Abstract: A printhead IC is provided having an array of ejection nozzles, sensing circuitry for sensing temperatures of regions of the nozzle array, and drive circuitry for providing drive pulses to the nozzles to cause ejection. The drive circuitry is configured to set a different profile of the drive pulses for each region of the nozzle array in accordance with the sensed temperatures.

Abstract: A printer comprising: a printhead comprising first and second elongate printhead modules, the printhead modules being parallel to each other and being disposed end to end on either side of a join region; at least first and second printer controllers configured to receive print data and process the print data to output dot data to the printhead, wherein the first printer controller outputs dot data only to the first printhead module and the second printer controller outputs dot data only to the second printhead module, wherein the printhead modules are configured such that no dot data passes between them.

Abstract: A printhead having a plurality of rows of nozzles is provided. The nozzles in each row are grouped into fire groups. The printhead is 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.

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 printhead IC for an inkjet printer, the inkjet printer having a print engine controller (PEC) for sending print data to the printhead IC, the printhead IC comprising: 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 being configured to extract a clock signal from the data transmission from the PEC.

Abstract: Provided is test circuitry for testing a thermal actuator of a printhead nozzle arrangement of a printhead. The circuitry includes an open actuator test input, a column enable input and a row enable input. A drive transistor operatively links said thermal actuator to a power supply, and a bleed transistor is arranged in parallel with the thermal actuator. The circuitry also includes a sense transistor operatively linking an output of the drive transistor and inputs of the thermal actuator and bleed transistor to a sensing node, as well as a controller configured to deactivate the bleed and sense transistors and to activate the drive transistor when the column enable and row enable inputs are activated to link the thermal actuator to the power supply, and to activate the bleed and sense transistors when the open actuator test input is activated, so that the thermal actuator is short-circuited and the sense node is pulled high if the thermal actuator is open-circuit.

Abstract: A printhead IC for an inkjet printer, the inkjet printer having a print engine controller (PEC) for sending print data to the printhead IC, the printhead IC comprising: 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 being configured for connection to a power source in the printer; wherein, the drive circuitry being 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 printhead integrated circuit for an inkjet printer that has a nozzle and a corresponding actuator for ejecting ink through the nozzle. The Printhea IC also has drive circuitry for controlling the operation of the actuator. The drive circuitry has an open actuator test circuit comprising an open actuator test input, a column enable input and a row enable input, a drive transistor operatively linking said actuator to a power supply, a bleed transistor arranged in parallel with the actuator, a sense transistor operatively linking an output of the drive transistor and inputs of the actuator and bleed transistor to a sensing node. Actuating the actuator to eject ink by enabling the column and row enable inputs, deactivates the bleed transistor and activates the drive transistor to link the actuator to the power supply.

Abstract: A printhead IC is provided having an array of nozzles, drive circuitry for receiving print data and sending drive pulses of electrical energy to the array of nozzles in accordance with the print data, and a temperature sensor connected to the drive circuitry to adjust the drive pulse profile in response to the temperature sensor output. During use, the temperature sensor can be de-activated after a period of use. The drive circuitry is programmed with a series of temperature thresholds defining a set of temperature zones, each of the zones having a different pulse profile for the drive pulses sent to the nozzles in the region currently operating in that temperature zone.

Abstract: A printhead IC is provided which has an array of nozzles, drive circuitry for receiving print data and sending drive pulses of electrical energy to the array of nozzles in accordance with the print data, and a temperature sensor connected to the drive circuitry to adjust the drive pulse profile in response to the temperature sensor output. During use, the temperature sensor can be de-activated after a period of use. The drive circuitry sets the duration of the pulse profile to a sub ejection value for any of the nozzles in the row that are not to eject a drop during that firing sequence.

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 printhead IC is provided which has an array of nozzles, drive circuitry for receiving print data and sending drive pulses of electrical energy to the array of nozzles in accordance with the print data, a temperature sensor connected to the drive circuitry to adjust the drive pulse profile in response to the temperature sensor output 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. During use, the temperature sensor can be de-activated after a period of use.

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 printhead IC is provided having an ejection nozzle having a heater for heating printing fluid, and drive circuitry for generating print pulses and maintenance pulses for driving the heater of the ejection nozzle. The maintenance pulses have a series of sub-ejection pulses preceding a de-clog pulse. The print signals are generated to heat the heater to form a first vapor bubble in printing fluid that causes ejection of the printing fluid from the nozzle. The de-clog pulse is generated to have lower power and longer duration than the print pulses so as to heat the heaters to form a second vapor bubble in the printing fluid which does not cause ejection. The sub-ejection pulses are generated to have lower power than the print pulses and shorter duration than the de-clog pulse so as to heat the heater without sufficient energy to nucleate a vapor bubble in the printing fluid.

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 is provided having a printhead and controller. The printhead has a plurality of printhead modules each having 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: Provided is a method of operating a thermal bend actuator of a printhead nozzle arrangement of a printhead using an open actuator test circuit. The test circuit includes an open actuator test input, a column enable input and a row enable input; a drive transistor operatively linking said thermal actuator to a power supply; a bleed transistor arranged in parallel with the thermal actuator; 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 method includes the step of actuating the actuator to facilitate printing by enabling the column and row enable inputs to deactivate the bleed and sense transistors and to activate the drive transistor to link the thermal actuator to the power supply.

Abstract: A printer controller for supplying dot data to at least one printhead module, the at least one printhead module comprising a plurality of rows, each of the rows comprising a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink, wherein the printhead module includes at least first and second rows configured to print ink of a similar type or color, the printer controller being configured to supply the dot data to the at least one printhead module such that, in the event a nozzle in the first row is faulty, a corresponding nozzle in the second row prints an ink dot at a position on print media at or adjacent a position where the faulty nozzle would otherwise have printed it.

Abstract: A printhead IC comprising: an array of nozzles, each with a corresponding heater to form a vapor bubble in printing fluid that causes a drop of the printing fluid to eject through the nozzle; and, drive circuitry for generating drive pulses that energize the heaters, the drive circuitry being configured to operate in two modes, a printing mode in which the drive pulses it generates are printing pulses, and a maintenance mode in which the drive pulses are de-clog pulses; wherein, the de-clog pulse has lower power and a longer duration than the printing pulse.

Abstract: A printer controller for supplying dot data to a printhead module having a plurality of nozzles for expelling ink, the printhead module including a plurality of thermal sensors, each of the thermal sensors being configured to respond to a temperature at or adjacent at least one of the nozzles, the printer controller being configured to modify operation of at least some of the nozzles in response to the temperature rising above a first threshold.