[JGCMelissa]

We just finished maintenancing our printer and did a nozzle check. It was a bit light so we decided to do a simple cleaning. When I tried it from Adjustment Wizard, it gave us the error message, "The communication error occurred. Check cable connection and printer power." We tried shutting off the power to the printer and unplugging it, then plugging it back in. We tried unplugging the communication cable from the computer and the printer and plugging it back in. We also tried restarting the computer it's still plugged into, and nothing's worked. We checked the adjustment wizard and the printers listing under the control panel to make sure it was reading from the correct port. We also tried printing a test from NeoRip and that doesn't work either. The cable's only a few months old, and it has an LED on it to show if it's connected, and it's on. Does anyone else have any suggestions to try, or something that's been overlooked?

 

[allamerican-aeoon]

Did you check port?

 

[JGCMelissa]

We're thinking it might be the port itself or a loose connection. There doesn't seem to be any obvious damage to the port itself upon looking at it. We've tried using different cables and computers, even tested the connection from computer to cable by plugging it into a regular printer with a firewire port. That made a connection. After eliminating every other possibility, it's got to be something on the printer.

 

[allamerican-aeoon]

How many printer 4880 you see in your computer?

 

[JGCMelissa]

Control panel>printers and Adjustment Wizard only shows one.

 

[edward1210]

Control panel>printers and Adjustment Wizard only shows one.

what model printer?
Remove completed from your computer( unplug the usb cable from your computer, then go to printer and faxing look for that printer name and delete.
Or first go right click on the printer, property, advance, driver and update your driver, if this doe not work, then do the first step

 

[JGCMelissa]

Still nothing. It is as if the printer will not communicate with anything.

My husband took off the bed and looked into the back of the printer and noticed a red light inside the back of the printer blinking. He does not remember this light blinking and he is normally very observant about details like this.

 

[allamerican-aeoon]

Push printer by hand to the point where blinking stops.off positioned.

 

[JGCMelissa]

Still nothing. We are absolutely stumped. Printer just does not seem to want to communicate with the computer at all.
Light is still blinking inside the back of the printer right near the ports.

 

[treefox2118]

Just a quick thing to confirm: do you run a UPS between the outlet and the printer?

We once had an "impossible to diagnose" communication problem with an Epson wide format desktop printer. Ended up pulling the UPS and the problem went away. So if you have one, pull it temporarily, just to confirm it isn't something power related.

 

[JGCCreations]

I have gone over everything from swapping cables, to powering down devices, to swapping cables and computers. I have gone over everything I know about this machine. The carriage powers up fine, the printer powers up fine, the printer goes through its cycles and cleaning. Every aspect of this is 100% normal except that it will not communicate with anything you plug into it.

There is a diode in the back of the printer. If you remove the table and look into the back lower half of the machine where the cables plug into it you can see a diode/light that is blinking red, I for the life of me can't remember this light blinking. I could be wrong but I have a nagging feeling this light is a warning sign of something gone wrong. I have a very good eye for this stuff and can normally figure things out pretty good and fast being a geek myself and working on computers a bit but this has me totally vexed.

 

[JGCCreations]

Just a quick thing to confirm: do you run a UPS between the outlet and the printer?

We once had an "impossible to diagnose" communication problem with an Epson wide format desktop printer. Ended up pulling the UPS and the problem went away. So if you have one, pull it temporarily, just to confirm it isn't something power related.

Negative, the printer is on it's own dedicated line. I had thought about a battery backup but we rarely ever get power flickers or surge and most everything in the house has surge protectors in one form or another.

 

[treefox2118]

Photo of blinking LED?

 

[JGCCreations]

Photo of blinking LED?

This is the best I could do without pulling the back of the machine off. I'm not interested in pulling it off with power running through it unless I have no choice.
The little red dot is the light that is blinking. I can't remember ever seeing this light blinking but I could be wrong.

 

[JGCMelissa]

Well, thanks to a call to Leo and the TIGERS, seems the problem is our firewire/USB port went kaput. It's going to require changing out the motherboard. Alpha TIGER was more than helpful in walking us through diagnosis, and we hope to be up and running again soon!

 

[23spiderman]

document the procedure on changing out the motherboard, as i'm sure that would be helpful to rest of us. is this the motherboard on the printer itself?

 

[Stitch-Up]

Changing the motherboard isn't difficult if you take your time and work methodically.

Take pictures before you start so you can refer to them when replacing the ribbon cables.

 

[JGCCreations]

Ok, here is the skinny on this fun task. There are 3 screws in the back of the machine to pull the guts out, 5 screws hold the motherboard in and two long post screws that are mostly plastic with a screw in the bottom. Be very careful when pulling the ribbons but be very careful when pushing them back in. Take pics of every step you take. Count your screws coming out and going in, keep the screws for each area you work through separate and labeled if needed. By the way if you have spare parts then you better go back in and make sure you don't have spare parts the second time around.
There is a boat load of connectors, some will pull out or pop out with ease some you have to use every ounce of calm and patience you have. The ribbons, take very good care of these because the silver tabs are evil and I mean evil, you can bend them without even realizing it.
When you get everything back together it will want to resist going back in because you altered and changed the way things sat in the machine, just be gentle and careful.
Here are some of the pics I took.

 

[treefox2118]

And the result is...

don't leave us hanging!

 

[JGCCreations]

And the result is...

don't leave us hanging!

Ok ok ok, that is enough suspense for one day. I have turned machine back on got a scare that it was not working then I realized an ID10T error on my part smacked myself in the head and now she is working again! Now I have to do some cleaning because I am not getting any good lines on check.