Setting up a printer device - Head Assignment Tool : Xitron Support

Several Xitron DFE's support multiple printheads stitched together.

It is optional to run a printer with more than one computer. This is mainly done for throughput reasons.

To connect specific printheads in a printer to specific computers in a Navigator DFE system, the Memjet systems will use the Head Assignment Tool. (The HAT).

The HAT connects a specific PC in a Navigator DFE to a particular Memjet printhead subsystem in a printer.

A list of Memjet systems configured with the Head Assignment Tool for printhead to PC matching.

DuraFlex

DuraLink

DuraBolt

Head Assignment Configuration

Using DuraFlex as an example:

Go to Server/Manage Devices, open your DuraFlex device and click "advanced..."

Clicking on Assign Heads to PCs brings you here:

The window on the left shows computers on the network with Navigator running.

Question: What actually causes this app to recognize computers over a network?

Answer: The presence of a Xitron networking component called "XiService".

Question: How does XiService get there?

Answer: 2 possible ways: Either a Navigator DFE installer or a RIP-Only installer.

You can drive the printer with just a single computer and Navigator DFE. In this case you just select the computer you're standing in front of (where you are running the Head Assignment Tool.)

If you wish to use more computers, then you have to run the RIP-Only installer on each computer after the first computer. The first computer gets the entire DFE, including the Server. Each additional computer gets only the RIP farms and XiService.

DuraBolt, DuraFlex, and DuraLink installers all have a second installer called the "RIP-Only Installer". These installers will provision a computer with a Harlequin Core RIP farm and XiService. In order to use this installer on secondary, tertiary, etc computers you must first have a full DFE installed on a primary computer from the full DFE installer. On each computer after the primary, you must run this RIP-Only installer.

A single-computer RIP system will be installed with the full DFE installer.

A 2-computer RIP system will have computer1 installed with the full DFE installer and computer2 installed with the RIP-Only installer.

A 4-computer RIP system will have computer1 installed with the full DFE installer and computer2, computer3, and computer4 installed with the RIP-Only installer.

The window on the right is where we can drag printheads to a computer running Navigator DFE components.

You can drag printheads to any available Navigator system to create a multi-computer system.

In the example above we have mapped both printheads to one computer, named Xitron2W-RIP.

Note on nomenclature: Stage 1, Head 1 means "front side, left side" or "first printbar of stitched printheads, 1st printhead". A duplex printer will have a Stage 2.

A 3-wide duplex printer will have:

Stage 1, Head 1

Stage 1, Head 2

Stage 1, Head 3

Stage 2, Head 1

Stage 2, Head 2

Stage 2, Head 3

A 1-wide duplex will have:

Stage 1, Head 1

Stage 2, Head 1

Note: There is not a 1:1 ratio of computers to RIPs in a Navigator DFE. Navigator DFE will have as many RIPs as we deem necessary. Each computer in a Navigator system is running a Harlequin Core Scalable RIP. So you can run between 1 and 9 RIP instances per computer. If you need to add more RIPs per computer, you need to make sure you have available threads. A good, multi-core system like the Ryzen Threadripper is a nice choice. Consult your sales or support contact for more information.

Once you have your head assignments completed, you can leave this tool by clicking "OK". Do a test print that goes across all printheads so it is clear you have the heads and the data splits going to the correct place.

Walkthrough:

Open Server/Manage Devices