Jerry Yeager wrote: > > On Friday, January 3, 2003, at 02:55 AM, Tony LaFemina wrote: > > (portions cut out) > >> In order to correctly monitor a fluid level, there has to be some >> kind of system that can sense the height of the fluid in the >> cartridge. Otherwise it's purely guesswork. If they do have an >> accurate system that can monitor the ink level, then it shouldn't >> matter if the cartridge is removed from the printer or not. Once it's >> installed, it should send the printer accurate readings. But Bill >> said Epson advised against this, which tells me their system is based >> on time. When a cartridge is installed into the printer, an >> electronic pulse initializes the timer for each color. When a color >> is called upon, the timer for that color is started, and stopped when >> the cartridge stops emitting the color. Since they know how much ink >> is in a new cartridge, they know how much time it will take to empty >> it. However, if the cartridge is removed, the timers should reset >> when you put it back giving erroneous data. This method should always >> say there's more ink than there actually is. If the system says >> there's less or no ink in the cartridge, then I call it spitework and >> it verifies what I said about big business not caring about the >> environment. >> > > If you read some of the earlier posts, this was explained, but I'll > repeat part of it again. Epson electrostatically charges the cartridge > when it is inserted. Removing the cartridge and then putting it back > wastes ink. Add to that the fact that in early OS-X, printers drivers > in general were iffy (for all manufacturers, not just for Epson), and > thus remaining ink levels on a re-inserted cartridge were not always > reported correctly and you get the advice that Epson that gives out. > The situation is vastly improved, and gets better with each update to > OS-X, but still is not completely worked out yet. For example if you > have certain new HP printers (which can give decent prints) then you > are better off using Gimp-print than the native HP drivers, because > the HP drivers still have bugs in them which cause them to take over > most of the cpu effectively disabling the computer (Still happens even > in 10.2.3 Apple and HP are still working on it). The latest update to > OS-X went a long way to fixing this, but it is still happening to many > people. > > Back onto the smart chips: all of the manufacturers use them in the > new printers. In the older ones they are not there. My guess is that > they will stay, but be changed to allow refilling. > > Jerry
I have no idea what electrostatically charging a cartridge is going to do for reading ink levels. I do know it makes your hair stand up, and gives you one hell of a shock when you go for the door knob, but I'm in the dark on this one. I don't know who came up with this stuff, but it sounds to me like a tech writer got snowed by some engineers. When I eventually buy one of these new printers, I guess I'll have to start reading all about them like you guys did. Maybe then, we could continue this conversation. Until then, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. May it bring back the Mac! -- Tony LaFemina Major in Layout & Design Techniques Minor in Software Fundamentals http://hometown.aol.com/visitmacland/index.html mailto:remacs at optonline.net | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will | be January 28. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>.
