my epson Intellidge Extermination program

  • Thread starter Thread starter eddie
  • Start date Start date
E

eddie

Hi,
In 2002 I reverse engineered the Intellidge protocol and published the
details.

Even though I defeated the chips I still had trouble with the sockets
and corrosion on the head PCB where the sockets connect.
This resulted in the printer being broken for four years and requiring a
head replacement and other parts before I could get it working again.

This printer a 2100p had a RRP of 2 grand when I bought it so I figured
it was worth saving. See
http://nerdipedia.com/tiki-index.php?page=2100p+CIS+repair

I wasn't going to put up with the chip problems anymore and spent some
time eliminating them altogether.

The hack is basically to program a single micro-controller (an AVR
mega-8) to generate fake signals to fool the printer into thinking it
has seven Intellidge enabled ink cartridges fitted.

My chip-emulator taps straight into the print motherboard.

I know this is a bit advanced for most people but the project can be
found here.

http://nerdipedia.com/tiki-index.php?page=Intellidge+Extermination

If there is enough interest I might take it further and make it more
generic.
Ciao Eddie,
If you take the word "donotspam" and attach it to "@eddiebackup.com" you
have my current public email address.
 
eddie said:
Hi,
In 2002 I reverse engineered the Intellidge protocol and published the
details.

Even though I defeated the chips I still had trouble with the sockets and
corrosion on the head PCB where the sockets connect.
This resulted in the printer being broken for four years and requiring a
head replacement and other parts before I could get it working again.

This printer a 2100p had a RRP of 2 grand when I bought it so I figured it
was worth saving. See
http://nerdipedia.com/tiki-index.php?page=2100p+CIS+repair

I wasn't going to put up with the chip problems anymore and spent some
time eliminating them altogether.

The hack is basically to program a single micro-controller (an AVR mega-8)
to generate fake signals to fool the printer into thinking it has seven
Intellidge enabled ink cartridges fitted.

My chip-emulator taps straight into the print motherboard.

I know this is a bit advanced for most people but the project can be found
here.

http://nerdipedia.com/tiki-index.php?page=Intellidge+Extermination

If there is enough interest I might take it further and make it more
generic.
Ciao Eddie,
If you take the word "donotspam" and attach it to "@eddiebackup.com" you
have my current public email address.
Click to expand...

I have to hand it to you Eddie. You have a unique personality that can
delve into the preciseness of many different areas of mechanics, writing,
art, and no doubt other areas.
I have worked with Epsons since 1990 and as the IT person at my
elementary school in Philadelphia (until I retired in June) was taking care
of some 80 Epson printers of various models from the 740 to C88. All the C
models were chipped and I made an effort to start refilling the C84 - C88
cartridges using a spongeless cartridge with resettable and auto-rest chips.
The refilling actually went fine but became extremely time consuming when I
had to deal with more than a 15 printers running this way. Still it saved $,
allowed each grade teacher to have their own classroom printer and filled my
goal to stop throwing cartridges into land fills.
Epson and and all the other printer makers do the environment, the
consumer and life a disservice with their method of greed and waste
marketing by categorically eliminating refilling cartridges through their
add-on chips. I feel that despite efforts to create hardware resetters or
software programs that will defeat these business practices it will take
government legislation to make these companies change their mentality. In
the meantime reading about inventors and experimenters of your likes is
encouraging.
And yes, I've already written about this to my own legislators in
Washington and Pennsylvania. Perhaps with this country's sagging economy
they may even be more receptive to such an attitude, depending on who wins
the November election.
 
Jan said:
I have to hand it to you Eddie. You have a unique personality that can
delve into the preciseness of many different areas of mechanics, writing,
art, and no doubt other areas.
I have worked with Epsons since 1990 and as the IT person at my
elementary school in Philadelphia (until I retired in June) was taking care
of some 80 Epson printers of various models from the 740 to C88. All the C
models were chipped and I made an effort to start refilling the C84 - C88
cartridges using a spongeless cartridge with resettable and auto-rest chips.
The refilling actually went fine but became extremely time consuming when I
had to deal with more than a 15 printers running this way. Still it saved $,
allowed each grade teacher to have their own classroom printer and filled my
goal to stop throwing cartridges into land fills.
Epson and and all the other printer makers do the environment, the
consumer and life a disservice with their method of greed and waste
marketing by categorically eliminating refilling cartridges through their
add-on chips. I feel that despite efforts to create hardware resetters or
software programs that will defeat these business practices it will take
government legislation to make these companies change their mentality. In
the meantime reading about inventors and experimenters of your likes is
encouraging.
And yes, I've already written about this to my own legislators in
Washington and Pennsylvania. Perhaps with this country's sagging economy
they may even be more receptive to such an attitude, depending on who wins
the November election.
Click to expand...
Jan,
I think these business practices may already be illegal in many
countries. Remember epson lost to 2006 class action against them.
Epson could easily change the printer firmware to defeat us hackers but
they might then have to explain to a court why they did so. At the
moment the official line is that is it not an anti-refilling technology.

On the other hand some people think printers should be cheap and
unchipped - or at least have cheap ink. That doesn't work either.

The printers are clearly being sold at a loss to hook people into ink
sales.

The obvious solution is for some company to sell printers for what they
really cost and sell ink for what it really costs.

You and I would probably do the sums and be prepared to pay more up
front for lower overall total cost of ownership. I doubt too many
average buyers would understand this - unless there was some campaign to
educated them. Even so many would still so no to an expensive printer.

If they did the sums they should also say no to a cheap printer.

I also think most people should not be buying inkjets at all. Low volume
user will be plagued with clogged jets and *most* high volume users
would be better off with lasers. This was different 10 year ago.

Laser also have chips etc but are still much cheaper and more reliable
overall. I bought a colour xerox maybe 3 years back and I'm still using
the original sampler toner.

The niche for inkjets is high quality photo work and unless people are
serious about photo printing they'd be better off leaving it to a print
shop.
Cheers from Oz,
Eddie,
 
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