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Anyone have a Serial Inkjet Printer Development Kit and/or Inkjet Applications — Parallax Forums

Anyone have a Serial Inkjet Printer Development Kit and/or Inkjet Applications

rjustice4rjustice4 Posts: 6
edited 2009-05-12 18:05 in General Discussion
I know this is kind of an odd question, and believe me I'd be more than happy to buy one from Parallax, but they're no longer available.

I'm pretty desperate, and would be willing to pay top dollar.

Perhaps this is a chance to clear out some old equipment and earn some $$$ for some new equipment!

Thanks for your help,

Bob

Comments

  • ZootZoot Posts: 2,227
    edited 2009-03-29 17:56
    It comes up all the time (I've brought it up myself). One of the great all time modules of all time, anywhere. Sorry I can't sell you mine :-)

    See this thread... Ken Gracey has expressed willingness to pawn off the files if anyone wants to produce fresh versions:

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=779540


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  • ZootZoot Posts: 2,227
    edited 2009-03-29 18:00
    P.S. -- Matt Gilliland's site putatively offers the book for sale, but the links for it are either dead, or refer you to Parallax (which doesn't have it) or Amazon (which doesn't have it).

    http://mattgilliland.com/inkjet_applications.htm

    So the question on the book is if Matt Gilliland or Parallax can release a PDF version at least?

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  • rjustice4rjustice4 Posts: 6
    edited 2009-03-29 18:08
    Thanks for your input Zoot, and thanks for the links.

    I was able to track down a used copy of the book (at a ridiculous price!), and ordered that yesterday. I'm going to hand the book off to an EE friend, and see if we can build what we need. Does the book go into the same level of detail as the info that Ken has offered to share?
  • ZootZoot Posts: 2,227
    edited 2009-03-29 19:12
    Yes, it has full inkjet operation and circuit theory. The schematic for the Parallax board is available online, and there are additional full schematics in the book. Outside of the vagaries of cartridge mounting/connections, you should be able to prototype up a circuit without too much difficulty.

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  • rjustice4rjustice4 Posts: 6
    edited 2009-03-29 19:33
    Thanks for the feedback, Zoot.

    Perhaps one could scavenge the cartridge mount from old ThinkJet printers....there seem to be quite a few on Ebay....

    Once I have Matt's book in hand, is there anything to be gained from the additional info Ken has generously offered? Do you think it would be worthwhile taking him up on his offer?
  • ZootZoot Posts: 2,227
    edited 2009-03-29 22:37
    Heck yeah. If you had some of those boards made, you would get interest, I bet. I debated doing it, but it's a bit beyond my budgets to have a bunch of boards made. I had debated doing 3 at a service like ExpressPCB, but since I have one on hand, the impetus hasn't been quite so high. I ever wanted another one I think I would just prototype it up on the cheap.

    You may also want to see this thread: http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=714455 which has a slightly revised version of the SX driver that shipped on that board, along with code for loading it up with the "extended" bold font (note that you would need to use that font, or make one, as you won't have the "default" font that shipped on the eeprom with that module. On the other side, there is no reason necessarily to use a peripheral micro for running the inkjet and fetching bitmap font chars; a number of the experiments in Gilliland's book driver the nozzles directly for patterns, splattering, and other fun stuff.

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  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2009-03-30 09:22
    I believe the same printhead is also used in a lot of 'printing calculators'

    Particularly in Canon calculators as they use a lot of the same parts.

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  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2009-03-30 11:34
    Bob,
    What do you mean by "top dollar" ?
    Make an offer and maybe someone will take you up on it.
    As you know, these kits are not made anymore. So they are quite rare now.
    I bet a bunch of people on here have the kit, but need some "persuasion" to let it go [noparse];)[/noparse]

    Bean.

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    There is a fine line between arrogance and confidence. Make sure you don't cross it...

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  • rjustice4rjustice4 Posts: 6
    edited 2009-03-30 14:22
    Good idea, Bean. Do you know what Parallax charged for the kit originally? Perhaps I can offer a multiple of the original price....

    And thanks for the info on Canon calculators, Gadgetman.
  • rjustice4rjustice4 Posts: 6
    edited 2009-03-31 14:48
    Does $300 sound reasonable, I'm not sure what the kit cost originally....
  • ZootZoot Posts: 2,227
    edited 2009-03-31 15:17
    I paid $60 for mine from Parallax a few years back. $300 is a lot of boodle. I think if someone takes $300 from you, they are taking advantage. You must be truly desperate.

    If you are willing to part with that kind of cash, I don't see why you don't prototype up the circuit and just futz around with connecting to a cartridge... the schematics are available and not terribly complex, firmware for the SX is available (or could be ported to the micro of your choice). Heck, you could have 3 boards made at ExpressPCB and still be way ahead on $$...

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  • uxoriousuxorious Posts: 126
    edited 2009-03-31 16:49
    What about picking up a Xyron Design Runner and seeing if it can be integrated or modified? $69 at amazon or cheaper on eBay.

    www.xyron.com/enUS/ProductAccessories/Xyron_Design_Runner.html

    www.rainydaymagazine.com/RDM2006/RainyDayProjects/Scrapbooking/Xyron/DesignRunner/RDP_DesignRunnerFirstUse.htm

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  • TubularTubular Posts: 4,718
    edited 2009-03-31 20:23
    dRu thats a really interesting product, thanks for pointing that out.

    The memory card interface gives me hope that hacking it may be relatively straightforward

    tubular
  • rjustice4rjustice4 Posts: 6
    edited 2009-04-01 02:16
    Thanks for the input dRu and tubular.

    I'd like to stick with the HP thermal ink jet 1 (TIJ1) if possible....
  • Peter JakackiPeter Jakacki Posts: 10,193
    edited 2009-04-02 23:28
    I have to admit I have a book, a holder, a board, and cartridges here which I have never used and don't really need but...... Do you know that you can't get hold of those holders for the cartridges which makes it a bit difficult to even consider using them.

    However, there is an alternative, or maybe there will be. I have been working on the newer HP inkjets which seem to be the same in the low-end printers in that they have a holder that takes both the black #21 and tri-color #22 cartridges (no single ones I'm afraid) along with a driver pcb integrated into the carrier that connects to the control pcb via a 20-way flex cable. I have a pcb that connects to the head via this 20-way cable. The driver chip is loaded serially and the print head requires +31V with a switched +16V supply along with the 3.3V logic supply. The fastest signal I have found is the main clock which is 2MHz but there is also a data clock, data in and out, cartridge enables, strobes, encoder signals etc. I am still debugging this as I am intending to use it in a commercial product but I am sharing this tiny bit of information at present to let forum members know that there is an alternative.

    The original HP inkjet was a very simple system by comparison needing only darlington drivers for direct driving of the thermal heads but in some ways the new interface is even simpler as I may need only 8 I/O with one connected to a +16V switch. But there is still a bit more to do yet in debugging the signals and ascertaining their correct function and usage. It's possible I may release the driver simply as a binary image initially so as not to impact the commercial design. Sorry if I haven't been of any help in the meantime though.

    *Peter*
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  • henry99henry99 Posts: 67
    edited 2009-04-28 17:36
    Peter, what kind of logic analyzer did you use to get those signals?

    I've been trying to hack an inkjet printer for a while now.· I hacked most of an inkjet printer to the point where I can read the optical encoder and move my custom XYZ gantry but it's a bit of a mess to keep the motor/encoder just so that I can read it.· I'd like to read the PWM signal from the encoder and simulate the encoder signals making it a much cleaner hack.

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  • captnKrunchcaptnKrunch Posts: 1
    edited 2009-05-12 18:05
    Peter: That is exciting work. Please keep us posted and let us know if you need some help.
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