JP2015166973A - Transfer system and printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To ensure synchronism in a plurality of controls for which synchronism is required.SOLUTION: A controller periodically transfers first data for a first control circuit in association with a data line of 1, and transfers second data for a second control circuit in association with the data line of the 1. The second data to be transferred stands by from a certain time in the timing of transfer of the first data to the completion of the transfer of the first data.

Description

  The present invention relates to a transfer system and a printing apparatus.

  Conventionally, various methods for efficiently transferring data while simplifying wiring necessary for data transfer have been attempted (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-127827

A plurality of motor drivers that control the drive of each motor are connected to a bus for serial communication, and the controller (the controller that controls each motor driver) has data (commands, parameters, Etc.)) is assumed.
For motor control, there are a plurality of types of control, such as control of the rotational speed (number of rotations) of the motor, control of the rotation direction, regeneration, and the like, and synchronization may be required for each of these controls. However, in the configuration in which the controller and the motor driver are connected in a one-to-multiple manner as described above, the synchronization of the plurality of controls necessary for a certain motor driver may not be maintained. This is because the transfer of the data to one motor driver is in a standby state in relation to the data transfer to another motor driver, or between other data to be transferred to other motor drivers. This is because the data transfer for controlling the operation is interrupted.

  The present invention has been made to solve at least the above-described problems, and provides a transfer system and a printing apparatus that can ensure the synchronism of a plurality of controls that require synchronism.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the first control circuit that controls the stepping motor, the second control circuit that controls the first DC motor, and a plurality of the control circuits connected via one data line and one clock line. A controller for serially transferring data instructing control of each motor, wherein the controller periodically transfers first data for the first control circuit in association with one data line, and The second data for the second control circuit is transferred in association with one data line, and the second data is transferred from a certain time of the transfer timing of the first data to the completion of the transfer of the first data. Wait for transfer.

In the invention configured as described above, the controller periodically transfers the first data for the first control circuit in association with one data line, and transfers the second data for the second control circuit to the one data. Transfer in association with the line. Further, the controller waits for the transfer of the second data from the fixed time of the timing of transferring the first data until the transfer of the first data is completed.
Therefore, even when the stepping motor with periodicity is driven with the first data, the stepping motor can be appropriately driven.

In one aspect of the present invention, the controller further includes a third control circuit that controls a second DC motor, wherein the controller includes the first control circuit and the second control circuit that rise or fall of a clock signal that flows through the clock line. The third control circuit transmits data in association with the other of the rising edge and falling edge of the clock signal flowing through the clock line.
In the invention configured as described above, even when more motors are controlled using one data line, the stepping motor can be driven appropriately.

In one aspect of the present invention, the controller causes the second data to wait according to the length of the second data.
In the invention configured as described above, collision between the first data and the second data can be prevented with higher accuracy.

  The technical idea of the present invention is not realized only by the transfer system described above. For example, an invention of a method including processing steps corresponding to the transfer system, a computer program that causes a hardware (computer) to execute each step of the method, a computer-readable recording medium that records the program, etc. The present invention may be implemented in various categories. The transfer system may exist in one independent product, or may exist across a plurality of products. Further, as an example of a specific product, a printing apparatus including the transfer system can be regarded as one invention.

It is a figure showing a part of hardware which realizes a data transfer function concerning each motor control in a conveyance part, a carriage, and a scanner unit. It is a figure explaining the structure of the transfer data 100 transferred to the motor drivers 210-260 from SOC50. It is a figure which shows the example of a format of the data transferred to the motor drivers 210-260 from SOC50. It is a figure explaining the structure of a motor driver. It is a figure which illustrates the internal structure of SOC50. 4 is a timing chart illustrating transfer data 100 controlled by an arbitration circuit 70. The figure which showed a part of hardware which implement | achieves the data transmission function which concerns on the motor control concerning 2nd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order.
1. First embodiment:
(1) Configuration of printing apparatus (2) Overview of transfer process (3) Configuration of motor driver (4) Configuration of SOC (5) Arbitration control Second embodiment:
3. Other embodiments:

1. First embodiment:
(1) Configuration of Printing Device The printing device 10 will be described as an example of a transfer system. The printing apparatus 10 is a multifunction machine having a FAX function, a printing function, and a scanner function. The printing apparatus 10 includes a housing, a scanner unit provided in an upper portion of the housing, a printing unit provided in the housing for printing on paper, and a paper provided in the housing to supply paper to the printing unit. A transport unit.

  The scanner unit scans a document set on a document table (not shown) and converts it into data. The scanner unit includes a scanner unit, a mirror, a lens, and a CCD image sensor. In this scanner unit, the scanner unit moves in the scanning direction to read a document. Document data read by the scanner unit is collected on a lens via a mirror and input to a CCD image sensor. Hereinafter, data scanned by the scanner unit is also referred to as original data.

  The transport unit includes a tray on which paper is set, a paper feed roller that supplies the paper set on the tray to the transport path, and a transport roller that feeds the fed paper to the printing unit.

  In the present embodiment, a description will be given by taking an example of an inkjet print head as a printing unit, which is a serial print head that performs scanning. The printing unit includes a print head that records ink on a sheet fed by a transport unit, and a carriage that reciprocates the print head. The carriage fixes the print head with the ink ejection surface of the print head facing downward. The carriage reciprocates in the scanning direction. The print head records ink on the paper in synchronization with carriage and paper conveyance.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a part of hardware for realizing a data transfer function related to motor control in a transport unit, a carriage, and a scanner unit.
An output port of the SOC 50 that controls driving of the printing apparatus 10 is connected to a plurality of motor drivers 210 to 260. The motor drivers 210 to 260 are connected to the motors 310 to 360, respectively.

The motor drivers 210 and 230 are connected to the paper feed motors 310 and 330 that drive the paper feed rollers of the transport unit, respectively, and control the rotation of the paper feed motors 310 and 330.
The motor drivers 220 and 240 are connected to the transport motors 320 and 340 that drive the transport rollers of the transport unit, respectively, and control the rotation of the transport motors 320 and 340.
The motor driver 250 is connected to a carriage motor 350 that drives the carriage, and controls the rotation of the carriage motor 350.
The motor driver 260 is connected to the scanner motor 360 that drives the scanner unit, and controls the rotation of the scanner motor 360.

Each motor driver assumes an IC configured separately from the SOC 50, but may be incorporated in the SOC. In this embodiment, the scanner motor 360 is assumed to be a stepping motor. The paper feed motors 310 and 330, the transport motors 320 and 340, and the carriage motor 350 are assumed to be direct current motors (DC motors) that are driven by direct current, but are not limited to these as long as they are electric motors.
In the present embodiment, the first control circuit is the motor driver 260, and the second or third control circuit is the motor drivers 210 to 250.

  Data transfer between the SOC 50 and each motor driver 210 to 260 adopts a serial interface method, and data transfer is performed using three lines of a clock line (CLK), a data line (DATA), and a load line (LD). Is done. The SOC 50 uses only one line for data transfer, and the CLK, DATA, and LD lines are each branched into six branches and connected to the motor drivers 210 to 260.

Next, the configuration of the transfer data 100 transferred between the SOC 50 and the motor drivers 210 to 260 will be described.
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the transfer data 100 transferred from the SOC 50 to the motor drivers 210 to 260. FIG. 2A shows a data format. FIG. 2B is a diagram for explaining a motor driver designated by the identification ID 110.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the transfer data 100 includes an identification ID 110 and instruction data 120. The identification ID 110 is information for specifying the destination motor driver. The instruction data 120 is information defining an instruction to be executed by the motor driver. For example, the identification ID 110 is composed of the first 3 bits of one transfer data 100. In addition, the instruction data 120 is composed of the last 18 bits compared to the identification ID 110.
As shown in FIG. 2B, each value of the identification ID 110 corresponds to each motor driver 210-260.

The instruction data 120 includes a setting command for setting the motor driver and a driving command for controlling the driving of the motor driver.
The setting command includes a “current parameter” for setting a supply method of a current supplied to drive each motor, and a “stop parameter” for specifying a motor stop method. Further, the drive command includes commands of “constant speed control”, “constant speed second control”, “regenerative brake”, “short brake”, “short brake”, and “brake end”.

  Data processed by each of the motor drivers 210 to 260 is composed of a plurality of bit strings. In the present embodiment, a mode configured in units of 21 bits, that is, units of 3 bytes is assumed. It may be data having a smaller or larger number of bits, or may be data having a variable number of bits depending on the mode of commands, parameters, and the like.

  Further, in order to sequentially print the image data of the read original, the SOC 50 provides drive commands for driving the paper feed motors 310 and 330, the transport motors 320 and 340, and the carriage motor 350, respectively, to the motor drivers 210 to 250. Send to. Accordingly, the SOC 50 asynchronously instructs the motor driver 260 to drive the scanner motor 360 and the motor drivers 210 to 250 to drive the paper feed motors 310 and 330, the transport motors 320 and 340, or the carriage motor 350. Depending on the case, control based on the control command may be instructed substantially simultaneously. (In this embodiment, motor control parameters such as drive instruction data for stepping motors and command data for DC motors transferred by the SOC 50 may be referred to as “data”, “command”, “parameter”, etc.).

(2) Outline of Transfer Process Next, an outline of a data transfer process performed between the SOC 50 and the motor drivers 210 to 260 will be described.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a format example of data transferred from the SOC 50 to the motor drivers 210 to 260. The data of the motor driver 210 (the identification ID is an odd number) is associated with the DATA bit value when the clock pulse flowing through the clock line CLK falls (t2, t4,..., T16). Further, the data of the motor driver 220 (the identification ID is an even number) is set to the bit value of the transfer data 100 flowing through the data line DATA at the rising edge of the clock pulse flowing through the clock line CLK (t1, t3,..., T15). It is associated. That is, the SOC 50 causes a value obtained by logically adding a bit value that is data for the motor driver 210 and a bit value that is data for the motor driver 220 to the data line DATA.

  In addition, a bit string delimiter of one data composed of a plurality of bit data is associated with a load signal flowing through the load line LD. In the present embodiment, if the LD is ON at the fall of CLK, the data delimiter of the motor driver 210 is shown, and if the LD is ON at the rise of CLK, the data delimiter of the motor driver 220 is shown. Therefore, when the motor driver 210 and the motor driver 220 detect a data break, the motor driver 210 and the motor driver 220 recognize the bit string acquired so far as one piece of data. In other words, this LD signal is transferred at one time or divided into a plurality of times in correspondence with the edge of the clock pulse, and defines the range of the acquired bit data. It has a function of defining a range as a unit.

(3) Configuration of Motor Driver Next, the configuration of the motor driver that processes such transfer data 100 will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the motor driver. Hereinafter, the configuration of the motor driver 220 will be described as an example. The configuration of the other motor drivers is the same, and the description is omitted.
The motor driver 220 includes a clock determination unit 221, a serial / parallel conversion unit 222, an ID determination unit 223, a current generation unit 224, and an ID setting unit 225. Each part constituting the motor driver 220 is constituted by hardware such as a well-known electronic component.

  The clock pulse input through the CLK line is input to the clock determination unit 221. The clock determination unit 221 detects the rising or falling edge of the clock pulse and outputs a determination signal according to the determination. As described above, the clock determination unit 221 included in the motor drivers 210, 230, and 250 having the odd identification ID detects the falling edge of the clock pulse. In addition, the clock determination unit 221 included in the motor drivers 220, 240, and 260 having the even identification ID detects the rising edge of the clock pulse.

  Further, the transfer data 100 input through the data line DATA is input to the pre-stage unit 222 a of the serial / parallel conversion unit 222. In the serial / parallel converter 222, the front stage 222a is connected to the data line DATA and the output side of the clock determination unit 221, and the rear stage 222b is connected to the load line LD, the ID determination unit 223, and the current generation unit 224. The preceding stage of the serial / parallel converter 222 can record 21-bit information constituting one transfer data 100. In synchronization with the input of the determination signal from the clock determination unit 221, the front-stage unit 222a outputs the recorded 21-bit information (transfer data 100) to the rear-stage unit 222b. Then, the transfer data 100 is output in parallel in synchronization with the input of the load signal LD input through the load line.

  The ID determination unit 223 is connected to the upper 3 bits of the rear stage unit 222b, and records the upper 3 bits of the transfer data 100 output from the rear stage unit 222b. As described above, the upper 3 bits of the transfer data 100 are the identification ID 110. Therefore, the ID determination unit 223 compares the information of the identification ID 110 with the identification information of the motor driver 220 (information input from the ID setting unit 225), and outputs an ID determination signal if they match.

  The ID setting unit 225 includes, for example, three setting pins, and sets identification information of the motor driver 220 according to a combination of voltage values of the setting pins. For example, if the identification information of the motor driver 220 is “3” (011), the voltage value combinations of the setting pins are “low”, “high”, and “high”. The setting pin is connected to a circuit (not shown).

  The current generation unit 224 is connected to the lower 18 of the rear stage unit 222 b of the serial / parallel conversion unit 222 and the ID determination unit 223. As described above, the lower 18 bits of the transfer data 100 correspond to the instruction data 120. When receiving the instruction data 120, the current generation unit 224 interprets the instruction data 120, and outputs a current and sets parameters in synchronization with the ID determination signal output from the ID determination unit 223.

(4) Configuration of SOC Next, the configuration of the SOC 50 will be described.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of the SOC 50. The SOC 50 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 60, an arbitration circuit (Arbiter) 70, a stepping motor transfer unit 80, an output controller 90, a memory and a controller circuit (not shown), and the like.

  The CPU 60 has a plurality of registers. The transfer data 100 and the flag are recorded in each register by the CPU 60 that executes a predetermined program (for example, firmware for operating the printing apparatus 10), and the transfer data and the flag recorded in each register are sequentially stored. , And output to the arbitration circuit 70 in the subsequent stage.

  Information corresponding to the motor drivers 210 to 250 is recorded in each register of the CPU 60. For example, the transfer data 100 for the motor driver 210 is recorded in the register R11, and the transfer data 100 for the motor driver 220 is recorded in the register R12.

  The stepping motor transfer unit 80 records transfer data 100 for controlling the stepping motor (scanner motor 360) in the register SR. Upon receiving the transfer data 100 for controlling the motor driver 260 output from the CPU 60, the stepping motor transfer unit 80 outputs the transfer data 100 to the arbitration circuit 70 according to the rotation period.

  The arbitration circuit 70 causes the transfer data 100 to be output from each register according to the priority of the transfer data 100 recorded in the register R of the CPU 60 or the register SR of the transfer unit 80 for the stepping motor. Further, in the present embodiment, when the arbitration circuit 70 receives the transfer data (first data) addressed to the motor driver 260 from the stepping motor transfer unit 80, the data (second data) addressed to the other motor drivers 210-250. (Data) is kept waiting for a predetermined period (arbitration control).

The output controller 90 serially transfers the transfer data 100 input in accordance with the arbitration process by the arbitration circuit 70 to a plurality of control circuits (motor drivers 210 to 260) connected via one data line DATA.
The transfer data 100 is, for example, a command or parameter that instructs the motor rotation direction or regeneration.

(5) Arbitration Control (Standby Function) Next, arbitration control performed by the arbitration circuit 70 of the SOC 50 will be described.
FIG. 6 is a timing chart for explaining the transfer data 100 controlled by the arbitration circuit 70. FIG. 6 illustrates a case where the transfer of each transfer data 100 in the motor drivers 220, 240, and 260 whose identification IDs are even numbers is controlled. In particular, in FIG. 6, transfer data A (first data) for controlling the scanner motor 360 as a stepping motor, and transfer data B (for controlling the paper feed motor 310 and the transport motor 320 as DC motors). The arbitration control with the second data) will be described.

  Here, FIG. 6A shows the timing at which the transfer data A is input to the arbitration circuit 70. 6B and 6C show the timing at which transfer data B and transfer data C are input to the arbitration circuit 70. FIG. FIG. 6D shows a mask process performed by the arbitration circuit 70. Further, FIG. 6E shows the timing of each transfer data A, B, and C transferred by the output controller 90.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the transfer data A is input to the arbitration circuit 70 from the stepping motor transfer unit 80 at a step period Ts. This step period Ts is a period in which the scanner motor 360 is rotated. Upon receiving the transfer data A, the arbitration circuit 70 performs a mask process for waiting for the output of the transfer data A, B, and C (FIG. 6 (d)). In the mask process, output of transfer data from the arbitration circuit 70 to the output controller 90 is prohibited during a period when the mask signal is “high”.

  The mask signal changes “high” and “low” in synchronization with the step count SN of the transfer data A and the step period Ts. That is, the transfer data A is output in synchronization with the number of times of phase switching (step number SN) when the rotation of the scanner motor 360 is controlled and the step cycle Ts at which each phase is switched. In FIG. 6, as an example, the step count SN is set to 4 and the step period Ts is set to 25 microseconds. For example, the step number SN and the step period Ts are output from the stepping motor transfer unit 80 to the arbitration circuit 70.

  When the mask signal changes to “low”, the arbitration circuit 70 preferentially outputs the transfer data A. When the transfer data A is output, the arbitration circuit 70 cancels the standby of the transfer data B and C, and outputs it according to the priority of each data (FIG. 6 (e)). When the mask signal changes to “low”, transfer data A is transferred, and then transfer data B or transfer data C is transferred (FIG. 6E). That is, the transfer data A is transferred while maintaining the step period Ts. Further, it is possible to prevent the transfer timings of the transfer data A and the other transfer data B and C from colliding with each other.

  Here, before the period when the mask signal becomes “high”, the transfer data B and C are output from the arbitration circuit 70, and the period when the mask signal becomes “high” and the period when the transfer data B and C are transmitted. May overlap. Therefore, in this embodiment, the period during which the mask signal is kept “high” is made longer than the transfer period in which the transfer data B and C are continuously transferred (that is, the length of the two transfer data). Yes. With the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the transfer data B and C, which are being transferred, from colliding with the transfer data A that is newly transferred at the timing when the mask signal becomes “low”.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the SOC 50 waits for the transfer of the second data from the fixed time at which the first data is transferred to the completion of the transfer of the first data. Therefore, even when a stepping motor with periodicity is driven with the first data, it can be driven while maintaining the periodicity of the stepping motor.

  And since SOC50 waits for 2nd data according to the length of 2nd data, it can prevent the collision with 1st data and 2nd data more accurately.

  The SOC 50 transmits data to the first control circuit and the second control circuit in association with the rising or falling edge of the clock pulse flowing through the clock line, and to the third control circuit, the clock pulse flowing through the clock line. Since the data is transmitted in association with the other of the rising edge and the falling edge, the stepping motor can be driven appropriately even when more motors are controlled using one data line.

2. Second embodiment:
By dividing the identification ID between the motor driver that controls the driving of the stepping motor and the motor driver that controls the driving of the DC motor into an even number and an odd number, each motor has a falling edge and a rising edge of the clock pulse. It is good also as a structure to control.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a part of hardware for realizing a data transfer function related to motor control according to the second embodiment.
Also in the second embodiment, the output port of the SOC 50 that controls the driving of the printing apparatus 10 is connected to a plurality of motor drivers 210 to 260. The motor drivers 210 to 260 are connected to the motors 410 to 460, respectively.

  In the second embodiment, the motor drivers 210, 230, and 250 having the identification IDs of odd numbers “1”, “3”, and “5” control the stepping motors 410, 430, and 450, respectively. Motor drivers 220, 240, and 260 having identification IDs of even numbers “2”, “4”, and “6” control the DC motors 420, 440, and 460, respectively.

Data transfer between the SOC 50 and each motor driver 210 to 260 adopts a serial interface method, and data transfer is performed using three lines of a clock line (CLK), a data line (DATA), and a load line (LD). Is done. The SOC 50 uses only one line for data transfer, and the CLK, DATA, and LD lines are each branched into six branches and connected to the motor drivers 210 to 260.
The SOC 50 has the same function as that described in the first embodiment.

With the configuration described above, the motor motor drivers 210, 230, and 250 that control the stepping motors 410, 430, and 450 take in the transfer data in synchronization with the falling edge of the clock pulse. In addition, 220, 240, and 260 that control the DC motors 420, 440, and 460 capture transfer data in synchronization with the rising edge of the clock pulse.
Therefore, since the control of the stepping motor and the DC motor is performed at different timings, the stepping motor with periodicity can be appropriately controlled.

3. Other embodiments:
In the above-described embodiment, as shown in the first embodiment, the SOC 50 starts from a certain time of the transfer timing of the transfer data 100 to the motor drivers 210, 230, 250 that control the stepping motors 410, 430, 450. It is good also as a structure which waits for the transfer of 220,240,260 which controls DC motor 420,440,460 until completion of transfer of transfer data. With the above configuration, the stepping motor can be driven while maintaining the periodicity.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Printing apparatus, 50 ... SOC, 60 ... CPU, 70 ... Arbitration circuit, 80 ... Stepping motor transfer part, 90 ... Output controller, 100 ... Transfer data, 120 ... Instruction data, 210-260 ... Motor driver, 221 ... Clock determination unit, 222... Serial / parallel conversion unit, 222 a .. front stage unit, 222 b .. subsequent stage unit, 223... ID determination unit, 224... Current generation unit, 225. , 330 ... feed motor, 340 ... conveyance motor, 350 ... carriage motor, 360 ... scanner motor

Claims (4)

A first control circuit for controlling the stepping motor;
A second control circuit for controlling the first DC motor;
A controller for serially transferring data instructing control of the motor to each of the plurality of control circuits connected via one data line and one clock line;
The controller is
The first data for the first control circuit is periodically transferred in association with one data line,
Transferring the second data for the second control circuit in association with one data line;
2. The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the transfer of the second data is waited from a certain time of the transfer timing of the first data to the completion of the transfer of the first data. A third control circuit for controlling the second DC motor;
The controller is
Data is transmitted to the first control circuit and the second control circuit in association with rising or falling of a clock signal flowing through the clock line,
2. The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein data is transmitted to the third control circuit in association with the other of the rising edge and the falling edge of the clock signal flowing through the clock line.   The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the controller causes the second data to wait according to a length of the second data. A printing apparatus comprising the transfer system according to claim 1.

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