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Question Roland SP 540i Replaced everything cannot get printer to shoot ink

Johnnie G

This is the most expensive hobby EVER!
I replaced Mainboard, Servo board, printheads, carrige board, cables, dampners, firmware. This dude will not shoot ink. Upgraded firmware. Burnt out two print heads i guess so i have new ones on the way. There are no pictures i can find on the net that show correct hookup from carrige to print heads. The first go around i guess i had them switched. If you are looking at the carrige board from the front there are 4 ribbon inserts i hooked them all up with new ribbons. the back one we will call 1. the front one is 4. on the print heads i hooked 1 up to the front left print head left side and 2. to the front left right side printhead. the other was 3. to the right print head left side and 4. was to the right print head right side. This was the way they were installed to begin with. Any advice?
 

Johnnie G

This is the most expensive hobby EVER!
here is how it is
 

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THE real question is ink flowing through the printhead. Forget the fact that it is not firing.
If you do cleaning cycles is ink coming through the heads?, that’s the first thing you have to accomplish.
can you pull ink through the heads from the capTop tube that goes to the pump?
you need to verify info first then you can work on the electronic part of
 
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Reactions: 1 users

damonCA21

Active Member
Connecting the cables to the wrong heads won't burn up printheads so there is something else going on there. At worst it would blow the mainboard fuses if you get a bad connection and possibly damage a transistor. Check as RCT suggested above to make sure there is ink flow through the heads. If there is you need to start checking voltages to the heads to see if anything is present.
 

adamfromayr

New Member
I have the same issue on my LEC-330

Yellow isnt firing

Got Head board and Servo board checked by a pro

also check the head board transistors

and the FFC Cables are a bad source for issues! Get a magnifying glass and a bright light and check the gold terminals are not touching 1 x little bent pin is all it takes to cause numerous issues

And those pesky FFC cables the glue on the blue band on them comes off with age and heat and can damage the FFC Cable so when you put them back in after removing a PCB Printhead etc they can get damaged and you dont even know it

My LEC-330 Gets ink coming out the head but doesnt fire nothing so far ive checked the headboard, servo board, new FFC Cables, Transistors on the headboard

Fuses are all good and dont blow

what do i do now? Is it the main board? or that smaller board just before going into the printheads?
 

damonCA21

Active Member
I have the same issue on my LEC-330

Yellow isnt firing

Got Head board and Servo board checked by a pro

also check the head board transistors

and the FFC Cables are a bad source for issues! Get a magnifying glass and a bright light and check the gold terminals are not touching 1 x little bent pin is all it takes to cause numerous issues

And those pesky FFC cables the glue on the blue band on them comes off with age and heat and can damage the FFC Cable so when you put them back in after removing a PCB Printhead etc they can get damaged and you dont even know it

My LEC-330 Gets ink coming out the head but doesnt fire nothing so far ive checked the headboard, servo board, new FFC Cables, Transistors on the headboard

Fuses are all good and dont blow

what do i do now? Is it the main board? or that smaller board just before going into the printheads?
Is either the mainboard or the head itself
 
  • Agree
Reactions: 1 user

adamfromayr

New Member
Thanks Damon

Im sure i swapped over the head i.e. Cyan into Yellow

I will try that method once more, as i cant afford to buy new heads unless i get it working and keep it

on the fence 50/50 for parts now

still trying dont want to buy a new head and its not that!

Might send my soldering tech the Main Board to look at first

Thanks for the Help :rock-n-roll:
 

damonCA21

Active Member
No problem, you have ruled out most other causes but try and rule out the head first. If it is ok then the mainboard is the only thing left really. It could be something like a chip has failed on it so isnt sending the print signal to the head. Also check the actual connectors on the mainboard for any signs of bad solder joints etc..
 
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Reactions: 1 user

adamfromayr

New Member
The Cyan and Magenta are 100% okay is it okay to do a quick swap over on them just to test the Yellow

I think i did that before but will do again,

Does it work straight away when you swap over heads without any other things to do like a power clean, flush purge etc?
 

damonCA21

Active Member
Yes is ok to do that, it will tell if the head is getting signals from the mainboard. it should print straight away but will take a bit of running to clear the other colour ink from it, but you only really need to do a couple of test prints to see if the head works on that channel
 
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Reactions: 1 user

adamfromayr

New Member
Update: I got my fixed Headboard Back

Ive 2 x yellow DX4 Heads

1 x is firing zero INK!

2 x is firing very faint lines, hard to see


This is actually good news for me, it shows me now that one head is fried, i.e. Burnt Toast lol

The other is a bad head blocked or damaged but even the faintest ink coming out is good news it shows me one x head is fried, and the other is very bad

So now i need a NEW DX4 head,

if anyone has any good ones for sale please let me know

Thanks
 

netsol

Premium Subscriber
Connecting the cables to the wrong heads won't burn up printheads so there is something else going on there. At worst it would blow the mainboard fuses if you get a bad connection and possibly damage a transistor. Check as RCT suggested above to make sure there is ink flow through the heads. If there is you need to start checking voltages to the heads to see if anything is present.
but it sure beats the s**t out of the board that drives the heads
 
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Reactions: 1 user

adamfromayr

New Member
UPDATE:

Fitted my first new DX4 printhead and all went well

Yellow is now 100% might need another new printhead for the not so great black printhead

Now the question on everyones mind is will he still get NOW PROCESSING ERROR

Thats the next hurdle
 
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