CLI-8 Cartridges, How does the chip really monitor ink?

[Trigger 37]

Canonfodder,.. I checked at Sam's club today and they carry Ilford Professional inkjet Smooth Glossy Paper, 8 1/2 x 11 in 100 sheet box for $24.00, so that is 0.24c per sheet. The Kirkland is about 0.13c per sheet. I have both papers as well as several other papers. My Canon iP6600D still has orginal Canon ink in all carts, so it will be easy for me to test on my printer.
However, I have don't nothing to my system to calibrate the print level of the iP6600D. However, each print that I have made has come out very close to what I would expect from a top quality printer. I'll check the link you provided.

B.

 

[Trigger 37]

Since this post is all about "Knowing how much in is in a Cart", I would like to suggest another possible way to get a "Ink Monitor". Before the introduction of "Chipped" carts, each of us used the standard "Printer Driver" that came with our printer. I've looked at a lot of them and they are all just about the same. My old i560 had an excellent ink monitor. It did just what I wanted it to do,... it said nothing until the ink got low in the reservoir,... then it told me as I was making my next print. It knew there was still enough ink in the cart to make anykind of print I was going to need. I'm sure it use the little prisim at the bottom of the reservoir. The new printers have this same sensor and can read the low level of ink in the same way. It is what they do with it that is so terrible. Now if we could only find some software engineers, i.e., programmers that cold reverse engineer the old "Ink Monitor", and add it to some new software that ran outside of the current driver, it may just be able to report the ink level via Windows software. I've mentioned on previous post about the company in Germany that has done this exact same thing to a large majority of the Epson printers. It does even more in that it lets you reset the ink level via the keyboard. Like I said earlier, I have an Epson 1280, which is a very high quality printer for 13"x44" prints. This software works wonderful when I refill my Epson Carts. I also have a "Chip Resetter" for the carts so I can do it either way. The web site for this software is www.ssclg.com This site is all in Russian but if you want the software there is English link on the right side of the page that points you to the Epson SCIC Utility. If anyone can read Russian, maybe these guys that wrote SSC Utility for the Epson printers are working on one for the Canon Printers. There is a link to their forum and maybe you could ask them,...that is if you can write in Russian. Now that I think about it,.. I have a friend that is a Russian Interpreter and lived there for 5 years. I'll see if I could contact her. Does this idea have any legs,.. I know this is asking a lot, but I also know there are a lot of really talented programmers out there that love a challenge. I'm an old hardware Engineer,.. so I have no chance of doing something like that. I can barely keep Windows running.

 

[Tabriz]

As a new boy to this forum I have read through most posts in this thread with much interest. I purchased a Canon ip5300 seveal weeks ago with the intention of eventually using compatible cartridges when the OEM cartridges are empty. I have therefore been watching the Canon ink monitor with great interest and have been following any postings on various forums to see if a chip resetter for these cartridges becomes available.

In the process of watching the ink levels I have noticed that the ink levels as reported by the graphic display are not quite the same as shown by removing the tanks and inspecting the levels in the visible reserve area. I am tempted to wonder which is the most correct.

In the meantime I have found a freeware Ink monitoring program at http://terry.sprinterweb.net which is still in the beta stage but which might provide an alternative means in the future.

Hoping this will be of interest.

Tabriz

 

[Trigger 37]

Tabriz,.. I've seen the same post for the free ink monitor, but have the web site didn't work. I did download the program but have not tried it yet. It is said to work for 4 color printers. Have you tried it yet. If so,.. give us a report and what printer did you try it on.

The canon ink monitor for the new printers is terrible. I have a new iP6600D and have hardly printed 4-5 photos and the ink tanks show about 2/3 rds low. When I look at the carts, they are 80% full. I always check the levels visually before I start a big print job.

B.

 

[Tabriz]

I am most relieved to find that my experience with the canon monitor has been shared with someone else. I was beginning to think that there was something wrong with my installation.

I have been running the inkmon program for several days now even though it is only designed for 4 colours. I believe the author is intending to produce a five colour version eventually. So far it does seem to work and the results tally with my estimation of ink use although I was thrown by the sudden drop in the Canon monitor levels. The program is being reviewed and updated and I do know that the author would welcome any comments which would lead to improvements.

regards
Tabriz

 

[Trigger 37]

OK, I think we have kidnapped this thread long enough. It is supposed to be all about the new Canon CLI-8 chips and new infomration about them. It has been awhile since anyone posted anything about the new chipped carts from France. What is the latest on that.

Epson has a feature in their Drivers that allow one to turn "OFF" their ink level monitor. This works great when I use the SSCi software to monitor. It is a vast superior monitor software. I am still working on getting several documents translated into Russian such that once I gain access to their web site and forum I can post the questions about their Monitoring software and ask if they are working on one for the Canon Printers. However, this is item number 9 on my list of things to get done.

Tabriz,.. give us a little more detail on how the program works and your experience with it.

 

[Tabriz]

I am still monitoring the inkmon program although I do not use my printer all that often. However I am recording reported ink levels on each print.
The inkmon program seems to work on spool readings which are analysed and applied to the previous recording. How this is is done I am not sure. However after being set up and reading over a reasonable period the average seems to be in line with actual use. The program does allow for refilling and resetting individual cartridges. On a short term basis it appears as if a photograph with small ink use reports as much ink use as an A4 plain paper print. I am sure that this will average out over several prints.
When I first started using the program I was comparing the resuts with the Canon monitor. This was not good as the Canon monitor seems wildly out. I am therefore lifting the cartridges occasionally and measuring the level in mm. The problem is that when I do this the printer goes into cleaning mode and I use more ink !
I am reporting the discrepancies in reporting levels on the author's forum and I hope more people will try out the program and provide reports.
I have tried out the ssclg epson monitor. It looks very promising giving a facility four 4 colours. However the version I downloaded does not recognise my canon printer and seems to rely upon communication with the printer chip. Maybe later.
regards
Tabriz

 

[Defcon2k]

I am therefore lifting the cartridges occasionally and measuring the level in mm. The problem is that when I do this the printer goes into cleaning mode and I use more ink !

I'm not sure about that.

I tested it right now with my iP5200: I made an EEPROM print and then lifted all my refilled carts to check the ink level. Then I put them back and looked inside the printer to see if there is a head cleaning. No, there wasn't any. Afterwards I printed a page normally and then I made another EEPROM print. The number which indicates the ink tank replacement cleaning cycles had not changed at all (C=029).
So, unless I've overlooked something, I think lifting the carts to check the ink level doesn't provoke a cleaning cycle.

 

[Tabriz]

So, unless I've overlooked something, I think lifting the carts to check the ink level doesn't provoke a cleaning cycle.

I'm sure you are probably right. I do not have the knowledge to be able to read the eprom data. However the printer does go through some form of activity when lifting out and replacing cartridges. If this is not using more ink then I am most pleased.

The point is that the levels reported by my Canon monitor do not agree with measurements taken which brings us back to the start of this thread in as much as how does the printer measure these levels ? Presumably there is either an optical system or else the system measures nozzle firings. I am sure that the system will provide a warning at the appropriate time when ink levels are dangerous.
In the mean time I still hope that a way will be found to provide accurate indications.
regards
Tabriz

 

[chippedoff]

I beleive i've found out why the inkmonitor software is not 100% acurate.

I've installed it on win 98 and so far (after about 20 prints) the ink level is about 90-92% accurate. I can live with a 8-10% saftey margin so long as the cartridge ink level is the higher one.

Used an ip4200.

Your right that on windows XP the levels are way off.

From the tests is seems the is a communications problem between the monitor and the print driver as if only part of the data is getting through.

I wish the Mp830 had viable win 98 drivers. However the software differences between the 790 and 830 are very different.

For this who wish to try. Set your xp driver to include printer pooling (just under the "enable bi-directional").

Gave a minor improovement.

Best of luck.