Digital BW, The Print

That's right. Stock up on the empty carts guys.



--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Chris Hargens"
<chargens@...> wrote:
>
> Well, if it were all about the chips, then I'd simply buy unchipped
> carts and paste Epson chips onto them. As I understand it, Epson has
> no control over what we do with their chips after we've bought them.
> 
> Chris Hargens 
> 
> 
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Bob Frost"
> <bob@> wrote:
> >
> > Keith,
> > 
> > > Bob, even you have to admit that the chip is not an innovation
in any
> > > sense or intent than in that of  preventing 3rd-party ink sales and
> > > forcing the use of EPSON consumables.
> > 
> > "Even you" indeed! Trouble is that I doubt if any of us know what
> was in the 
> > mind of the person who had the idea of storing some info on a chip
> on the 
> > cart. Maybe it was as you suggest; maybe it wasn't. Maybe he/her
> thought 
> > they could 'kill two birds with one stone'.
> > 
> > From what little I know about the functioning of the chip and
> printer (from 
> > reading service manuals etc),  the chip does do several useful
> things - such 
> > as:-
> > 
> > - storing the ink usage of that particular cart, so that you can
> swap carts 
> > and still have the ink usage remembered when you put it back, and
> you can 
> > even use the same cart in two printers of the same type and have
> everything 
> > remembered properly.
> > 
> > - storing the date of manufacture and reminding you when it is past
> it's 
> > use-by date (never had this happen yet)
> > 
> > -  rather importantly, it also tells the printer whether it is a
> photo-black 
> > or matte black cart in printers where they are alternatives in the
same 
> > slot. This info is not only needed to set the paper and resolution 
> > alternatives in the driver, but also to delay the paper eject if
> using matte 
> > ink which dries more slowly than photo black.
> > 
> > - by checking the data on the cart at startup, the printer determines 
> > whether it is the same cart or a different cart (from that in
place at 
> > shutdown) , and sets the appropriate cleaning cycles (CL or CL3)
> > 
> > - the chip also tells the printer if it is a new cart and thus
needs a 
> > filling cycle, rather than a cleaning cycle.
> > 
> > - the number of cleaning cycles is also stored on the cart, so
that ink 
> > usage can be calculated properly. Since carts are all swapped in and
> out at 
> > different times, this is cart-specific info.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > There are probably other functions, but I'm sure that if I was
> designing a 
> > printer and cartridge system with swappable carts, having some info
> stored 
> > on each cart would be an inevitable thought on my part just from the
> point 
> > of making the setup work efficiently, accurately, and be as
> idiot-proof as 
> > possible.
> > 
> > But there are always 'conspiracy theorists' who see conspiracies in
> everyone 
> > else's actions. For instance, the different carts in a printer all
have 
> > different plastic knobs on that fit or don't fit into the
> appropriate slot 
> > for that cart. Stops idiots fitting carts in the wrong slots, which
> I have 
> > seen happen, but I'm sure a conspiracy theorist would say that was
> invented 
> > to make like more difficult for 3rdparty cart manufacturers!
> > 
> > Enough of this; back to my photos!
> > 
> > Bob Frost.
> > 
> > 
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Editor P.O.V. Image Service" <editor@>
> >
>