MX4501N

[ZOOTECH]

Tech in the field asked me to post this. Prints in color or b/w are good; any scan through feeder or off glass with color comes out with blocks of color, no color or whacked out colors, but b/w is just fine. This is a used machine that went out as a demo so I know the firmware is up to date, and it was working good before the delivery ride to the customers. All connections to scan pwb and flash ROMs have been reseated, and the SIT chart numbers came out just fine for all colors. Any other tests that he could do before throwing pwbs into the machine?

[OMD-227]

I've had the CCD in the scanner cause that before. B/W copy/scan was great, anything color through the scanner was way off the mark. Also had one before that would give a yellow background on any color copy/scan, which was the CCD too.

While I'm thinking about it, reseat or replace the 256Mb dimm on the MFP. A bad copy memory module could do this as well, as there is more data on a color copy. You could try and push the copy memory with a high volume B/W copy as well. If the memory module is bad or partially bad, you will eventually get scrambled data on the output print and/or trouble code E7-06 on those boxes.

Another test you could do, is test the CCD in the doc feeder. Print a color double sided page & copy that. If the back side is OK, but the front side is bad, you have one good & one bad CCD.

[ZOOTECH]

Since it is bad on second side (sorry, failed to mention that), I guessing we have a memory issue on the MFP board as pointed out and not two bad CCDs. Thanks, wazza for your prompt reply, I'll update after the fix (hopefully we won't loose this demo).

[OMD-227]

This still is very much sounding like a bad CCD. If the problem is happening on the second side only, the CDD in the DSPF is most likely the problem.
The DSPF units have their own memory board. Its the small board that sits ontop of the scanner board, only on the DSPF fitted machines. If the DSPF memory board was bad, you have straight lines, like a ruled notepad on the second side. That is a classic example of a memory board issue. I doubt this is memory on the MFP or the DSPF memory board from your examples of copy quality. I'm more thinking DSPF CCD unit now that I know its second side only.

[ZOOTECH]

Sorry, my explanation isn't clear; bad color copies when scanned from glass, or duplexed from feeder (both sides bad).

[OMD-227]

Aahhh..... I can see clearly now.

yep, memory on MFP. I'm pretty sure of that. Very surprised if something else.

Any chance of attaching an image of a print & its color copy from the machine??

[ZOOTECH]

Yeah, sorry for the confusion; I'll see if the tech can bring in some samples to attach.

[OMD-227]

Driving around, stuck in traffic..... been thinking more on this one.

One thing worth a mention..... Check/replace the Scan-In board if you still have the original version MFP. The newer version MFP has it built in, but I've seen weird things caused by the Scan-In board when they are installed by themselves.

Would be surprised if it was that, but worth a mention as the CCD harness goes to it.

[ZOOTECH]

To update the fix; the memory chips did not fix the problem. Tech then tried the HDD - all color scans were good. He returned the original HDD to clone destinations - all color scans were good. He reformatted HDD and machine has all original parts - all color scans still good. We are going to keep a close watch on this one.

[ZOOTECH]

Well, it's back; we replaced the original MX4501N that had the problems and it is in the shop for me to repair. The 256MB memory on the MFP pwb did not fix it. The Scan In pwb and the HDD was tried but they did not fix it either. I'm ordering the DSPF memory board. The attached file is from a copy of TC64-5 off the glass. Doc feeder in simplex or duplex gives the same results. At the customers office, the problem was intermittent, but at least now it is consistent.

[OMD-227]

Wow.... Nice scan samples!! Geeeezzzzzzz.........

The DSPF memory board only affects D/S scan or copy. I'm still thinking this is a CCD unit issue though. You guys would have another C-Jupiter1 lying around to swap parts on surely.....???

[ZOOTECH]

Unfortunately, the other 4501 went to the customer that had this original trouble. Whether through the doc feeder or off the glass (simplex or duplex), color copies or scans to folder/email are bad. B/W copies/scans are good.

[OMD-227]

I hear what you are saying Zootech, but are you meaning that a double sided original, copied through the doc feeder as 2/2 (ADF & Scanner CCD used) will cause this issue, or a 2/2 copy off the glass (only the scanner CCD used) causes the issue?

If you are running 2/2 originals through the doc feeder, and both sides are copied bad like in your sample pages, the only time I've ever seen that is on a machine that was just relocated and had been accidentally damaged. It turned out the scanner CCD was damaged and the doc feeder mirror unit had a mirror which had popped out of place by a few mm's. It had the same issue of bad color, good b/w.

From your sample pages, I still cant get over the fact it looks so much like a CCD problem, wether it be the scanner CCD and/or the doc feeder CCD/mirror unit.

[ZOOTECH]

Thanks Wazza, the machine had worked good in the shop and only after delivery did the problem show up. i will be examining the optics of both the scanner and doc feeder when I get a chance.

[ZOOTECH]

Optics checked good, memory for DSPF was tried and did not fix trouble. If a color scan is made (scan once, print many), the output comes out different for each. The original tech had only touched the MFP pwb and the HDD, so we're thinking it is there somewhere not being able to pull the scanned image the same for each output.