Home-made ink-level sensor for inkjet printers?
 

After refilling a Canon ip4200 or similar, with the newer-type chipped
cartridges, one loses the ability to monitor the ink levels using the
printer's cirquitry and software. This is unfortunate.

It occurred to me that it would be quite easy to design and produce a
low-cost add-on ink level warning device - comprising a sensor that
detects when the rear portion of the cartridge (the chamber with no
sponge inside) runs dry. This could be achieved with a two-terminal
sensor that detects increased electrical resistance when there is no
longer any ink between the terminals. The terminals could project from
the end of a rod that extends down into the cartridge from the top. It
could be inserted after drilling a hole - one for each cart. The
sensors could cause an LED to light up (one for each cart). It could
also set off a beeper.

If anyone ends up building one, please send me one ..or at least, some
instructions and a component list!

I'd design it myself, but my knowledge of electronics is too scant.

Al D

Home-made ink-level sensor for inkjet printers?
 

Al Deveron wrote:
After refilling a Canon ip4200 or similar, with the newer-type chipped
cartridges, one loses the ability to monitor the ink levels using the
printer's cirquitry and software. This is unfortunate.

It occurred to me that it would be quite easy to design and produce a
low-cost add-on ink level warning device - comprising a sensor that
detects when the rear portion of the cartridge (the chamber with no
sponge inside) runs dry. This could be achieved with a two-terminal
sensor that detects increased electrical resistance when there is no
longer any ink between the terminals. The terminals could project from
the end of a rod that extends down into the cartridge from the top. It
could be inserted after drilling a hole - one for each cart. The
sensors could cause an LED to light up (one for each cart). It could
also set off a beeper.

If anyone ends up building one, please send me one ..or at least, some
instructions and a component list!

I'd design it myself, but my knowledge of electronics is too scant.

Al D

Before I gave-up on Epson printers I bought a gizzmo that reset the
device on the cartridge - it wasn't very expensive and worked OK.
Try the usual ink vendors.

Dave

Home-made ink-level sensor for inkjet printers?
 

On Wed, 23 Aug 2006 15:20:47 +0100, NoSpam
wrote:


Before I gave-up on Epson printers I bought a gizzmo that reset the
device on the cartridge - it wasn't very expensive and worked OK.
Try the usual ink vendors.

They are available for Epson printers but not for the new Canon
printers, whose cart chips have 128-bit encryption. No one has cracked
it yet, to my knowledge.

AL D

Home-made ink-level sensor for inkjet printers?
 

Hmm - Interestingly non Epson cartridges in my recently
purchased Epson R220 still show the ink levels...

Roy

Home-made ink-level sensor for inkjet printers?
 

On Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:55:08 +0100, "RzB"
wrote:

Hmm - Interestingly non Epson cartridges in my recently
purchased Epson R220 still show the ink levels...

That's because the Epson chip system was easy to crack, as I
understand it.

Al D

Home-made ink-level sensor for inkjet printers?
 

Al Deveron wrote:
On Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:55:08 +0100, "RzB"
wrote:

Hmm - Interestingly non Epson cartridges in my recently
purchased Epson R220 still show the ink levels...

That's because the Epson chip system was easy to crack, as I
understand it.

Al D

Originally the chip system was there to stop people from using 3rd party
cartridges and refilling OEM cartridges. In 2002 the EU said this was
to be made illegal from 2006.

So, now whilst you can refill your cartridges without having the
cartridge refuse to work (or have to be reset) - they just disable the
ink level check and other functionality that the chips now provide.
This is following the letter of the law, but not the spirit.

D

Home-made ink-level sensor for inkjet printers?
 

On Thu, 24 Aug 2006 10:15:15 +0100, David Hearn
wrote:

Hmm - Interestingly non Epson cartridges in my recently
purchased Epson R220 still show the ink levels...

That's because the Epson chip system was easy to crack, as I
understand it.

Al D

Originally the chip system was there to stop people from using 3rd party
cartridges and refilling OEM cartridges. In 2002 the EU said this was
to be made illegal from 2006.

So, now whilst you can refill your cartridges without having the
cartridge refuse to work (or have to be reset) - they just disable the
ink level check and other functionality that the chips now provide.
This is following the letter of the law, but not the spirit.

I wasn't aware of the EU ruling. That's good news. All we need now is
a way to resotore the ink-level monitoring. Hence my suggestion for a
makeshift ink-level-monitoring ghizmo.

Al D

Home-made ink-level sensor for inkjet printers?
 

Al Deveron wrote:


I wasn't aware of the EU ruling. That's good news. All we need now is
a way to resotore the ink-level monitoring. Hence my suggestion for a
makeshift ink-level-monitoring ghizmo.

I always find it quite obvious when the ink is running low on the inkjet
or the toner is running low on the laser printers, as long as I always
keep a spare cartridge or bottle of toner there's never a problem.

or am I missing something?

--
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Home-made ink-level sensor for inkjet printers?
 

On Fri, 25 Aug 2006 17:42:31 GMT, "Pet @ www.gymratz.co.uk ;¬)"
wrote:

Al Deveron wrote:


I wasn't aware of the EU ruling. That's good news. All we need now is
a way to resotore the ink-level monitoring. Hence my suggestion for a
makeshift ink-level-monitoring ghizmo.

I always find it quite obvious when the ink is running low on the inkjet
or the toner is running low on the laser printers, as long as I always
keep a spare cartridge or bottle of toner there's never a problem.

or am I missing something?

Ink jet cartridges which include the thermal print head are damaged
within a few lines/characters if they are allowed to run dry.

If dry the thermal elements melt the plastic chambers they are set in.

"Or so they say" .

AMOF I try to re-fill cartridges at home but not in the office. The
secretaries have a very low tolerance of computer faults such as this.

DG