Method and circuit for driving an electromechanical device rapidly with great precision

An improved method of, and electrical circuit for driving with precision and accuracy an electro-mechanical device such as a galvanometer is disclosed. The method precisely controls high speed linear scanning of the device in a forward scan segment of each cycle of operation, and further provides very fast re-set of the device without position overshoot during a re-trace segment of a cycle. The electrical circuit includes memory means for generating an electrical command waveform for controlling the device during each cycle of operation, and drive servo means for applying electrical power to the device. The servoing action of this circuit substantially eliminates any difference between an actual position of the device and the position directed by the command waveform during each forward scan segment of a cycle of operation, with the result that each forward scan segment is highly accurate and repeatable. During each re-trace segment of a cycle the circuit re-sets the device at high speed in a way that limits accuracy destroying effects of device overshoot and oscillation.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS 
The present invention is related to four copending U.S. patent 
applications. The first related application, Ser. No. 457,593 (S. Sarraf 
et al., filed Dec. 27, 1990), is entitled "Thermal Printer" and has a 
common assignee with the present patent application. The second related 
application, Ser. No. 723,290, which is being filed concurrently with the 
present patent application, is entitled "Beam Scanning Galvanometer With 
Spring Supported Mirror", has a common assignee with the present patent 
application, and has as its inventors, J.S. Chandler, D. Orlicki and J. M. 
Kresock. The third related application, Ser. No. 723,368, which is being 
filed concurrently with the present patent application, is entitled "Beam 
Scanning Galvanometer With Low Inertia Mirror And Magnet", has a common 
assignee with the present patent application, and has as its inventors, 
J.S. Chandler, D. Orlicki and J.M. Kresock. The fourth related 
application, Ser. No. 728,910, which is being filed concurrently with the 
present patent application is entitled "Magnetic Position Sensor", has a 
common assignee with the present patent application, and has as its 
inventor, D. Orlicki, B. Koppe and J.M. Kresock. 
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to an improved method and circuit for driving 
an electro-mechanical device, such as a galvanometer, rapidly with extreme 
precision but with much better economy and efficiency than previous 
systems. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention is particularly useful in, but not restricted to, a thermal 
printer such as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 457,593, 
filed Dec. 27, 1990 in the names of S. Sarraf, et al., and assigned to the 
same assignee. This printer thermally prints an image on a receiver 
element (e.g., a slide transparency) by scanning a laser beam across a dye 
donor element sandwiched against the receiver element. The laser beam is 
modulated by input data corresponding to the image to be printed, and the 
beam is swept across the receiver element a line at a time by an 
electro-mechanical galvanometer which rotates a mirror to deflect the 
laser beam linearly. To obtain sufficiently high resolution, such as is 
needed in slide transparencies to give a desired degree of sharpness in 
the projected image, the laser beam is focused through a f-.nu. lens to a 
spot size of only 7 microns (.mu.m) onto the element being printed. The 
spots are written at a pitch of 6 microns to obtain a print resolution of 
about 4000 dots per inch. To produce an optical image on the slide 
transparency as nearly perfect as possible, the laser "spots" must be 
positioned with extreme accuracy (within a micron). This accuracy must be 
absolutely maintained and repeated during millions of cycles of operation. 
Moreover, because the image on the slide is being produced sequentially by 
"writing" a line at a time (rather than all at once), it is necessary that 
the galvanometer mirror scanning motion be very linear and fast, that it 
be free of spurious vibrations, and that there be a minimum of idle time 
during re-positioning (i.e., re-setting) of the galvanometer for the next 
line scan. These requirements impose difficult-to-meet constraints on the 
galvanometer mechanism, on its mode of operation, and on its control and 
drive circuitry. 
In the above-identified U.S. patent applications there is described a 
greatly improved galvanometer mechanism which is incorporated by reference 
into this patent application. This improved galvanometer has a moving 
magnet armature inside a stationary electric drive coil which is partially 
surrounded by an iron pole piece. A low inertia mirror having an optically 
flat reflecting surface is rigidly mounted on the armature and is adapted 
to be rotated angularly plus and minus a given amount (such as 7.8 
degrees) on either side of a center or rest position. The mirror is placed 
at an angle of 45 degrees in the path of the laser beam of a thermal 
printer and when the mirror is rotated from one angular extreme to the 
other, the beam is scanned linearly across a receiver element being 
printed. The moving armature of the galvanometer and its mirror are 
precisely supported by a unique upper and lower spring pivot arrangement, 
which provides for ease of rotation around a defined axis, but which 
eliminates friction and strongly resists spurious movements and/or 
vibrations along other axes or in other directions. The pivot arrangement 
also provides very accurate and predetermined spring torque which, when 
the galvanometer and its mirror are at rest, holds them in a centered or 
zero position. The present invention provides an improved method of, and 
electrical circuit for, repeatedly scanning such a galvanometer and its 
mirrored beam along a line. The invention provides substantially greater 
accuracy and linearity in scanning and also provides for re-positioning 
the galvanometer and mirror for the next scan very quickly and precisely 
and with virtually perfect freedom from unwanted oscillations and 
overshoot than do previous drive arrangements. The present invention is 
not limited solely to the galvanometer mechanism disclosed in the 
above-mentioned U.S. patent applications. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to an improved method of and electrical 
circuit for driving and controlling an electro-mechanical device such as 
the above described galvanometer and its beam deflecting mirror of a 
thermal printer. A highly accurate linear and repeatable forward scan of 
the device is obtained in accordance with one aspect of the invention. 
This is achieved by the steps of generating a command waveform, in the 
form of an electric signal, having a first (forward) segment during which 
the amplitude of the waveform rises precisely in accordance with pre-set 
stored values from an initial value with near perfect accuracy as a 
function of time to a final value, each such forward segment being 
regularly repeated with the extreme precision of a crystal controlled 
clock. At the end of each forward segment of the waveform, a fast re-trace 
segment of the command waveform is generated wherein the waveform signal 
is very quickly decreased in amplitude with time from the final value of 
the preceding forward segment. Then, during another part of the re-trace 
segment, the amplitude is held at or near a negative value to smoothly 
transition exactly into the initial amplitude value of the next forward 
segment. The forward and re-trace segments thus generated provide a 
command waveform which is used to control and drive the device (e.g., 
galvanometer) with great accuracy and repeatability during its forward 
scanning motions. The command waveform, by virtue of its unique non-linear 
re-trace segment, provides for the necessary high-speed re-setting of the 
device while also insuring freedom from overshoot and spurious 
oscillations in the re-trace portion of the device's motion. This mode of 
re-trace provides for smooth, accurate transition of the device's motion 
into the next forward scan portion of device motion, and so on with exact 
repeatability. 
Viewed from another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method 
of repeatedly driving an electro-mechanical device through a cycle of 
operation which comprises a forward scan portion occurring in a first time 
period and a subsequent retrace portion occurring in a second time period 
that is shorter than the first time period. The method comprising the 
steps of generating a command waveform and a position waveform and 
applying the command and position waveforms to a servo drive which 
generates at an output thereof a drive signal waveform. 
The command waveform is characterized by a forward scan segment which 
defines a desired forward motion for the device and by a retrace segment 
which is non-linear and is shorter than the forward scan segment. The 
position waveform is indicative of the position of the electro-mechanical 
device during a cycle of operation thereof. The method further comprises 
the step of applying the servo drive signal waveform to an input of the 
electro-mechanical device to control the position and movement of the 
electro-mechanical device such that the electro-mechanical device moves 
during the forward scan portion of the cycle of operation in a desired 
manner consistent with the forward scan segment of the command waveform, 
and moves during the retrace portion of the cycle of operation so as to 
cause the electro-mechanical device to move back to an initial starting 
point of the forward scan portion of the cycle of operation without 
introducing any overshoot and/or ringing at the beginning of the forward 
scan portion of the next cycle of operation. 
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a 
highly versatile and cost-effective electrical circuit for generating the 
command waveform, with its forward and re-trace segments, and for driving 
the device with the desired accuracy and precision. This circuit comprises 
a crystal clock and counter means, digital memory means for storing in 
"look-up-tables" the amplitudes versus times of the forward and re-trace 
segments of a desired command waveform, digital-to-analog converter means 
for converting the discrete outputs of the memory means into an analog 
command waveform with desired forward and re-trace segments, and servo 
drive means for comparing the command waveform with a position signal 
(i.e., device position waveform) from the device and for electrically 
driving the device to produce an error-free, highly controlled forward 
scanning motion in accordance with the command waveform and to give a fast 
re-trace motion without position overshoot. This circuit is highly 
versatile, precise in its operation, and is cost effective. 
These and other teachings and advantages of the invention will be better 
understood by considering the following detailed description in 
conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown in schematic form a laser printing 
system 10 in accordance with the present invention. System 10 comprises a 
laser, and associated data and logic control 12 which emits a modulated 
beam of light (light beam) 14 (shown as parallel dashed lines). Beam 14 
impinges on a reflecting mirror 16 whose exact angular position is 
controlled by a device 18, which advantageously is a galvanometer such as 
described in the above identified U.S. patent applications. Light beam 14, 
after reflecting from mirror 16, passes through an "f-.theta." lens 20 
which focuses the beam 14 to a very small spot 22 imaged on a print 
element (receiver) 24 (e.g., a slide transparency for use with a 
projector) which is to be printed upon. This element 24 is held and 
precisely located under light spot 22 by a positioning mechanism 26. The 
focused light spot 22, which may be only about 7 microns wide, is scanned 
linearly across print element 24 (as indicated by dual arrow line 27) when 
the device mirror 16 is rotated about is axis (as indicated by dual arrow 
curved line 28) from a minus(- ) to a (+) position. Data, in the form of 
dots to be printed on print element 24, is fed into laser 12 from a 
central processing unit (CPU) 30 and modulates light beam 14 as it is 
linearly and synchronously scanned across print element 24. CPU 30 is 
coupled to and also controls positioning mechanism 26. 
The device 18, shown here in a rest or center position, is adapted to 
rotate plus and minus from center by a certain angular deflection, for 
example .+-.7.8.degree.. In swinging from negative to positive deflection, 
the mirror 16 deflects light beam 14 and its focused spot 22. When it is 
desired to print with high resolution (e.g., 4000 dots per inch or more), 
it is necessary for the scan or travel of spot 22 along print element 24 
to be extremely linear, very fast, and accurate to an exceptionally high 
degree. For example, when a light spot 22 is being imaged to print with a 
resolution of 4000 dots per inch, the positional accuracy of the spot 
along print element 24 must be within a micron or less. This in turn means 
that reflecting mirror 16 must be controlled to an even greater degree of 
accuracy, at high speed, and repeatedly for millions of cycles without 
variation. Moreover, the mirror 16 must be re-set each cycle at even 
higher speed, and when being re-set for the next cycle of operation, the 
mirror 16 must not even slightly overshoot its next starting position, nor 
have spurious oscillations at the beginning and into the next cycle. Laser 
beam 14 is turned off during re-set, and is turned on at the beginning of 
the next cycle. The present invention provides a highly effective and 
improved way of precisely controlling these forward and re-trace motions 
of a cycle of operation 
The device 18, which has an electrical drive coil (not shown), has its coil 
connected via a power lead 31 to an output of a drive servo 32 of a type 
well known in the art. Device 18 also includes a position sensing element 
(not shown) which generates a signal corresponding with great accuracy to 
the instantaneous position of the device 18 as a function of time. This 
position sensing element, and the coil of the device, are described in 
detail in the above identified U.S. patent application titled "Magnetic 
Position Sensor". This electrical signal from the sensing element of the 
device 18, hereinafter referred to as the "device position waveform" 60, 
is coupled via a signal lead 33 to an input of the drive servo 32. A 
second input of the drive servo 32 is connected via a signal lead 34 to a 
timing and control circuit 35. During operation circuit 35 applies to an a 
lead 34 an output electrical signal, hereinafter referred to as a "command 
waveform" 40. This command waveform 40, described in detail hereinafter, 
is provided according to the invention to achieve the desired scanning 
motion of device 18. Each complete cycle of a command waveform 40 is 
divided into a forward scanning segment and a re-trace segment. By its 
servoing action the drive servo 32 applies power to the coil of the device 
18 via power lead 31 so that during each forward scanning segment of a 
cycle of operation the actual motion of the device 18 (i.e., its 
deflection from negative to positive as explained above) conforms 
precisely with the forward scan segment of the command waveform 40, and so 
on, cycle after cycle. As will be explained in greater detail hereinafter, 
the re-trace segment of the command waveform 40 generated by circuit 35 is 
uniquely shaped so that the circuit 35 is able to drive device 18 at high 
speed in the reverse direction to re-set it essentially without overshoot 
or oscillation to begin another forward scanning segment with precisely 
repeatable accuracy, cycle after cycle. Circuit 35, which receives various 
synchronizing and control signals from the CPU 30 via a multiple signal 
path having leads 36a, 36b, and 36c is described in greater detail in 
connection with FIG. 4. 
Referring now to FIG. 2, there is graphically shown the command waveform 
40, (e.g., the electrical signal applied by circuit 35 to lead 34) in 
accordance the present invention. The coordinates of the waveform 40 have 
been normalized in amplitude and time because the invention is not 
restricted to a particular set of values. Command waveform 40, for one 
complete cycle 42 of operation, has a time duration of four horizontal 
units, and a maximum amplitude from its most negative to its most positive 
of over three units with approximately equal excursions below and above a 
horizontal "zero" line indicated at 44. Each cycle 42 is divided into a 
forward scan segment 46 and a re-trace segment 48. As shown, by way of 
example, re-trace segment 48 has a duration of only about 15% of a total 
cycle. During re-trace laser beam 14 is momentarily turned off and the 
device 18 with its mirror 16 (see FIG. 1) is quickly re-set to its 
starting position. 
At the beginning of a forward scan segment 46, which is also the beginning 
of a cycle 42, command waveform 40 is at a negative value (indicated at a 
point 50) and increases with exact linearity over time to a positive value 
indicated at a point 52. Points 50 and 52 are connected by a straight line 
portion 54 whose duration is shown as being about 85% of one complete 
cycle 42. The mid-point of straight-line portion 54, indicated at a point 
56, represents a zero value that corresponds to a center or rest position 
of device 18 (see FIG. 1). During the straight-line forward scan portion 
54 of command waveform 40, light spot 22 (see FIG. 1) is scanned precisely 
and linearly across print element 24 as described above. 
After command waveform 40 reaches its upper value 52 at the end of the 
forward scan segment 46, the waveform 40 begins the re-trace segment 48. 
During the re-trace segment 48 the waveform follows along a highly 
non-linear portion (indicated at 58), in accordance with the present 
invention. The non-linear portion 58 first declines in amplitude from 
upper point 52 at a very rapid rate and then, along a lower zone 59, runs 
smoothly and generally horizontally at a lower amplitude into the point 50 
at the beginning of the next command waveform cycle 42. In a preferred 
embodiment of this aspect of the invention, non-linear portion 58 is a 
generally "L-shaped" curve, with lower zone 59 having a duration almost 
equal to that of the re-trace segment 48. It should be noted however that 
the corner or turn from vertical to horizontal shown at the beginning of 
lower zone 59 of non-linear portion 58 is somewhat rounded as shown. As 
will be explained hereinafter, forward linear scan segment 46 and re-trace 
segment 48 may easily be varied in proportion to each other, and the 
actual time durations of the respective segments may be set independently 
as desired. If it becomes desirable, for example, to increase the scanning 
speed of device 18, the time duration of one cycle 42 of a command 
waveform 40 can be correspondingly decreased without substantially 
otherwise affecting the overall precision and accuracy of the system. In 
fact, it is possible to more than triple the scanning speed of device 18, 
for example from about 20 Hz of cycles 42 to over 70 Hz, by virtue of this 
aspect of the invention. Re-trace segment 48 may have a duration as short 
as about 2 milliseconds without affecting overall forward scanning 
accuracy of device 18. Preferably the re-trace segment should have a 
duration shorter than about 7 milliseconds. But it is important, as will 
be explained in connection with FIG. 3, that the non-linear re-trace 
portion 58 of the re-trace segment 48 not be merely a straight line drawn 
between upper amplitude point 52 and lower amplitude point 50. 
Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown as a solid line a device position 
waveform 60 of device 18 (and its mirror 16) of FIG. 1. Waveform 60, which 
is shown with normalized coordinates corresponding to those of FIG. 2, is 
generated by the position sensing element (not shown) of the device 18 (of 
FIG. 1) and is applied via the lead 33 of FIG. 1 to the drive servo 32 of 
FIG. 1. The waveform 60 shows the position of mirror 16 as a function of 
time. The device position waveform 60 of FIG. 3 has a complete cycle of 
operation indicated at 62 which is divided into a forward scan segment 64 
and a re-trace segment 66, both of which are shown in solid line. Forward 
scan segment 64 at the beginning of a cycle 62 starts from a negative 
amplitude point 68 and proceeds uniformly along a straight-line portion 70 
to a positive amplitude point 72. A mid-point along straight-line portion 
70, indicated at 74, corresponds to a center or rest position of device 18 
in FIG. 1 and horizontal "zero" line 44 is the same in FIG. 3 as in FIG. 
2. As seen here in FIG. 3, the actual position of the device 18 during 
forward scan (and its focused light spot 22) is an exactly linear function 
of amplitude versus time. In effect, actual device position in amplitude 
and time along straight-line (linear) portion 70 coincides precisely with 
the desired position in amplitude and time that is being "commanded" 
during the straight-line portion 54 of the forward scan segment 46 of 
command waveform 40 of FIG. 2. In other words, the straight line portion 
70 of the device position waveform 60 of FIG. 3 can be thought of as being 
essentially "congruent" with the straight-line portion 54 of the command 
waveform 40 of FIG. 2. This mode of operation precisely controls and 
monitors the instantaneous position of light spot 22 as it is being 
scanned linearly across print element 24, and results in a highly 
accurate, fast and exactly repeatable forward scanning operation of the 
light spot. 
When the device position waveform 60 reaches the positive amplitude point 
72, which is at the end of a forward scan segment 64, the waveform 60 
begins a re-trace segment 66, and proceeds along a rapidly declining, 
smoothly curved solid line portion 76, to the beginning of the next 
forward scan segment 64 at a negative amplitude point 68. It is important 
that curved portion 76 at the end of a re-trace segment 66 of device 
motion transition smoothly into the next forward scan segment 64 without 
essentially any overshoot and without essentially any oscillation into the 
next forward segment. Thus the next cycle of device motion begins at 
negative amplitude point 68 and proceeds precisely along the next 
straight-line portion 70 of the forward scan segment 64. It should be 
noted here that the shape of command re-trace portion 58 (of FIG. 2) is 
substantially different from that of the device position re-trace portion 
76 shown in FIG. 3. Any difference in the command re-trace portion 58 and 
position re-trace portion 76 which may exist is a result of the high speed 
at which the device 18 is driven during re-trace and the greatly increased 
effect of device inertia. There are also practical limitations in peak 
electrical power which can be instantaneously applied to the device 18. 
The important thing however, as is explained above, is that device motion 
near the end of re-trace portion 76 in FIG. 3 makes a transition smoothly 
and without substantially any overshoot or oscillation, at negative point 
68, into the next forward linear portion 70. 
If the non-linear re-trace portion 58 of the command waveform 40 of FIG. 2 
is not properly shaped, for example, if the re-trace portion 58 were 
merely a straight line running from upper point 52 to lower point 50, 
there will result unwanted overshoot and harmful oscillations (ringing) in 
the actual motion of the device 18 being controlled by the command 
waveform 40. An undesirable condition such as this is destructive of the 
forward scanning accuracy of light spot 22. 
As seen in FIG. 3, a dashed line curve of position indicated at 78 shows 
the actual motion of the device when driven with a command waveform (e.g., 
a straight-line re-trace between points 52 and 50 of FIG. 2) not in 
accordance with the present invention during position waveform re-trace 
segment 66. This results in considerable negative overshoot to a point 79, 
a point well below the desired starting point 68 of the next forward scan 
segment 64. The undesired motion of device 18 along dashed-line curve 78 
further continues well into the next forward scan segment 64, there being 
substantial deviation or oscillation below and then above the desired 
straight-line portion 70. Of course, the degree of unwanted overshoot of 
device 18 (e.g., to the point 79 shown in FIG. 3) becomes less severe, 
though still unacceptable, as the re-trace segment 66 is made somewhat 
longer in absolute duration (e.g., from about 2 milliseconds to about 7 
milliseconds). The accuracy-destroying condition illustrated by 
dashed-line curve 78 is prevented however, by virtue of the present 
invention. The desired motion of device 18 shown by solid-line re-trace 
portion 76 and forward scan portion 70 in FIG. 3, and the undesirable 
motion of device 18 shown by dashed-line curve 78 are based on actual 
oscillographs of motion of device 18 for the same re-trace times, and 
using the same device 18 and electrical circuitry, but with the 
above-described differences between the re-trace segments of the command 
waveform 40. 
Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown within a dashed line rectangle a 
preferred embodiment of the timing and control circuit 35 of FIG. 1. This 
circuit 35 via its output signal lead 34 controls drive servo 32, and 
together the circuit 35 and the drive servo 32 control the power applied 
to device 18 via the lead 31 (see also FIG. 1). The circuit 35 comprises a 
crystal oscillator clock 80, a scan divider 82, a pixel divider 84, a scan 
latch 86, a pixel latch 88, a scan counter 90, a pixel scan synch 91, 
memory "look-up-tables" 92, a digital-to-analog converter 94, a first low 
pass filter 95, a first linear amplifier 96, a second low pass filter 97, 
a second linear amplifier 98, and an output signal terminal 99. These 
elements of circuit 35 are connected together and perform as follows. As 
seen at the upper left of FIG. 4, the precise timing of the circuit 35 is 
provided by a crystal oscillator clock 80 operating at, for example, about 
3.6 MHz, and having an output which is applied at the left to the scan 
divider 82, and applied at the right to the pixel divider 84. The amount 
by which scan divider 82 divides or counts down the frequency of 
oscillator clock 80 is set to a desired value by a scan latch 86 which in 
turn is controlled by a signal from the CPU 30 via signal lead 36a of FIG. 
1. Once scan latch 86 has been set, scan divider 82 produces one count or 
digital signal for a pre-determined number of oscillations of clock 80. 
Similarly, the pixel divider 84 is set to a count down divisor number by 
the pixel latch 88 which is controlled by CPU 30 via signal lead 36b. Thus 
the scan count and the pixel count can be set independently to desired 
values both driven by the same clock 80. 
An output signal from the scan divider 82 is applied to an input of the 
scan counter 90 which generates for an output, in the example shown, a 
12-bit binary number in accordance with each synchronous time signal from 
divider 82. Using only 12 bits, the counter 90 can count to 4,096 signals 
before beginning again. By way of further explanation, scan counter 90 in 
fact has the capability of generating a 16-bit digit. If all 16 bits were 
used, the counter would be able to count up to 65,536 time signals before 
repeating. An output of the scan counter 90 is applied to the pixel scan 
synch unit 91, which also controls pixel divider 84 so that its "pixel 
clock" signal is absolutely synchronized with a scan "line start" signal 
from scan counter 90. These "pixel clock" and "line start" signals are 
applied to laser data control 12 (FIG. 1) to synchronize its operation 
with that of circuit 35 shown in FIG. 4. 
The binary count signals (12 bits shown) from scan counter 90 give a 
digitized count of time intervals and are applied in parallel to a memory 
92 which is advantageously an electronically programmable read-only memory 
(EPROM). A 64K, 16 bit EPROM unit of this kind for example costs only 
about $5 and consequently is highly cost effective for use here in the 
timing and control circuit 35. As will be explained presently, memory 92 
provides an extremely versatile, highly accurate and cost effective way of 
generating with great accuracy and resolution a command waveform 40 (FIG. 
2) having a forward linear scan segment 46 of a desired amplitude and time 
duration together with a much faster re-trace segment 48 having a quite 
different non-linear (e.g., "L-shaped") portion 58. 
As memory 92 counts through the binary numbers (representing time intervals 
synchronized by the clock 80) applied to it by scan counter 90, the memory 
92 generates at its outputs a 12-bit binary number whose value at any 
particular time interval or count is determined by the memory levels 
already digitally stored in memory 92. These memory levels thus serve as 
"look-up-tables" where the desired amplitude values of a command waveform 
40 are written down in binary bit form and presented to a output when 
called for by a given input bit count to memory 92. With memory 92 removed 
from circuit 35 desired memory levels are pre-loaded into memory 92 by 
signals applied to it from an EPROM programmer (not shown). The output 
numbers from memory 92 are applied in parallel (12 bits are shown, but 16 
bits are available if greater resolution is needed) to inputs of a 
digital-to-analog (D/A) converter 94 which converts the binary number 
values from memory 92 into a continuous analog signal. An output signal 
from D/A converter 94 is applied in sequence to the first low-pass (LP) 
filter 95, the first linear amplifier 96, the second LP filter 97 and the 
second linear amplifier 98 which are connected in series. The combined 
action of these filters and amplifiers produces at an output terminal 99 
the command waveform 40, substantially as shown in FIG. 2, which is now 
free of digital switching noise. The command waveform 40 may be halted at 
the mid-point 56 of its linear scan portion 54 for a short time as may be 
required during loading of another print element 24 or re-setting of 
positioning mechanism 26 shown if FIG. 1. This halt is effected by a 
"disable" signal (not shown) from CPU 30 via signal lead 36c (see FIG. 1) 
applied to circuit 35 and to its memory 92 as shown in FIG. 4. 
Referring still to FIG. 4, the command waveform 40 at terminal 99 is 
applied via the lead 34 to an input of the drive servo 32, the output of 
which via the power lead 31 (see also FIG. 1) supplies electrical drive 
power to the coil of the device 18. An electrical signal from the device 
18 giving its actual position with time (i.e., device position waveform 60 
of FIG. 3) is returned from the device 18 via a lead 33 to another input 
of the drive servo 32. The servoing action of the drive servo 32 when 
supplying power to the device 18, senses and acts to correct any 
instantaneous differences between the device position waveform 60 and the 
command waveform 40. Drive servo 32 is thus able to eliminate 
substantially all difference between device position waveform 60 and 
command waveform 40 during their forward linear scan segments and to 
minimize and negate the accuracy-destroying effects of any differences 
between the waveforms in their re-trace segments, as explained above in 
connection with FIGS. 2 and 3. 
As mentioned above, memory 92 shown in FIG. 4, using only 12 bits of output 
to D/A converter 94, has 4,096 time intervals per cycle. It also has up to 
4096 amplitude levels. This enables it to give very high resolution to the 
command waveform 40. But by using the full 16-bit capability of memory 92, 
a resolution many times higher can be obtained. Moreover, speed of 
operation of the device can be easily programmed over a wide range without 
impairing accuracy and precision. Thus circuit 35 provides a versatile, 
easily setable, highly accurate, and cost effective timing and control 
means for the device 18. 
It is to be understood that the embodiments of method and circuit described 
herein are illustrative of the general principles of the invention. 
Modifications may readily be devised by those skilled in the art without 
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, 
component elements of circuit 35 may be changed and the exact shapes of 
the segments of the command waveform 40 as shown may be varied. Moreover, 
the invention is not restricted to the laser printer system shown in FIG. 
1, or to a particular device (galvanometer) 18.