Print head drive scheme

• Main Authors: Anderson, Frank Edward, Parish, George Keith
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.08.2002

The invention relates generally to ink jet printers. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for addressing nozzles in an inkjet printhead through address lines, quadrature lines and primitive lines. The invention provides a three-dimensional printhead drive scheme for a printhead of an ink jet printer. A method is provided for selectively activating a printing element within an array of printing elements on a printhead of an ink jet printer. The printhead includes an integrated circuit having pass-gate devices and power devices associated with corresponding printing elements. The pass-gate devices and power devices each have a source, drain, and gate, where the source of each pass-gate device is connected to the gate of a corresponding one of the power devices, and where the source of each power device is connected to a corresponding one of the printing elements. According to the method, a quadrant selection signal is provided to a subset of the pass-gate devices, and the subset of printing elements within the array of printing elements is selected based on the quadrant selection signal. An address signal is provided to a group of the power devices within the subset, and the group of printing elements is selected based on the address signal. A primitive signal is provided to the selected group of printing elements on the printhead, and a printing element within the selected group is activated based on the primitive signal.