摘要 |
A printer with a multi-segment printhead has multiple engine/controllers ( 10 ) configured to be coupled with other engine/controllers to drive the printhead ( 33 ). The controllers each have an interface ( 27 ) at which to receive compressed page data. Image decoders ( 28, 88 ) decode compressed image planes image decoders to perform an expansion, in pipeline fashion, for the received compressed page data. A half-toner/compositer ( 29 ) composites respective strips of the decoded image planes and sends output to a printhead interface ( 32 ). A printhead interface ( 32 ) interfaces with the printhead. A synchronization signal generator ( 89,90 ) may output a synchronization signal that is used to synchronize print engine/controllers. One printhead interface ( 32 ) preferably acts as master generating the synchronization signal to synchronize all the print engine/controllers to drive the printhead at any one or more of higher speed, higher input resolution, higher outlet resolution or wider format. The half-toner/compositor ( 29 ) scales input image planes under control of a margin unit ( 57 ) set the print engine/controller to establish print data for a strip only of the image, the image being built from the respective strips from the multiple print engine/controllers.
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