Pro-100. - Still Having Problems With Displayed Ink Levels

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Catching up again but a few things.

1. The theoretical "never have to reset" pipe dream is, I'm sorry to say, about as likely as myself becoming a TV celebrity and winning the lottery. I'll place a £100 wager on that right now. It has been theorised in the past and something I confirmed when I was looking at homebrew Canon CIS systems with the CLI-8/PGI-5s. All we found then was that the firmware and/or chip logic ensured that it would recognise that it shouldn't still be able to print significantly more than the cartridge could possibly hold and would indicate a faulty cartridge/chip. I'm serious about that bet by the way, with any proceeds to the Red Cross (I'm not paying your beer money )


2. I can confirm the inclusion of "Setup" marked cartridges with the EU model I have and absolutely no difference in behaviour compared to the "Setup" cartridges being used in 550/250 & 551/251 models (like the iP7250/iP7220) where there are physical differences in design. Canon obviously didn't see any point in p*ssing off their more experienced semi-pro/pro customer base by sending out piffling limited cartridges... Discounts and offers in the USA not withstanding.


3. As noted numerous times before now, the resetter issue, as far as ink monitoring goes, is only significant now if you have DIM'd your cartridges. I'm pretty sure we've now thrashed this to death and common sense indicates that with the resetter now available as standard with any refill inks it's unlikely to be an issue except for early-adopter refillers when the early inkset(s) appeared pre-resetter or those buying from Chinese inks purporting to be Pro-100 type with instructions to DIM as part of the refill process.

The obvious solution and/or work-around is frankly to get a new set of cartridges. Not cheap but it does the job.


4. The new wrinkle from Bithead is however a significant development and will undoubtedly be of interest to the REdSETTER folks. BUT I would note, Canon have every right to expect that be left alone as you're crossing into a legal quagmire and out of the "legitimate use" realm of ink monitoring and refilling. By faking the OEM label I would expect a legal challenge based around charges of software/license infringement.. something which, I for one, would not wish to invite.

 

[stratman]

I am using the OEM cartridges that came with the printer. The canceled print occurred in both Win 8.1 64 bit and Win 7 64 bit.

I originally tried it in 8.1 and thought it could be the OS, booted Win 7 and got the same result.

I am running firmware version 1.1

So the printer and the software were separately and properly installed for each OS?

If so then this means either singly or in combination the chip design/implementation, the resetter, or a firmware snafu is occurring. I see th esoftware is available for a wide variety of Canon printers but not the MP8xx series and lower IP4xxx series printers so I could not test it out.

Canon has an unusual caveat in the description for Creative Park Premium:

CREATIVE PARK PREMIUM3 is a premium content service available exclusively to users only when all of the colors of genuine Canon inks are installed.

I don't recall anything like this before with Canon software. This provides an interesting piece of the puzzle in that it may be that Canon has advanced their chip security function to include firmware and/or software monitoring for genuine Canon OEM chips. That, however, still does not explain why a reset OEM cartridge chip would not be recognized as an OEM cartridge chip or even why Canon continues to provide sufficient ink monitoring or even a functional printer at all.*** Maybe Bill Gates' alien masters are now sharing advanced tech with Canon.

It would be nice if someone else with reset cartridges and someone who never has reset their cartridges could test the software in Win 7 or Win 8. Until then, maybe try the uninstall, cold reboot then reinstall. Maybe it needs Compatibility Mode for installation?

*** Continued printer function with after market cartridges may be required by US law via the Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act.

NB -- all this is speculative at this juncture. My bet is still on human error in coding and/or manufacturing by Canon and/or the resetter company, though the warning by Creative Park Premium certainly raises the stakes for a concerted effort by Canon to circumvent resetting/refilling/third party cartridges/inks.

 

[Roy Sletcher]

Here we go again...
Bithead introduces more useful information into the mix.

Here is my experience on the same issue.

I am still running seven of the original OEM carts. Looking closely one can see the designation SETUP in small black print on a white back gound on the top of these cartridges.

All seven of these cartridges have been DIMed following emptying the original cart.

I have not to date experienced any of the symptoms described by bithead. My Firmware is Ver. 1.100

EDIT - OS: Running Win7 - 64 bit

Top up and refilling to date of these cartridges as follows:
M - 6 topups, PC - 7 topups, K - 5 topups, GY - 6 topups, PM - 6 topups, LGY - 6 topups, C - 4 topups.

These figures are in addition to the original cartridge. After a few individual refills I started following the procedure suggested by Joe or The Hat to top up all carts when one emptied to cut down on head purge/clean cycles. My estimation is that I had topped up twice before receiving the REdSETTTER

My experience seems to be different from Bithead. Also by now several people will have refills or topups in excess of the four mentioned by bithead, and we do not have anybody else describing the same errant behavior (yet).

The saga continues. Watch for the next exciting installment.

Person who solves this one can be inducted into the "PrinterKnowledge Hall of Fame".

Roy Sletcher

 

[stratman]

I have not to date experienced any of the symptoms described by bithead. My Firmware is Ver. 1.100

EDIT - OS: Running Win7 - 64 bit

Have you tried the specific software Bithead referred to?

 

[Roy Sletcher]

Have you tried the specific software Bithead referred to?

Hi Stratman,

No! I have my own well tried workflow which works well for me. GENERALLY speaking, hardware manufacturers are "klutzes" (spl) or worse when it comes to writing software, so I tend to stay away from hardware manufacturers proprietary software where possible.

I know that is a contentious statement - just my opinion.

The software Bithead uses appears to be the problem. If so it brings us back to the leading suspects being - DIMing the chips causes the problem, and/or the REdSETTER plays (or does not play) a part in the problem.

Just need more testing. I won't be doing a lot of printing till close to the new year, when I can test my replacement OEM yellow cart for errant behaviour.

RS

 

[mikling]

Roy, do test the DIMed chips by topping off at LOW and then see if the EMPTY pops up soon after. And also top off the ones that did not reach low as yet and do not reset them. I'd like to see if we get the same results with myself running 1.02 and you running 1.1

Let me show the stuck bit scenario. Some might better understand and some will not.

Counter starts full at 1111. The left most bit is underlined and is the frozen one due to DIM. As long as the value is greater than 0000 the optical sensor works. So the lowest value that the counter can get to is 1000 after being DIMed and decremented. This explains why the ink level monitor remains high....even just before the optical sensor kicks in. Now after the optical sensor kicks in, the normal counter goes to ANOTHER SEPARATE counter that now takes over to empty. If my hunch is correct, this counter then will go to the EMPTY value.

Now on normal chips and prior printers, even if the normal counter value was high, as soon as the optical sensor kicks in, the counter is PULLED down immediately and the countdown role is pushed to another counter call it LOW to EMPTY counter. Now at the same time it also explains why you cannot fool the normal counter was well. It will always count down as it is being used and either the optical sensor overrides the count and shifts the counter to the LOW to EMPTY one or the count is always decremented by normal useage and when it reaches 0000 it naturally transfers the counter role to the LOW to EMPTY one.

 

[jtoolman]

I don't recall anything like this before with Canon software. This provides an interesting piece of the puzzle in that it may be that Canon has advanced their chip security function to include firmware and/or software monitoring for genuine Canon OEM chips. That, however, still does not explain why a reset OEM cartridge chip would not be recognized as an OEM cartridge chip or even why Canon continues to provide sufficient ink monitoring or even a functional printer at all.*** Maybe Bill Gates' alien masters are now sharing advanced tech with Canon.

It would be nice if someone else with reset cartridges and someone who never has reset their cartridges could test the software in Win 7 or Win 8. Until then, maybe try the uninstall, cold reboot then reinstall. Maybe it needs Compatibility Mode for installation?

I can confirm that this is 100% true with "My Image Garden".
I am running my PRO-100 from a WIN 7 pc and WIN 8 laptop and it will not let me print to the PRO-100 using that program. I states that I am not using Genuine Canon Carts and refuses to let me download templates and the ones that I downloaded before I resetter the chips, will no longer print. Pretty tricky!

You can load your own image file and print it but so what. I can do that with any other program. Oh and this is not only with the PRO-100. It also recognizes non genuine chips ( because of resetting? ) on the PRO-9000 or 9500 MKII.

On some Epson printers you will sometimes get the Non Genuine warning, which you simply ignore and once you accept, it forgets about the discrepancy until the next time you reset the Epson cart ( by the way, I refill and reset some EPSON model carts )

Joe

 

[jtoolman]

Have you tried the specific software Bithead referred to?

I have used that software and it will not let you download or print anything from a template the very second it detects that you have reset a cart chip. So yes it is true.
However it is not an issue for me. But it is interesting.

Joe

 

[turbguy]

Interesting...somehow the PRO-100 KNOWS it has a reset cart installed....I bet this gets written into the EPROM data in case of a Warranty Issue...apparently a "complete and perfect" reset is not achieved!!! AND it gets potentially communicated over the internet...what else might CANON then control..such as excessive cleaning cycles, waste absorber misreporting, Failure to print after "X" number of refills?

The Electronic Countermeasure War continues!

 

[turbguy]

I wonder if it is possible to clear the EPROM data from the printer, the "Premium Services" will then "work"...