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CHIP FAQs
1. What is a chip?
In our industry, chip refers to a nonvolatile serial memory device that is attached to a replaceable printing supply. Non-volatile means that the memory retains its information even when power is turned off. Serial memories are characterized by a low number of interconnects between the host system (printer) and the memory device. The data that is stored in these memories is sent over a few interconnect pins and is ordered serially (sequentially). The serial data format is not critical and there are many ways to organize serial data but the point is that the designers of toner and ink cartridges recognize that the fewer connections between the memory and the printer the less chance there is of a bad connection and hence greater connection reliability. Serial memories used on printing cartridges have as many as four required interconnect pins and as few as zero connections, as found with wireless devices. Again, serial devices are selected by the OEM engineers to minimize size (low pin count), cost and reduce the chances of a bad connection given the potential stresses to sensitive electronic components found in the printing environment. These stresses include multiple insertions and removals by non technical users, oxidation from the gases produced by the Electrophotographic (EP) process, corrosion from inkjet inks, as well as the usual repetitive thermal cycling characteristic of office machines.
2. Are OEM chips made by printer manufacturers?
No. Chip manufacturing is specialized and different from printer and printer supply production. Computer chips are produced by integrated circuit (IC) manufacturers such as Texas Instruments or Microchip. To date, every printer cartridge chip is either an industry standard off the shelf component memory, a custom variation of a standard component or an exclusive series of standard components. In all but the first case the aftermarket chip supplier is denied access to these original devices and must design original circuits with similar functionality. Often this is done completely through reverse engineering as even rudimentary data sheets are not available from the manufacturer without permission from the OEM.
3. Who makes the cartridge chips for HP laser printers? Xerox? Lexmark?
Most remanufacturers know that HP does not manufacture laser printers. Toner cartridges and print engines in HP laser printers are manufactured by Canon. Canon has an exclusive arrangement for these memory chips from a giant Japanese conglomerate that makes ICs as well as consumer and industrial electronic devices. Consumer products from this manufacturer are sold in the US under the Panasonic brand name. Most HP cartridges use Panasonic chips.
Xerox uses custom chips from STMicroelectronics as does HP in some inkjet chips. Lexmark chips are all manufactured by Dallas Semiconductor (now owned by Maxim).
4.Why are there memory chips on toner cartridges?
Despite common conceptions, these are not primarily to add cost to the remanufacturing process. Yes, the additional complexity and cost that remanufacturing chipped cartridges presents is one of the reasons, but it does not appear to be the root reason for chips on cartridges. Memory chips store permanently the usage history of the supply item they are installed on. They inform the printer about the newly installed component. Is it new? If not how many pages have been printed? How much toner remains? How old is the cartridge? When was it first installed? In what machine? Is the supply authentic? [Supply authentication means is the cartridge an OEM cartridge rather than an aftermarket supply. From the OEMs point of view, using authentic supplies has warranty and other service implications. Chips help authenticate supply items.] Usage history is helpful but as always cost reduction and increased performance are the primary reasons for design innovations including adding memory chips to toner cartridges.
Chipped cartridges are the “Smart Supplies” of HP sales literature. A “Smart Supply” allows for a “Smart Printer”. A Smart Printer adjusts process parameters over the life of the supply item to optimize print quality and yield. This allows a cartridge to print perfectly from the first pages to the last, automatically. Smart printers and supplies work better yet cost less to make because manufacturing tolerances can be relaxed allowing greater production yields. Lower manufacturing costs AND greater output quality are both a result of cartridge chips. Previously out of spec. drums for example can be used when the cartridge memory chip has the component details needed for the printer to adjust accordingly. System weaknesses such as initial low print density or increased line width near end-of-life can be adjusted out when cartridges are chipped.
5. Can I just leave the used OEM chip on the cartridge? Can it be reset? Should it be removed?
In some cases you can leave the used OEM chip on the cartridge without issues, but this is becoming less and less likely. Generally speaking, HP color chips require replacement for the printer to function while reuse of used chips on monochrome HP cartridges does not disable printing. Lexmark Non Prebate chips can be reused without machine shut down while the chips on Prebate or Return Program Cartridges eventually halt printing if reuse is attempted. Older model Xerox chips can be reused, but full cartridge life cannot be insured due to a chip count- based hard shutdown in these printers.
Cartridge memory chips all have some type of write locking feature that is activated after important information is stored in the device. Lexmark memories and some Xerox chips are add-only type devices whose data cells can be changed from a binary one to a zero but not back to a one. HP chips have lock byte features that prevent resetting. A few older laser cartridge chips such as the Xerox N32 family or the HP4500 drum unit chip can be reset and many of the Epson inkjet chips can as well. For the rest replacement with a fully functional chip is the only way to achieve correct OEM-like printer operation.
HP monochrome laser chips are not shut down devices, but printer functionality is tied to the presence of a working chip. With a spent OEM chip or no chip installed, these printers disable toner level sensing as well as count based process adjustments. Current aftermarket chip offerings do not provide cartridge component specific information for printing process adjustment so this aspect is only active during the original OEM printing cycle. In this respect leaving the used OEM chip on a cartridge could help the printer optimize PQ, however, until this functionality is better understood it, doesn't make sense. If the original chip contains OEM drum and toner specific information, then leaving the used chip on does little good since at least the toner if not also the drum must be a replaced with aftermarket materials that the chip info does not apply to. Even cartridge core specific parameters such as toner low sensing circuitry trim values stored in the used OEM chip can be rendered useless when critical toner hopper dimensions are changed due to splitting and resealing processes. Although challenging this area of research into the intricacies of chipped toner cartridges will no doubt yield similar economic and performance gains realized by the OEMs today for the aftermarket tomorrow.
Except for the special case of a partially used OEM chip, reusing or removing the spent chip results in the same loss of functionality, the same Non HP cartridge warnings and other nuisance messaging. Operation with a used contact type HP chip in a 4200 for example is only better than no chip if the original life was run on the same printer (an impractical situation for most). A second life with partial functionality can be achieved if toner low is not written to the chip before removal from initial service. Other stored counts will however result in inaccurate status information including toner remaining percentage.
6. Can a “bad” chip result in a false or early toner low? How does the printer detect toner l
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