Canon i9100 losing USB connection

[overload]

I have a Canon i9100 about two or three years old (with continuous
inking system) that seems to be losing its USB connection. Once it
stops, I can't get it to connect again. If it's off for a while
(unplugged), it sometimes comes back.

I have tried two different A to B USB cables, direct connect (not
running through a hub), and rang out the connectors on one cable so I
know it is good (or at least has continuity on all four leads and is
not shorted).

The USB connection on the computer works with memory sticks.
Watching device manager, the printer shows up when it's working under
Universal Serial Bus controllers (a whole new entry), and doesn't show
up when I can't get to it.

I have opened the printer and reseated the connectors on the USB
connection board.

Running Win2K SP4.

Any ideas, besides sending it out for service, which is expensive
($250) and likely to cause a problem with the service people not
linking the continuous inking system?

Thanks.

Jim

 

[Al Bundy]

I have a Canon i9100 about two or three years old (with continuous
inking system) that seems to be losing its USB connection. Once it
stops, I can't get it to connect again. If it's off for a while
(unplugged), it sometimes comes back.

I have tried two different A to B USB cables, direct connect (not
running through a hub), and rang out the connectors on one cable so I
know it is good (or at least has continuity on all four leads and is
not shorted).

The USB connection on the computer works with memory sticks.
Watching device manager, the printer shows up when it's working under
Universal Serial Bus controllers (a whole new entry), and doesn't show
up when I can't get to it.

I have opened the printer and reseated the connectors on the USB
connection board.

Running Win2K SP4.

Any ideas, besides sending it out for service, which is expensive
($250) and likely to cause a problem with the service people not
linking the continuous inking system?

Thanks.

Jim

I don't know if it's your printer or the computer. If you have no other
USP problems it is more likely the printer so you know what to do there
(Get another printer or try a parallel port if available.).
I would add that I developed a similar problem after overclocking the
motherboard on my computer. I began to lose all the USB ports slowly
and intermittently. The problem was solved by reloading the USB
drivers. I would not fool with the operating system unless you develop
problems with more than that printer.

 

[Tony]

I have a Canon i9100 about two or three years old (with continuous
inking system) that seems to be losing its USB connection. Once it
stops, I can't get it to connect again. If it's off for a while
(unplugged), it sometimes comes back.

I have tried two different A to B USB cables, direct connect (not
running through a hub), and rang out the connectors on one cable so I
know it is good (or at least has continuity on all four leads and is
not shorted).

The USB connection on the computer works with memory sticks.
Watching device manager, the printer shows up when it's working under
Universal Serial Bus controllers (a whole new entry), and doesn't show
up when I can't get to it.

I have opened the printer and reseated the connectors on the USB
connection board.

Running Win2K SP4.

Any ideas, besides sending it out for service, which is expensive
($250) and likely to cause a problem with the service people not
linking the continuous inking system?

Thanks.

Jim

It may be the actual USB connector on the printer interface card, they are
usually soldered directly onto the card. Fixing them is very tricky, especially
if the card is multi layer. I have seen this a few times. Or maybe the card has
failed.
Before you get to that, do you have other USB devices that work OK?
You can look to see if the USB sleep option is turned on in the PC control
panel (I expect Win2K has this feature, WinXP certainly does), if so disable it.
Have you tried more than one USB connector on the PC, try one at the rear of
the PC rather than a front connector.
Finally, you can delete all of the USB Controllers in the PC's Device Manager
and reboot. This will reinstall the controllers.
Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging

 

[overload]

I don't know if it's your printer or the computer. If you have no other
USP problems it is more likely the printer so you know what to do there
(Get another printer or try a parallel port if available.).
I would add that I developed a similar problem after overclocking the
motherboard on my computer. I began to lose all the USB ports slowly
and intermittently. The problem was solved by reloading the USB
drivers. I would not fool with the operating system unless you develop
problems with more than that printer.

The USB ports work fine with other devices. I don't quite know how to
reload the USB drivers as they seem to be part of the Win2K SP4
package. I will research and give it a try.

Thanks.

 

[overload]

It may be the actual USB connector on the printer interface card, they are
usually soldered directly onto the card. Fixing them is very tricky, especially
if the card is multi layer. I have seen this a few times. Or maybe the card has
failed.

Not clear how to detect this. However, I didn't disassemble it all the
way when I reseated connectors, and there may be other connectors. I
will take the full case off instead of just the access panel and try
reseating all connectors.

Before you get to that, do you have other USB devices that work OK?

All other USB devices work properly.

You can look to see if the USB sleep option is turned on in the PC control
panel (I expect Win2K has this feature, WinXP certainly does), if so disable it.

Can't find this under any reasonable name in the control panel for
Win2K. Any ideas?

Have you tried more than one USB connector on the PC, try one at the rear of
the PC rather than a front connector.

Doesn't work on any USB connector. I have tried the two at the rear
panel, two more at the rear through hubs. Was working both on the hubs
and the rear panel.

Finally, you can delete all of the USB Controllers in the PC's Device Manager
and reboot. This will reinstall the controllers.

I will try this next and let you know if it fixes the problem.

Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging

Thanks.

Jim

 

[Al Bundy]

Not clear how to detect this. However, I didn't disassemble it all the
way when I reseated connectors, and there may be other connectors. I
will take the full case off instead of just the access panel and try
reseating all connectors.


All other USB devices work properly.


Can't find this under any reasonable name in the control panel for
Win2K. Any ideas?


Doesn't work on any USB connector. I have tried the two at the rear
panel, two more at the rear through hubs. Was working both on the hubs
and the rear panel.


I will try this next and let you know if it fixes the problem.


Thanks.

Jim

I think you made it clear, Jim, that the problem is the printer itself.
The printer always malfunctions with any of your USB ports and those
same ports work for other devices. What more do you need to hear?
Either connect the printer with a parallel port if possible or go
shopping. Just for kicks you could move the printer to a friends
computer and see what it does there, but I'd be shopping.

As a previous poster said, the boards can develop bad connections where
the USB connects. In this case it would be at the printer end. You'd
have to gain access to the board and look for the break. If you could
find it, you could resolder or bridge over the crack. You might
diagnosis such a thing by wiggling the end of the cable as you try to
print and see if it restablishes a connection. But all this fooling
around is for folks that like to fix equipment, have the tools, and the
time spent can be chalked up to experience and amortized over future
repairs.

 

[overload]

I think you made it clear, Jim, that the problem is the printer itself.
The printer always malfunctions with any of your USB ports and those
same ports work for other devices. What more do you need to hear?
Either connect the printer with a parallel port if possible or go
shopping. Just for kicks you could move the printer to a friends
computer and see what it does there, but I'd be shopping.

As a previous poster said, the boards can develop bad connections where
the USB connects. In this case it would be at the printer end. You'd
have to gain access to the board and look for the break. If you could
find it, you could resolder or bridge over the crack. You might
diagnosis such a thing by wiggling the end of the cable as you try to
print and see if it restablishes a connection. But all this fooling
around is for folks that like to fix equipment, have the tools, and the
time spent can be chalked up to experience and amortized over future
repairs.

Hi Al,

I left the printer power (and USB) unplugged for 24 hours, then
reconnected it. It worked for a while, dropped a job, and has been
working for the last six hours. (Running off a hub this time.) It's a
tabloid size, and I use it as a color printing press.

The problem is clearly at the printer end, but doesn't seem to be heat
related (as it would have quit again). I'm wondering if it might be
sensitive to line voltage or transients, or something running in the
house? I think I'll log the times I have trouble and see if I can
correlate it to anything.

Thanks.

Jim