Chipless Firmware and empty carts

Open Discussion
1

What happens if you accidentally run a cart completely empty?

2

The chipless firmware has nothing to do with the carts running empty as the firmware will always show the carts as full and the maintenance tank as empty. It’s up to the user to maintain a visual check to verify levels. The software was designed to bypass persons lock on 3rd party consumables.

3

That should be Epsons lock on …

4

Hi Keith,

But what happens if you forget to check the ink level and a cart goes empty? Can that damage the head ?

5

Since the printer will always assume that the cart is full, my guess (and that is all it is, a guess) that you might start to introduce air into the line (for the empty cart) and that could create a fail situation. I have used the chipless solution for my P800 for the past couple of months, and got into the habit of checking the carts weekly and gently shaking them to maintain the pigment particles in suspension. My only gripe is that I wish the carts were a bit more translucent to better see the levels. But that’s just me.

6

What do you mean by a fail situation ? Could it damage the heads ? Isn’t it a similar situation to the carts not properly delivering ink or getting air in the lines?

7

2 to 3 cycles of clean and every thing is ok assuming you find the problem during or immediately after printing

8

I have a similar question. I am using the epson p800 carts with the chinless firmware and there don’t appear to be a way to see how much ink is left in the epson carts because they are so opaque. Does anyone know a way to check on the level of inks that are in the epson carts? Could I weigh them perhaps? I can’t even tell by shaking.

9

I just made a quick check on all of the carts I use for the Piezography Pro inkset that I have in my P800 and found that if I hold them up to bright window light (on a bright sunny day) with the label facing away from me (so I’m looking at the back of the cart) and with the port pointing up, I can see an ink level. The hardest to see will be the warm ink, but if you give it a minute or so, you’ll get a clearer picture. These, indecently, are IJM carts, not Epson OEM carts.