Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of addressing the nozzles of a printhead; a group of nozzles of a print column of the printhead are staggered and are arranged according to a spatial order, e.g. N01 N02 N03 N04 N05 N06 N07 N08 N09 N10 N11 N12, with respect to the transversal translation direction of the printhead; the nozzle of the group are divided in a number, e.g. 2 or 3 or 4 or 5, of sequential subgroups corresponding to different addressing spaces; an addressing scheme is obtained by cyclically and progressively selecting addresses from these addressing spaces; in this way, it is possible to print with a single pass at different resolutions, higher than the standard resolution of the printhead, by reducing the transversal translation speed of the printhead but maintaining the same addressing timing; the method according to the present invention leaves the possibility of printing at standard resolution and at lower resolutions.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes a plurality of firing cells, each adapted to generate an ink droplet. The firing cells are arranged to form a plurality of matrices. A control circuit selectively activates the firing cells. The control circuit includes a first dynamic memory register for storing main printing data defining which firing cells have to be activated in a first printing operation. A second dynamic memory register stores auxiliary printing data defining which firing cells have to be activated in a second printing operation. A processing unit is operatively associated with the first and second memory registers to transfer the auxiliary printing data into the first memory register, thereby defining which firing cells have to be activated in the second printing operation. A firing unit sends a single firing signal common to all the matrices for each printing operation. Also disclosed is a method of inkjet printing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of addressing the nozzles of a printhead; a group of nozzles of a print column of the printhead are staggered and are arranged according to a spatial order, e.g. N01 N02 N03 N04 N05 N06 N07 N08 N09 N10 N11 N12, with respect to the transversal translation direction of the printhead; the nozzle of the group are divided in a number, e.g. 2 or 3 or 4 or 5, of sequential subgroups corresponding to different addressing spaces; an addressing scheme is obtained by cyclically and progressively selecting addresses from these addressing spaces; in this way, it is possible to print with a single pass at different resolutions, higher than the standard resolution of the printhead, by reducing the transversal translation speed of the printhead but maintaining the same addressing timing; the method according to the present invention leaves the possibility of printing at standard resolution and at lower resolutions.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead comprising a plurality of firing cells, each adapted to generate ink droplet, said firing cells being arranged to form a plurality of matrices; a control circuit for selectively activating said firing cells; said control circuit comprising: a first memory register for storing main printing data defining which firing cells have to be activated in a first printing operation; a second memory register for storing auxiliary printing data defining which firing cells have to be activated in a second printing operation; a processing unit operatively associated with said first and second memory registers for transferring said auxiliary printing data into said first memory register, thereby defining which firing cells have to be activated in said second printing operation; a firing unit for sending to said matrices a single firing signal for each printing operation. Also disclosed is a method of inkjet printing.

Abstract: A pair of identical humidity sensors (S1) and (S2) are in the same environment, so that they identically react to humidity effects; a sensing circuit includes an operational amplifier (10), its input (15) receiving from the first sensor (Si) a signal changing with humidity according to a logarithmic law, while the second sensor (S2), inserted in the amplifier feedback, reacts to humidity changes in the same way as the first sensor (Si) and consistently modifies the gain. The output signal (V0) is compensated, and has a substantially linear progression with humidity.

Abstract: A pair of identical humidity sensors (S1) and (S2) are in the same environment, so that they identically react to humidity effects; a sensing circuit includes an operational amplifier (10), its input (15) receiving from the first sensor (Si) a signal changing with humidity according to a logarithmic law, while the second sensor (S2), inserted in the amplifier feedback, reacts to humidity changes in the same way as the first sensor (Si) and consistently modifies the gain. The output signal (V0) is compensated, and has a substantially linear progression with humidity.

Abstract: This invention relates to a device for converting bit strings from a first resolution to a second resolution suitable for application, in particular, on peripherals such as printers, scanners or facsimile machines. The device comprises a source register 31 in which a string of bits to be converted is stored by a CPU 11, a destination register 32 from which the CPU 11 extracts the converted string, and a pair of control registers 21 and 22 which cooperate for converting bit by bit the bit strings from the source register 31 to the destination register 32. The control registers 21 and 22, the source register 31 and the destination register 32 operate independently from the CPU 11 used and at a clock rate (clk2) greater than that (clk1) of the CPU 11, thereby permitting extremely fast conversion times.

Abstract: This invention relates to a device for controlling the activation of moving elements, such as for example an ink jet type print-head or a sensor of equipment for scanning text and/or images. The device, upon the measurement by means of, for example, the moving element to travel the step P, and the basis of selectively predefined numerical values associated through the control circuit with the time T(p), permits division of the step (p) into a number of n of elementary steps P/n uniformly distributed through the step P, including for high values of the number n. Accordingly by means of the device it is possible to obtain considerable uniform printing or scanning under all conditions and, in particular, when the resolution, which depends on the value of the number n, has to be at its maximum.

Abstract: This invention relates to an electronic device, for a fax machine in particular, comprising controlling means (11) capable of associating compression codes or code words with strings of source information in accordance with a first processing speed, and storing means, for example shift registers (31, 32) capable of appending the code words to one another so as to form blocks of compressed information, in accordance with a second processing speed, greater than the first. The device is also capable of “extracting” the single code words from blocks of compressed information at this second processing speed. By way of the technique of using different processing speeds, the device makes it possible to obtain total speeds of compression and/or decompression of the information respectively to be transmitted and/or received much greater than those obtainable up to now with the known devices.

Abstract: A memory addressing device for data processing apparatus addresses in sequence and in a burst a series of memory locations in a single addressing period of a central processing unit. The device comprises enabling circuits to set a central processing unit (CPU) to a burst transfer cycle and to keep a memory control unit (MCU) in a waiting state during the burst transfer. An address generator circuit is capable of generating in sequence a series of memory address codes to address a series of locations in the memory (RAM) during the burst transfer cycle. A multiplexer circuit sends to the memory either the address code of the address generator or that of the memory control unit during the burst cycles and the normal cycles respectively. The device is particularly suitable for use in personal computers with high data transfer rates.

Abstract: The electronic circuit connects a processor to a high-capacity memory of 1 Megabyte. The processor may be of the 8 bit type, with a 16 bit address bus (A0-A15). The memory is subdivided into 256 segments each having a capacity of 4 Kbytes which can be directly addressed by the processor by means of 12 (A0-A11) of the 16 lines of the address bus. An auxiliary RAM is interposed between the processor and has 1 Mbyte memory and comprises sixteen 8 bit registers (R0-R15), which can be addressed by means of the other four lines (A12-A15), of the address bus. By means of the 8 bit data bus (D0-D7), the 16 registers of the RAM store the numbers of those 16 segments out of the 256 segments of the 1 Mbyte memory, which from time to time are connected to the processor. In this way the processor, while being able to address only 64 Kbytes of memory at a time, has the whole of the 1 Mbyte memory available. The circuit can be applied to data processing and word processing units and electronic typewriters.

Abstract: In an electronic typewriter having a printing device of the daisywheel type, the direct current electric motors which control the rotation of the character-carrying element, the movement of the carriage along the various printing positions and the rotation of the platen roller for line spacing are associated with corresponding transducers which detect the angular position thereof, and are actuated by a single integrated circuit connected to a microprocessor by an address and data bus (43). The microprocessor determines, for each of the motors, the angular amplitude of the rotary movement and the time required to cover each of the elementary angular distances, in accordance with a given speed law and addresses with data, including the said time, a plurality of circuit modules (B1, B2, B3) individual to the motors. The modules issue motor command signals (e.g. M11, M21, M31).