Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., Bill Agee <billagee@r...> 
wrote:

> 
> Any suggestions would be helpful.  I have tried pulling the plug 
> while the head is on the left side and being loaded, just to avoid 
> any shorting out of the chip...doesn't seem to make any difference 
> one way or another.
> 
> feeling electronically challenged tonight,
> 
> Bill Agee
> -- 

The procedure that Bob Zeiss outlined to me was to first turn printer 
off with the off button. Unplug printer. Then push down on white post 
locking the head and slide it by hand to the left. Install cart. Slide 
by hand back to right. Plug in. Turn on.

I was afraid to mess with the white post at first so I did what you 
did...send the printhead over to left under power and simply unplug. I 
also blew out a set of chips or two this way. When I did it exactly as 
Bob had outlined it above, I can't say I had 100% sucess, but it 
seemed more reliable. 

The other thing I do is use a static wrist strap when I install chips. 
And Bob says only to use finger presure to press them on as the small 
board may otherwise be mechanically stressed. The holes on the newer 
chips are enlarged a bit so they fit on the pegs better than they did 
six months ago. If the chip is too loose however, it should either be 
glued on or not used. I have had problems with glue coming close to 
messing up the printer contacts, so I avoid it.

I use the QB7 chip resetter which allows me to reset the chip after I 
have pressed it on with my finger. Other resetters reset the chip 
before it is installed which I don't like. From the time I install the 
chip to when the cart is put in printer, I also try to keep the chip 
from getting close to sources of static charge like plastic bags, etc. 
Putting cart in a anti-static bag is a neat idea.

And some chips are just plain DOA, so I keep extras around and order 
free replacements when I find one.

Also, reading the instruction sheet for the f-16 chip resetter is 
instructional. Although it deals with another kind of resetter 
entirely, it talks about turning printer off and unplugging for one 
minute and trying a reset again. Apparently there is memory retension 
in the printer buffer which needs up to a minute to clear itself with 
power unplugged.

BTW it's not "shorting" of the chip AFAIK. It's the fact that the 
printer has a buffer memory of the last chip it had in it. When a new 
chip is in suddenly it doesn't match and the buffer on the printer and 
the buffer on the chip get confused...the chip memory permanently. The 
printer than has to have it's memory cleared by being turned off FIRST 
and then possibly unplugging for up to a minute. This does not seem to 
be as big a problem with an Epson cart, I can usually just pop them in 
under power. I've speculated on installing the chips off real Epson 
carts on the MIS carts and seeing how they work, but I have to use up 
a cart first<g>.

There is one situation where it is a physical electrical contact 
problem and not a buffer data problem...if cart is not firmly seated 
within 1/32 inch, it also causes a red light problem.
Jim H.