Need someone with a C7780C Designjet 800PS to load an ISS for me

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  • RHBlakeman
    Technician
    • Apr 2009
    • 42

    Need someone with a C7780C Designjet 800PS to load an ISS for me

    Here's a short overview of the problem - Customer with a C7780C Designjet 800PS has a plotter that's stuck in initializing. Cleared EEROM and it errors out now at 1:10. Replaced trailing cable and electronics module, goes to a 1:12 but when I go into service menu there's no model selection like the manual shows and info shows CXXXX for model. Replaced ink supply station (ISS) and now it shows C7769A but still no way to change model. Cleared EEROM but no difference. Posted same in HP forums, one person replied that the book is in error and he's come across it a few times and says that either an ISS or emodule from another C7780C needs to be installed and when the prompt comes up for what was replaced the opposite item is selected - ie if I put in an ISS from a working C7780C and install it in my broken unit I tell it the electronics module was changed so the info from the ISS installed is backed up into the electronics module. Likewise if I put an emodule from a working C7780C I tell the prompt the ISS was replaced so the emodule EEROM info is backed up into the ISS and things should work fine other than changing the serial and usage items. HP Designjet support tells me that if I put a new (refurb'd) electronics module and ISS from the Parts Store that it would fix it too but I don't want to chance it not working and being stuck with $650 more in parts that I can't use. Loading a new ISS from a working plotter sounds like the best option but I have no access to a C7780C unit other than this one.

    Anyway the owner decided to junk the plotter and I took it in exchange for the time and materials they would owe me. It's now my plotter and I want to repair it so I can use it for the signage part of our business. Sure I could part it out and make a killing but this plotter I know every inch of and have been the only servicer since it was new so I know it's history.

    So the question is - I need either 1) someone that is parting out a C7780C (has to be that exact model) with a good ISS or electronics module that wants to sell either item or 2) someone that owns a working C7780C that would work with me to get an ISS with the proper info into it - has to be a C7780C and I would buy a brand new ISS from HP and ship it to them. They remove their right cover, take their ISS out and install the new one and when the prompt comes up they tell it the ISS was replaced so their info is backed up into the new ISS. From that point they could remove the new one and put their old one in, or leave the new one in their machine and close it up. Whichever unit is left out will have the same model info in EEROM and could be shipped to me. I could then install the unit when it arrives, tell the prompt that the electronics module was installed (even though the ISS was installed) and the ISS EEROM info would be loaded to my present electronics module - then I could set my serial and usage from the service menu. I'd be paying shipping to and from and would even be willing to pay a reasonable fee for the time to do the loading.

    So if anyone in the US (or Canada if customs won't be a pain in the butt) has a working C7780C 800PS plotter that has either part for sale from one they are tearing apart, or has the skills with the plotter to do what I need then please email me (rhb57 -at- windstream.net) so we can work something out. Alternately if anyone with a working C7780C within a couple hundred miles of me here south of Louisville, KY would allow me to come to their location and do so I can do that as well. None of my customers has a C7780C so I am unable to do it myself otherwise it would be done already. I hate to have to part this machine out, it has very little use and has been very well cared for and would be so usable for our shop.
  • RHBlakeman
    Technician
    • Apr 2009
    • 42

    #2
    Oh and if someone has an ISS set aside that they are absolutely sure that it came from a C7780C but might be mechanically damaged I can use that too - I only need the EEROM info from the board on it. Willing to pay for even a damaged but electrically functional unit just to get the eerom info from it. I can mount the little board into my working ISS and hook it up and configure from that point.

    Comment

    • Ducttape n Glue
      Trusted Tech

      100+ Posts
      • Apr 2010
      • 195

      #3
      I have several 800's and will work with you.

      Comment

      • RHBlakeman
        Technician
        • Apr 2009
        • 42

        #4
        Originally posted by Ducttape n Glue
        I have several 800's and will work with you.
        Sent you a PM and email - contact me by email and we'll work this out. Thanks very much.

        Comment

        • RHBlakeman
          Technician
          • Apr 2009
          • 42

          #5
          Possibility that Ductape and Glue has something I can use but if anyone else out there can help please reply - just in case. Thanks.

          Comment

          • RHBlakeman
            Technician
            • Apr 2009
            • 42

            #6
            Loaded ISS is on it's way back to me from Conn, should be here middle of next week so I'm crossing my fingers that this does the trick. I will post the end result.

            Comment

            • RHBlakeman
              Technician
              • Apr 2009
              • 42

              #7
              SOLVED thanks to Fred, aka Duct Tape and Glue. He gladly allowed me to send him an ISS and got me back a loaded one that I installed tonight. When the EEROM error message came up asking which was replaced I told it "MAIN" for the electronics module and when I hit enter it gave me a 5:10 error for missing or bad formatter which it should have - the formatter was left out on purpose til I got it set. Went to printer info and there it is - C7780C for a model. Changed serial number and it's back to running like new. Updated firmware to the 04.02 version HP has from Feb 2010 and added a Jetdirect card and other than some maintenance and calibration items to take care of the machine is running sweet now. HP Support still swears there should be a line in the service menu for model - even with it working now it still doesnt allow changing of the model, even with the most current firmware.

              Thanks again and should someone have the same model and have the same problem just send me a PM and I can return Fred's favor and help you with your EEROM error.

              Comment

              • BECandCALL
                Technician
                • Jun 2010
                • 10

                #8
                800PS stuck in Initializing. Please wait...

                Hello - I have same issue that this thread addresses. When booting service mode the EEROM provides model # C7780C and correct serial #. Should I bother clearing EEROM?

                Error log:
                21:10
                79:04
                86:01
                79:04
                86:01
                61:05
                79:04

                I was brought this machine because it was sitting idle in a print shop for years. I got it up and running with the 815mfp, scanned, printed, etc. Then after 1 print the plotter got stuck Initializing.

                I would appreciate any guidance before I start taking matters into my own hands :-0 FYI - I do have the service manual to reference. Just didn't want to start without some sort of source who has some experience.

                Thank you in advance!
                bec

                Comment

                • RHBlakeman
                  Technician
                  • Apr 2009
                  • 42

                  #9
                  Clearing eerom is where my problem ended with initializing, then started by not being able to set the model. I guess if it gets corrupt it hangs and will sit for days initializing and never change. You mentioned an 815 (which uses a C7780C plotter) you used to revive it, if you have it available then I would clear it and see how it goes. If the model cant be set, connect the ISS from the hung machine to the 815's plotter, turn it on and tell it the ISS was changed so the electronics eerom is backed up to the ISS. Then take that ISS back to the hung machine and connect, tell it the electronics was replaced so the eerom info in the newly loaded ISS will back up to the electronics module. You should then have a working machine with the wrong usage info and wrong serial but correct model. BTW do this with the formatter out and once it gives you the formatter failure you can shut it down and install it as you'll know its looking for the formatter since it's now a C7780C in eerom again. Once it's back up initializing you should reset the serial and whatever usage you want to reset then I would go to the HP support downloads and get the new firmware and install it. The service station error and a few other errors were fixed in the Feb 09 firmware. If it comes back it is supposed to tell you how to correct it rather than replacing the service station right off.

                  I sold mine 2 wks ago and cant help so hopefully you do have access to the 815MFP for this. HP still swears you should be able to change the model regardless. Ok whatever - fix it for free and prove it and I'll believe you LOL.

                  This wasnt a plotter in Kansas recently sold on eBay was it?

                  Comment

                  • BECandCALL
                    Technician
                    • Jun 2010
                    • 10

                    #10
                    Nope, not Kansas. We do hope to sell the complete set on eBay, though. 815 scanner with 800ps plotter. The scanner is working just fine. Only the plotter is having issues. These are the only 2 pieces of equipment we have in this situation. As for all your instructions on the ISS, I will not pretend to understand how to go about what you are suggesting. I don't even know what an ISS is (yet). I'm going to go Google as much as I can to educate myself right now :-)

                    I want to be done with this one way or another by the end of the week.

                    BTW - I love Kentucky. I used to live in Richmond and went to EKU for a semester. I miss KY every Thanksgiving. It's not the same here on the beach :-)

                    I'm now going to re-read this whole thread and try to come up with a plan of attack. Any further advice will be appreciated ;-)

                    cheers,
                    bec

                    Comment

                    • BECandCALL
                      Technician
                      • Jun 2010
                      • 10

                      #11
                      PS - ISS: Ink Supply Station / Industry Standard Server

                      Just further information on what I have done: I used the service manual to check out the 21:20 error which said it was a problem with the Service Station and/or Aerosal Fan. I followed instruction and went into the right side of the HP 800ps and did a quick look at the P5 and P9 cables - there was no P9 cable or plug. Does it sound right that there would not be an Aerosol Fan on this model? hmmm

                      Comment

                      • RHBlakeman
                        Technician
                        • Apr 2009
                        • 42

                        #12
                        I'm further west in KY about 40 west of Ft Knox. I assumed you were servicing plotters and were familiar with the nomenclature. The ISS or ink supply station, is in the right side cover and the ink goes into the top of it and the ink supply feed tubes connect to it - basically a pumping station to get the ink to the heads in the carriage. It also has hidden on it a printed circuit board that has an electrically erasable read only memory, or EEROM that contains usage, model and serial as a backup of the same EEROM that is in the electronics unit. The electronics unit is the metal box above the power supply in the left cover that the EIO cards (one being that hard drive card known as a formatter on the 800PS and the other usually a jetdirect network card) and it also has the USB and parallel connectors as input to it. The main EEROM is in the electronics unit, the backup in the ISS. *IF* the system sees a difference between the contents of the electronics EEROM and the ISS EEROM, it comes up asking which, if any, part was replaced. Well if you go into service mode and clear EEROM it clears both and leaves you unable to set the model despite what HP says. When that happens you need to either restore the model info on the ISS from your plotter on anotherm or put the ISS from another plotter of the same model temporarily into yours. Lets say you borrow an ISS from another C7780C 800PS that is working fine and connect it in place of the ISS in your machine. Once you turn on power it will see a difference and ask which part was changed, or none. Since you have good information in the borrowed ISS, you need to back that up to the EEROM in the electronics. So to do so you tell it you replaced the electronics unit, the data from the borrowed ISS gets backed up to your electronics unit and the machine now says Hey I'm a C7780C dude! Ok well you have to return the borrowed ISS to the plotter you got it from. Disconnect it, reconnect the original ISS for the broken plotter. Well guess what - the electronics unit now has good model info but the original ISS is cleared. When you power up it sees a difference again, asks you which was replaced and this time you actually tell it the ISS since you need the info in the electronics unit backed up to the original ISS. Once it does that, it should error out for a bad or missing formatter since you needed to take it out to do things right. Turn the machine off again, and come up into service mode. Correct the unit serial number then save and turn off. Turn off ,install the formatter, turn it on and the machine should cycle normally and come to ready, or load media. That's back to normal now. Ok to prevent this hopefully you need to upgrade the firmware, or embedded operating instructions that allow the machine to function by itself. Go to HP support, download the firmware from Feb 2009 (or newer if there is one) that comes with an installer. Connect your laptop or PC to the plotter by USB, network or parallel like it would be. If you havent already installed the driver do that first since the firmware installer only looks for installed printers and plotters. Run the firmware installer after you read the readme file then once it has a smiley face wait till the plotter dispplay shows a logo to unplug it. Actually remove the plug from the back of the machine or from the wall outlet. Give it a count of 5 then plug it in and wait for it to come to ready. Either print a configuration plot or look in the service menu for the unit info. Should show formatter, hard drive and engine all the same version as what you just installed.

                        I know what you mean about missing KY even though I was born and raised in Chicago till 19 when I enlisted in the AF. We had been coming down here for summers and in 72 bought property so during high school and while in the military I missed the state. We moved here in 95 when I retired and I spent 3 months at my sister-in-law's in northeast Nebraska doing a Motorola Canopy installation - couldnt wait to get back here. 12 below zero with a high wind and snow there, got here and everything was in bloom and the grass was 8 inches deep.

                        Comment

                        • RHBlakeman
                          Technician
                          • Apr 2009
                          • 42

                          #13
                          Originally posted by BECandCALL
                          PS - ISS: Ink Supply Station / Industry Standard Server

                          Just further information on what I have done: I used the service manual to check out the 21:20 error which said it was a problem with the Service Station and/or Aerosal Fan. I followed instruction and went into the right side of the HP 800ps and did a quick look at the P5 and P9 cables - there was no P9 cable or plug. Does it sound right that there would not be an Aerosol Fan on this model? hmmm
                          I have yet to see one with those. Yep it screws with your head. Remember the manual covers both 500 and 800 model plotters so there may be some differences. You can clean the service station and try to get rid of the 21:20 - I have quite a few times. The firmware I mentioned above is supposed to help correct that as one of the fixes so be sure to upgrade the firmware once you are done.

                          Comment

                          • BECandCALL
                            Technician
                            • Jun 2010
                            • 10

                            #14
                            Am going to work on the 800 now. Thank you so much for the information, now it makes more sense :-) Since I do not have a secondary plotter I won't be able to do old switch a roo. Since the model #, etc. seem to be okay I don't want to clear the EEROM. I'm hoping the plotter will let me load firmware even though it won't get past Initializing ... I'll let you know what happens :-)

                            Comment

                            • BECandCALL
                              Technician
                              • Jun 2010
                              • 10

                              #15
                              Upgraded Firmware

                              So, I was able to get the firmware (Feb 2009) onto the plotter while it was in service mode. (I think). I unplugged the plotter when prompted and plugged it back in.

                              Still sticks in Initializing....

                              Hmmmm. Not sure how to proceed at this point. Any thoughts?

                              Oh, btw, I used to live in Ft. Knox - way back in the day. What was the year of the big tornadoes? 1973? Well, I was a Brownie and was supposed to go on a big trip but it got cancelled due to the tornado. Ah, memories ;-)

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