Abstract: An inkjet printer comprising: an array of nozzles arranged into rows, each row of nozzles is divided into a series of groups; and, drive circuitry for sending a drive pulse to each of the nozzles individually such that they eject a drop of printing fluid; wherein, the drive circuitry delays sending the drive pulses to one of the groups relative to at least one of the other groups.

Abstract: A printhead controller is provided for supplying dot data to a printhead module having a plurality of nozzles for expelling ink. The printhead module includes a plurality of thermal sensors. Each of the thermal sensors is configured to respond to a temperature at or adjacent at least one of the nozzles. The printhead controller is configured to modify operation of at least some of the nozzles in response to the temperature rising above a first threshold. The printhead module is a thermal inkjet printhead module and each of the nozzles includes a thermal ink ejection mechanism. Each thermal sensor comprises at least part of one of the thermal inkjet mechanisms.

Abstract: A printer controller for controlling a printhead comprising at least one monolithic printhead module, the at least one printhead module having a plurality of rows of nozzles configured to extend, in use, across at least part of a printable pagewidth of the printhead, the nozzles in each row being grouped into at least first and second fire groups, the printhead module being configured to sequentially fire, for each row, the nozzles of each fire group, such that each nozzle in the sequence from each fire group is fired simultaneously with respective corresponding nozzles in the sequence in the other fire groups, wherein the nozzles are fired row by row such that the nozzles of each row are all fired before the nozzles of each subsequent row, wherein the printer controller is configured to provide one or more control signals that control the order of firing of the nozzles.

Abstract: A printer is provided having a printhead having ejection nozzles and a plurality of controllers configured to process print data for printing and to output the processed data to the printhead. The plurality of controllers are connected to a common input of the printhead.

Abstract: A printhead IC is provided having an ejection nozzle, drive circuitry for generating drive signals for driving the ejection nozzle, and a temperature sensor connected to the drive circuitry. The drive circuitry adjusts the drive signals in response to output of the temperature sensor so as to generate the drive signals as print signals and de-clog signals. The de-clog signals have a longer duration than the print signals.

Abstract: A print engine is provided having printhead modules and a controller. Each printhead module has a plurality of ejection nozzles. The nozzles of at least one of the printhead modules is rotationally displaced relative to the other printhead modules. The controller communicates ejection data to the ejection nozzles in accordance with a cumulative correction factor for each printhead module, including printhead modules having non-rotationally displaced nozzles, to at least partially compensate for the rotational displacement.

Abstract: A printer is provided having a carrier, a printhead having a plurality of nozzles, at least one of the nozzles being rotationally displaced relative to the carrier, and a controller for determining and communicating print data to the nozzles. The controller is configured to determine the rotational displacement, determine a correction factor for compensating for a printing error caused by the determined rotational displacement, and alter the print data based on the correction factor to at least partially compensate for the rotational displacement. The correction factor is at least partially based on a thickness of media being printed on.

Abstract: A printer controller is provided for supplying ejection data to a printhead mounted to a carrier and having a plurality of ejection nozzles. The printer controller is configured to determine a rotational displacement of the printhead relative to the carrier, determine a correction factor at least partially based on a thickness of media being printed on so as to at least partially compensate for the determined rotational displacement, and alter the supply of the ejection data based on the correction factor.

Abstract: Provided is a print engine pipeline subsystem of a printer controller. The subsystem includes a print engine pipeline controller for reading and writing print engine pipeline registers, and a contone decoder unit for expanding JPEG compressed continuous tone (“contone”) layers. Also included are a lossless bi-level decoder for expanding compressed bi-level layers, a line loader unit for expanding page images for a printhead, and a printhead interface for sending dot data to the printhead and for providing line synchronization between multiple printer controllers.

Abstract: A printhead IC comprising: an array of nozzles; an ejection actuator corresponding to each of the nozzles respectively, the ejection actuator having a resistive heater that is activated when the actuator ejects ink through the corresponding nozzle; drive circuitry for receiving print data and activating the actuators with drive signals in accordance with the print data; and, open actuator test circuitry for selectively disabling the actuators when they receive a drive signal while comparing the resistance of the resistive heater to a predetermined threshold to assess whether the actuator is defective.

Abstract: A printhead IC comprising: an array of nozzles having a plurality of adjacent regions; and, drive circuitry for sending an electrical pulse to each of the nozzles individually such that they eject a drop of printing fluid; and, a plurality of temperature sensors for sensing the temperature of the printhead IC within each of the regions respectively.

Abstract: A printhead controller is provided for supplying print data to a printhead having first and second rows of inkjet nozzles configured to print ink of a similar color. The controller is configured to supply the print data to the printhead such that, in the event a nozzle in the first row is faulty, a corresponding nozzle in the second row prints at a position on print media at or adjacent a position where the faulty nozzle would otherwise have printed.

Abstract: A printhead having at least first and second rows of print nozzles. Each nozzle has first circuitry of a first type arranged asymmetrically to second circuitry of a second type. The respective positions of the first and second circuitry of each nozzle of the first row are arranged mirrored with respect to the first and second circuitry of each nozzle of the second row.

Abstract: A printhead IC is provided having ejection nozzles, drive circuitry for sending drive pulses to resistive heaters of the nozzles to cause ejection from the nozzles, sensing circuitry being activated to sense the temperature of the printhead IC and adjust the profile of the sent drive pulses in accordance with the sensed temperature and being de-activated after a period of use, and test circuitry for selectively disabling the resistive heaters when they receive the drive pulses while comparing the resistance of the resistive heaters against a predetermined threshold to assess whether the resistive heaters are defective.

Abstract: A printer includes a printhead having first and second elongate printhead modules; and first and second printer controllers receiving print data and processing the print data to output dot data to the printhead, the first printer controller outputting dot data to the first printhead module and the second printer controller outputting dot data to the second printhead module. The first elongate printhead module is informationally isolated from the second elongate printhead module, whereby no dot data passes therebetween. The first printer controller and the second printer controller communicate therebetween a synchronization signal to effect synchronization therebetween.

Abstract: A print engine is provided which has a printhead capable of printing a maximum of n channels of print data and a controller. Each channel is associated with rows of printing nozzles of the printhead. The controller controls the printhead to print in: a first mode, in which the printhead receives from the controller, print data for a first number of the channels; and a second mode, in which the printhead receives from the controller, print data for a second number of the channels less than the first number and dummy data for a portion of each nozzle row associated with the remaining number of the channels. The first number is less than n.

Abstract: A printhead is provided having a plurality of nozzle rows which have displaced row portions. The displaced row portions of at least some of the rows are different in length than the displaced row portions of at least some of the other rows.

Abstract: A printhead is provided which has a plurality of types of printheads modules. Each type of module is determined by its geometric shape in plan so that the combination of the determined module types forms the printhead to extend and print across a pagewidth. At least one row of printhead nozzles defined across the determined types of modules includes at least one displaced row portion.

Abstract: A printhead IC for receiving print data from a print engine controller (PEC) which may be one of a plurality of different types of PEC. The printhead IC has an array of nozzles for ejecting drops of printing fluid onto a media substrate and drive circuitry for driving the array of nozzles. The drive circuitry is configured for connection to a power source in the printer. The drive circuitry is configured to reset itself to a known initial state in response to receiving power from the power source after a period of not receiving power from the power source.

Abstract: Provided is a print engine controller for an inkjet printhead with a plurality of nozzle arrangements operatively actuated by thermal actuators. The controller has controller circuitry with an open actuator test circuit to test each respective actuator. The controller circuitry includes an open actuator test input, a column enable input and a row enable input, as well as a drive transistor operatively linking said thermal actuator to a power supply. The circuitry also includes a bleed transistor arranged in parallel with the thermal actuator, and a sense transistor operatively linking an output of the drive transistor and inputs of the thermal actuator and bleed transistor to a sensing node. The controller circuitry is configured so that when only the column enable and row enable inputs are activated the bleed and sense transistors are deactivated and the drive transistor is activated to link the thermal actuator to the power supply.