ROHM has developed the industry's first high-speed thermal printheads capable of 48-tone graphics printing that meet market needs for printheads with fine gradation functions that more closely approach photographic quality while maintaining a print speed of 250mm/s. This new series expands on the popular DF/DG series (12-tone, 250mm/s, sample price: 43US$) by increasing gray scale capability. Additional features include a high reliability protective coating, increased energy efficiency, and wide operating voltage range, making them ideal for existing as well as new applications involving mixed printing (high resolution graphics/text/QR codes).
Sample shipments have already begun (sample price: 65US$ each), with mass production slated to begin January 2008.
Features of ROHM's new thermal printheads:
- 48-tone graphics printing (four times the gradation capability of previous models) at 250mm/s - an industry first
- High-speed operation ideal for real-time printing of high resolution images
- High durability protective coating resistant to high temperatures, resulting in a greater level of reliability
- Energy efficiency 20% higher than previous ROHM models (energy comparison made at saturation density during high-speed 250mm/s printing)
- Wide operating supply voltage range (3.13V to 5.25V) through adoption of a new driver IC developed using state-of-the-art head construction and the most advanced LSI technology
- Support for clock transfer frequencies up to 16MHz (with a circuit supply voltage of 5V) for high-speed data input
- Broad power compatibility, standardization of supply voltages, high-speed data transfer, and other features enable greater printer design flexibility
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