Abstract: An inkjet recording head substrate having an electrothermal transducer for generating thermal energy used to discharge ink and a drive element for driving the electrothermal transducer mounted thereon includes a first circuit portion for outputting selection signals for selecting the electrothermal transducer to be driven at a amplitude level of a second voltage higher than a first voltage based on an input signal of the amplitude level of the first voltage, a second circuit portion for inputting the selection signals from the first circuit portion and controlling the drive element corresponding to the electrothermal transducer to be driven based on the selection signals subject to the second voltage, and a plurality of signal lines for transmitting the selection signals between the first and second circuit portions.

Abstract: A recording-head substrate including a recording element, a driving circuit for driving the recording element, a temperature-detecting element for measuring the temperature of the recording-head substrate by outputting at least one of a maximum output voltage and a minimum output voltage, a first detection circuit for detecting the maximum output voltage from the temperature-detecting element, a second detection circuit for detecting the minimum output voltage from the temperature-detecting element, and first and second output terminals coupled to the first and second detection circuits for outputting the maximum and minimum output voltages respectively.

Abstract: In a printhead having an element substrate on which a digital circuit including a printing element and a drive circuit for driving the printing element in accordance with input print data, and an analog circuit including a detection circuit for obtaining information, a voltage generation circuit for generating the voltage for driving the analog circuit when the value of the voltage for driving the digital circuit is different from that of the analog circuit is arranged on the element substrate, and when the voltage for driving the digital circuit is actually different from that of the analog circuit, only the voltage for driving the digital circuit is externally supplied except a power supply voltage for the printing element, thereby simplifying the overall arrangement.

Abstract: An inkjet recording head substrate having an electrothermal transducer for generating thermal energy used to discharge ink and a drive element for driving the electrothermal transducer mounted thereon includes a first circuit portion for outputting selection signals for selecting the electrothermal transducer to be driven at a amplitude level of a second voltage higher than a first voltage based on an input signal of the amplitude level of the first voltage, a second circuit portion for inputting the selection signals from the first circuit portion and controlling the drive element corresponding to the electrothermal transducer to be driven based on the selection signals subject to the second voltage, and a plurality of signal lines for transmitting the selection signals between the first and second circuit portions.

Abstract: A printhead in which the voltage fluctuation absorption range of a MOS transistor serving as a constant current source is narrowed according to constant current driving. The printhead includes a controller which controls voltage fluctuations to adjust a current supplied to a plurality of printing elements. The printhead also includes a DC/DC converter which outputs a voltage of a voltage value to be applied to a plurality of printing elements from outside a printing element substrate.

Abstract: An ink jet print head substrate is provided which can prevent voltage drop variations during driving, no matter in what way the ejection energy generation elements are driven, and which can also apply a stable energy to the ejection energy generation elements at all times. The ink jet print head substrate of this invention has a plurality of kinds of ejection energy generation elements to generate different magnitudes of ink ejection energy and wiring portions. The print head substrate also has a plurality of wiring layers arranged to at least partly overlap one another. The wiring portions connected to the different kinds of ejection energy generation elements are provided at least partly in different wiring portions.

Abstract: The objective of this invention is to provide a head substrate capable of increasing the layout efficiency by arranging circuit elements in a free area of the head substrate on which ink supply channels are staggered. More specifically, the circuit elements connected to a plurality of element arrays are arranged on the free area.

Abstract: The purpose of this invention is to provide a head substrate capable of increasing layout efficiency. To achieve this purpose, an ink supply channel is arranged, and a plurality of printing element arrays are arranged on at least one side of the ink supply channel, and a plurality of driving element arrays are arranged adjacent to the plurality of printing element arrays. A plurality of power supply pads and a plurality of ground pads are arranged in areas between the plurality of driving element arrays.

Abstract: A printing head which outputs an output from a sensor device provided for monitoring various condition of a printing head as digital data, and a printing apparatus using the printing head. The output from the device for detecting condition of the printing head, e.g., information indicative of a substrate temperature, a resistance value of an electrothermal transducer, an ON resistance value of a power transistor which drives the electrothermal transducer and the like is digitized on the substrate, and outputted as digital information to the outside. Further, the digital information is outputted by utilizing a clock signal and a latch signal used for transferring print data to the printing head. This does not increase the number of wires and the area of the substrate.

Abstract: A heater/driver array that includes heaters for generating thermal energy utilized to discharge ink and driver circuits for driving these is mounted on a substrate. The heaters are formed into a plurality of groups and are driven by block drive on a per-group basis. A block selection signal of driving-signal voltage level (VHT) and a heater driving signal corresponding to a selected block are generated based upon a print data signal, which has been input at a logic-signal voltage level (VDD), in any of an input circuit, shift register circuit and decoder circuit. The heater/driver array drives the heaters in accordance with the block selection signal and heater driving signal of the driving-signal voltage level.

Abstract: In a printhead having an element substrate on which a digital circuit including a printing element and a drive circuit for driving the printing element in accordance with input print data, and an analog circuit including a detection circuit for obtaining information, a voltage generation circuit for generating the voltage for driving the analog circuit when the value of the voltage for driving the digital circuit is different from that of the analog circuit is arranged on the element substrate, and when the voltage for driving the digital circuit is actually different from that of the analog circuit, only the voltage for driving the digital circuit is externally supplied except a power supply voltage for the printing element, thereby simplifying the overall arrangement.

Abstract: This invention enables to supply a stable voltage from a voltage converter circuit and suppress an increase in the area of the entire element body even if the number of recording elements increases and the element body becomes longer. An element body for a recording head includes a plurality of arrayed recording elements, and a voltage converter circuit which converts an externally input voltage, wherein the voltage converter circuit includes a reference voltage generating section and a voltage converter section, and the voltage converter section is formed from a plurality of distributedly arranged voltage converter elements.

Abstract: A recording-head substrate including a recording element, a driving circuit for driving the recording element, a temperature-detecting element for measuring the temperature of the recording-head substrate by outputting at least one of a maximum output voltage and a minimum output voltage, a first detection circuit for detecting the maximum output voltage from the temperature-detecting element, a second detection circuit for detecting the minimum output voltage from the temperature-detecting element, and first and second output terminals coupled to the first and second detection circuits for outputting the maximum and minimum output voltages respectively.

Abstract: In a printhead having an element substrate on which a digital circuit including a printing element and a drive circuit for driving the printing element in accordance with input print data, and an analog circuit including a detection circuit for obtaining information, a voltage generation circuit for generating the voltage for driving the analog circuit when the value of the voltage for driving the digital circuit is different from that of the analog circuit is arranged on the element substrate, and when the voltage for driving the digital circuit is actually different from that of the analog circuit, only the voltage for driving the digital circuit is externally supplied except a power supply voltage for the printing element, thereby simplifying the overall arrangement.

Abstract: A recording-head substrate including a recording element, a driving circuit for driving the recording element, a temperature-detecting element for measuring the temperature of the recording-head substrate by outputting at least one of a maximum output voltage and a minimum output voltage, a first detection circuit for detecting the maximum output voltage from the temperature-detecting element, a second detection circuit for detecting the minimum output voltage from the temperature-detecting element, and first and second output terminals coupled to the first and second detection circuits for outputting the maximum and minimum output voltages respectively.

Abstract: A heater/driver array that includes heaters for generating thermal energy utilized to discharge ink and driver circuits for driving these is mounted on a substrate. The heaters are formed into a plurality of groups and are driven by block drive on a per-group basis. A block selection signal of driving-signal voltage level (VHT) and a heater driving signal corresponding to a selected block are generated based upon a print data signal, which has been input at a logic-signal voltage level (VDD), in any of an input circuit, shift register circuit and decoder circuit. The heater/driver array drives the heaters in accordance with the block selection signal and heater driving signal of the driving-signal voltage level.

Abstract: A printing head which outputs an output from a sensor device provided for monitoring various condition of a printing head as digital data, and a printing apparatus using the printing head. The output from the device for detecting condition of the printing head, e.g., information indicative of a substrate temperature, a resistance value of an electrothermal transducer, an ON resistance value of a power transistor which drives the electrothermal transducer and the like is digitized on the substrate, and outputted as digital information to the outside. Further, the digital information is outputted by utilizing a clock signal and a latch signal used for transferring print data to the printing head. This does not increase the number of wires and the area of the substrate.

Abstract: An inkjet recording head substrate having an electrothermal transducer for generating thermal energy used to discharge ink and a drive element for driving the electrothermal transducer mounted thereon includes a first circuit portion for outputting selection signals for selecting the electrothermal transducer to be driven at a amplitude level of a second voltage higher than a first voltage based on an input signal of the amplitude level of the first voltage, a second circuit portion for inputting the selection signals from the first circuit portion and controlling the drive element corresponding to the electrothermal transducer to be driven based on the selection signals subject to the second voltage, and a plurality of signal-lines for transmitting the selection signals between the first and second circuit portions.

Abstract: A substrate for an ink jet recording head, the substrate provided with an electrothermal transducer for generating thermal energy used for discharging ink and a driving circuit for driving the electrothermal transducer, the substrate having a logical circuit for outputting, at a second voltage amplitude level based on an input signal of a first voltage amplitude level, a selection signal for designating the electrothermal transducer to be driven, a driving circuit for driving the electrothermal transducer based on the selection signal from the logical circuit in units of blocks, and a buffer circuit which has current supply capability enabling gates fed with one selection signal to be all driven in the driving circuit and relays the selection signal between the logical circuit and the driving circuit.

Abstract: A stable operation is realized without any malfunction of a driver even under a voltage condition that a supplied voltage is 3.3 V or lower. For this purpose, in an ink-jet printhead having an ink orifice for discharging ink, a plurality of heat generation elements for generating heat energy used to discharge ink, and an ink channel which incorporates the heat generation elements and communicates with the ink orifice, a driver for driving the heat generation elements, and a logic circuit for controlling the driver are formed on a single board. The gate oxide film thickness of an enhancement NMOS transistor which forms the driver is larger than that of an enhancement NMOS transistor which forms the logic circuit.