Tailoring image data packets to properties of print heads

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

sending to a printing device a request for specific configuration information characterizing physical properties of the printing device;

receiving, from the printing device, the specific configuration information responsive to the request and characterizing the physical properties of the printing device;

identifying configuration parameters of the printing device based on the received specific configuration information;

dividing an image into image portions based on the configuration parameters;

generating a plurality of image data packets, each image data packet including one or more image portions; and

transmitting the image data packets to the printing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

sending the request comprises sending a first control data packet over a control data channel; and

receiving the specific configuration information characterizing the physical properties of the printing device comprises receiving a second control data packet over the control data channel.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said transmitting the image data packets comprises transmitting the image data packets over an image data channel.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration parameters comprise a first parameter characterizing layout of a print head of the printing device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a table based on the configuration parameters, and

wherein said dividing the image comprises dividing the image using said table.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

using the configuration parameters to generate print element associations, and

wherein dividing comprises dividing the image into image portions based on the print element associations.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specific configuration information comprises information identifying ordering or spacing of print elements in a print head of the printing device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving information characterizing a relationship between one or more print heads, and

wherein dividing the image comprises dividing the image into image portions based on the characterized relationship between the one or more print heads.

9. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a machine readable information storage device, comprising machine readable instructions operable to cause a printing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:

send, to a printing device, a request for specific configuration information characterizing properties of the printing device;

receive, from the printing device, the specific configuration information responsive to the request and characterizing the physical properties of the printing device;

identify configuration parameters of the printing device based on the received specific configuration information;

divide an image into image portions based on the configuration parameters;

generate a plurality of image data packets, each image data packet including one or more image portions; and

transmit the image data packets to the printing device.

10. The product of claim 9 , wherein:

the instructions operative to cause the system to send the request comprise instructions operative to cause the system to send a first control data packet over a control data channel; and

the instructions operative to cause the system to receive the specific configuration information characterizing the physical properties of the printing device comprise the-instructions operative to cause the system to receive a second control data packet over the control data channel.

11. The product of claim 9 , wherein the instructions operative to cause the system to transmit the image data packets comprise the instructions operative to cause the system to transmit the image data packets over an image data channel.

12. The product of claim 9 , wherein the configuration parameters comprise a first parameter characterizing layout of a print head of the printing device.

13. The product of claim 9 , further comprising instructions to cause the system to perform operations comprising:

generate a table based on the configuration parameters, and

wherein the instructions operative to cause the system to divide the image comprise the instructions operative to cause the system to divide the image using said table.

14. The product of claim 9 , further comprising instruction to cause the system to perform operations comprising:

use the configuration parameters to generate print element associations, and

wherein the instructions operative to cause the system to divide comprise the instructions operative to cause the system to divide the image into image portions based on the print element associations.

15. The product of claim 9 , wherein the specific configuration information comprises information identifying ordering or spacing of print elements in a print head of the printing device.

16. The product of claim 9 , further comprising the instructions operative to cause the system to perform operations comprising:

receive information characterizing a relationship between one or more print heads, and

wherein the instructions operative to cause the system to divide the image comprises divide the image into image portions based on the characterized relationship between the one or more print heads.

17. A printing system comprising:

means for sending to a printing device a request for specific configuration information characterizing physical properties of the printing device;

means for receiving, from the printing device, the specific configuration information responsive to the request and characterizing the physical properties of the printing device;

means for identifying configuration parameters of the printing device based on the received specific configuration information;

means for dividing an image into image portions based on the configuration parameters;

means for generating a plurality of image data packets, each image data packet including one or more image portions; and

means for transmitting the image data packets to the printing device.

18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:

means for sending the request comprises sending a first control data packet over a control data channel; and

means for receiving a second control data packet over the control data channel, the second control data packet including the specific configuration information.

19. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:

means for transmitting the image data packets over an image data channel.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the configuration parameters comprise a first parameter characterizing layout of a print head of the printing device.

21. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:

means for generating a table based on the configuration parameters, and

wherein said dividing the image comprises dividing the image using said table.

22. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:

means for using the configuration parameters to generate print element associations; and

means for dividing the image into image portions based on the print element associations.

23. The system of claim 17 , wherein the specific configuration information comprises information identifying ordering or spacing of print elements in a print head of the printing device.

24. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:

means for receiving information characterizing a relationship between one or more print heads; and

means for dividing the image into image portions based on the characterized relationship between the one or more print heads.

25. A system comprising:

a printing device comprising

a print head comprising a collection of print modules, and

a memory storing information characterizing a physical property of the print head;

control electronics comprising logic for dividing image data into portions based on the information characterizing the physical property of the print head stored at the memory of the printing device; and

a data communication path between the printing device and the control electronics,

wherein the control electronics are located remotely from the printing device.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the printing device and the control electronics each comprise packetized data communication devices configured to communicate packetized data, including data characterizing the physical property of the print head, over the data communication path.

27. The system of claim 25 , wherein the control electronics further comprise a collection of image data buffers to store divided image data for communication to the printing device along the data communication path.

28. The system of claim 25 , wherein the information characterizing the physical property of the print head comprises information characterizing an ordering of the modules at the print head.

29. The system of claim 25 , wherein the information characterizing the physical property of the print head comprises information characterizing a spacing of the modules at the print head.

30. The system of claim 25 , wherein the information characterizing the physical property of the print head comprises information characterizing a native resolution of the print head.