Unlocking Hidden Canon Memory Messages / Extended Nozzle Check Pattern

[Nifty]

Friends,

I decided to try to print the "extended nozzle check pattern" using the secret button codes for my Canon i860 printer.
Here is an image of a standard nozzle check pattern for my i860 run through the Maintenance tab on my printer control panel:

click to enlarge.

Here is the extended pattern image here:

click to enlarge.

Notice all the "code" at the top of the print? I'm sure this is telling me everything I ever wanted to know about the inside memory (discussed here: http://www.printerknowledge.com/thr...rvey-our-printers-have-internal-counters.109/) for my printer.

Here are the abreviations... I have my guesses of what they all mean, but what do you think?


i860 LTR: Printer
V1.13: firmware version?
D=
CH=
ST=
PWC=
PAGE=
All=
PP=
HR=
PR=
SP=
MP=
PC=
OTH=
EDGE=
L=
2L=
ER Time=
ERO=
ER1=

 

[Grandad35]

Nifty-stuff,

I'll guess at a few. The letters "PR", "MP" and "SP" are used with Canon's printer profiles to indicate:
"Photo Paper Pro" (PR) - 117
"Matte Photo Paper" (MP) - 0
"Photo Paper Plus Glossy" (SP) - 7

Looking at the list of available papers in my printer driver, I also find (among others):
"Plain Paper" (PP?) - 2029
"High Resolution" (HR?) - 9
"Glossy Photo Paper" (PC????) - 0
"Other Photo Paper" (Other?) - 33
-or-
Any other paper (Other?)
Sum of all of the above (All?) - 2255
Do these numbers approximately agree with your paper usage?

What happened on 8/6/04-15:04? Could that be when the printer was manufactured or first installed by you? I have read that the printer driver routinely accesses the computer's clock for such things as HP's limiting the operating life of its carts?

What happened today at 12:54? Was this the time when you printed this page? If it was the time when you last did a head alignment, this would tie in with the "Edge" header for the last line. "ER0" and "ER1" could be error codes.

Are you going to share the secret code used to print these values?

 

[Nifty]

Are you going to share the secret code used to print these values?

... I'm not sure Grandad... with great power comes great responsibility.

I'm reluctant to post the codes here because they can be problematic. For example, when I used them I couldn't print any more after running the extended nozzle check pattern. I had to turn off my printer, unplug the USB cord, turn on the printer and plug the USB back in... this finally "fixed" it so I could print again. Also, I think if someone does the wrong key combo it can reset things you don't want to reset.

Regarding your other questions. I think the 8/6/04-15:04 is when I installed the printer and first printed.

I originally thought the 4/9 12:54 was when I ran the extended print, but I think I printed the pattern a few hours after that. So, either the clock is (daylight savings?) wrong, or it was when I did a nozzle check pattern / cleaning cycle, both of which I had done around that time.

Yes, the numbers you quoted are representative of my usage. Lots of regular prints, and not too many "photo" prints. I actually print a lot of photos on regular paper at the regular paper setting for my daughter to play with.

 

[Grandad35]

Nifty-stuff,

It is possible that the times are GMT - 5 hours ahead of EST and 8 hours ahead of PST. Does this make the second time fit better?

 

[Nifty]

um.... GD are you asking me to do math? Honestly though, I don't remember exactly what time I did any of the above. My guess is that I printed the pattern at around 1:45 pm PST and ran a few cleaning cycles and nozzle check patterns before that.

I'm going to wait a few days and reprint the exteneded pattern again and see what changes.

 

[Nifty]

Okay, I've received a few requests for the code I used on my i860 so I'm going to post it. I take no responsibility for what these codes do to your printer.

From what I read these were designed for the i550 and i850. The extended nozzle test pattern worked on my i860.
CAUTION: After using the code on my i860 I couldn't print anymore so I had to turn off the printer, unplug the USB cable, turn the printer back on, and re-plug in the USB cable.

Start with the printer OFF

1. Hold down RESUME and then hold down POWER
2. release RESUME (while still holding down the POWER)
3. press RESUME twice, then release POWER
4. The green light will blink and the printer will make some noise. Wait until this is finished, you are now in the printer's diagnostic mode.

To select one of the functions below, use the RESUME button and then press POWER to execute:

# of RESUME Presses - Light Color - Function

0 - green - Power Off
1 - orange - Service Test Print: Extended nozzle check pattern
2 - green - EEPROM information print
3 - orange - EEPROM initialize
4 - green - reset waste ink counter (For the Canon waste tank full error)
There are other options beyond these first 5, but from what I hear they do things that you don't want to mess with.

If you are brave and test these codes, please report back what does and doesn't work for your printer.

Remember... ATTEMPT THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

 

[Nifty]

By the way, if enough of us poke around and experiment we may be able to determine what most of these variables are.

I'm going to wait a little while and do another extended nozzle check and see what values have changed. Maybe I'll do a waste ink counter reset and see what happens.

 

[tyamada]

You'r right about the set codes beyond 4 on some printers is printer id I've read in http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/forums that some Canon printer owners have set their printers to a different type when trying to clear the "waste tank almost full" error.

Here is a link for Error Codes on some canon printers: http://canonhelp.freehttp.com/

Most of the newer Canon printer use the same codes to enter the service mode, however not all printer use the same codes to set things so BE CAREFUL when you are in the service mode.

The error sequence(lights and beeps) for different model printer is unique as you can see in the above link. I wish they had the error codes for the newer printers.

Trying to get into the service mod on the newer Canons might take some experimenting. I had a S9000 that wouldn't enter the service mode no matter what I tried (power cord, interface corde, both), till I was about to thow out the printer. I removed the printhead to save the cartridges (they were full) and decided to try resetting the printer error code. Lo an behold the printer entered the service mode, it shouldn't have because the printhead was missing. I should have gotten an error code (lights) of either 7 or 8 but I didn't. I got the single steady green light.
I then proceeded to reset the waste tank almost full error and then I had to press the power button 3 times to get the printer to turn off. Reinstalled the printhead, the printer no longer gives any error lights. It works prints fine.

I read some where the old Canons had to have the printhead removed to reset the ink tank error, maybe it's a trrow back to the older models, I don't know.

The fix your own printer link has a lot of useful information if you can weed through all the double posts and not informed posts.

Happy Printing

 

[Nifty]

All I can say is WOW.... check these links out (NOTE these are for the i550, i850, & i950 but they seem to work for my i860:

http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/reference/manuals/Canon i550, i850, i950 Service Manual/14

I followed the instructions and did option # 2 for "EEPROM information print" and got a TON of info from the internal memory! Here is something similar to what was printed on my printer.
http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/reference/manuals/Canon i550, i850, i950 Service Manual/19

Now I just need to learn how to exit this service mode without unplugging the USB.

Oh, and regarding the waste tank "COUNTER":

(1) When replacing the logic board, replace the waste ink absorber, depending on the value of the waste inkcounter.Use the following table as a guide to replacement.
Waste ink counter settingi550 / i850 / i950
0 - 7 Clear waste ink counter
7 - 100 Clear waste ink counter and replace waste ink absorber
http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/reference/manuals/Canon i550, i850, i950 Service Manual/12

The "D=015.7" on my printout above means that I'm within the range or replacing the ink absorber / ink pad.

I'm VERY curious to know what people's "D value" is once they've received the warning error and then the final error.

I bet if we all collected this data and compared it we could determine how the "D value" is calculated... either by the number of boarderless prints, or the number of "wipe counts", etc.

 

[Grandad35]

Nifty-stuff,

On my printer, simply pressing the Power button without touching the Resume button exits from the test procedure, locks the carriage and turns the printer power off.

It is my guess that the "D=" number is 100 when the tank is completely full (but it would be great if someone could could confirm this). Since these are service manuals not meant for the general public, it appears to be Canon's repair policy to reset the waste ink counter to 0 if it is less than 7% when a printer is brought in for service, but to replace the pad if the counter is >7%. Your tank is only 15.7% full, so they would replace the pad if your printer was taken in for service, but it has a long way to go before you get "the message". Actually, I like the idea proposed in (http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/forums/inkjet/22052#1) - I have seen pictures of the same concept used on Epson printers. This way, you just reset the counter when the waste tank gets full without having to tear the printer apart to replace the pad.

This link gives an idea of how much ink is used/suction cycle and when these cycles are initiated on one printer model.(http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/reference/manuals/Canon i550, i850, i950 Service Manual/23)
For example, on the i950 assume that we can get 10 CCs of useable ink from a new BCI-6 cart (there are 6 carts in this printer)
A regular cleaning cycle uses 1.5% of the ink in every cart.
A "Deep clean" cycle (Refresh) uses 3 times more ink than a regular cleaning cycle - 4.5% of the ink in every cart
Removing and reinstalling the print head does a deep clean cycle
Replacing an "empty" cart with a full one does 1/2 of a deep clean cycle - 2.25% of the ink in every cart (equal to 13.5% of the ink in a single cart)

I would be really upset if I was paying $12 for OEM carts instead of refilling - a Deep Clean cycle would use $3.21 of ink instead of 2 cents worth. Even $3 carts would cost $0.80 for the ink.