Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a placement member, carriages, a support member, a driver and a hardware processor. The placement member has a placement surface. The carriages each include an image forming operation unit that performs an operation for forming an image on a recording medium placed on the placement surface. The support member supports the carriages such that the carriages are reciprocally movable along a predetermined movement path over the placement surface. The driver moves the carriages along the movement path independently from one another. In response to at least two of the carriages being moving along the movement path, the hardware processor controls the driver such that the number of carriages in a predetermined limit-imposed region of the movement path is equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit number that is less than the number of the carriages included in the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: An object is to provide a head drive unit that prevents an increase in viscosity of inks in nozzles even when a head is present outside an image forming region and also provide an inkjet printer, and the head drive unit includes: a drive signal output device 31 that outputs either a discharge signal or a meniscus oscillation signal to each head; a cycle generator 326 that generates a cyclic oscillation timing signal for the meniscus oscillation signal; an input interruption detector 324 that detects that input of a print timing signal is interrupted; and a drive signal selector 32 that selects the meniscus oscillation signal as a drive signal output from the drive signal output device and continuously applies the meniscus oscillation signal to all nozzles of each head in synchronization with an oscillation timing signal when interruption of the input of the print timing signal is detected.

Abstract: An object is to provide a head drive unit that prevents an increase in viscosity of inks in nozzles even when a head is present outside an image forming region and also provide an inkjet printer, and the head drive unit includes: a drive signal output device 31 that outputs either a discharge signal or a meniscus oscillation signal to each head; a cycle generator 326 that generates a cyclic oscillation timing signal for the meniscus oscillation signal; an input interruption detector 324 that detects that input of a print timing signal is interrupted; and a drive signal selector 32 that selects the meniscus oscillation signal as a drive signal output from the drive signal output device and continuously applies the meniscus oscillation signal to all nozzles of each head in synchronization with an oscillation timing signal when interruption of the input of the print timing signal is detected.

Abstract: A signal receiver apparatus includes a waveform shaping data storage device storing waveform shaping data of a signal transmitted with a given timing from a signal transmitter device of a plurality of signal transmitter devices which are coupled to the signal receiver apparatus for each of the plurality of signal transmitter devices, and a waveform shaping device reading waveform shaping data of the signal transmitter device in the plurality of signal transmitter device from the waveform shaping data storage device when a signal from the signal transmitter device is received, and shaping a waveform of a received signal from the signal transmitter device.

Abstract: A transmitting/receiving system includes a control field controlling a transmitting priority of a dynamic slot is included in each communication cycle, and a node of the transmitting/receiving system sets control information including a preferential usage request for a dynamic slot that the node transmits in the control field and notifies all nodes in the transmitting/receiving system of the preferential usage request for the dynamic slot.

Abstract: A signal receiver apparatus includes a waveform shaping data storage device storing waveform shaping data of a signal transmitted with a given timing from a signal transmitter device of a plurality of signal transmitter devices which are coupled to the signal receiver apparatus for each of the plurality of signal transmitter devices, and a waveform shaping device reading waveform shaping data of the signal transmitter device in the plurality of signal transmitter device from the waveform shaping data storage device when a signal from the signal transmitter device is received, and shaping a waveform of a received signal from the signal transmitter device.

Abstract: A transmitting/receiving system includes a control field controlling a transmitting priority of a dynamic slot is included in each communication cycle, and a node of the transmitting/receiving system sets control information including a preferential usage request for a dynamic slot that the node transmits in the control field and notifies all nodes in the transmitting/receiving system of the preferential usage request for the dynamic slot.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium consisting of a non-magnetic substrate and a thin film metal magnetic layer is disclosed. The magnetic recording medium carries polyphenyl ether compound having the following formula ##STR1## where n is an integer satisfying the following condition; 2.ltoreq.n.ltoreq.10.