Where is the ink-level LED?

[sneezer2]

On ip3000, ip4200 and presumably others, what is the location of the
ink-level checking LED.

 

[Ron350]

The black arrow is pointing at the optics that let you know that the ink chamber is empty.

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3610

When you open the lid on your ip3000 and look down to the left you will se a stainless steel strip. Look closely at the black section in the SS strip and you will see the two little optic sensors.

 

[ghwellsjr]

Actually, one of the little "dots" is an optical sensor and the other one is a Light Emitting Diode. The printer can tell if there is a cartridge installed in each position that has its reservoir empty as the print head slides across the LED and sensor. It does this by shining its light (from the LED) up into the prism located at the bottom of the reservoir which will reflect the light back down into the optical sensor if the reservoir is empty. If there is any ink in the reservoir OR if there is no cartridge installed in the print head OR if the cartridge is not seated correctly in the print head, there will be no light detected and the printer will assume that there is a cartridge with some ink left in it. This explanation applies to the older chipless cartridges. I don't know what the newer printers do with the optical ink level sensor information.

 

[sneezer2]

Thanks, guys. I thought so but looked for confirmation. While working on these things I began
wondering about that and spotted this little strip with two dots. That had to be it but with all
the masters around here it still made sense to ask. I'll read the referred topic too.

 

[pharmacist]

I think the sensors are still used, to correct any anomalities between the chip and the actual and real ink level in the ink compartment. If the ink is low the prism will reflect the light back and will trigger the chip to be registered as empty.

 

[sneezer2]

pharmacist, I think that's probably right, otherwise why wouldn't they just dispense with this
sensor altogether. I'd like to be able to scope out the real relationship between these factors
but don't know if I'll have the time. Possibly.

One thing I do notice though is that there are some participants who seem to think that the
chips actually measure ink level. I doubt that very much.

 

[pharmacist]

sneezer2,

the chip is still used and will count the amount of nozzle fires and in the end it will be registered as empty, even the prism is telling the printer the cartridge is still full. The reason is that Canon does not want you to refill and therefore it created this chip to force printer to say: Hey, I'm empty: you did try to refill me.....So even you are keeping the cartridge topped with ink, in the end the chip will say: empty. In the unlikely situation the ink is leaking from the cartridge and the chip is still thinking it is full, the prism will correct this error and will send a trigger to the printer to write to the chip to tell it should be empty.

 

[embguy]

A few weeks ago, I tried to unclog the photo black on my MP830.

Since the photo black was clogged, there are lots of ink in the reservoir after multiple cleaning cycles. But the MP830 was telling me that the photo black was empty.

 

[pharmacist]

embguy,

I think the chip has registered so much nozzle fires it tells the chip to be become "empty", even there was and is still ink in the cartridge, which makes my assumption about the interaction between sensor and chip stronger.

 

[sneezer2]

pharmacist, I agree with you again. But here's a question for you. If the ink-level system is
as you say, then how did the ip3000 give warnings that a cartridge was almost empty?
A software counter? If so, why would that be inferior to a chipped cartridge. Yes, trick
questions, but I'm just exercising my poor little brain.