JP6967923B2 - Inkjet printers and printing systems - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to inkjet printers and printing systems.

Inkjet printers that print images according to print data have been put into practical use. The inkjet printer includes, for example, an inkjet head and an inkjet head control device (control module) that controls the inkjet head. Further, an inkjet printer having a plurality of inkjet heads and control modules has been put into practical use.

When the resolution of an inkjet printer is increased, the amount of data transfer increases. Therefore, there is a problem that a circuit for securing a band is required between the host PC and the host PC for transmitting print data.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-20104

An object to be solved by the present invention is to provide an inkjet printer and a printing system that efficiently transfer data.

The inkjet printer according to the embodiment includes an L2 switch that switches the destination of frame data received from a host PC, a plurality of control modules that are connected to the L2 switch and have a MAC address and a VLANID (VID) set, and each of the above controls. It comprises a plurality of inkjet heads connected to the module. When the L2 switch receives the frame data including the destination MAC address and VID from the host PC, the L2 switch transmits the frame data to the control module in which the VID included in the frame data is set, and the control module When the frame data is received, if the MAC address included in the frame data matches the MAC address of itself, the inkjet head is operated based on the frame data.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a printing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a control module of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of an inkjet head of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a MAC address in the inkjet printer according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of mapping information indicating the physical positions of a plurality of inkjet heads of the inkjet printer according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the printer application executed by the host PC according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the assignment setting created by the host PC according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of frame data according to an embodiment.

Hereinafter, the inkjet printer and the printing system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of a printing system 1 according to an embodiment. The printing system 1 includes a host PC 2 and an inkjet printer 3.

First, the host PC 2 according to the embodiment will be described.
The host PC (personal computer) 2 is an electronic device that implements, for example, an application (printer application) that causes an inkjet printer 3 to execute printing. The host PC 2 includes a communication interface for communicating with other devices, an arithmetic element for performing arithmetic processing, and a memory for storing an application and the like. The host PC 2 realizes various processes by executing an application in which the arithmetic element is stored in the memory.

The inkjet printer 3 is an example of an inkjet recording device. The inkjet printer 3 forms an image corresponding to print data on the print medium while conveying a print medium such as paper. The inkjet printer 3 is a printer that forms an image on a print medium by, for example, an inkjet method. The inkjet printer performs a printing process of forming an image on a print medium based on the print data supplied from the host PC 2.

The inkjet printer 3 has an L2 switch 11, a power supply circuit 12, a plurality of control modules 13, and a plurality of inkjet heads 14. The host PC 2, the L2 switch 11, the L2 switch 11, and the plurality of control modules 13 are each connected by a LAN cable.

Further, the inkjet printer 3 includes a paper feed cassette, a paper output tray, a display unit, an operation unit, a transport motor, a motor drive circuit, a pump, a pump drive circuit, and the like, which are not shown.

The paper cassette is a cassette that accommodates a plurality of print media. The output tray accommodates the print medium formed and ejected by the inkjet printer 3.

The display unit is a display device that displays a screen according to a video signal input from a display control unit such as a graphic controller (not shown). For example, a screen for setting the inkjet printer 3 is displayed on the display unit.

The operation unit generates an operation signal based on the operation of the operation member. The operating member is, for example, a touch sensor, a numeric keypad, a power key, a paper feed key, various function keys, a keyboard, or the like. The touch sensor is, for example, a resistance film type touch sensor, a capacitance type touch sensor, or the like. The touch sensor acquires information indicating a designated position within a certain area. The touch sensor is configured as a touch panel integrally with the above display unit, so that a signal indicating the touched position on the screen displayed on the display unit is input to the first system controller 21.

By rotating, the transport motor operates a transport member of a transport path (not shown) for transporting the print medium. The transport member is a belt, a roller, a guide, or the like that transports the print medium. The transfer motor transports the print medium along the guide by driving a roller that operates in conjunction with the belt that holds the print medium.

By driving the transport motor, the motor drive circuit transports the print medium of the paper feed cassette to the output tray via the inkjet head 14.

The pump includes, for example, a tube that communicates an ink tank (not shown) in which ink is held and a common liquid chamber of the inkjet head 14.

The pump drive circuit drives the pump to supply the ink in the ink tank to the common liquid chamber of the inkjet head 14.

The L2 switch 11 is a hub that supports a virtual LAN (VLAN). The L2 switch 11 includes a port connected to the host PC 2 and a port to which a plurality of control modules 13 are connected. The L2 switch 11 transmits the data received from the host PC 2 to the control module 13. When the L2 switch 11 supports link aggregation (LAG), the communication line band with the host PC 2 can be increased.

The power supply circuit 12 converts AC power supplied from a commercial power source into DC power and supplies it to each configuration in the inkjet printer 3. The power supply circuit 12 supplies, for example, a power supply voltage for driving each inkjet head 14 to each control module 13.

The control module 13 controls the operation of the inkjet head 14. The control module 13 includes a first system controller 21, a second system controller 22, a first rotary switch 23, and a second rotary switch 24.

The first system controller 21 controls data transfer to the inkjet head 14, controls communication with the host PC 2, and the like.

The second system controller 22 controls the supply of power to the inkjet head 14, manages the status of the inkjet head 14, and the like.

The first rotary switch 23 and the second rotary switch 24 are switches for switching a plurality of states. For example, the first rotary switch 23 and the second rotary switch 24 are switches that switch the connection state between the contact interlocking with the operation shaft and the plurality of contacts by rotating the operation shaft. The first rotary switch 23 and the second rotary switch 24 can, for example, have the first system controller 21 read one of the 16 states. Further, the first rotary switch 23 and the second rotary switch 24 may be configured by a combination of a plurality of toggle switches.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first system controller 21 includes a first communication unit 31, a second communication unit 32, an external I / F control circuit 33, a first CPU (Central Processing Unit) 34, and a memory. It includes a controller 35, a data output unit 36, a reference signal output unit 37, and the like.

The first communication unit 31 is an interface for communicating with the L2 switch 11. The first communication unit 31 is connected to the port of the L2 switch 11 by, for example, a LAN cable.

The second communication unit 32 is an interface for communicating with the second system controller 22. The second communication unit 32 is configured as, for example, a Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART). The second communication unit 32 may be configured to communicate with the second system controller 22 by another method.

The external I / F control circuit 33 performs data communication with, for example, a device corresponding to the USB interface.

The first CPU 34 includes an arithmetic element (for example, a processor) that executes arithmetic processing. The first CPU 34 performs various processes by executing a program stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory) or the like (not shown). For example, the first CPU 34 acquires the data transmitted from the L2 switch 11 via the first communication unit 31.

The memory controller 35 controls reading and writing of data to the semiconductor memory 38. The semiconductor memory 38 is a storage device that stores a program executed by the first system controller 21 and data for control. The semiconductor memory 38 is configured as, for example, a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM). More specifically, the semiconductor memory 38 is configured as a Double-Data-Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (DDR SDRAM). The memory controller 35 expands the data acquired from the L2 switch 11 via the first communication unit 31 into the semiconductor memory 38.

The data output unit 36 controls data transfer to the inkjet head 14. The data output unit 36 packetizes the data expanded in the semiconductor memory 38 and outputs the data to the inkjet head 14.

The reference signal output unit 37 outputs a reference signal (reference signal) of the drive signal used in the inkjet head 14 to the inkjet head 14.

As shown in FIG. 2, the second system controller 22 includes a third communication unit 41, a second CPU 42, a status register 43, and a power supply control circuit 44.

The third communication unit 41 is an interface for communicating with the first system controller 21. The third communication unit 41 is configured as, for example, a UART. The third communication unit 41 performs handling by transmitting and receiving commands to and from the first CPU 34 of the first system controller 21. The third communication unit 41 may be configured to communicate with the first system controller 21 by another method.

The second CPU 42 includes an arithmetic element (for example, a processor) that executes arithmetic processing. The second CPU 42 performs various processes by executing a program stored in a ROM (not shown) or the like in which the program is stored. For example, the second CPU 42 controls the power supply of the inkjet head 14, manages the status of the inkjet head 14, and the like. The second CPU 42 acquires the status of the inkjet head 14 and writes it to the status register 43.

The status register 43 stores various statuses related to the inkjet head 14 and the inkjet printer 3. The status includes, for example, the temperature and voltage of the inkjet head 14, the print control status, and the like. The status stored in the status register 43 is read by the second CPU 42.

The power supply control circuit 44 uses the power supply voltage supplied from the power supply circuit 12 to generate a power supply voltage for controlling the inkjet head 14, and supplies the power supply voltage to the inkjet head 14.

The inkjet head 14 is an image forming unit for forming an image on a print medium. The inkjet head 14 ejects ink by driving an actuator based on the control of the first system controller 21. The inkjet head 14 forms an image on a print medium by ejecting ink onto a print medium conveyed by a transfer member (not shown). The inkjet printer 3 includes a plurality of inkjet heads 14 for each color such as cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a configuration example of the inkjet head 14. The inkjet head 14 includes a driver IC 51 and an actuator 52.

The driver IC 51 drives the actuator 52 by applying a potential to the electrodes of the actuator 52 based on the control of the first system controller 21. For example, the driver IC 51 generates a drive signal for driving the actuator 52 according to the data transmitted from the first system controller 21, and inputs the generated drive signal to the actuator 52.

The driver IC 51 includes a register 61, a drive signal generation circuit 62, and a switch circuit 63.

The register 61 temporarily stores the data input from the first system controller 21. The register 61 supplies the stored data to the drive signal generation circuit 62 in the order in which they are stored. The register 61 is, for example, a shift register.

The drive signal generation circuit 62 generates a drive signal for driving the actuator 52 based on the printing supplied from the register 61. The drive signal generation circuit 62 supplies the generated drive signal to the switch circuit 63.

For example, the drive signal generation circuit 62 generates a drive signal to be supplied to the switch circuit 63 by using a predetermined waveform pattern. For example, the drive signal generation circuit 62 combines a drive signal that expands the volume of the pressure chamber, a contraction signal that causes the volume of the pressure chamber to contract, and a steady state that does not deform the volume of the pressure chamber. To generate.

The switch circuit 63 switches the voltage applied to the actuator 52 by the drive signal supplied from the drive signal generation circuit 62 and the power supply voltage supplied from the second system controller 22.

The actuator 52 is a piezoelectric element that changes the pressure in the pressure chamber filled with ink by deforming according to the applied voltage. The actuator 52 is driven by the voltage input from the driver IC 51. When the actuator 52 is driven and the pressure in the pressure chamber becomes low (in an expanded state), ink is drawn into the pressure chamber from the common liquid chamber of the ink liquid chamber. Further, when the actuator 52 is driven and the pressure in the pressure chamber becomes high (in a contracted state), the ink in the pressure chamber is ejected from the ejection nozzle provided in the pressure chamber.

Next, the initial setting for generating the data to be transmitted from the host PC 2 to the inkjet printer 3 will be described.

First, the generation of the MAC address will be described. The first system controller 21 of each control module 13 reads, for example, the states of the first rotary switch 23 and the second rotary switch 24 at startup. The first system controller 21 generates an ID (VID) in the VLAN based on the state of the first rotary switch 23.

Further, the first system controller 21 generates position information indicating the position of the inkjet head 14 connected to itself based on the state of the second rotary switch 24.

Further, the first system controller 21 generates a MAC address (destination MAC address) by combining the generated VID and location information with preset information (for example, a vendor code and a device code).

Further, the first system controller 21 notifies the L2 switch 11 of the generated VID. The L2 switch 11 associates the port to which the control module 13 that has transmitted the VID is connected with the received VID, and stores the received VID in a memory (not shown) as a port-VID setting.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a configuration example of the MAC address. The MAC address has a field composed of 6 octets, and the vendor code, the device code, and the like are stored in the 6 octed field. Further, the MAC address has an "Individual / Group (I / G) bit" and a "Universal / Local (U / L) bit" in the most significant octed of the upper 3 octets.

The "I / G bit" is a bit indicating either unicast or multicast (or broadcast). For example, when the "I / G bit" is "0", the "I / G bit" indicates unicast. Further, for example, when the "I / G bit" is "1", the "I / G bit" indicates multicast.

The "U / L bit" is a bit indicating either universal or local. For example, when the "U / L bit" is "0", the "U / L bit" indicates universal. Further, for example, when the "U / L bit" is "1", the "U / L bit" indicates local.

Usually, the MAC address is assigned to a device-specific MAC address. However, in a specific environment (for example, in an independent network), a MAC address for the specific environment (an address set by a terminal that manages the specific environment) may be used in addition to the MAC address unique to the device. In this case, "I / G bit" is set to "0: unicast". Furthermore, when a unique address is set for each destination in this specific environment, a global address may be used for the "U / L bit".

As described above, in the specific environment, the MAC address may be a device-specific MAC address or a unique MAC address set by a terminal in the specific environment. In the present embodiment, in the specific environment (system) including the host PC 2 and the inkjet printer 3, the first system controller 21 of the control module 13 of the inkjet printer 3 is the first rotary switch 23 and the second rotary. It will be described as being generated based on the state of the switch 24 and the preset information.

The highest octed MAC address generated in this embodiment is "02". That is, the "U / L bit" is "1: local". For example, the top 4 octets of the 6 octets that make up the MAC address are "02:80:91: BC". Further, the lower 2 octets of the 6 octets constituting the MAC address are generated based on the state of the rotary switch. For example, when the state (value) of the first rotary switch 23 is "F" and the state (value) of the second rotary switch 24 is "F", the first system controller 21 is set to "02: The MAC address "80:91: BC: 00: FF" is generated. According to such a configuration, the inkjet printer 3 can generate a unique MAC address for each inkjet head 14, and it is not necessary to assign a unique MAC address to the inkjet head 14 at the time of shipment. The host PC 2 may be configured to read the states of the first rotary switch 23 and the second rotary switch 24 of each control module 13 via the L2 switch 11 and generate a MAC address. The VID is set for each color corresponding to, for example, the inkjet head 14. That is, the same VID is set in the control module 13 to which a plurality of inkjet heads 14 corresponding to the same color are connected.

Next, the data transmitted by the inkjet printer 3 to the host PC 2 will be described. When communication is established with the host PC 2, the inkjet printer 3 transmits various data for initial setting to the host PC.

The data for initial setting includes, for example, data such as physical arrangement information of the inkjet head 14 and the MAC address of the control module 13 to which each inkjet head 14 is connected. The physical arrangement information of the inkjet head 14 is, for example, color setting information, head series information, nozzle stacking information, medium recording orientation information, coordinate information, and the like. Specifically, the first system controller 21 transmits the physical arrangement information of the inkjet head 14 and the MAC address to the host PC 2. The first system controller 21 may be configured to acquire the status of the inkjet head 14 from the second system controller 22 and transmit it to the host PC 2.

Next, the processing in the host PC 2 will be described.
The host PC 2 performs various processes for causing the inkjet printer 3 to print by executing the printer application by the arithmetic element.

First, when communication with the inkjet printer 3 is established, the host PC 2 receives the MAC address of each control module 13 from each control module 13 of the inkjet printer 3 via the L2 switch 11 and the inkjet head connected to each control module 13. Acquires 14 physical arrangement information. The host PC 2 generates rotary switch setting information indicating the state of the rotary switch in the inkjet head 14 from the MAC address. For example, the host PC 2 treats the lower two octats of the MAC address as rotary switch setting information. As a result, the host PC 2 acquires the VID and the position information for each inkjet head 14.

The host PC 2 generates mapping information as shown in FIG. 5 based on the rotary switch setting information.

The mapping information is information indicating the installation position of 16 heads × 16 bars. The mapping information is associated with colors that can be printed by the inkjet head 14, the position of the inkjet head 14, and information for identifying the inkjet head 14. The host PC 2 recognizes at which position (bar) each inkjet head 14 is arranged based on the rotary switch setting information, and generates mapping information by mapping.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the printer application.
The host PC 2 acquires color setting information, head series information, nozzle stacking information, medium recording orientation information, coordinate information, and the like from the physical arrangement information.

The host PC 2 generates assignment settings based on rotary switch setting information, color setting information, head series information, nozzle stacking information, medium recording orientation information, coordinate information, and mapping information. The assignment setting is information for converting image data into print data, which is data for printing by the inkjet head 14. The assignment setting is generated for each control module 13 to which the inkjet head 14 is connected.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of assignment setting. The assignment setting is the HeadNo for identifying the inkjet head 14 and the position of the inkjet head 14 (the row in which the corresponding inkjet head 14 is arranged among the plurality of inkjet heads 14 arranged as different rows for each color). It has a Bar No., a Color indicating a color that can be printed by the inkjet head 14, and offset values X and Y, which are differences between a certain reference position and the inkjet head 14. Normally, the inkjet heads 14 that print the same color are arranged in the same row. Further, it is assumed that the same VID is set in the plurality of control modules 13 to which the inkjet head 14 that prints the same color is connected. Therefore, the host PC 2 may be configured to set the VID extracted from the MAC address of the control module 13 as BarNo.

The host PC 2 converts the image data into print data based on the assignment setting. That is, the host PC 2 calculates the color component constituting the pixel for each pixel constituting the image data, and converts the calculated color component into a printing color component for expressing with ink. Further, the host PC 2 recognizes which position the printing should be performed by which inkjet head 14 by referring to the assignment setting. Further, the host PC 2 generates print data used for driving the actuator 52 based on the recognition result.

When printing with a certain color, the host PC 2 assigns which position (at which timing) the inkjet head 14 should be printed, and which VID the inkjet head 14 to be printed belongs to. Recognize from. That is, when printing with a certain color, the host PC 2 recognizes the BarNo associated with the inkjet head 14 to be printed from the assignment setting, and sets the VID to be added to the print data based on the recognized BarNo. .. Similarly, the host PC 2 sets the MAC address of the control module 13 for sending print data as the destination MAC address.

Next, the frame data generated by the host PC 2 will be described.
The host PC 2 uses the assignment setting and the print data to generate frame data for causing the inkjet printer 3 to execute printing. For example, the host PC 2 generates the frame data shown in FIG. 8 by executing the printer application. The host PC 2 inputs the generated frame data to the inkjet printer 3 to cause the inkjet printer 3 to perform printing.

The frame data generated by the host PC 2 is, for example, an Ethernet frame with a tag frame. The frame data is, for example, an Ethernet frame defined by IEEE 802.1Q.

Frame data includes fields such as "destination MAC address", "source MAC address", "type", "Tag Protocol Identifier (TCI)", "type", "data", and "Frame Check Sequence (FCS)". Has.

The "destination MAC address" is a field in which data for causing the inkjet printer 3 to recognize the destination MAC address is stored. The "destination MAC address" corresponds to, for example, the MAC address of one of the plurality of control modules 13 in the inkjet printer 3.

The "source MAC address" is a field in which data for causing the inkjet printer 3 to recognize the source MAC address is stored. The "source MAC address" is stored in advance in the host PC 2 or generated in advance by the host PC 2.

The first "type" is a field in which data for causing the inkjet printer 3 to recognize the type of frame data is stored.

The "TCI" is a field in which data such as a "Priority Code Point (PCP)" indicating a priority, a "Canonical Format Indicator (CFI)" indicating a format, and a "VID" are stored. The "VID" is a VID to which the inkjet head 14 for printing belongs.

The second "type" is a field in which data for causing the inkjet printer 3 to recognize the type of frame data is stored.

The "data" is a field in which print data for causing the inkjet printer 3 to execute printing is stored.

The "FCS" is a field in which data for causing the inkjet printer 3 to check for frame damage is stored.

Next, the operation of the host PC 2 and the inkjet printer 3 when the frame data is transmitted from the host PC 2 to the inkjet printer 3 will be described.

The host PC 2 transmits the frame data having the above configuration to the L2 switch 11 of the inkjet printer 3.

When the L2 switch 11 of the inkjet printer 3 receives the frame data from the host PC 2, the L2 switch 11 searches the control module 13 for transmitting the frame data based on the destination MAC address of the frame data. The L2 switch 11 recognizes the "VID" of the "TCI" of the frame data received from the host PC 2. The L2 switch 11 refers to the above port-VID setting and recognizes the port associated with the recognized VID. The L2 switch 11 transmits frame data to the recognized port.

The control module 13 that has received the frame data from the L2 switch 11 determines whether or not the "destination MAC address" of the frame data matches its own MAC address. When the "destination MAC address" of the frame data matches its own MAC address, the control module 13 causes the inkjet head 14 to perform printing based on the print data included in the "data" of the received frame data.

As described above, in the inkjet printer 3 of the present application, the L2 switch 11 for switching the destination of the frame data including the destination MAC address and VID received from the host PC 2 and the L2 switch 11 are connected and the MAC address and VID are set. It has a plurality of control modules 13 and a plurality of inkjet heads 14 connected to each control module 13. The L2 switch 11 transmits the frame data to the control module 13 in which the VID included in the frame data received from the host PC 2 is set. When the destination MAC address included in the frame data and its own MAC address match, the control module 13 operates the inkjet head 14 based on the frame data. According to such a configuration, the frame data that should have been broadcast to all the control modules connected to the L2 switch 11 can be divided into broadcast domains for each VID, and as a result, the L2 switch 11 from the host PC 2 can be divided. It is possible to suppress the bandwidth required for transferring frame data via.

Further, the host PC 2 acquires physical position information regarding the inkjet head 14 from each control module 13. As a result, the host PC 2 can grasp the position and connection state of the inkjet head 14. As a result, maintenance at the time of replacement of the inkjet head 14 and replacement of the control module 13 becomes easy.

In the above embodiment, it has been described that the MAC address of the control module 13 is assigned 4 bits each for VID and physical position information, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The information in the lower 1 byte of the MAC address configured by the control module 13 based on the first rotary switch 23 and the second rotary switch 24 can be changed, for example, as follows, including mapping.

From rotary SW information [7: 0] 1. [7: 4] ⇒ VID, [3: 0] ⇒ Physical position information 16 heads / LVAN_ID
2. 2. [7: 3] ⇒ VID, [2: 0] ⇒ Physical location information 8 Head / LVAN_ID
3. 3. [7: 5] ⇒ VID, [4: 0] ⇒ Physical location information 32 Head / LVAN_ID
When the VID is 4 groups, the VID on the host PC2 side can be handled by assigning multiple IP addresses with one physical NIC.

VID 01 192.168.1.5/24
02 192.168.2.5/24
03 192.168.3.5/24
04 192.168.4.5/24

It should be noted that the functions described in each of the above-described embodiments are not limited to the configuration using hardware, and can be realized by loading a program describing each function into a computer using software. Further, each function may be configured by appropriately selecting either software or hardware.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.
The inventions described in the original claims of the present application are described below.
[1] An L2 switch for switching the destination of frame data received from a host PC, a plurality of control modules connected to the L2 switch and set with a MAC address and VLANID (VID), and connected to each of the control modules. A plurality of inkjet heads are provided, and when the L2 switch receives the frame data including the destination MAC address and VID from the host PC, the control module in which the VID included in the frame data is set is set. When the frame data is transmitted and the control module receives the frame data and the MAC address included in the frame data matches its own MAC address, the control module sets the inkjet head based on the frame data. An inkjet printer to operate.
[2] The control module is further set with position information indicating the position of the connected inkjet head, and the MAC address set in the control module partially includes the VID and the position information. The inkjet printer according to the appendix [1].
[3] The inkjet printer according to the appendix [2], wherein the control module includes a first rotary switch for setting the VID and a second rotary switch for setting the position information.
[4] A printing system including an inkjet printer and a host PC for printing on the inkjet printer, wherein the inkjet printer has an L2 switch for switching a destination of frame data received from the host PC and an L2 switch. A plurality of control modules connected to the control module and having a MAC address and VLANID (VID) set, and a plurality of inkjet heads connected to the control modules are provided, and the host PC is controlled by the inkjet printer. The print data that acquires the MAC address and VID of each module and causes the inkjet printer to perform printing, and the frame data including the MAC address and VID of the control module to which the inkjet head to perform printing is connected. The L2 switch includes an arithmetic element to be transmitted to an inkjet printer, and when the L2 switch receives the frame data from the host PC, the L2 switch transmits the frame data to the control module in which the VID included in the frame data is set. The control module is a printing system that operates the inkjet head based on the frame data when the frame data is received and the MAC address included in the frame data matches the MAC address of itself.
[5] The control module is further set with position information indicating the position of the connected inkjet head, and the MAC address set in the control module partially includes the VID and the position information. The calculation element is the inkjet head that prints for each pixel of image data based on the position information of the plurality of inkjet heads and the VIDs of the plurality of control modules to which the inkjet heads are connected. The printing system according to the appendix [4], which generates the print data for causing the inkjet printer to perform printing based on the determined position information of the inkjet head.

1 ... printing system, 2 ... host PC, 3 ... inkjet printer, 11 ... L2 switch, 12 ... power supply circuit, 13 ... control module, 14 ... inkjet head, 21 ... first system controller, 22 ... second system controller , 23 ... 1st rotary switch, 24 ... 2nd rotary switch, 31 ... 1st communication unit, 32 ... 2nd communication unit, 33 ... external I / F control circuit, 34 ... 1st CPU, 35 ... Memory controller, 36 ... Data output unit, 37 ... Reference signal output unit, 38 ... Semiconductor memory, 41 ... Third communication unit, 42 ... Second CPU, 43 ... Status register, 44 ... Power supply control circuit, 51 ... Driver IC, 52 ... actuator, 61 ... register, 62 ... drive signal generation circuit, 63 ... switch circuit.

Claims (4)

An L2 switch that switches the destination of frame data received from the host PC,
A plurality of control modules connected to the L2 switch and having a MAC address and VLANID (VID) set,
A plurality of inkjet heads connected to each of the control modules,
Equipped with
When the L2 switch receives the frame data including the destination MAC address and VID from the host PC, the L2 switch transmits the frame data to the control module in which the VID included in the frame data is set.
When the control module receives the frame data and the MAC address included in the frame data matches its own MAC address, the control module operates the inkjet head based on the frame data .
Further, the control module is set with position information indicating the position of the connected inkjet head.
The MAC address set in the control module is an inkjet printer that partially includes the VID and the position information. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the control module includes a first rotary switch for setting the VID and a second rotary switch for setting the position information. A printing system including an inkjet printer and a host PC for causing the inkjet printer to print.
The inkjet printer
An L2 switch that switches the destination of frame data received from the host PC,
A plurality of control modules connected to the L2 switch and having a MAC address and VLANID (VID) set,
A plurality of inkjet heads connected to each of the control modules,
Equipped with
The host PC acquires the MAC address and VID of each control module from the inkjet printer, and print data for causing the inkjet printer to perform printing and the control module to which the inkjet head for printing is connected. An arithmetic element for transmitting frame data including the MAC address and VID to the inkjet printer is provided.
When the L2 switch receives the frame data from the host PC, the L2 switch transmits the frame data to the control module in which the VID included in the frame data is set.
When the control module receives the frame data and the MAC address included in the frame data matches its own MAC address, the control module operates the inkjet head based on the frame data .
Further, the control module is set with position information indicating the position of the connected inkjet head.
A printing system in which the MAC address set in the control module partially includes the VID and the position information. The arithmetic element has the inkjet head that prints for each pixel of image data based on the position information of the plurality of inkjet heads and the VIDs of the plurality of control modules to which the inkjet heads are connected. The printing system according to claim 3, wherein the printing data is generated for causing the inkjet printer to perform printing based on the determined and determined position information of the inkjet head.

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