Epson SEIJ98006 manual EPSON Stylus Color, Revision C, Troubleshooting, Overview

EPSON Stylus Color 900 Revision C

Among the steps, if you do not perform Step 1 to Step 4 in the correct order especially, Ink Cartridge Out error (Ink End error) may occur whenever you replace the printhead. The background of this problem is as follows.

1.Since the printhead equipped with this printer is composed of 480 nozzles and driven by 32.4 KHz, the temperature inside the printhead rises more easily than any other printer. Therefore, the temperatures inside the printhead and on the printhead board must be intensely monitored to avoid damaging the printhead.

2.Rise in the internal temperature of the printhead can cause a fatal damage to the printhead itself. Heat inside the printhead is normally removed as the ink flows inside the printhead.

3.If any of the following conditions occurs, the printhead fails to eject ink properly even though the print data is input.

The printhead surface is left away from the home position for a long period of time.

￿The same ink cartridge is remove and installed repeatedly.

The table with the printer on it is moved up and down (vertically) intensely.

4.If the ink does not flow properly, the PZT gradually heats up and is eventually hot enough to evaporate the ink inside the cavity (a tank which stores ink).

5.To prevent the printhead from heating up, the 5-channel abnormal temperature detection circuit is included in the nozzle selector (directly attached onto the printhead board). With this circuit, the temperature of each nozzle row (five rows in total) can be independently monitored. (Refer to Chapter 2 / Section 2.3.2.)

6.Once the abnormal temperature detection circuit is active, the printer stops printing and starts a forcible cleaning. This operation cleans the clogged nozzles, and the ink inside the printhead flow properly as a result. At this point, the printer sets the flag in the address for the abnormal temperature detection circuit in the EEPROM to record the first abnormal temperature error.

7.The printer resumes printing with the data transferred.

8.If the printer detects an abnormally high temperature again, the printer regards it as the second abnormal temperature error and enters Ink End Error condition. The printer makes this judgement to ￿avoid following two problems:

Since the I/C has been repeatedly removed and reinstalled, the printer fails to evaluate the remaining ink level properly and

￿leaves the I/C in an empty condition.

Since the I/C has been repeatedly removed and reinstalled, the ink inside gets stale and can not absorb bubbles and viscous ink into itself.

9.specifically, the nozzle selectors (5 rows in total) used in the mass produced Stylus Color 900 are purchased from either of the following two vendors: EPSON or Sharp. Their ICs slightly differ in the feed back voltage. Therefore, if the installed printhead has the nozzle selector and the 1st digit of the printhead ID in the combination shown in Table 3-35, the printer shows the error at power on and begins a cleaning automatically. Therefore, even though the printer continues to print, it forcibly enters the Ink End error condition for the second time since the flag is already set in the EEPROM address for the abnormal temperature detection circuit.

Troubleshooting Overview 99