Printer Comm Problem

Mike McCarty Mike.McCarty at sbcglobal.net
Wed Jul 4 04:33:24 UTC 2007


Gene Heskett wrote:
> On Tuesday 03 July 2007, Mike McCarty wrote:
> 
>>Today, I find that I have a printer comm problem which I haven't
>>had before. I use an HP DeskJet 870Cse, and have for more than
>>a year, so far without significant problem. Today, I replaced
>>the black cartride, which I wouldn't think would cause any problems.
>>
>>Now, at the end of each print job, the printer notes that it has
>>lost comm with the computer, and starts flashing the yellow light.
>>Turning off and back on the printer fixes all up, but I cannot
>>start another job until I do this, or I get binary dump on the
>>printer.
>>
>>I use HPIJS with CUPS and FEDORA CORE 2. What steps may I take to
>>find out what has gone wrong with my setup?
> 
> 
> That's an HP printer, and 50% of that printers smarts are in the cartridge.  
> If that is _not_ a genuine HP cartridge, and some of the re-builders are 
> getting downright cute with their packaging, then its possible the cartridge 
> is bad, particularly if they had to hack the cartridges fill state stuff in 
> order to reset the empty status in it.

This printer has no conception of fill state of the cartridge. It will
happily "print" with both cartridges completely empty. In fact, I've
been using it with an empty color cartridge for a couple of years.

> If you think its a genuine cartridge, I might try removing and re-installing 
> it, washing the contact faces with a q-tip dampened in real alcohol just in 
> case a fingerprint is getting in the way.  When I say real alcohol, the drug 
> stores 'rubbing' isn't what I had in mind, the lumberyards & paint stores 
> sell the real stuff.

I tried just buffing the contacts, already. So, I tried what you suggest
(used some VCR tape head cleaner, which is mostly anhydrous AoH).
Same symptoms. About 5 to 7 seconds after the last page is ejected, the
printer complains of loss of comms.

Hmm. I just tried disconnecting the printer cable, and using the
"hold power and press restart" 5 and then 7 times, and each of them
does not complete. I suppose that this is a problem within the printer.

Mike
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