Inkjet Full-Stack Timing

This page provides a time-domain visualization of the causal chain inside a piezoelectric inkjet system.

The goal is to make the electrical, mechanical, and fluidic processes visually traceable on a single time axis, similar to reading an oscilloscope or logic analyzer.

Causal Chain

The inkjet actuation process is modeled as the following sequence:

V(t) → I(t) → Δx(t) → P(t) → Q(t)

• V(t) : Drive voltage applied to the piezo actuator
• I(t) : Resulting drive current
• Δx(t) : Mechanical displacement of the piezo element
• P(t) : Pressure generated inside the ink chamber
• Q(t) : Ink flow rate through the nozzle

What This Demo Is (and Is Not)

• ✔ A causal / timing visualization tool
• ✔ Suitable for education, design discussion, and review
• ✔ Focused on phase relationships and delays
• ✘ Not a CFD or FEM simulator
• ✘ Not a quantitatively accurate physical model

The waveforms are simplified and normalized to emphasize timing, causality, and relative phase.

How to Use the Visualization

1. Time Cursor

• Use the Time Cursor slider to move the vertical cursor
• The white vertical line shows the selected time
• Dots on each waveform indicate the value at that time
• Numerical values are shown in the right panel

2. Gain Sliders

• Voltage Gain : scales V(t)
• Current Gain : scales I(t)
• Displacement Gain : scales Δx(t)
• Pressure Gain : scales P(t)
• Flow Rate Gain : scales Q(t)

These controls allow you to observe how amplification in one domain affects downstream responses.

3. Reading the Screen Like an Oscilloscope

• Top → bottom corresponds to electrical → mechanical → fluid
• Horizontal alignment indicates causal timing
• Delays and phase shifts are visually explicit

Open the Demo

Click below to launch the interactive visualization:

This project is intended as a conceptual and educational tool for understanding inkjet actuation dynamics in the time domain.