Microcontroller in a Printer - Research Paper Example

Microcontroller in a printer Printers have acted as an essential electronic considering its close relation to the computers. Producing hard copies from the computers relies on the use of printer. This implies that the absence of printers would have reduced the importance of computers in the world. This point of view, about the importance of printers, brings one to recognizing the essentiality of the microcontrollers in the world today. Acting as an embedding system, makes microcontroller even effective in its functions of controlling the working of electronic system. This research paper will discuss the importance of microcontrollers through discussing its association to the various printers’ mechanisms. Introduction The invention of printer was important to the world especially at a time when there was pressing need to produce hardcopies. This need arose because of the invention of computers which required that an individual obtains a printout of the softcopy. Consequently, this led to the invention of the first printer, called a teletype machine but this were inefficient triggering the invention of dot matrix printers making use of microcontroller (Andrews, 45). Intuitively, it is true to say that microcontrollers saved the world in making the nowadays existing printers, inkjet and LaserJet printers. It is important to analyze of how the microcontroller leads to the efficiency of inkjet considering that this type of printer makes use of ink dots. Just like in other devices, like dishwasher, the microcontroller helps in providing motion to the ink dots required to reach the paper and yield images. The action of microcontroller in controlling various processes such as electric current, performance and electric current makes it useful within the printers. This is like saying that the use of microcontroller reflects the quality of output from the printers. This research paper provides a comprehensive review of how a microcontroller insider a printer helps in making the printing mechanism a success. This will involve looking at the significant processes and how they relate to the functioning of the microcontroller. Mechanisms Heating and cooling The printers normally require the presence of heating and cooling to contribute to the movement of the dot to the paper. This always involves making use of thermal heat to initiate kinetic energy to the drop allowing it to move to the paper. The following is an image showing the impact of heat on the ink drop: As it is shown in the image, the required squirt of ink to the paper occurs after heating the ink which then starts to move in form of a bubble. However, the bubble bursts when it reaches out in the high pressure zone. This pressure causes the ink to burst causing it to hit the paper. The need for cooling effect sets in, at this point, where there is need for the bubble to collapse. The cooling effect triggers the elements in the bubble to cool thereby causing it to collapse. Consequently, the firing process forms a significant stage in delivering a desirable output from the printer. The whole idea of the heating and cooling relies on the need for operating in shorter and longer loops. In turn, the firing process depends on the presence of the microcontroller, which is an embedded system, allowing the manufacturers to use it within the system. In this case, the microcontroller helps in controlling the temperature required for heating and cooling. The ability of the microcontroller to regulate the temperature of the system makes through its CPU allows it to be effective in the printer. The Random Access Memory allows the user to initiate the process of heating and cooling as a temporary process (Ibrahim, 26). Since it stores the data temporarily, it allows the whole process to stop once, the power goes off. This allows the printer to initiate the heating and cooling process, once the power is put on, while also stopping the process when the power goes off. The microcontroller allows the printer to work in longer and closer loops thereby alternating the heating and the cooling process. Printing many copies Printer always associated to yielding many hardcopies from the computer output. The amount of copies produced depends on the action of the ink dots on the papers. When producing many copies, the user would have to dictate the movement of the ink back and forth to allow for the production of many copies as possible. The ink dot will have to undergo continuous heating and cooling, corresponding to bulging and collapsing respectively. Further, it is also important to note that the number of copies produced at a given time will also depend on the print speed. The ability of the printer to work faster relies on the frequency at which the nozzle carries out its function. The nozzle is the device which controls the production of the ink drops. In order to produce many copies within a shorter time, the user have to ensure a higher frequency at which the nozzle drops the ink dots, approximately 12 MHz (Andrews, 45). The need to control the density and time taken by the printer also calls for the need of a microcontroller. The microcontroller is important in controlling the quantity and time taken for a printer to work. In this case, the microcontroller helps in regulating the amount of copies produced and at what frequency. The watchdog timer, found within the microcontroller, helps in controlling the starting and the end of a process consequently proving important for the alternating cooling and heating. For instance, when printing many copies, there will be need for restarting the whole process of heating to allow drop of ink to the other papers. The timer works in this case by counting up to the program end thereby allowing the microcontroller to reset (Huang, 352). The reset of the microcontroller aids in executing the heating process from the first instruction, thereby helping in the production of many copies. The watchdog timer, containing the separate RC oscillator also helps in saving the user from inefficiencies arising from noise (from any nearby industries). The following image shows the various parts of the microcontroller which aids in the functioning of the printer. Creation of colors The quality of output by a printer highly depends on its ability to produce specific color contained in the original document. The printer has the work of ensuring that the colors are produced the way they are, while the spaces without colors are also left blank. The printer works in reproducing colors dithering of the colors to yield the required spectrum. Dithering result to splitting of the color pixel into an range of dots so that each dot contains one of the basic colors or intentionally left blank as dictated by the soft copy (Ibrahim, 26). Color matching is the name given to the whole process of reproducing colors, as viewed in the soft copy. However, it is also worth noting that the color yielded by the printer relies on the color system used by that given printer model. Most of the printers manufacturers have enable four-color printing including cyan, yellow, magenta, and black. The printers need to be in a position of switching between black and the other color images to allow for the quality production of the final hard copy. Physically swapping the cartridges allows the user to transit from one use of color to the other. The use of microcontroller sets in, considering that the case of color creation requires the control of color produced. For instance, the presence of the interrupt control in the microcontroller is significant when swapping between the colors produced. The interrupt control allows the microcontroller to delay an undergoing program such as color creation. The resulting interruption allows the user to physically change the cartridges allowing for the swapping of colors from black to other or vice versa. Why the preference of microcontroller in the printers? No technical knowledge required for programming Operating the microcontroller, in a printer, is normally easy contributing to the advantages associated to it. The user only needs to know how to operate a PC and the programmer. Both of these devices, PC and the programmer are easy to operate considering that most people nowadays at least have a basic knowledge about the use of computers. In addition, the programmer is usually a simple device which requires less than one hour for the user to master how to operate. Intuitively, the recognized simplicity associated to the use of this product has made it a preference for most of the printer users all around the world. Low prices Until the period for the invention of microcontrollers, embedding anything as a controller of the working of a printer was expensive and generally unattainable. Thanks to the invention of microcontrollers, which go at cheaper prices while still allowing the users to embed them into their printers. The low prices associated to the microcontrollers make them economical for most of the users considering that they still assure of quality use. Effective electronics Quality serves as the determinant of the extent of preference that the user associates to the printers. The effectiveness of the electronics, within the microcontrollers, has also contributed to the worldwide preference of these devices. In most cases, these electronics normally work independently in controlling various processes such as electric current, temperature and the general performance (Sandler, 78). However, the electronics may only need the presence of the input/output devices, such as switches and relays, which are always easy to use. This makes the microcontrollers suitable for most users of printers, since there are no need for other third party devices (such as thermometer) to control its effectiveness. Conclusion Considering its modern influence on the use of electronic device such as printers, it is true that the invention of microcontrollers was just another significant step towards ensuring efficiency of machines. Acting as an embedding system, even adds up to the importance of the device since the user gets to extract maximum benefits which were not initially present. As shown in the research, microcontrollers forms an integral part of printers’ functioning in the modern world. It controls some of the essential mechanisms like heating and cooling, color creation and effectiveness of the printer. Work cited Ibrahim, Dogan. Microcontroller-based Temperature Monitoring and Control. Oxford: Newnes, 2002. Internet resource. Sandler, Corey. Fix Your Own Pc. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Pub, 2007. Print. Huang, Han-Way. Pic Microcontroller: An Introduction to Software & Hardware Interfacing. Clifton Park [u.a.: Delmar Thompson Learning, 2004. Print. Andrews, Jean. A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your Pc. Australia: Course Technology, 2014. Print. Read More