-time values, wherein the dead-time between fire pulses is based on the dead-time values.
- 41. The fluid ejection device of claim 39 wherein the fire pulse generator circuitry comprises:dead-time counters, each responsive to a termination of a corresponding fire pulse to count to a corresponding dead-time count value representing the duration of the dead-time between fire pulses.
- 42. The fluid ejection device of claim 41 wherein the fire pulse generator circuitry further comprises:dead-time registers for holding dead-time values, wherein the dead-time counters are each preloaded with a corresponding dead-time value and respond to the termination of the corresponding fire pulse to count down from the corresponding dead-time value to determine the dead-time between fire pulses.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This Non-Provisional Patent Application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 09/755,226 “MODULE MANAGER FOR WIDE-ARRAY INKJET PRINTHEAD ASSEMBLY” filed on Jan. 5, 2001, now U.S. Pat No. 6,585,339, which is herein incorporated by reference.
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/755226 |
Jan 2001 |
US |
Child |
09/761407 |
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US |