Getting Started with Xaar 128

Getting Started with the Xaar 128

Background

The Xaar 128 is a piezoelectric inkjet printhead used in large format vinyl sign-making. It *might* be useful in 3d printing, conductive ink, or masking applications. This guide is intended to help others experiment with the Xaar 128 and different materials in hopes that they’ll share their results.

Why piezo? TLDR: Most inkjet printheads are “thermal”: They work by superheating a fraction of the ink in a chamber, turning it into gas, which expands to force the remainder of the ink out of a nozzle. Superheating limits the range of materials that can be used in these printheads. Piezoelectric printheads are less common, and since they use a mechanical operation to force fluid out of a nozzle, they don’t have to modify the state of the fluid to operate, and can work with a broader range of materials.

Known Limitations

Xaar approved inks have viscosity around 0-12cps. Higher viscosity fluids are unlikely to work with this printhead.

Parts List

• Xaar XJ128 (Several Models - Guide uses Blue)
• Adapter (one of)
  • “GLUX” 30 > 21 pin adapter (Solvent Parts)
    • 21 pin 1.0mm FFC (Solvent Parts)
    • 1.0mm 30 pin FFC connector (bottom leads) (Mouser)
    • FFC to breadboard adapter (Proto-Advantage)
• Relays
  • 2 Channel 5V Relay Board (Sunfounder: not rated for 36V)
• 2 x 36V DC power supplies
• Arduino Uno / Mega
• Breadboard, hookup wire, etc.

Adapters

“GLUX” 30 > 21 pin adapter

Provides a 21-pin flat flexible cable (FFC) interface to the Xaar 128 printhead.

Adapter	Signal	Xaar 128
1	VPPH	3
2	VPPH	3
3	VPPL	4
4	GNDL	5
5	GNDH	2
6	GNDH	2
7	nRESET	7
8	nSS2	1
9	GND	16
10	MOSI*	8
11	VDD	17
12	VDD	17
13	SCK	19
14	GND	16
15	nSS1	20
16	GND	16
17	READY	24
18	PHO	25
19	nFIRE	26
20	MISO	27
21	CLK	28
-	nFAULT

Operations Guide

Not available from the Xaar website (please add more sources):

• Unofficial Source

Source Code

• Starter project for Arduino Uno and Mega (GitHub)