Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for preventing hammer coils of a line printer hammer bank from overheating during printing includes establishing the maximum allowable temperature threshold of any given hammer coil, monitoring the temperature of all hammer coils during printing, keeping a moving average of dots printed per unit time on each hammer coil, and if one or more coils reach a temperature higher than the threshold, determining the current maximum dot-per-hammer density that the hot coils can print per stroke of the hammer bank that will enable them to cool down adequately from their current temperatures. The rate of printing is restricted to this current established maximum dot-per-hammer density on only those coils which have a temperature at or above the maximum allowable temperature, minus a suitable hysteresis.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for preventing hammer coils of a line printer hammer bank from overheating during printing includes establishing the maximum allowable temperature threshold of any given hammer coil, monitoring the temperature of all hammer coils during printing, keeping a moving average of dots printed per unit time on each hammer coil, and if one or more coils reach a temperature higher than the threshold, determining the current maximum dot-per-hammer density that the hot coils can print per stroke of the hammer bank that will enable them to cool down adequately from their current temperatures. The rate of printing is restricted to this current established maximum dot-per-hammer density on only those coils which have a temperature at or above the maximum allowable temperature, minus a suitable hysteresis.

Abstract: A ribbon identification system detects a digitally encoded tract comprised of radially printed bands of dark and light areas positioned on a ribbon spool that fits on a media printing device. Each type and length of ribbon to be used is associated with a specific and unique digitally encoded tract. When the ribbon spool is positioned correctly on the printing device, the digitally encoded tract is detected, and the control program of the printing device sets the parameters associated with that ribbon automatically ensuring proper printing. Through the digitally encoded tract, the ribbon spool is uniquely identified so that once it has been determined by the printing device's control program that the ribbon has been depleted, that ribbon spool, if reinstalled on the same printing device at a later time, will be recognized as a depleted ribbon, and the printing device will not function.

Abstract: A ribbon identification system detects a digitally encoded tract comprised of radially printed bands of dark and light areas positioned on a ribbon spool that fits on a media printing device. Each type and length of ribbon to be used is associated with a specific and unique digitally encoded tract. When the ribbon spool is positioned correctly on the printing device, the digitally encoded tract is detected, and the control program of the printing device sets the parameters associated with that ribbon automatically ensuring proper printing. Through the digitally encoded tract, the ribbon spool is uniquely identified so that once it has been determined by the printing device's control program that the ribbon has been depleted, that ribbon spool, if reinstalled on the same printing device at a later time, will be recognized as a depleted ribbon, and the printing device will not function.