Cyan problem DC 250

[Rusty Wood]

Hi, I'm thinking this may be a software problem, but not sure how to rectify it.

After running some tests, Print Pattern & Copying are printing all colours correctly.

When printing new or reprinting from a job stored on the fiery either there is just a line of cyan on one end and no cyan within the image or the print is completely toned cyan over the image or random lines of cyan.
I tried printing from 3 computers using different versions of CWS still the same . ( I thought it may be a connection problem.)

Not sure if this information is helpful:

Fiery System 6e DC_250 - V1.1

Software Version
Controller Rom: 1.231.16
IOT ROM: 8.320
IIT ROM: 11.56.1
IIT Option Rom: 12.3.2
ADF Rom: 11.8.0
STFI: 3.0.3

I know this is an old machine, but it has been brilliant and easy to fix up to a day ago.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance
Rusty

[Caffeine]

Hi, I'm thinking this may be a software problem, but not sure how to rectify it.

After running some tests, Print Pattern & Copying are printing all colours correctly.

I know this is an old machine, but it has been brilliant and easy to fix up to a day ago.

Nothing wrong with old machines! They are great workhorses.

If prints internal to the copier are fine, like test prints out of service mode, but prints through the Fiery are bad, that leaves the Fiery as the likely problem. None of those software versions would be a concern because that are all machine software, not Fiery.

You've tried different CWS and different computers, but it is all still going through the same Fiery, right? Again, the Fiery itself is left as the suspect.

My first action would be to disconnect and clean and securely re-connect the thick SCSI cable between the Fiery and the IOT. Bad signal can cause artifacts, and no matter what CWS or computer you use, if it is all the same Fiery it will all be going over THAT cable.

After doing that, if it didn't help, I would remove, clean the contacts, and re-seat the cards in the Fiery and the IOT which are on each end of that SCSI cable. (One is a PCI card in the Fiery, one is a proprietary card in the IOT.)

If that still doesn't do it, and you are absolutely sure it isn't something totally basic like the drum or the laser unit, and you've reloaded the Fiery system software, I'm afraid I'm out of suggestions that I can make without being there personally looking at it.

Good luck!

K

[Rusty Wood]

Nothing wrong with old machines! They are great workhorses.

My first action would be to disconnect and clean and securely re-connect the thick SCSI cable between the Fiery and the IOT. Bad signal can cause artifacts, and no matter what CWS or computer you use, if it is all the same Fiery it will all be going over THAT cable.

After doing that, if it didn't help, I would remove, clean the contacts, and re-seat the cards in the Fiery and the IOT which are on each end of that SCSI cable. (One is a PCI card in the Fiery, one is a proprietary card in the IOT.)

If that still doesn't do it, and you are absolutely sure it isn't something totally basic like the drum or the laser unit, and you've reloaded the Fiery system software, I'm afraid I'm out of suggestions that I can make without being there personally looking at it.

Good luck!

K

Hi K,
Thanks for the response, really appreciate it.
Yep, they are great & very well made machines.
I'll do what you suggest and hopefully that will get us back up and running.
Not sure how I can reload the Fiery system software, I don't have access to the software and the Backup/Restore is greyed out on CWS so no joy there.
The drum and laser unit seem to be ok as I believe either would also effect the test prints & copying but both print out fine.
Thanks again,
I'll let you know.
Rusty

[Caffeine]

Hi K,
Thanks for the response, really appreciate it.
Yep, they are great & very well made machines.
I'll do what you suggest and hopefully that will get us back up and running.
Not sure how I can reload the Fiery system software, I don't have access to the software and the Backup/Restore is greyed out on CWS so no joy there.
The drum and laser unit seem to be ok as I believe either would also effect the test prints & copying but both print out fine.
Thanks again,
I'll let you know.
Rusty

If it isn't a physical issue, such as the cable or cards as I mentioned, the next, very strong, suspect is the Fiery System Software. It is fairly "sensitive" (read, unstable...) on machines that old. They've gotten better in more recent years. Reloading the software clears up a lot of problems which SHOULDN'T happen anyway... Or wouldn't seem to be software related.

On the DC250, there are a gazzilion patches you have to install after you reload the system software, unfortunately, so it is fairly tedious. And of course loading the software itself has to be done, too. And like you said, you have to acquire it.

Hopefully it will just be corrosion on the cable/card contacts. With a machine that old, it is entirely possible.

[Rusty Wood]

If it isn't a physical issue, such as the cable or cards as I mentioned, the next, very strong, suspect is the Fiery System Software. It is fairly "sensitive" (read, unstable...) on machines that old. They've gotten better in more recent years. Reloading the software clears up a lot of problems which SHOULDN'T happen anyway... Or wouldn't seem to be software related.

On the DC250, there are a gazzilion patches you have to install after you reload the system software, unfortunately, so it is fairly tedious. And of course loading the software itself has to be done, too. And like you said, you have to acquire it.

Hopefully it will just be corrosion on the cable/card contacts. With a machine that old, it is entirely possible.

Hi K,
Yes, hopefully this is just hardware related .. especially now you pointed that out about the software, didn't think it would be such a pain.
Thanks again.
Rusty

[Rusty Wood]

If it isn't a physical issue, such as the cable or cards as I mentioned, the next, very strong, suspect is the Fiery System Software. It is fairly "sensitive" (read, unstable...) on machines that old. They've gotten better in more recent years. Reloading the software clears up a lot of problems which SHOULDN'T happen anyway... Or wouldn't seem to be software related.

On the DC250, there are a gazzilion patches you have to install after you reload the system software, unfortunately, so it is fairly tedious. And of course loading the software itself has to be done, too. And like you said, you have to acquire it.

Hopefully it will just be corrosion on the cable/card contacts. With a machine that old, it is entirely possible.

Hi K,

I cleaned out and securely re-connected the thick SCSI cable between the Fiery and the IOT.

Cleaned all the contacts, and re-seated the cards in the Fiery and the IOT.

Cleaned and added new thermal paste to the cpu in the fiery, found it dries out after a while and can effect the connection.

Still no joy, having the same problems with the cyan.

I tried swapping the thicker Fiery SCSI Cable over with the copier 68pin SCSI to check. Scans work fine but when printing I get DFE-003 restart error in CWS, so I presume that's because of data transfer?

Thanks again for your help on this.

Rusty

[Rusty Wood]

Right, still no joy with this cyan problem ..

I cleaned and securely re-connected the thick SCSI cable between the Fiery and the IOT.


Cleaned all the contacts, and re-seated the cards in the Fiery and the IOT.


Cleaned and added new thermal paste to the cpu in the fiery.


Just installed a new SSD with Fiery V1.2, at least all software is working correctly now including Backup & Restore not being greyed out.

There's still a cyan coating across the whole print when printing from firey, copying & test prints are fine.

Any ideas

Thanks

Rusty

[Rusty Wood]

Hi, turned out to be the Fiery X3ETY Video Board which had gone.