Hi guys,
   I'm currently trying to build up a cartridge resetter for an Epson print=
er =

I'm repairing ($DEITY knows why, though, perhaps because I can?). The probl=
em =

with said printer is that the vacuum hose had clogged, which made the =

printhead clog. Pretty common fault on the C86 apparently, but after the ho=
se =

is cleaned out the printer can usually be made to work again...

   Of course, the wonderful side effect of all this is that because the ink =

wasn't being pulled through during the cleaning (or printing) cycles, I hav=
e a =

set of four cartridges that are full of ink, but the magic ink-chip swears =
the =

cartridge is empty. Lovely. Needless to say I don't want to throw these =

cartridges away as they are. I've got a resetter on order, but it's been st=
uck =

in the post for about a week.

   I've managed to solder wires onto one of the cartridge chips, and even =

managed to reset it (PIC18F252 + MPLAB-C18 + existing open-source code =3D =
win). =

The problem is that this approach isn't exactly practical. Four cartridges, =

seven solder points on each (well, actually five -- two of the pins are =

unused) makes for quite a lot of soldering and desoldering work.

   My attempts to make a suitable connector using Polymorph, balsa wood and =

bits of springy paperclip wire have all failed. Either the "connector" fail=
s =

to contact the cartridge. Half of the trouble seems to be that Polymorph me=
lts =

at a stupidly low temperature, which makes it great for moulding into odd =

shapes by hand, but as soon as you try to solder to any pins inserted into =
the =

bay, the thing melts into a puddle.

(I still reckon anyone who could come up with something similar to Polymorp=
h =

that started out as a thermoplastic but could be converted to a thermosetti=
ng =

plastic would be onto a winner)

   I guess the best solution to this would be the so-called "pogo pin" =

spring-loaded test pins, and some form of support frame. The catch being I =

can't find anywhere local that stocks these things for less than a small =

fortune. =A34.50 a pin is a little excessive, especially when the rated lif=
e is =

only a couple of hundred cycles...

The pin layout is (roughly):

   1mm
   |  |
   | [ ]   [ ]   [ ]--------
   |                      ~2mm
  [ ]   [ ]   [ ]   [ ]-----
         |     |
         | 2mm |

As usual, there's probably a really simple solution I've missed...

Thanks,
-- =

Phil.
philpem@philpem.me.uk
http://www.philpem.me.uk/


-- =

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