Canon chipped cartridges - can anyone confirm or deny this?!

[websnail]

I've just noted a forum post on another forum where an iP5200 user has just managed to reach the point where his printers last cartridge required refilling and when he went to accept the last "are you sure?" message the printer then refused to print at all.

Ref:
http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=85473&forum_id=40&jump_to=539373#p539373

Now I'm not far off being able to confirm this myself but I would really like some input on whether anyone else has been there, found this out and if they've found anything out from talking to Canon or other technical sources on ways round it.

Right now I'm faced with a lot of printers and CIS kit plans that I thought would work perfectly despite Canons little games but now it's looking a lot like they're aiming to garnet a class action or something...

Seriously concerned about this little nugget...

 

[websnail]

Well I'm guessing the lack of response would indicate that nobody else has seen this as yet...

Well, just on the off chance that you're interested in this thread we got a second report of this problem that I didn't twig was related until an hour ago..

Anyways, if you are a chipped canon user I suggest you read up on what may be ahead.. it's not great.
Ref: http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=85473&forum_id=40&jump_to=541158#p541158



PS: apologies for posting to a different forum n'all but we mention nifty-stuff over on stevesforums all the time

 

[Hendo]

Hi,

Not much help...but here it goes.

Just refill all the cartridges exept the last one. Buy OEM for that cartridge.

 

[websnail]

Hi,

Not much help...but here it goes.

Just refill all the cartridges exept the last one. Buy OEM for that cartridge.

Yeah it is an option but Canon shouldn't be locking users out in this way (if indeed they are). There are legal precedents that say that we do not have to use Canon inks or cartridges if we don't want to so if they are doing something deliberate it's likely to be challenged.

You're right though an OEM would seem to solve it but if you're using a CIS kit that's just not a good option... :|

 

[Manuchau]

This has got to be illegal, and it pisses me off. All these problems will be solved as soon as some company comes up with a chip resetter....Hopefully VERY SOON!!!!

How does Canon dare do this? I find it hard to believe( although it's a certainty) that some board of directors approved harebrained plans like these.

What they have done is to prevent CIS manufacturers from creating systems for the new printers, as well as discourage 3rd-party cartridge manufacturers. This is leaning towards a monopoly, which is illegal.

I have no doubt that soon some enterprising company will make a new chip resetter. I just wish they would get on with it asap...and solve these problems!!!!!

 

[websnail]

This has got to be illegal, and it pisses me off. All these problems will be solved as soon as some company comes up with a chip resetter....Hopefully VERY SOON!!!!

How does Canon dare do this? I find it hard to believe( although it's a certainty) that some board of directors approved harebrained plans like these.

Like I said, it's too early to say that this is a deliberate act and not just pure dumb bad luck or some user error that's the problem.. Right now I'm trying to keep an open mind but it does look like my open minded approach isn't going to pay off..

We shall see...

 

[websnail]

Just as a follow up...

Given this report from one of the problem iP5200 users:
http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=94053&forum_id=57&jump_to=541969#p541969

...I'm starting to wonder now if Canon haven't specifically targetted the refilling market with a sort of "logic trap" that uses the prism and the chip to double check that it's "working properly".

Here's a hypothetical scenario (yep, another one )..

Printer has a set of OEM cartridges installed that haven't been refilled yet.. The user uses a fair bit of ink and through it's prism sensor (or the chip) the printer notices that it's becoming low on ink (ie: the spongeless part is empty or close to it).. The user decides at this point to top up the ink tank and pulls out the cartridges, refills them and replaces them in the printer. At this point the printer decides to lock up.

Here's where the logic check comes in... The printer may be programmed to poll the prism for its status and then compare with the chip and if the chip suddenly goes from low ink to "full" it figures there's a problem with the cartridge and halts printing.

This sort of logic "could" be used as an excuse that Canon are protecting the user from a "broken" cartridge but it would seem to be a rather clever way of stopping people from successfully refilling.. I'm just guessing here you understand but it might explain the report in the post referenced above.




So, thinking this through, it would then make sense to either: Keep the cartridges topped up constantly (through a CIS) so there's no sudden disparity (ie: low to full) or wait until the cartridge is completely empty before refilling.

Overall I'm not convinced but I thought I'd share another hair brained theory

 

[drc023]

What Websnail has come up with sounds plausible as it might be a cynical way for Canon to get out of a class action lawsuit stemming from the chipped cartridges. Canon could always claim the reason for a lockup is to prevent damage to the printhead since it would appear the ink usage based on droplet count wouldn't be normal in comparison to a lack of low ink warning triggered by the prism.

 

[websnail]

Yep... and given the terse response I got from Canon after I followed up a query asking a simple "does the printer block cartridges in this scenario?" question I have to assume this is now deliberate.

I'm realising I've got my various posts on different forums now but for anyone interested I tried out a theory of mine ie: refilling with the power off using cartridges that were marked as "empty" and which wouldn't have marked themselves as "low ink". This worked just fine and the printer is still printing so it seems the critical juncture may well be avoiding the prism detecting "low ink".

Granted I did this with a CIS enabled system but I was a little wary that the cartridges didn't have as much ink in the spongeless tank part as I would have liked.

Either way... the CIS approach does seem to be the way to go..

 

[Hendo]

Hi,

Is thiere a way to block the prism, or "trick" it? Can it be removed and the printer still work?