Patent ID: 7152940

Claim:
A printing apparatus which performs printing by using a printhead having a printing element for performing printing on a target printing medium, comprising: command generation means for outputting a command for setting data for causing the printhead to perform predetermined processing; storage means, arranged on the printhead, for storing information; a carriage which supports the printhead and scans the printhead on the target printing medium; and control means, arranged on said carriage, for controlling the printhead based on the command, said control means including: receiving means for receiving the command generated by said command generation means, conversion means for obtaining an address of said storage means based on the command received by said receiving means, and outputting an access signal based on the address, and acquisition means for acquiring, from said storage means, information corresponding to the access signal, wherein said conversion means has, in correspondence with each of a plurality of types of printheads, a table which makes the information specified by the command and a storage address correspond to each other, and generates the access signal by looking up a table corresponding to a mounted printhead.