Abstract: An LED array printer includes an LED array print head (1) and a control circuit board (31) for controlling the LED array printer. A setting arrangement circuit (41) for setting the characteristics and specifications of the head is disposed in the head (1). setting data is read from the setting arrangement (41) and transferred to the control circuit board (31) in order to control the head (1).

Abstract: A card type integrated circuit device is provided with a terminal arrangement for adapting the device to both 8 bit and 16 bit external systems. The arrangement includes a central terminal array wherein terminals for carrying signals common to both 8 bit and 16 bit systems are disposed, and an end terminal array wherein terminals for carrying signals exclusive to a 16 bit system are disposed.

Abstract: A wire driving mechanism for a wire-dot print head employs a piezoelectric element or a magnetostrictive element as a driver (5). To enable printing with a satisfactorily high print quality, the wire driving mechanism employs the extensional force of the driver (5) to pivot two generally parallel levers (3a, 3b) respectively having fixed ends. When the levers (3a, 3b) are pivoted, the free end of each of the levers (3a, 3b) is moved by a displacement which is a multiple of the extension of the driver (5). The respective displacements of the free ends of the levers (3a, 3b) are transmitted by a pair of support members (6a, 6b) to opposite sides of a driving member (8) at positions on different levels with respect to the longitudinal direction of the driving member (8). As a result, the driving member (8) is moved so that a print wire (7) attached to the driving member (8) is advanced in a printing direction.

Abstract: The operation of an automatic sheet feeder provided with a plurality of sheet hoppers which are used selectively to feed sheets to a printer is controlled. A control unit of the printer supplies a multiplex control signal including a hopper select signal and a sheet delivery signal to the automatic sheet feeder through a single signal line. The width of pulses of the hopper select signal is smaller than a predetermined time, while the width of the sheet delivery signal is greater than the predetermiend time. The pulses of the multiplex control signal are compared with the predetermined time to discriminate the hopper select signal and the sheet delivery signal from each other. That sheet hopper corresponding to the number of pulses of the hopper select signal is selected, and then the automatic feeding of sheets from the selected sheet hopper commences upon the reception of the sheet delivery signal.

Abstract: A printing head drive circuit of a printer is mounted on the side of a carriage having a printing head attached thereto for a allowing said carriage to act as a heat sink. Hereby, no particular cooling means (heat sink, cooling fan and the like) is required for printing head drive elements. In addition, a controller and heat generating parts can be completely separated. Thus, it can be anticipated to reduce the number of parts and the cost required for assembling the whole structure as well as to improve reliability of the printing head drive circuit.

Abstract: In a printer that includes a carriage section having a print head with a plurality of drive coils provided therein, and a control unit having a power supply circuit supplies drive power to the print head, and a cable having conductors for connecting the control unit and the carriage section, a drive power supply node and discharge node in the carriage section are connected to an output terminal of the power supply circuit in the control unit via the cable. Drive power for the plurality of drive coils is supplied from the terminal of the power supply circuit through the cable and the drive power node, and magnetic energy accumulated in the drive coils is discharged through the discharge node and through the cable to the output terminal of the power supply circuit. Printer protection is achieved by detecting, in the carriage section, whether the discharge node is satisfactorily connected with the terminal of the power supply circuit.

Abstract: A method of controlling a cut-sheet feeder installed on a printer to feed a cut sheet from a sheet hopper (1) included in the cut-sheet feeder to the printing unit of the printer at a sheet feeding speed corresponding to that of the printer. The printer gives a correction signal (S.sub.1) of a predetermined pulse width to the cut-sheet feeder, and then the cut-sheet feeder converts the pulse width of the correction signal into a corresponding number of pulses of a clock signal generated by its control unit (25), and obtains the difference between the number of pulses of the clock signal and a predetermined reference value to determine the deviation of the frequency of the clock signal from a reference frequency. The difference between the number of pulses of the clock signal and the reference value is added to a reference motor controlling value for driving a stepping motor (4) at a reference speed to obtain a corrected motor controlling value. When the printer gives a sheet feed command signal (S.sub.

Abstract: In a printer in which a print head and a print medium are moved relative to each other in a spacing direction and in a line-feed direction, the position of the print head in the spacing direction is detected, and the stoppage of the print head during a spacing operation is detected, and the stop position in the spacing direction is stored. When the print head stops, reverse line-feed is performed by a first amount. The spacing operation is then performed in the same direction as before the carriage stopped. A forward line-feed is then performed by the first amount, and then the spacing operation is performed in the opposite direction. If the print head stops again at the same stop positon, an error indication is made. If the print head does not so stop, the spacing operation is continued.

Abstract: In a driving apparatus for a wire-dot print head having electromagnets for driving print wires, each electromagnet comprising a core and a coil, sensing coils are provided in association with the respective electromagnets and provided to interlink the magnetic flux passing through the core of the associated electromagnet, a magnetic flux detecting circuit is connected to the sensing coils for detecting the magnetic flux passing through the core, and a control and drive circuit is responsive to the detected magnetic flux for deciding the termination of the energization of the drive coil.

Abstract: A wire dot printer has a thermistor that detects the temperature of a print head and a counter that starts counting when the detection temperature exceeds an alarm temperature. The printer can be controlled by switching over between normal-printing and reduced-character-printing in which a reduced number of print wires is used. When the detection temperature exceeds the alarm temperature, the printer will first stop and then control the print head in such a way as to reduce the temperature. Once the temperature drops back down below the alarm temperature, the printer will perform reduced-character-printing for a definite period of time based on the length of time from when the temperature exceeded the alarm temperature to when the temperature dropped back down below the alarm temperature. By increasing the length of time in which reduced-character-printing is carried out, the amount of heat given off by the print head decreases.

Abstract: A printing head drive circuit of a printer is mounted on the side of a carriage having a printing head attached thereto for a allowing said carriage to act as a heat sink. Hereby, no particular cooling means (heat sink, cooling fan and the like) is required for printing head drive elements. In addition, a controller and heat generating parts can be completely separated. Thus, it can be anticipated to reduce the number of parts and the cost required for assembling the whole structure as well as to improve reliability of the printing head drive circuit.

Abstract: In a dot-matrix printer including a wire-dot print head having print wires which print dots by impact on a printing medium, and a sensor for sensing the position of the print wires and generating signals indicating the position of the print wires, a parameter is set to determine a printing force with which each of the print wires impacts the printing medium. A control and driving circuit drives the print wire responsive to the signals from the sensors and the set parameter. The combination of the feature of setting a parameter for controlling the printing force and the feature of detecting the position of the print wire enables the control over printing force with a high reproducibility. So printing with an optimum printing force is ensured.

Abstract: In a dot matrix print head drive method for controlling head drive signals for driving dot pins in accordance with print pattern signals, a correction factor is set specifically to each dot pin; and the length of time for which the print pattern signals are to remain in effects is varied according to the correction factor, to correct the drive time for each dot pin.

Abstract: A wire-dot impact printer includes a wire-dot print head having a plurality of print wires disposed therein. Each of the plurality of print wires has a distal end, and each is displaced in response to a drive signal so as to strike a printing medium with the distal end. A displacement detecting device is provided for detecting a displacement resulting from the drive signal of each of the plurality of print wires and for outputting a corresponding displacement detection signal. A control unit, which controls the overall printing operation of the impact printer, varies the print repetitive cycle of each of the plurality of print wires in accordance with the displacement detection signal outputted by the displacement detecting unit.

Abstract: A method of automatically inserting a printing paper in a hopper of an automatic paper feeder or a manual insertion printing paper inserted from a manual paper input slot. Upon receiving an instruction to insert a printing paper by a printer, a platen is first rotated. Thereupon, provided the presence of the printing paper is detected by a sensor even with the platen being rotated by a prescribed amount, a paper feed motor of the automatic paper feeder is rotated for obtaining a printing paper from the hopper. While, provided the presence of a printing paper is detected before the platen is rotated by the prescribed amount, the paper feed motor is not rotated, it being assumed that the manual insertion of a printing paper has been already performed. After detected the presence of the printing paper, the platen is rotated by a prescribed amount to cause the printing paper to be moved to a position where a first line of the printing paper faces the face of the printing head.

Abstract: In a pulse motor comprising a rotor, a drive coil excited by a predetermined drive current to drive the rotor, and a yoke for guiding a magnetic flux generated by the drive coil to a predetermined magnetic path; the yoke is provided with an aperture to restrict the flow path of an eddy current induced by the magnetic flux generated by the drive coil.

Abstract: A driving apparatus for a wire-dot print head in a wire-dot impact printer has a sensor mounted in the print head to detect the motion of the print wires, enabling each print wire to be driven for the optimum time for each dot. Beneficial results include improved print quality, reduced power consumption and operating temperature, and faster printing.

Abstract: A printer includes identification circuitry disposed in a print head for identifying the type of the print head loaded on a carriage portion for printing characters on a print paper, and head connectors disposed on the carriage portion for enabling a plurality of different types of print heads to be commonly connected with a drive circuit and a control portion. The control portion is operative to identify the type of the loaded print head on the basis of the content of the identification circuitry, and also to perform controlling of the drive circuit under certain controlling conditions corresponding to the type of thus identified print head.

Abstract: An electromechanical actuator includes an electric motor and a control and drive circuit mounted integrally with the electric motor. The control and drive circuit includes a serial-to-parallel converter for converting a control signal in the form of serial data into parallel data, and a device responsive to the control signal in the form of parallel data for producing a drive current or voltage for the electric motor. A system for accessing or controlling a plurality of such actuators by commands from a main controller can include a control and drive circuit which is integral with the motor itself.

Abstract: A pulse motor control apparatus for a polyphase excitation type pulse motor variably and independently controls excitation currents supplied to excitation coils. Ratios of any excitation current to other excitation currents supplied to the excitation coils are changed stepwise to rotate a composite magnetic field vector forward by those excitation coils each multiple of a real number of a predetermined unit angle at one time for controlling the rotational angle of a rotor of the pulse vector. The pulse motor control apparatus assures fine control for the rotational angle of the rotor compared with prior cases where currents supplied to a plurality of excitation coils are switched on and off for rotational control. Application of the present control apparatus to printers, etc., precludes replacement of gears, etc., due to types of print heads mounted thereon. Additional advantages such as inprovement of a torque ripple upon driving the pulse motor assure extensive application to various fields.