JP2022030735A - Nonvolatile memory, consumables, and printer - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of easily notifying an external device of memory degradation causing unsuccessful writing of a memory cell.SOLUTION: A nonvolatile memory comprises a plurality of memory cells, a memory control unit, and a storage unit. In write processing, the memory control unit executes the steps of: (A) incrementing a number of write operations stored in the storage when writing data into a target memory cell; (B) referencing the number of write operations in the storage unit and determining whether the number of write operations is greater than or equal to a predetermined number of times when determining that wiring is unsuccessful; (C) transmitting, to a printer, a cancellation signal representing cancellation of the write processing when determining that the number of write operations is greater than or equal to the predetermined number of times; and (D) re-executing (A) to (C) again when determining that the number of write operations is not greater than the predetermined number of times.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

The present disclosure relates to techniques for non-volatile memory for storing data.

Conventionally, in flash EEPROM, there is known a technique in which the counter of the erase count determination circuit is increased every time the memory cell is entered into the erase mode.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-126489

Here, when the writing process of writing the erased data to the memory cell or writing the data different from the erased data is repeated, the memory cell may deteriorate and the data writing process may fail. With the conventional technique, it is difficult for an external device to easily determine that the writing process has failed. Therefore, there is a demand for a technique that allows an external device to easily determine the deterioration of the memory that causes the write processing of the memory cell to fail.

According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, a non-volatile memory provided in a consumable that can be attached to and detached from a printing device and stores data is provided. This non-volatile memory includes a plurality of memory cells for storing the data, a memory control unit that executes a writing process for writing the data to the memory cell, and the memory cell to be written in the writing process of the memory control unit. The memory control unit includes a storage unit that stores the number of write operations when the data is written to the target memory cell, and the memory control unit receives (A) when the data is written to the target memory cell in the write process. , The number of writing operations stored in the storage unit is added by one, and (B) when it is determined that the writing has failed, the number of writing operations is determined in advance with reference to the number of writing operations in the storage unit. It is determined whether or not the number of times is equal to or greater than the specified number of times, and (C) when it is determined that the number of times of the writing operation is equal to or more than the specified number of times, a stop signal indicating the cancellation of the writing process is transmitted to the printing apparatus (D). ) When it is determined that the number of times of the writing operation is not more than the specified number of times, the above (A) and subsequent steps are executed again.

According to the second aspect of the present disclosure, a removable consumable is provided for the printing apparatus. This consumable includes the above-mentioned form of non-volatile memory.

According to the third aspect of the present disclosure, a printing apparatus is provided. This printing device includes a mounting unit for attaching and detaching consumables having the above-mentioned non-volatile memory, and a device-side control unit for transmitting a write command for executing a writing process for writing the data to the target memory cell. When the number of writing operations received from the non-volatile memory is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the device-side control unit determines that the target memory cell has deteriorated.

According to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a printing apparatus is provided. This printing device includes a mounting unit for attaching and detaching consumables having the above-mentioned non-volatile memory, a device-side control unit for transmitting a write command for executing a write process for writing the data to the target memory cell, and the write. A device-side storage unit that stores the cumulative number of times the write operation of the write process is executed for each command is provided, and the device-side control unit has the cumulative number of times with respect to the number of times the write command is transmitted. When the ratio is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, it is determined that the target memory cell has deteriorated.

According to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a printing apparatus is provided. This printing device is a device-side control that transmits a consumable unit having the above-mentioned non-volatile memory, a mounting unit on which the consumable item can be mounted, and a write command for executing a write process for writing the data to the target memory cell. The device-side control unit includes a unit and a device-side storage unit that stores the cumulative number of times of the write operation of the write process executed for each write command, and the device-side control unit receives from the non-volatile memory. The target memory cell is deteriorated when the number of write operations is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value and the ratio of the cumulative number of times to the number of transmissions of the write command is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. Is determined.

Explanatory drawing which shows the schematic structure of the printing system as 1st Embodiment of this disclosure. The first perspective view which shows the structure of the ink cartridge. The second perspective view which shows the structure of the ink cartridge. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a memory board according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a memory board. The figure which shows how the ink cartridge is attached to the attachment part of a carriage. The first figure which shows the connection mechanism. The second figure which shows the connection mechanism. The figure which shows the functional composition of a printing apparatus together with one ink cartridge. The figure for demonstrating the attachment determination. The first flowchart of the writing process executed by the memory control unit. The second flowchart of the writing process. A flowchart showing a register read process. The figure for demonstrating the deterioration determination performed by the deterioration determination part. The figure which shows an example of the operation state of a memory. The figure for demonstrating the printing apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. Diagram to illustrate the table. The figure for demonstrating the deterioration determination performed by the deterioration determination part. The figure which shows an example of the operation state of a memory.

A. First Embodiment:
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printing system 1000 as the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The printing system 1000 includes a printing device 20, a plurality of ink cartridges 100 that can be attached to and detached from the printing device 20, and a computer 90. The printing device 20 is an inkjet printer that ejects ink to a printing medium PA to perform printing. The printing apparatus 20 is connected to the computer 90 via a connector 80 so as to be capable of data communication.

The printing device 20 includes a sub-scanning feed mechanism, a main scanning feed mechanism, a head drive mechanism, and a main control unit 40 as a device-side control unit. The sub-scanning feed mechanism includes a paper feed motor 22 and a platen 26, and conveys the rotation of the paper feed motor 22 to the platen 26 to convey the print medium PA in the sub-scanning direction. The main scanning feed mechanism includes a carriage motor 32, a pulley 38, a drive belt 36 stretched between the carriage motor 32 and the pulley 38, and a sliding shaft 34 provided in parallel with the axis of the platen 26. It is equipped with. The sliding shaft 34 slidably holds the carriage 30 fixed to the drive belt 36. The rotation of the carriage motor 32 is transmitted to the carriage 30 via the drive belt 36, and the carriage 30 reciprocates along the sliding shaft 34 in the main scanning direction, which is the axial direction of the platen 26. The head drive mechanism includes a carriage 30. The carriage 30 includes a mounting unit 4 to which an ink cartridge 100 as a consumable can be mounted, a print head 5 for ejecting ink, an ink introduction unit 6 shown in FIG. 6 to be described later, and a connection mechanism 400 shown to be described later in FIG. And the sub-control board 500 shown in FIG. 6, which will be described later. The head drive mechanism drives the print head 5 of the carriage 30 to eject ink onto the print medium PA.

The main control unit 40 as the device-side control unit controls each of the above-mentioned mechanisms to realize the printing process. The main control unit 40 is electrically connected to the sub-control board 500 described later of the carriage 30 via the bus 46. The main control unit 40 receives, for example, a user's print job via the computer 90, and controls each mechanism described above based on the contents of the received print job to execute the print operation. Further, the main control unit 40 determines whether or not the ink cartridge 100 as a consumable item is mounted on the mounting unit 4, and determines whether or not the memory substrate 120 of the ink cartridge 100 is deteriorated. Details of mounting determination and deterioration determination will be described later.

A plurality of ink cartridges 100 can be detachably mounted on the mounting portion 4 of the carriage 30. That is, the ink cartridge 100 that supplies ink to the print head 5 is mounted and detachably provided on the mounting portion 4 of the carriage 30 by the user's operation. In the present embodiment, the number of ink cartridges 100 that can be mounted on the mounting unit 4 is six. The six ink cartridges 100 contain different colors or types of ink. When a plurality of ink cartridges 100 are used separately, reference numerals 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E, and 100F are used. Each of the six ink cartridges 100A to 100F is mounted at a predetermined mounting position of the mounting portion 4. The printing device 20 further includes an operation unit 70 for allowing the user to make various settings for the printing device 20 and check the status of the printing device 20.

In the present embodiment, the ink cartridge 100 is mounted on the mounting portion 4 of the carriage 30, which is called an on-carriage, but the present invention is not limited to this. The ink cartridge 100 may be mounted on a mounting portion located at a position other than the carriage 30, which may be called an off-carriage.

The configuration of the ink cartridge 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 is a first perspective view showing the configuration of the ink cartridge 100. FIG. 3 is a second perspective view showing the configuration of the ink cartridge 100. From FIG. 2 onward, an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis that are orthogonal to each other are attached as needed. In FIG. 2, the directions in which the arrows on the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are directed indicate positive directions along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, respectively. The positive directions along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are the + X direction, the + Y direction, and the + Z direction, respectively. The direction opposite to the direction in which the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis arrows point is the negative direction along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, respectively. The negative directions along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are the −X direction, the −Y direction, and the −Z direction, respectively. The directions along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, regardless of whether they are positive or negative, are called the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction, respectively. The same applies to the figures and explanations shown thereafter. The directions of the XYZ axes drawn in the other figures correspond to the XYZ axes of FIG. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions of the ink cartridge 100 are such that the printing device 20 is arranged on a horizontal plane parallel to the X-direction and the Y-direction, and the ink cartridge 100 is mounted on the printing device 20. It is the standard.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the external shape of the ink cartridge 100 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the ink cartridge 100 includes a main body 101 for accommodating liquid ink, a memory substrate 120, and an ink detection member 110. The main body 101 includes a front wall 101wf which is a wall on the −Y direction side and a bottom wall 101wb which is a wall on the + Z direction side. The front wall 101wf intersects the bottom wall 101wb and is substantially orthogonal in this embodiment. The bottom wall 101wb of the main body 101 includes an ink supply port 104 that supplies ink to the carriage 30 when it is mounted on the mounting portion 4 of the carriage 30. An ink chamber 150 for accommodating ink is formed in the main body 101. The ink supply port 104 communicates with the ink chamber 150. The opening 104op of the ink supply port 104 is sealed by the film 104f. By mounting the ink cartridge 100 on the carriage 30, the film 104f is broken, and the ink introduction portion 6 of the carriage 30 shown in FIG. 6 is inserted into the ink supply port 104. The ink contained in the ink chamber 150 is supplied to the print head 5 of the printing apparatus 20 via the ink introduction unit 6. As the ink in the ink chamber 150 is consumed, air is introduced into the ink chamber 150 through an air opening hole (not shown). The main body 101 constitutes an outer shell that does not deform regardless of the presence or absence of ink consumption in the ink chamber 150.

Here, the film surface sealed by the film 104f is used as the open end of the ink supply port 104. The Z direction is a direction perpendicular to the opening end of the ink supply port 104. Further, the + Z direction is the same as the opening direction of the ink supply port 104. Further, the X direction is the arrangement direction of the plurality of ink cartridges 100A to 100F mounted on the carriage 30, and is the width direction of the ink cartridge 100. Further, in the present embodiment, the Z direction is a direction along the gravity direction, the + Z direction is the gravity direction, and the −Z direction is the antigravity direction. Further, the direction in which the ink cartridge 100 is mounted on the carriage 30 of the printing device 20 is the mounting direction MD, and the direction including the component of the mounting direction MD is the first direction FD. In the present embodiment, the mounting direction MD and the first direction FD are in the same direction and are in the + Z direction. In another embodiment, the mounting direction MD and the first direction FD do not have to be in the same direction. The first direction FD is a direction extending straight, and in this embodiment, it is an opening direction of the ink supply port 104. The first direction FD is a direction substantially along the surface 120fa of the memory substrate 120. In another embodiment, when the surface 120fa is inclined with respect to the mounting direction MD, the mounting direction MD and the first direction FD are not in the same direction but in different directions.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ink detection member 110 is fixed inside the main body 101. The ink detection member 110 is a member for the printing device 20 to detect the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 100. The ink detection member 110 may be, for example, a prism for optically detecting the remaining amount of ink, a piezoelectric element in which a piezoelectric body is sandwiched between two opposing electrodes, or an electrode. It may be two electrodes that detect the remaining amount of ink by the difference in resistance between them. The main control unit 40 of the printing apparatus 20 detects the remaining amount of ink by using the detection signal output by the ink detection member 110. If the main control unit 40 does not detect the remaining amount of ink by using the detection signal of the ink detection member 110, the ink detection member 110 may be omitted.

The memory board 120 is provided on the front wall 101wf of the main body 101. The memory board 120 includes a terminal group 290 composed of a plurality of terminals. In this embodiment, nine terminals constituting the terminal group 290 are provided. Details of the terminal group 290 will be described later.

Two protrusions Pr1 and Pr2 are formed on the front wall 101wf. These protrusions Pr1 and Pr2 project in the −Y direction. The memory substrate 120 is formed with a hole 122 and a notch 121 for receiving these protrusions Pr1 and Pr2, respectively. The hole 122 is formed in the center of the end portion of the memory substrate 120 on the ink supply port 104 side, and the notch 121 is formed in the center of the end portion of the memory substrate 120 on the side opposite to the ink supply port 104. In a state where the memory substrate 120 is fixed to the front wall 101wf, the protrusions Pr1 and Pr2 are inserted into the holes 122 and the notches 121, respectively. At the time of manufacturing the ink cartridge 100, after the memory substrate 120 is mounted on the front wall 101wf, the tips of the protrusions Pr1 and Pr2 are crushed. As a result, the memory board 120 is fixed to the front wall 101wf.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the memory board 120 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a second diagram showing the configuration of the memory board 120. The memory board 120 has a terminal group 290 on the front surface 120 fa and a memory 130 on the back surface 120 fb. The terminal group 290 includes a memory terminal group 230 and a mounting detection terminal group 210. When distinguishing the respective memories 130 of the ink cartridges 100A to 100F, "A" to "F" are added at the end.

The memory terminal group 230 is a terminal for the memory 130. As shown in FIG. 4, the memory terminal group 230 includes a data terminal 235, a clock terminal 232, a power supply terminal 233, a reset terminal 231 and a ground terminal 234. The data terminal 235 is used to transmit and receive various data signals such as ink color information between the memory 130 and the printing apparatus 20.

The mounting detection terminal group 210 includes a first detection terminal 211, a second detection terminal 212, a third detection terminal 213, and a fourth detection terminal 214. The four detection terminals 211 to 214 are arranged at the four corners of the set of the memory terminal group 230.

It is composed of nine terminals 211,212,213,214,231,232,233,234,235. Each terminal 211,212,213,214,231,232,233,234,235 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and is arranged so as to form two rows perpendicular to the first direction FD. That is, the directions of the two rows are parallel to the second direction SD perpendicular to the first direction FD. The direction in which the two rows are lined up is the direction along the first direction FD. Of the two rows, the row located on the FD side in the first direction is called the first row R1, and the row located on the opposite side of the FD in the first direction is called the second row R2. At the center of each terminal 211,212,213,214,231,232,233,234,235, there is a contact cp that comes into contact with the device terminal described later.

Each terminal 211,212,213,214,231,232,233,234,235 of the terminal group 290 is passed through a wiring pattern layer on the front and back surfaces of the memory board 120 (not shown) or a through hole arranged in the memory board 120, respectively. Is connected to the memory 130.

The memory 130 shown in FIG. 5 is a non-volatile memory. In this embodiment, the memory 130 is a NAND type flash memory. In another embodiment, the memory 130 may be EEPROM or the like. The memory 130 includes a memory control unit 136, a plurality of memory cells 138, and a register 139 as a storage unit. Each of the plurality of memory cells 138 stores 1-bit data.

The memory control unit 136 executes a writing process for writing data to the memory cell. This writing process includes a first process as an erasing process and a second process of writing the data to be written to the target memory cell 138, which is the memory cell 138 to be written. The first process is a process of writing erased data in block units including a plurality of pages as a unit, including the target memory cell 138 of the designated address to be written. The erased data is data representing "1". The first process is performed by applying a voltage to the P-type semiconductor layer of the memory cell 138 to execute the first write operation of extracting electrons from the floating gate. The second process is executed after the first process, and is a process of writing data to be written different from the erased data in page units composed of a plurality of memory cells 138 including the memory cells 138 to be written. In the second process, when "0" is written to the memory cell 138, electrons are accumulated in the floating gate by executing the second write operation of applying a write voltage to the control gate of the memory cell 138.

The register 139 is configured by a flip-flop circuit and stores the number of write operations when data is written to the target memory cell 138. Specifically, the register 139 is an erase register 139a that counts and stores the number of times of the first write operation, which is a write operation executed in the first process, and a write operation executed in the second process. It includes a write register 139b that counts and stores the number of times of a certain second write operation. A plurality of erase registers 139a are provided in association with each block unit. Similar to the erase register 139a, a plurality of write registers 139b are also provided in association with each block unit. A plurality of write registers 139b may be provided in association with each page.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how the ink cartridge 100 is mounted on the mounting portion 4 of the carriage 30. FIG. 7 is a first diagram showing the connection mechanism 400. FIG. 8 is a second diagram showing the connection mechanism 400.

As shown in FIG. 6, the carriage 30 includes a mounting unit 4, a print head 5, an ink introduction unit 6, a connection mechanism 400, and a sub-control board 500. The mounting portion 4 forms a mounting chamber 65 for mounting the ink cartridge 100. The print head 5 includes a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of piezoelectric elements, and ejects ink droplets from each nozzle according to the voltage applied to each piezoelectric element to form dots on the print medium PA. The ink introduction unit 6 is arranged on the print head 5, and supplies ink from the ink cartridge 100 to the print head 5. In this embodiment, six ink introduction units 6 are provided corresponding to the number of ink cartridges 100A to 100F. The connection mechanism 400 electrically connects the sub-control board 500 and the memory board 120 of the ink cartridge 100 mounted in the mounting chamber 65. Six connection mechanisms 400 are provided corresponding to the number of ink cartridges 100A to 100F. As shown in FIG. 8, the sub-control board 500 has a relay unit 50. The relay unit 50 performs control related to the ink cartridge 100 in cooperation with the main control unit 40.

As shown in FIG. 6, the ink cartridge 100 is mounted on the mounting portion 4 of the printing device 20 by being inserted into the mounting direction MD. In this way, the ink cartridge 100 is detachably attached to the printing apparatus 20. Further, when the ink cartridge 100 is correctly mounted on the printing device 20, the memory board 120 is electrically connected to the main control unit 40 of the printing device 20 via the connection mechanism 400, the sub control board 500, and the bus 46. ..

As shown in FIG. 7, the connection mechanism 400 includes a terminal holding portion 405 and a plurality of contact forming members 403 having conductivity and elasticity held by the terminal holding portion 405. The terminal holding portion 405 has a plurality of slits 301. The contact forming member 403 is fitted into the slit 301. In this embodiment, nine contact forming members 403 are provided for each connection mechanism 400, which is the same as the number of terminals of the terminal group 290.

As shown in FIG. 8, the contact forming member 403 is a member that electrically connects the terminal group 290 and the substrate terminal 590 of the sub-control board 500. The board terminal 590 is provided for each mounting chamber 65. Further, nine board terminals 590 are provided corresponding to the number of terminal groups 290. When the nine board terminals 590 are used separately, the reference numerals "511", "512", "513", "514", "531", "532", "533", "534", and "535" are used. Use. The portion of the contact forming member 403 that protrudes toward the mounting chamber 65 forms the device terminal 490 that comes into contact with the terminal group 290. Further, the portion of the contact forming member 403 that protrudes toward the sub-control board 500 forms a relay terminal 439 that comes into contact with the board terminal 590. When the nine contact forming members 403 are used separately, "A" to "I" are added at the end. When the nine device terminals 490 are used separately, the reference numerals are "411", "412", "413", "414", "431", "432", "433", "434", and "435". Is used. When the nine relay terminals 439 are used separately, the codes "411a", "412a", "413a", "414a", "431a", "432a", "433a", "434a", and "435a" are used. Is used. When nine board terminals 590 are used separately, the reference numerals are "511", "512", "513", "514", "531", "532", "533", "534", and "535". Is used.

The contact forming member 403A having the device terminal 411 and the relay terminal 411a electrically connects the first detection terminal 211 and the board terminal 511. The contact forming member 403B having the device terminal 412 and the relay terminal 412a electrically connects the second detection terminal 212 and the substrate terminal 512. The contact forming member 403C having the device terminal 413 and the relay terminal 413a electrically connects the third detection terminal 213 and the substrate terminal 513. The contact forming member 403D having the device terminal 414 and the relay terminal 414a electrically connects the fourth detection terminal 214 and the substrate terminal 514. The contact forming member 403E having the device terminal 431 and the relay terminal 431a electrically connects the reset terminal 231 and the board terminal 531. The contact forming member 403F having the device terminal 432 and the relay terminal 432a electrically connects the clock terminal 232 and the board terminal 532. The contact forming member 403G having the device terminal 433 and the relay terminal 433a electrically connects the power supply terminal 233 and the board terminal 533. The contact forming member 403H having the device terminal 434 and the relay terminal 434a electrically connects the ground terminal 234 and the board terminal 534. The contact forming member 403I having the device terminal 435 and the relay terminal 435a electrically connects the data terminal 235 and the board terminal 535.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the printing apparatus 20 together with one ink cartridge 100. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the mounting determination. The internal configurations of the printing apparatus 20 and the ink cartridge 100 will be further described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. As shown in FIG. 9, the sub-control board 500 includes a reset signal line LRST, a clock signal line LSCK, a power supply signal line L VDD, a data signal line LSDA, a ground signal line LVSS, and a first detection signal line LM1. , A second detection signal line LM2, a third detection signal line LM3, and a fourth detection signal line LM4. The reset signal line LRST electrically connects the relay unit 50 and the board terminal 531. The clock signal line LSCK electrically connects the relay unit 50 and the board terminal 532. The power signal line L VDD electrically connects the relay unit 50 and the board terminal 533. The ground signal line LVSS electrically connects the relay unit 50 and the board terminal 534. The data signal line LSDA electrically connects the relay unit 50 and the board terminal 535. The first detection signal line LM1 to the fourth detection signal line LM4 electrically connect the relay unit 50 and the board terminals 511 to 514. The relay unit 50 is composed of a CPU, a storage device, and the like, and relays data and electric power supplied via the bus 46 and the power supply line to transmit to the ink cartridge 100. In another embodiment, the relay unit 50 may be provided with some functions described later of the main control unit 40, such as a memory communication unit 416, a deterioration determination unit 417, and a mounting determination unit 418. In this case, the relay unit 50 and the main control unit 40 function as device-side control units.

The printing apparatus 20 includes a display panel 495, a power supply 440, a main control unit 40, and a relay unit 50. The main control unit 40 and the relay unit 50 form a control unit 85. The display panel 495 gives the user various notifications such as the operating state of the printing device 20, the data stored in the memory 130, the ink consumption amount, the ink color, the date of manufacture, and the like. The display panel 495 is provided, for example, in the operation unit 70 of FIG. The power supply 440 has a first power supply 441 that generates a first power supply voltage VDD and a second power supply 442 that generates a second power supply voltage VHV. The first power supply voltage VDD is a normal power supply voltage (rated 3.3V) used in a logic circuit. The second power supply voltage VHV is a high voltage (for example, rated 42V) used for driving the print head 5 to eject ink. These voltages VDD and VHV are supplied to the sub-control board 500, and are also supplied to components such as other circuits as needed.

The main control unit 40 has a CPU 415 and a main body memory 420 as a device-side storage unit. The CPU 415 controls the operation of the printing device 20 by executing various programs stored in the main body memory 420. For example, the main control unit 40 controls the operation of the display panel 495 and controls the operation of the relay unit 50. Further, the CPU 415 functions as a memory communication unit 416, a deterioration determination unit 417, and a mounting determination unit 418 by executing various programs stored in the main body memory 420. It should be noted that at least a part of the functions of the CPU 415 is not limited to software, and may be configured by hardware such as a circuit.

The memory communication unit 416 performs data communication with the memory control unit 136 of the mounted ink cartridge 100. For example, the memory communication unit 416 generates a write command WC and a read command RC, and transmits the write command WC and the read command RC to the target memory control unit 136 via the bus 46 and the data signal line LSDA535.

The write command WC causes the memory control unit 136 to execute a write process for writing data to the target memory cell 138, which is the memory cell 138 to be written. The write command WC uses identifier data of the memory 130 to be written, target data to be written as data, command identification data indicating that the write command WC is used, and target data among a plurality of memory cells 138. A designated address for designating a write address and a designated address are provided. The target data includes, for example, data representing the ink remaining amount of the ink cartridge 100 detected by the main control unit 40 using the ink detection member 110, and data representing the number of times the ink cartridge 100 is mounted stored in the main body memory 420. Is. The designated address is, for example, an address that identifies a page, a block, or a memory cell 138. In another embodiment, the write command WC does not have to include the designated address. In this case, the memory control unit 136 designates the memory cell 138 to be written and executes the writing process of the target data.

The read command RC commands the memory control unit 136 to read the data of the target memory cell 138. The read command RC includes identifier data of the memory 130 to be read, command identification data indicating that the read command RC is used, and a designated address for designating a read target among a plurality of memory cells 138. The designated address is, for example, an address that identifies a block, a page, or a memory cell 138. In another embodiment, the read command RC may not include the designated address. In this case, the read command RC has a data identifier that identifies the data content to be read, and the memory control unit 136 specifies the address of the memory cell 138 to be read based on the data identifier and reads the data. ..

The deterioration determination unit 417 determines whether or not the target memory cell 138 has deteriorated by using the number of write operations stored in the erase register 139a and the write register 139b. Details of the deterioration determination unit 417 will be described later.

The mounting determination unit 418 determines whether or not the ink cartridge 100 is mounted on the mounting unit 4. The first detection terminals 211 to the fourth detection terminals 214 of the memory board 120 are electrically connected to the mounting determination unit 418 via the corresponding connection mechanism 400, the board terminals 511 to 514, and the like. As shown in FIG. 10, the first detection terminal 211 to the fourth detection terminal 214 of the memory board 120 are grounded. The electrical wiring connecting the board terminals 511 to 514, the mounting determination unit 418, and the mounting determination unit 418 is connected to the first power supply voltage VDD (rated 3.3V) via a pull-up resistor.

In the example shown in FIG. 10, the first detection terminal 211 to the third detection terminal 213 of the first detection terminal 211 to the fourth detection terminal 214 of the memory board 120 are in a good connection state with the corresponding board terminals 511 to 513. It is in. On the other hand, the fourth detection terminal 214 is in a state of poor contact with the corresponding device terminal 414. The voltage of the wiring of the three device terminals 411, 421, 413 with good connection state becomes low level, while the voltage of the wiring of the device terminal 414 with poor connection state becomes high level. Therefore, the mounting determination unit 418 can determine whether the contact state is good or bad for each of the four detection terminals 211,212,213,214 by examining the voltage level of each of these wirings. In the present embodiment, when the voltage level of each of the wirings of the four device terminals 411 to 414 is low, the mounting determination unit 418 determines that the ink cartridge 100 is correctly mounted, and other than that. In the case of the state, it is determined that the ink cartridge 100 is not correctly mounted.

FIG. 11 is a first flowchart of a write process executed by the memory control unit 136. FIG. 12 is a second flowchart of the writing process. The writing process is executed with the reception of the write command WC transmitted from the main control unit 40 of the printing apparatus 20 to the target memory 130 as a trigger.

First, in step S12 shown in FIG. 11, the memory control unit 136 initializes the respective values of the erase register 139a and the write register 139b provided corresponding to the designated address included in the write command WC, that is, “0”. To. Here, the erase register 139a and the write register 139b provided corresponding to the designated address are also referred to as a target erase register 139a and a target write register 139b, respectively. Next, in step S14, the memory control unit 136 counts up the value of the erase register 139a initialized in step S12 by "1". That is, the memory control unit 136 adds one write operation number stored in the initialized erase register 139a. Next, in step S16, the memory control unit 136 writes the erased data to the target block, which is a block including the target memory cell 138. The steps S14 and S16 are also referred to as a step (A) in the first process. When the step S16 is executed, the memory control unit 136 temporarily stores the data of the target block in the RAM of the memory 130. In step (A), step 14 may be executed after step 16, and step 14 and step 16 may be executed at the same time.

Next, in step S18, the memory control unit 136 determines whether or not the data has been erased by writing the erased data to the target block. In step S18, for example, the memory control unit 136 reads out the data of the target block erased in step S16, and determines whether or not the data of all the memory cells 138 of the target block is “1”. When all the data is "1", the memory control unit 136 determines that the first process of erasing the data is completed, and when the data of at least one memory cell 138 is "0". It is determined that the first process has failed because the data deletion has not been completed. This step S18 is also referred to as a step (B) in the first process. The determination of whether or not the first process, which is the data erasing process, is completed is not limited to the above, and the memory control unit 136 uses the checksum to determine whether or not the first process is completed. May be determined.

When the memory control unit 136 determines in step S18 that the data erasure has failed, the memory control unit 136 refers to the number of write operations of the target erasure register 139a in step S20, and the number of write operations is a predetermined number of times. 1 Determine whether or not the number of times is equal to or greater than the specified number of times. For the first specified number of times, for example, it can be estimated that there is a high possibility that the data erasure cannot be completed even if the degree of deterioration of the memory cell 138 constituting the target block progresses and the first write operation is performed on the target block again. Set to a value. In the present embodiment, the first specified number of times is set to, for example, "5".

When the memory control unit 136 determines in step S20 that the number of first write operations, which is the value stored in the target erase register 139a, is equal to or greater than the first specified number of times, the memory control unit 136 prints via the data terminal 235 in step S22. A stop signal is transmitted to the device 20 to stop the writing process. The stop signal is a signal indicating that the write process could not be performed. Here, the steps of step S20 and step S22 are also referred to as steps (C) in the first process. The stop signal may be transmitted via the first detection terminal 211, the second detection terminal 212, the third detection terminal 213, and the fourth detection terminal 214.

On the other hand, if the memory control unit 136 determines in step S20 that the number of first write operations, which is the value of the target erase register 139a, is not equal to or greater than the first specified number of times, the memory control unit 136 executes the steps after step (A) again. .. That is, first, in step S12, the memory control unit 136 further counts up the value of the target erasure register 139a by "1". The step in which the determination of "No" is made in step S20 and the processes after step S14 are executed again is also referred to as step (D) in the first process.

When the memory control unit 136 determines in step S18 that the data in the target block has been erased, the memory control unit 136 executes the process of step S30 shown in FIG. That is, the memory control unit 136 counts up the value of the target write register 139b initialized in step S12 by "1". That is, the memory control unit 136 adds one write operation number stored in the initialized write register 139b. Next, in step S32, the memory control unit 136 executes a write operation of writing the target data to the target page, which is the page including the target memory cell 138. Specifically, the memory control unit 136 updates the data of the target page among the data of the target block before data erasure, which is temporarily stored in the RAM (not shown), and is the updated data stored in the RAM. Executes a write operation that writes data to be written to the target block. This step S30 and step S32 are also referred to as a step (A) in the second process. In step (A), step 30 may be executed after step 32, or step 30 and step 32 may be executed at the same time.

Next, in step S34, the memory control unit 136 determines whether or not the writing of the data to be written, such as the data indicating the ink consumption amount, has been completed on the target page. In step S34, for example, the memory control unit 136 reads the target page and determines whether or not the value of the memory cell 138 of the target page matches the value of the data to be written stored in the RAM. The memory control unit 136 determines that the second process, which is the data writing process, has been completed when all the data on the target page match, and when the data in at least one memory cell 138 does not match, the memory control unit 136 determines that the second process is completed. Determines that the data writing has not been completed and the second process has failed. This step S34 is also referred to as a step (B) in the second process. The determination as to whether or not the second process, which is the data writing process, is completed is not limited to the above, and the memory control unit 136 uses the checksum to determine whether or not the second process is completed. May be determined.

When the memory control unit 136 determines in step S34 that the writing of the target data has failed, the memory control unit 136 refers to the number of writing operations of the target writing register 139b in step S36, and sets the number of writing operations as a predetermined predetermined number of times. It is determined whether or not the number of times is equal to or greater than the second specified number of times. The second specified number of times is, for example, that the degree of deterioration of the memory cells 138 constituting the target page has progressed, and there is a high possibility that the writing of the target data cannot be completed even if the second writing operation is performed on the target page again. Set to an estimateable value. In the present embodiment, the second specified number of times is set to "5", which is the same as the first specified number of times in step S20 of FIG.

When the memory control unit 136 determines in step S36 that the number of second write operations, which is the value stored in the target write register 139b, is equal to or greater than the second specified number of times, the memory control unit 136 determines in step S22 via the data terminal 235 that the printing device. A stop signal is transmitted to 20 to stop the writing process. Here, the steps of step S36 and step S22 are also referred to as steps (C) in the second process.

On the other hand, if the memory control unit 136 determines in step S36 that the number of second write operations, which is the value of the target write register 139b, is not equal to or greater than the second specified number, the memory control unit 136 executes the steps after step (A) again. .. That is, first, in step S30, the memory control unit 136 further counts up the value of the target write register 139b by "1". The step in which the determination of "No" is made in step S36 and the processes after step S30 are executed again is also referred to as step (D) in the second process.

When the memory control unit 136 determines in step S34 that the writing of the target data is completed, the memory control unit 136 transmits a completion signal to the printing device via the data terminal 235 in step S38 to end the writing process. .. The completion signal is a signal indicating that the writing process indicated by the write command WC has been completed. The completion signal may be transmitted via the first detection terminal 211, the second detection terminal 212, the third detection terminal 213, and the fourth detection terminal 214.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a register read process. The register read process is executed after the write process. Specifically, when the memory communication unit 416 of the main control unit 40 receives either the stop signal in step S22 or the completion signal in step S38, the memory communication unit 416 sends the register read command RRC to the memory 130 at the same destination as the write command WC. Send to. When the memory control unit 136 receives this register read command RRC, the register read process is started. The register read command RRC is a command for reading the number of write operations stored in each of the target erase register 139a and the target write register 139b when the write process is executed by the write command WC.

Upon receiving the register read command RRC, the memory control unit 136 determines the number of write operations, which are the values stored in the target erase register 139a and the target write register 139b, in step S42, via the data terminal 235. Output to. The main control unit 40 stores the received values of the target erasing register 139a and the target writing register 139b in the main body memory 420.

FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the deterioration determination executed by the deterioration determination unit 417. As shown in FIG. 14, in the deterioration determination unit 417, when at least one of the first write operation count and the second write operation count, which is the number of write operations received from the memory 130, is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value. , It is determined that the target memory cell 138 has deteriorated. On the other hand, the deterioration determination unit 417 is the target memory cell 138 when each of the first write operation count and the second write operation count, which are the number of write operations received from the memory 130, is less than a predetermined threshold value. Is determined not to have deteriorated. The predetermined threshold value may be any value as long as it can be determined that the degree to which the writing process can be completed is low, and in the present embodiment, for example, the threshold value is set to "4". In another embodiment, the deterioration determination unit 417 determines that the target memory cell 138 has deteriorated when each of the first write operation count and the second write operation count is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value. You may.

When the deterioration determination unit 417 determines that the block including the target memory cell 138 has deteriorated, the memory communication unit 416 determines that the block has deteriorated when the write command WC is subsequently transmitted to the memory 130. A memory cell 138 included in a block different from the block is specified as a write target. That is, when the main control unit 40 causes the memory control unit 136 to execute the write process after determining that the target memory cell 138 has deteriorated, the block includes the target memory cell 138 determined to be deteriorated. Causes a write process to be executed for a different memory cell 138. On the other hand, when the deterioration determination unit 417 determines that the block including the target memory cell 138 has not deteriorated, the memory communication unit 416 is restricted by the designation of the target memory cell 138 to be written. Specify a block containing any target memory cell 138.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the operating status of the memory 130. In detail, FIG. 15 shows an example of the number of times the write command WC is transmitted and the number of times of the first write operation for erasing the data of one target block composed of a plurality of memory cells 138. .. As shown in FIG. 15, as the number of times the write command WC is transmitted from the memory communication unit 416 increases, the target block composed of the plurality of memory cells 138 deteriorates, and the data executed by one write command WC is executed. The number of first write operations, which are erase operations, tends to increase. In the example shown in FIG. 15, the deterioration determination unit 417 determines that the block including the target memory cell 138 has deteriorated when the number of transmissions of the write command WC is 15,000.

According to the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the memory 130 has a case where the first write operation count is equal to or more than the first specified number of times, and the second write operation count is equal to or more than the second specified number of times. If, the stop signal is transmitted to the control unit 85 of the printing system 1000. As a result, the printing apparatus 20 can easily determine that the writing process to the memory cell 138 to be written has failed. Further, as shown in FIG. 13, when the register read command RRC is received, the memory 130 outputs to the printing apparatus 20 the number of write operations, which is a value stored in the register 139. Thereby, the printing apparatus 20 can easily determine the degree of deterioration of the target memory cell 138 by using the number of first writing operations and the number of second writing operations. Further, as shown in FIG. 14, when the deterioration determination unit 417 determines that the target memory cell 138 has deteriorated, the memory communication unit 416 is different from the determined target memory cell 138 thereafter. The write process is executed for the memory cell 138 of the address. As a result, the write process can be executed for the memory cell 138 that has not been deteriorated, so that the life of the memory 130 can be extended.

B. Second embodiment:
FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining the printing apparatus 20a of the second embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 9 of the first embodiment. The difference between the printing device 20a of the second embodiment and the printing device 20 of the first embodiment is that the determination content of the deterioration determination unit 417a and the main body memory 420 newly store the table 422. Since the other configurations of the printing apparatus 20a are the same as the configurations of the printing apparatus 20 of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given and the description thereof will be omitted. Further, the ink cartridge 100 of the second embodiment has the same configuration as the ink cartridge 100 of the first embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the table 422. The table 422 is a table for storing the history of the writing process for each of the memories 130A to 130F. Table 422 shows an identifier that identifies the memories 130A to 130F, a type of the target data, an address that identifies a block of the memory 130 that executes the writing process of the target data, an operation status of the writing process, and transmission of a write command WC. Memorize the number of times. The operation status of the write process includes the first write operation count, the first cumulative count, the second write operation count, the second cumulative count, and the transmission count of the write command WC.

The number of first write operations is the number of first write operations for erasing the data of the memory cell 138 executed for one write command WC in block units. The number of first write operations is transmitted from the memory control unit 136 by step S42 shown in FIG. 13 and received by the main control unit 40, and is stored in the table 422. The number of first write operations is overwritten each time data is received from the memory control unit 136 by step S42. The first cumulative number of times is the cumulative number of first write operations in the first process as the write process executed for each write command WC. The number of second write operations is the number of second write operations for writing the target data executed for one write command WC to the memory cell. The second write count is transmitted from the memory control unit 136 by step S42 shown in FIG. 13 and received by the main control unit 40, and is stored in the table 422. The second write operation count is overwritten each time data is received from the memory control unit 136 by step S42. The second cumulative number of times is the cumulative number of times of the second write operation in the second process as the write process executed for each write command WC. The write command transmission count is the transmission count of the write command WC for each type of data to be written.

FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining the deterioration determination executed by the deterioration determination unit 417a. The deterioration determination unit 417a determines that the target memory cell 138 has deteriorated when both the first condition and the second condition are satisfied. The first condition is a condition related to the value of the register 139 transmitted from the memory control unit 136 for one write command WC, and is the same as the determination condition of the deterioration determination unit 417 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. be. That is, the first condition is that at least one of the first write operation count and the second write operation count, which is the number of write operations received from the memory 130, is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value.

The second condition is a condition related to the number of transmissions of the write command WC and the cumulative number of writing operations. Specifically, the second condition is that the ratio R of the cumulative number of write operations to the number of transmissions of the write command WC is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. The ratio R is represented by M2 / M1 when the number of transmissions of the write command WC is "M1" and the cumulative number of writing operations is "M2". In the case of the present embodiment, the second condition is that the ratio R1a of the cumulative number of times of the first write operation to the number of transmissions of the write command WC is equal to or more than a predetermined first value, and the second condition is to the number of transmissions of the write command WC. 2 It is a condition that at least one of the conditions that the ratio R1b of the cumulative number of writing operations is equal to or higher than a predetermined second value is satisfied. The first value and the second value may be any value as long as it can be determined that the degree to which the writing process can be completed is low, and are set to, for example, "2" in the present embodiment. In another embodiment, the deterioration determination unit 417a may determine that the target memory cell 138 is deteriorated when the second condition is satisfied regardless of whether or not the first condition is satisfied. The second condition is that the ratio R1a of the cumulative number of first write operations to the number of transmissions of the write command WC is equal to or higher than a predetermined first value, and the number of second write operations to the number of transmissions of the write command WC. It may be a condition that both that the ratio R1b of the cumulative number of times of the above is equal to or more than a predetermined second value is satisfied.

When the deterioration determination unit 417a determines that the block including the target memory cell 138 has deteriorated, the memory communication unit 416 determines that the block has deteriorated when the write command WC is subsequently transmitted to the memory 130. The memory cell 138 included in a block different from the above is specified as a write target. That is, when the main control unit 40 causes the memory control unit 136 to execute the write process after determining that the target memory cell 138 has deteriorated, the block includes the target memory cell 138 determined to be deteriorated. Causes a write process to be executed for a different memory cell 138. On the other hand, when the deterioration determination unit 417a determines that the block including the target memory cell 138 has not deteriorated, the memory communication unit 416 is restricted by the designation of the target memory cell 138 to be written. Specify a block containing any target memory cell 138.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the operating status of the memory 130. Specifically, in FIG. 19, the number of times the write command WC is transmitted, the number of times of the first write operation for erasing the data of one target block composed of a plurality of memory cells 138, and the number of times the write command WC is transmitted. An example is shown with R1a, which is the ratio of the cumulative number of first write operations to the number of times. When the number of write command transmissions is 2000, the number of first write operations becomes "5" and the first condition is satisfied. On the other hand, when the number of times the write command is transmitted is 2000, the ratio R1a is less than 1, so that the second condition is not satisfied. Therefore, the deterioration determination unit 417a determines that the target memory cell 138 has not deteriorated when the number of times the write command is transmitted is 2000. On the other hand, when the number of write commands is 15,000, the number of first write operations is "4" and the ratio R1a is 2 or more. Therefore, the deterioration determination unit 417a determines that the target memory cell 138 has deteriorated. do.

According to the second embodiment, the same configuration as that of the first embodiment has the same effect in that it has a process. For example, the memory 130 transmits a stop signal to the control unit 85 of the printing system 1000 when the number of first write operations is equal to or greater than the first specified number of times or when the number of second write operations is equal to or greater than the second specified number of times. do. As a result, the printing apparatus 20 can easily determine that the writing process to the memory cell 138 to be written has failed. Further, according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18, the deterioration determination unit 417a determines that the target memory cell 138 is deteriorated when both the first condition and the second condition are satisfied. The first condition is a condition related to the value of the register 139 transmitted from the memory control unit 136 for one write command WC, and the second condition is related to the number of transmissions of the write command WC and the cumulative number of write operations. It is a condition to do. As a result, it is possible to easily determine whether or not the target memory cell 138 has deteriorated, and it is possible to more accurately determine the degree of deterioration of the target memory cell 138. For example, when the degree of deterioration of the target memory cell 138 is small, it can be determined that the target memory cell 138 has not deteriorated when the number of write operations for one write command WC suddenly increases.

C. Other embodiments:
C-1. Other Embodiment 1:
In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18, the deterioration determination unit 417a determines that the block including the target memory cell 138 has deteriorated when both the first condition and the second condition are satisfied. Not limited to. For example, the deterioration determination unit 417a may determine that the block including the target memory cell 138 is deteriorated when the second condition is satisfied regardless of whether or not the first condition is satisfied. Even in this way, the deterioration of the target memory cell 138 can be easily determined.

C-2. Other Embodiment 2:
In each of the above embodiments, the write command WC includes a designated address that specifies an address for writing the target data, but may not be included. In this case, the memory cell 138 on which the memory control unit 136 that has received the write command WC may execute the write process may be specified. In this case, when the deterioration determination units 417 and 417a determine that the memory cell 138 has deteriorated, the memory communication unit 416 uses information on the deteriorated memory cell 138, for example, address information on the memory cell 138. It is transmitted to the memory control unit 136. Areas for storing deterioration information are provided in advance in the plurality of memory cells 138, and received address information is stored. As a result, the memory control unit 136 can execute the write process using the undegraded memory cell 138 by referring to the address information.

C-3. Other Embodiment 3:
In each of the above embodiments, the consumable is the ink cartridge 100, but the consumable is not limited to this, and an ink bag including the memory substrate 120 may be used.

C-4. Other Embodiment 4:
In each of the above embodiments, in both the first process as the erasing process shown in FIG. 11 and the second process of writing the data to be written to the target memory cell 138 shown in FIG. 12, steps (A) to (A). Although D) has been executed, steps (A) to (D) may be executed in at least one of the first process and the second process.

C-5. Other Embodiment 5:
In the above embodiment, the number of writing operations is stored in the register 139, but the number of writings may be stored in a storage unit such as an SRAM or a non-volatile memory.

D. Other forms:
The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be realized by various configurations within a range not deviating from the gist thereof. For example, the technical features of the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each of the embodiments described below may solve some or all of the above problems, or achieve some or all of the above effects. Therefore, it is possible to replace or combine them as appropriate. Further, if the technical feature is not described as essential in the present specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

(1) According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, a non-volatile memory provided in a consumable that can be attached to and detached from a printing device and stores data is provided. This non-volatile memory includes a plurality of memory cells for storing the data, a memory control unit that executes a writing process for writing the data to the memory cell, and the memory cell to be written in the writing process of the memory control unit. The memory control unit includes a storage unit that stores the number of write operations when the data is written to the target memory cell, and the memory control unit receives (A) when the data is written to the target memory cell in the write process. , The number of writing operations stored in the storage unit is added by one, and (B) when it is determined that the writing has failed, the number of writing operations is determined in advance with reference to the number of writing operations in the storage unit. It is determined whether or not the number of times is equal to or greater than the specified number of times, and (C) when it is determined that the number of times of the writing operation is equal to or more than the specified number of times, a stop signal indicating the cancellation of the writing process is transmitted to the printing apparatus (D). ) When it is determined that the number of times of the writing operation is not more than the specified number of times, the above (A) and subsequent steps are executed again.
According to this embodiment, when the number of writing operations is equal to or greater than the specified number of times, the printing device can easily determine that the writing process to the memory cell to be written has failed by transmitting the stop signal to the printing device. ..

(2) In the above embodiment, the write process is executed after the first process of writing the erased data as the data to the target memory cell and the target data to be written as the data. The memory control unit includes the second process of writing to the target memory cell, and when the memory control unit executes at least one of the first process and the second process of the write processes, the above (A) to the above ( D) may be executed.
According to this embodiment, when the number of write operations in the first process and the second process is equal to or greater than the specified number of times, the print device can write to the memory cell to be written by transmitting the stop signal to the printing device. It can be easily determined that the failure has occurred.

(3) In the above embodiment, when the memory control unit receives a command from the printing device to read the number of writing operations stored in the storage unit, the memory control unit prints the number of writing operations stored in the storage unit. It may be output to the device.
According to this form, by outputting the number of writing operations stored in the storage unit by a command to the printing device, the printing device can easily determine the degree of deterioration of the memory cell by using the number of writing operations.

(4) According to the second aspect of the present disclosure, a removable consumable is provided for the printing apparatus. This consumable includes the above-mentioned form of non-volatile memory.
According to this form, it is possible to provide a consumable that can be easily determined by the printing apparatus that the writing process to the memory cell to be written has failed.

(5) According to the third aspect of the present disclosure, a printing apparatus is provided. This printing device includes a mounting unit for attaching and detaching consumables having the above-mentioned non-volatile memory, and a device-side control unit for transmitting a write command for executing a writing process for writing the data to the target memory cell. When the number of writing operations received from the non-volatile memory is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the device-side control unit determines that the target memory cell has deteriorated.
According to this form, it can be easily determined whether or not the target memory cell is deteriorated by using the number of writing operations received from the non-volatile memory.

(6) According to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a printing apparatus is provided. This printing device includes a mounting unit for attaching and detaching consumables having the above-mentioned non-volatile memory, a device-side control unit for transmitting a write command for executing a write process for writing the data to the target memory cell, and the write. A device-side storage unit that stores the cumulative number of times the write operation of the write process is executed for each command is provided, and the device-side control unit has the cumulative number of times with respect to the number of times the write command is transmitted. When the ratio is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, it is determined that the target memory cell has deteriorated.
According to this form, it can be easily determined whether or not the target memory cell is deteriorated by using the number of write operations received from the non-volatile memory and the ratio of the cumulative number of times to the number of times the write command is transmitted.

(7) According to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a printing apparatus is provided. This printing device is a device-side control that transmits a consumable unit having the above-mentioned non-volatile memory, a mounting unit on which the consumable item can be mounted, and a write command for executing a write process for writing the data to the target memory cell. The device-side control unit includes a unit and a device-side storage unit that stores the cumulative number of times of the write operation of the write process executed for each write command, and the device-side control unit receives from the non-volatile memory. The target memory cell is deteriorated when the number of write operations is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value and the ratio of the cumulative number of times to the number of transmissions of the write command is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. Is determined.
According to this form, it can be easily determined whether or not the target memory cell is deteriorated by using the number of write operations received from the non-volatile memory and the ratio of the cumulative number of times to the number of times the write command is transmitted.

(8) In the above embodiment, when the device-side control unit determines that the target memory cell is deteriorated and then causes the memory control unit to execute the write process, the device-side control unit determines that the memory cell is deteriorated. The writing process may be executed on the memory cell different from the target memory cell.
According to this embodiment, the device-side control unit can execute the write process on a memory cell different from the target memory cell determined to be deteriorated.

In addition to the above embodiments, the present disclosure can be realized in the form of a method for manufacturing a non-volatile memory, a method for determining deterioration of the non-volatile memory, a printing system including consumables and a printing device, and the like.

4 ... Mounting part, 5 ... Print head, 6 ... Ink introduction part, 20, 20a ... Printing device, 22 ... Motor, 26 ... Platen, 30 ... Carriage, 32 ... Carriage motor, 34 ... Sliding shaft, 36 ... Drive belt , 38 ... pulley, 40 ... main control unit, 46 ... bus, 50 ... relay unit, 65 ... mounting room, 70 ... operation unit, 80 ... connector, 85 ... control unit, 90 ... computer, 100, 100A-100F ... ink Cartridge, 101 ... Main body, 101wb ... Bottom wall, 101wf ... Front wall, 104 ... Ink supply port, 104f ... Film, 104op ... Opening, 110 ... Ink detection member, 120 ... Memory substrate, 120fa ... Front side, 120fb ... Back side, 122 ... hole, 130, 130A to 130F ... memory, 136 ... memory control unit, 138 ... memory cell, 139 ... register, 139a ... erase register, 139b ... write register, 150 ... ink chamber, 210 ... mounting detection terminal group, 211. ... 1st detection terminal, 212 ... 2nd detection terminal, 213 ... 3rd detection terminal, 214 ... 4th detection terminal, 230 ... Memory terminal group, 231 ... Reset terminal, 232 ... Clock terminal, 233 ... Power supply terminal, 234 ... Ground terminal, 235 ... Data terminal, 290 ... Terminal group, 301 ... Slit, 400 ... Connection mechanism, 403,403A to 403I ... Contact forming member, 405 ... Terminal holder, 411,421,413,414,431,432 433,434,435 ... Device terminal, 411a, 421a, 413a, 414a, 431a, 432a, 433a, 434a, 435a ... Relay terminal, 415 ... CPU, 416 ... Memory communication unit, 417, 417a ... Deterioration determination unit, 418 ... Mounting determination unit, 420 ... Main unit memory, 422 ... Table, 440 ... Power supply, 441 ... First power supply, 442 ... Second power supply, 490 ... Device terminal, 495 ... Display panel, 500 ... Sub-control board, 511,512,513 , 514,531,532,533,534,535,590 ... Board terminal, 1000 ... Printing system, FD ... 1st direction, LM1 ... 1st detection signal line, LM2 ... 2nd detection signal line, LM3 ... 3rd detection Signal line, LM4 ... 4th detection signal line, LRST ... Reset signal line, LSCK ... Clock signal line, LSDA ... Data signal line, L VDD ... Power supply signal line, LVSS ... Ground signal line, MD ... Mounting direction, PA ... Print medium , Pr1 ... Protrusion, R1 ... 1st row, R2 ... 2nd row, SD ... 2nd direction, VDD ... 1st power supply voltage, VHV ... 2nd power supply voltage, W C ... write command, cp ... contact

Claims (8)

It is a non-volatile memory that is installed in consumables that can be attached to and detached from the printing device and stores data.
A plurality of memory cells for storing the data and
A memory control unit that executes a write process for writing the data to the memory cell,
In the writing process of the memory control unit, a storage unit for storing the number of writing operations when the data is written to the target memory cell, which is the memory cell to be written, is provided.
The memory control unit is in the writing process.
(A) When writing the data to the target memory cell, the number of times of the writing operation stored by the storage unit is added by one.
(B) When it is determined that the writing has failed, the number of writing operations in the storage unit is referred to, and it is determined whether or not the number of writing operations is equal to or more than a predetermined number of times.
(C) When it is determined that the number of times of the writing operation is equal to or more than the specified number of times, a stop signal indicating the cancellation of the writing process is transmitted to the printing device.
(D) A non-volatile memory for executing the (A) and subsequent operations again when it is determined that the number of writing operations is not equal to or greater than the specified number of times. The non-volatile memory according to claim 1.
The write process is executed after the first process of writing the erased data as the data to the target memory cell and the first process, and the target data to be written as the data is written to the target memory cell. Including 2 processes
The memory control unit is a non-volatile memory that executes the above (A) to the above (D) when at least one of the first processing and the second processing of the writing processing is executed. The non-volatile memory according to claim 1 or 2.
When the memory control unit receives a command from the printing device to read the number of writing operations stored in the storage unit, the memory control unit outputs the number of writing operations stored in the storage unit to the printing device, which is non-volatile. memory. It is a consumable item that can be attached to and detached from the printing device.
A consumable item comprising the non-volatile memory according to any one of claims 1 to 3. It ’s a printing device.
A mounting portion to which the consumables provided with the non-volatile memory according to claim 3 can be attached and detached, and
A device-side control unit for transmitting a write command for executing a write process for writing the data to the target memory cell is provided.
The device-side control unit is a printing device that determines that the target memory cell has deteriorated when the number of write operations received from the non-volatile memory is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. It ’s a printing device.
A mounting portion to which the consumables provided with the non-volatile memory according to claim 3 can be attached and detached, and
A device-side control unit that sends a write command to execute a write process for writing the data to the target memory cell, and a control unit on the device side.
A device-side storage unit that stores the cumulative number of times of the write operation of the write process executed for each write command is provided.
The device-side control unit determines that the target memory cell has deteriorated when the ratio of the cumulative number of times to the transmission number of the write command is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. It ’s a printing device.
Consumables having the non-volatile memory according to claim 3 and
A mounting part on which the consumables can be mounted and
A device-side control unit that sends a write command to execute a write process for writing the data to the target memory cell, and a control unit on the device side.
A device-side storage unit that stores the cumulative number of times of the write operation of the write process executed for each write command is provided.
In the device-side control unit, the number of writing operations received from the non-volatile memory is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, and the ratio of the cumulative number of times to the number of transmissions of the write command is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If, the printing device determines that the target memory cell has deteriorated. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7.
When the device-side control unit determines that the target memory cell is deteriorated and then causes the memory control unit to execute the write process, the device-side control unit is different from the target memory cell determined to be deteriorated. A printing device that causes a memory cell to execute the writing process.

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