JPH01288467A - Recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable normal print simply through replacement of a LED head section without requiring replacement of ROM or modification of setting of drive section, in a LED printer, by setting information representing the characteristic at the LED head section therein and driving a driver based on the information. CONSTITUTION:When a LED head 3 is specified, S1-S6 in a short line section 15 are set to shortcircuit or release corresponding to the type of the LED head thus forming information concerning to the head. The information is inputted to a CPU 5 which identifies the type, the dot density and the light emission time of the LED head. Preprogrammed data concerning to dot length counter value, strobe timer value, dot line pulse timer value and data length counter value corresponding to the LED head are read out from a ROM 4 and written into the register of a LED head control circuit 16. The LED head control circuit 16 sets light emission and extinction data into the driver based on the written data thus emitting or extinguishing light from the LED chip.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an LED printer that uses LED chips as light emitting elements and forms arbitrary characters on recording paper.

(Prior Art) FIG. 6 is a circuit block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a conventional head driving section and an LED head section. First, the configuration of the conventional example will be explained using the same figure.

The LED chips 1-1 to 1-n are composed of a plurality of LED arrays. Driver IG2-1 to 2-n are LED chips 1-
1 to 1-n are emitted and quenched. LED head part 3 is L
ED chips 1-1 to 1-n and driver ICs 2-1 to 2
-n. ROM4 is a storage device that stores counter values used to set data 7 in driver I (:2-1 to 2-n), a timer value that represents the light emitting time of the LED head, and minute pitch rotation of the photosensitive drum of the LED printer. The period of synchronized dot line pulses, etc. are memorized.The CPU 5 is connected to the ROM 4 through its own output port, and is also connected to the driver ICs 2-1 to 2-n.

1. As for the operation of the circuit for causing the ED chips 1-1 to 1-n to emit light, first, the blinking data 7 is transferred to the driver IC by serial transfer, that is, in synchronization with the clock 8.
2-1 to 2-n.

Then, the driver ICs 2-1 to 2-n are turned on by the strobe signal 9 output from the CPU 5, causing the LED chips 1-1 to 1-n to emit light.

FIG. 7 is a circuit block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a drive unit and an LED head unit using different manual power systems.

Figure 7 differs from Figure 6 in the manual data format. Driver IC2-1 to 2 where data 1 is an odd number of dots
- (n-1), and data 2 is sent to the even-numbered dot driver ICs 2-2 to 2-n.

The circuit operation for causing the LED chips 1-1 to 1-n to emit light is based on the data 1 and 2 set in the same way as in the case of the driver IC set in FIG.
The driver ICs 2-1 to 2-n are turned on by the strobe signal 9 output from I3, and the LED chips 1-1 to 2-n are turned on.
1-n to emit light.

The reason why the method shown in Figure 6 and the method shown in Figure 7 are different is because of the purpose of use.
This is because the ots per finch (DPI) is different. In the method shown in Figure 6, 240DPI for B4 paper
, 300 DPI for letter size paper, 300 DPI for B4 paper, and 400 DI'1 for B4 paper in the method shown in FIG.

On the other hand, the data transfer method of the LED printer is a method of transferring data using dot line pulses synchronized with minute pitch rotation of the photosensitive drum. Therefore, the LED head part 3
When the dot density in the main scanning direction (horizontal direction of the character) changes, the dot density in the sub-scanning direction (vertical direction of the character) changes at the same time, so it is necessary to change the period of the dot line pulse.

Therefore, select the LED that corresponds to the type of LED head you are using.
The RAM of the drive unit 6 is adjusted according to the dot density of the head unit 3.
4, the period of the dot line pulse was changed to transfer data and form arbitrary characters on the recording paper.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the above conventional configuration, 1. When the ED head section 3 is changed, the dot density also changes at the same time.
4 also needs to be changed, and when the number of dots is changed, the hardware also needs to be changed, making the manufacturing process complicated. Also, since the data transfer circuit differs depending on the data transfer method such as 1-line type or 2-line type,
There was a problem in that it was necessary to change the drive section 6 to one compatible with the ED helad section 3. Furthermore, if you mistakenly print using the ROM 4 or drive unit 6 that does not correspond to the LED head unit 3, not only will normal printing not be possible, but due to the difference in data transfer methods, the LED array will be in a constant light-emitting state, which will reduce reliability. There is a problem in that the LED array may be damaged due to negative effects.

Therefore, the present invention is intended to solve the problem of stiffness, and by simply replacing the LED head section 3, there is no need to perform operations such as replacing the ROM 4 or changing the settings of the drive section 6. ．． The present invention provides an LED printer that selects the dot line pulse generation and data transfer method that match the dot density of the ED head portion 3, and performs normal printing at any time.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides a plurality of 1, ED chips and LE as light emitting elements.
LE including multiple drivers that emit and extinguish light from the D chip
D head part and 1. In an LED printer, the drive section includes a storage device that stores information necessary to drive the ED head section, and a control device that reads information from the storage device and drives the driver. A setting means for setting information representing the characteristics of the head section and notifying it to the drive section; and a control device receives the information notified from the setting means, and the control device reads the information from the storage device based on the information described in 17 above. LED that reads the necessary data and drives the driver with this data
The apparatus is characterized by further comprising a head control means.

(Function) When the LED head is specified, characteristics such as light emission time, dot density, dot line pulse, data transfer method, etc. are specified. Corresponding to this characteristic, the setting means presets the LED.
Information representing the characteristics of the head section is set to create information regarding the LED head. When the control device receives this information, the control device reads data corresponding to this LED head from the storage device and writes it into the register of the LED head control means.

Based on the written data, the LED head control means sets light emission/extinguishing data in the driver, and drives the driver to cause the LED chip to emit and extinguish light.

Therefore, the above-mentioned problem can be eliminated, and the dot line pulse can be automatically adjusted to the dot density of the LED head without the need for operations such as replacing the storage device or changing the drive unit settings just by replacing the LED head. It is possible to provide an LED printer that can perform normal printing at any time by selecting the generation and data transfer method.

(Example) Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a driving section and an LED head section according to the present invention.

Figure 2 shows the LE used in the LED printer according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a side view showing the appearance of the D head. In Figure 2, L
The light source of the ED array 12 is formed on the mount 10.

Power for the LED array 12 is supplied from two power connectors 13 at both ends of the board 11. The signal connector 14 is a connector for connecting signals between the LED head section and the driving section. The signal line to the signal connector 14 is L, which will be described later.
It consists of a short line that provides dot density information, light emission information, etc. for each ED head section to the driving section, and a signal line that sends signals such as clock, data, strobe, etc. from the driving section to the LED head section.

Next, in FIG. 1, the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 6 and 7 indicate the same components. The different components include the short line section 15 and the LED head control circuit. The short line section 15 is made up of S, , 52-1S8, and can be short-circuited to or disconnected from the ground. The other terminal is CPU5
It is connected to the human-powered boats P0, p, , ..., R7. Each of the short line parts 15 is connected to a power supply (5V) and a resistor (R+, R2, "", Ra) at the input port of (: PI3).
are connected via. For example, if Sl is short-circuited, the CPU 5's manual port P. A voltage of OV is applied to , and when SI is released, a voltage of 5■ is applied. Therefore L
Information can be notified from the ED head section 3 to the drive section 6 by shorting and releasing the short lines S, S2, . . . , S8 of the short line 15. Here, CPU5 is the human-powered boat po, p.
, -..., information on the light emitting time of the LED head is received from the human power value of R4 (for example, 25 = 32 types of information), and the human power values of the human-powered boats Ps, R6, and R7 (for example, 23
= 8 types of information), information corresponding to the dot density of the LED head and the type of data transfer method is received. (:P
I3 reads necessary data from the ROM based on this information and supplies it to the LED head control circuit 16.

Next, the LED head control circuit 16 on the pass line of the CPU 5 supplies each of the clock 8, strobe 9, and data signals to the driver ICs 2-1 to 2-n. L.E.
The D head control circuit 16 will be explained using FIGS. 3 and 4. The dot length counter 20 shown in FIG. 3 is cleared by the data top pulse shown in FIG. 4, and outputs a load pulse to the LED head section 3 when the set number of dots (clock number) is reached. The strobe timer 21 is a signal for causing the LED head to emit light with the latched data 7 after the data 7 is latched by the LED head (after the load pulse signal is output). The signal of the strobe 9 can be selected to be lit all at once or divided into four parts. Dot line pulse timer 22 determines the period of dot line pulse 18. Dot line pulse 18 is LED
This is a value that determines the period in the main scanning direction of the head, and if the paper running speed of the printer is constant, the dot density of the LED head (for example, 240DPI, 300DPI)
It should be changed as shown in the figure. The data length counter 23 is used to prevent data from being output to a portion outside the paper width, and when it reaches the value set in the data length counter 23, the data line is treated as its own data. Therefore, the data length counter value is less than or equal to the dot length counter value.

In the operation for emitting light from the LED chips 1-1 to 1-n and step 1, first, the steps S and S8 of the line portion 15 of the sea 3-1 and the line portion 15 are performed.
is set to short circuit or open depending on the type of LED head,
Create information regarding the LED head. This information is provided to Puka Boat P of CP tl 5. - input into P7,
PIJ5 identifies the type of LED head, density, and light emitting time. After drying, the data of the dot length counter value, strobe timer value, dot line pulse timer value, and data length counter value corresponding to the LED head, which were previously requested in the program, are read out from the ROM 4. ,
The data is written to a register (not shown) of the ED head control circuit 16. Due to the fear, the LED head control circuit 16
The initial settings will be made. In this way, the ED head control circuit 1B outputs a dot line pulse 18 signal corresponding to the type of LED head and dot density and synchronized with the minute pitch rotation of the photosensitive drum, and transmits the stiffness to the upper side. Serial data 17 synchronized with d and rA:', ni, and kom is received from the upper level. This data 17 is converted into one-line or two-line data corresponding to the type of LED head and is supplied to the LED head. Next, the driver ICs 2-1 to 2n are turned on by the signal from the strobe 9, and the L E' and D chips 1-1 to 1-n emit light.

In addition, the control circuit 16 of the LED head is set to CI at the time of initial setting.
Since the effective printing area of the paper size to be printed by LI5 is also set, the data of setting trust-L must be forcibly invalidated7'3, and printing outside the printing effective area is It is possible to avoid this by changing the light emission timing of the 1.fi D array depending on whether the strobe 9 signals are output all at once or in a time-division manner. It also has the function of controlling the inrush current of the head.

(Effect of the invention) As stated above, in the final face-up process of head manufacturing, 1
Depending on the dot density and data transfer method of the ED head, the characteristics of the LED head are set by selectively shorting and opening the spot wires, and significant information is set in the drive unit. By notifying us, we will be able to install the LED head,
When replacing '1'', there is no need to operate the drive part at all.
Dot line pulse data can be transferred according to each LED head.

As a result, conventionally multiple ROMs can be unified into one, and even when changing to LED heads with different dot densities and data transfer methods, there is no reduction in reliability or accidents such as damage due to incorrect connections, etc., and the LED head can always be used. This makes it possible to print in accordance with the characteristics of

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a drive section and an LED head section according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an external view of the LEI) head according to the present invention, and FIG.
Figure 4 is a block diagram of the LED head control circuit according to the present invention, Figure 4 is a time chart showing an example of the human output signal of the ED control circuit according to the present invention, and Figure 5 is a dot line pulse diagram. A schematic diagram, FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a conventional drive section and an LED head section, and FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a conventional drive section and an LED head section using a different manual power system. 1-1-1n: 1. ED chip, 2-1 to 2-n
: Driver ICl 3: LED head section, 4: ROM, 5: f':P
I, 6: Drive unit, 7: Data,
8: Clock signal, 9 Nistrope signal,
1O: Mount, 11: Board, 1221, ED array, 13: Power connector, 14: Signal connector, 15 Niji-do line part, 16: 1, ED head control circuit, 17: Serial data from 3rd place 20: Dot length counter, 21 Nistlope timer, 22: Dot line pulse timer, 23: Data length counter.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An LED head section including a plurality of LED chips as light emitting elements and a plurality of drivers for emitting and extinguishing the LED chips, and a memory storing information necessary to drive the LED head section. In the LED printer, the LED printer includes a drive section including a device and a control device that reads information from the storage device and drives the driver.
a setting means for setting information representing characteristics of the head section and notifying the driving section; and receiving information notified from the setting means at the control device;
A recording apparatus comprising: an LED head control means for causing the control device to read necessary data from the storage device based on the information and drive the driver based on the data.