Abstract: A print chip includes: an elongate silicon substrate defining nominal leading and trailing longitudinal sides of the print chip; circuitry layers positioned on the silicon substrate; and a MEMS layer positioned on the circuitry layers. The MEMS layer includes a plurality of parallel nozzle rows, each nozzle row having a plurality of inkjet nozzle devices arranged in a main row portion and a dropped row portion offset from the main row portion. The circuitry layers include data latches configured to provide dot data for the inkjet nozzle devices. A first row of data latches is positioned adjacent a leading row of the main row portion, and a second row of data latches is positioned adjacent a trailing row of the dropped row portion.

Abstract: A method of printing an image from a printhead module having a plurality of horizontal nozzle rows. Each nozzle row has a main row portion and a corresponding dropped row portion vertically offset from the main row portion. The method includes the steps of: determining a predetermined delay for the dropped row portions based on the offset, a print speed and a print resolution; allocating dot data for image lines to respective nozzle rows based on the print speed and print resolution, sending first dot data for each main row portion and second dot data for each dropped row portion to the printhead module; and firing nozzles from the main row portions and dropped row portion in a predetermined sequence. Each dropped row portion is fired independently of its corresponding main row portion and delayed relative to its corresponding main row portion by the predetermined delay.

Abstract: A method of printing an image from a printhead module having a plurality of horizontal ink planes M supplied with a same ink. Each ink plane has a nozzle row and the nozzles rows of all ink planes have vertically aligned nozzles. The method includes the steps of: defining contiguous span groups along each nozzle row, each span group containing N nozzles; allocating dot data for each image line of the image to a predetermined number of nozzles P in each span group of each nozzle row; sending the dot data to the printhead module and firing nozzles sequentially from the ink planes to print the image line. Only one nozzle from each span group in a same nozzle row is fired simultaneously, N is an integer multiple of M, and P is N divided by M.

Abstract: A print chip includes: an elongate silicon substrate defining nominal leading and trailing longitudinal sides of the print chip; circuitry layers positioned on the silicon substrate; and a MEMS layer positioned on the circuitry layers. The MEMS layer includes a plurality of parallel nozzle rows, each nozzle row having a plurality of inkjet nozzle devices arranged in a main row portion and a dropped row portion offset from the main row portion. The circuitry layers include data latches configured to provide dot data for the inkjet nozzle devices. A first row of data latches is positioned adjacent a leading row of the main row portion, and a second row of data latches is positioned adjacent a trailing row of the dropped row portion.

Abstract: A method of printing an image from a printhead module having a plurality of horizontal nozzle rows. Each nozzle row has a main row portion and a corresponding dropped row portion vertically offset from the main row portion. The method includes the steps of: determining a predetermined delay for the dropped row portions based on the offset, a print speed and a print resolution; allocating dot data for image lines to respective nozzle rows based on the print speed and print resolution, sending first dot data for each main row portion and second dot data for each dropped row portion to the printhead module; and firing nozzles from the main row portions and dropped row portion in a predetermined sequence. Each dropped row portion is fired independently of its corresponding main row portion and delayed relative to its corresponding main row portion by the predetermined delay.

Abstract: A method of printing an image from a printhead module having a plurality of horizontal ink planes M supplied with a same ink. Each ink plane has a nozzle row and the nozzles rows of all ink planes have vertically aligned nozzles. The method includes the steps of: defining contiguous span groups along each nozzle row, each span group containing N nozzles; allocating dot data for each image line of the image to a predetermined number of nozzles P in each span group of each nozzle row; sending the dot data to the printhead module and firing nozzles sequentially from the ink planes to print the image line. Only one nozzle from each span group in a same nozzle row is fired simultaneously, N is an integer multiple of M, and P is N divided by M.