Anatomy of a Canon print head

[turbguy]

Actually, I suspect that the majority of print head failures (the ones that have obvious missing patterns during nozzle checks) are due to failures not in the nozzles, BUT IN THE MUTIPLEXING SCHEME ELECTRONICS embedded in the head circuits. These are electronics that fall far below the resolution you can achieve without using microscopy.

 

[martin0reg]

Agreed ... and I think minimal electrical damages can be the result of minimal ink starving over time so that nozzle after nozzle will get burned. Therefore you can exchange canon print heads so easily (unlike epson piezo)

If the nozzle check is showing patterns which are looking cropped instead of streaky, one can assume a "final" electrical damage. With my mp810 this showed up only in the extended nozzle check of "service mode":

1. nozzle check 2. extended nc 3. extended nc of new (used) printhead


In service mode you get also the "head temp" (eeprom information page) which is important as diagnosis:
my new(used) printhead indicates:
Head TempBK=30.5 Head TempC=26.5 Env Temp=24
"Head TempBK" is the pigment black, which ink has lesser cooling effect. Head Temps should be only a few degrees over "environment"..
..unfortunately I did not print the eeprom page from the bad printhead..

 

[ink-solutions]

Hello. I have a CISS on a canon MP280 printer an i have to change the color print head so often.. after about about 80ML of ink used, the print head starts printing with lines an missing words. What you think the problem is or how could i fix this. i have used ink from many different suppliers an the same problem.. Please help..

 

[The Hat]

Can you upload a nozzle check from your previous and current print head if possible please ?

 

[turbguy]

Agreed ... and I think minimal electrical damages can be the result of minimal ink starving over time so that nozzle after nozzle will get burned. Therefore you can exchange canon print heads so easily (unlike epson piezo)

.

Actually, burned out nozzles should draw LESS firing current, and place on=board electronics under lighter "duty", extending life.

 

[stratman]

Hello. I have a CISS on a canon MP280 printer an i have to change the color print head so often.. after about about 80ML of ink used, the print head starts printing with lines an missing words. What you think the problem is or how could i fix this. i have used ink from many different suppliers an the same problem.. Please help..

I have not heard before of someone using a CISS on a tricolor cartridge. A remarkable achievement!

 

[Łukasz]

Hi,

@martin0reg

Picture below is remark of clogged one of two "ink channels".
It is kind of internal clog, either in black body of printhead or in inlet in ceramic insert.
I is uncommon to be electric failure.

Another remarks - colored letters and halved density of all cyan strips (but all strips are present - none of them is missing):

But what is "ink channel"?

Below is picture of dye-based sub-printhead of QY6-0073.

It is typical detachable carts Pixma printhead design with 4 dye-based inks: CMYK.
Please note, that Cyan and Magenta are doubled, so it is CMYMCK printhead in fact, six sets of nozzles for dye-based inks.
These sets of nozzles are "ink channels" - QY6-0073 has six "ink channels" in dye sub-printhead. In service manuals they are named from "A" to "F".

Ł.

 

[martin0reg]

My PH of posting #42 was damaged / burnt ... I noticed that after having replaced it and making a macro scan (shown in posting #38).

According to druckerchannel forum the two additional nozzle rows for C and M (in canon PH's) are "fine nozzles" to print a light cyan and magenta - but without having two additional light INKS, like in epson 6 channel printers).
I think these canon's are mostly called
- 4 channel printers - if they have three color cartridges C-M-Y and the big one for text/pigment BK
- 5 channel printers - if they have four color cartridges C-M-Y-K (including "photo black") and the big one for text/pigment BK
So "channel" means cartridge here...while indeed these canons have two more nozzle rows ("internal channels"

 

[Łukasz]

My PH of posting #42 was damaged / burnt ... I noticed that after having replaced it and making a macro scan (shown in posting #38).

So, one ink channel is inoperative due to electrical failure. Rare but true.

I have attached printhead connector description for QY6-0072, QY6-0073 and QY6-0080 printheads.
There are terms like "A-line", "B-line" and so up to "F-line" (six in all). QY6-0067/QY6-0075 is organized in similar way.

Note, that "A-line" have "odd" and "even" nozzles, so there is only one caliber on "A-line". "B-line" has "L" and "MS" nozzles control. That means, "B-line" is made with 5 pl nozzle row and 2 + 1 pl nozzle row.
I checked that with masking pins and that is true.

Ł.

 

[martin0reg]

So, one ink channel is inoperative due to electrical failure. Rare but true...

In this PH there was more than one nozzle row burnt...due to whatever..
My personal opinion is that most defective canon PH's are the result of minimal ink starvation over time (unnoticed or ignored stripes or color shifts in the prints) so that nozzle after nozzle will get burnt...these are definitely not as "permanent" as piezo PH's and therefore easily to renew..

(edit) BTW canon PH's have much more single nozzles than epson PH's...so that many could be burnt before they are showing real failures...???