Method and apparatus for operating matrix printer

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described for improving the printing speed of a dot matrix printer. The printer comprises a conventional array of printing elements and a printing element addressing matrix comprising a set of address lines and a set of strobe lines. Each printing element is connected in series between one of the address lines and one of the strobe lines. Each address line is connected to the output of a first register, and each strobe line to the output of a second register. The printer further comprises apparatus for generating a set of signals representative of a dot matrix pattern to be made on said recording medium, said set of signals being organized in successive sequences each of which contains the signals which control the application of a voltage to the address lines connected to the same printing elements as one of the strobe lines; apparatus for applying the signals of each sequence in turn to the inputs to the first registers in one or more parallel operations, and apparatus for reading the signals of each sequence from the first registers in one or more parallel operations while a voltage is applied to one of the strobe lines from the second register.