Epson EPL-N1200 Service Manual

EPSON TERMINAL PRINTER

EPL-N1200

SERVICE MANUAL

EPSON

4006838

All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part of this manual in any form whatsoever without
SEIKO EPSON’s express written permission is forbidden.

The contents of this manual are subjects to change without notice.
All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this manual. However, should

any errors be detected, SEIKO EPSON would greatly appreciate being informed of them.
The above notwithstanding SEIKO EPSON can assume no responsibility for any errors in this

manual or the consequence thereof.
Epson is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation.

General Notice: Other product names used herein are for identication purposes only and may be

trademarks of their respective campanies.

Copyright 0 1996 by SEIKO EPSON CORPORA

_i-

T/ON

Nagano, Japan

PRECAUTIONS

Precautionary notations throughout the text are categorized relative to 1) personal injury and 2)
damage to equipment.

DANGER

WARfVlNG

The precautionary measures itemized below should always be observed when performing repair/
maintenance procedures.

Signals a precaution which, if ignored, could result in serious or fatal personal injury.
Great caution should be exercised in performing procedures preceded by DANGER
Headings.

Signals a precaution which, if ignored, could result in damage to equipment.

DANGER

ALWAYS DISCONNECT THE PRODUCT FROM BOTH THE POWER SOURCE AND PERIPH­ERAL DEVICES PERFORMING ANY MAINTENANCE OR REPAIR PROCEDURE.

NO WORK SHOULD BE PERFORMED ON THE UNIT BY PERSONS UNFAMILIAR WlTH
BASIC SAFETY MEASURES AS DICTATED FOR ALL ELECTRONICS TECHNICIANS IN
THEIR LINE OF WORK.

WHEN PERFORMING TESTING AS DICTATED WITHIN THIS MANUAL, DO NOT CON­NECT THE UNIT TO A POWER SOURCE UNTIL INSTRUCTED TO DO SO. WHEN THE
POWER SUPPLY CABLE MUST BE CONNECTED, USE EXTREME CAUTION IN WORKING
ON POWER SUPPLY AND OTHER ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS.

WA

FINING

REPAIRS ON EPSON PRODUCT SHOULD BE PERFORMED ONLY BY AN EPSON CERTIFIED

1.
REPAIR TECHNICIAN.

MARE CERTAIN THAT THE SOURCE VOLTAGE IS THE SAME AS THE RATED VOLTAGE,

2.
LISTED ON THE SERIAL NUMBER/RATING PLATE. IF THE EPSON PRODUCT HAS A
PRIMARY AC RATING DIFFERENT FROM AVAILABLE POWER SOURCE, DO NOT CON­NECT IT TO THE POWER SOURCE.

ALWAYS VERIFY THAT THE EPSON PRODUCT HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED FROM THE

3.
POWER SOURCE BEFORE REMOVING OR REPLACING PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS
AND/OR INDMDUAL CHIPS.

IN ORDER TO PROTECT SENSITIVE MICROPROCESSORS AND CIRCUITRY, USE STATIC

4.
DISCHARGE EQUIPMENT, SUCH AS ANTI-STATIC WRIST STRAPS, WHEN ACCESSING
INTERNAL COMPONENTS.

REPLACE MALFUNCTIONING COMPONENTS ONLY WITH THOSE COMPONENTS BY

5.
THE MANUFACTURE; INTRODUCTION OF SECOND-SOURCE ICs OR OTHER NONAP-
PROVED COMPONENTS MAY DAMAGE THE PRODUCT AND VOID ANY APPLICABLE
EPSON WARRANTY.

SAFETY INFORMATION

This printer is a page printer which operates by means of a laser. There is no possibility of danger from
the laser, provided the printer is operated according to the instructions in this manual provided.

Since radiation emitted by the laser is completely confined within protective housings, the laser beam
cannot escape from the machine during any phase of user operation.

For United States Users;

[Laser Safety]

This printer is certified as a Class 1 Laser product under the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (DHHS) Radiation Performance Standard according to the Radia­tion Control for Health and Safety Act of 1968. This means that the printer does not
produce hazardous laser radiation.

ICDRH Regulations]

The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) of the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration implemented regulations for laser products on August
ance is mandatory for products marketed in the United States. The label shown below
indicates compliance with the CDRH regulations and must be attached to laser products
marketed in the United States.

2,1976.

Compli-

WARNING : Use of controls, adjustments or performance of procedures other

than those specified in this manual may result in hazardous radiation exposure.

[Internal Laser Radiation]

Maximum Radiation Power:
Wave Length:

This is a Class
unit is NOT A FIELD SERVICE ITEM. Therefore, the print head unit should not be
opened under any circumstances.

For Other Countries Users;

WARNING: Use of controls, adjustments or performance of procedures other
than those specified in this manual may result in hazardous radiation exposure.

This is a semiconductor laser. The maximum power of the laser diode is 5.0

lo4

W and the wavelength is 790 + 20 nm.

I

For Denmark Users;

5.0x lO-QW)

790

f20nm

IIIb

Laser Diode Assay that has an invisible laser beam. The print head

1

ADVARSEL
Usynlig

Undga udsaettelse

1

Klasse 1 laser

laserstr&ling

nrodukt

ved

Abning, r&r

for

strtig.

der onfvlder IEC825 sikkerheds kravene.

- III

sikkerhedsafbrydere er ude af funktion

. . .

-

I

For Finland. Sweden Users:

vARoITus

Laitteen kayttaminen muulla kuin t&&i kayttoohjeessa mainitulla tavalla saat-
taa altistaa

kayttajan

lasersateiylle.

VARNING
Om apparaten anvands pa at-mat
kan

anvandaren

for laser klass

utsattas for osynlig

1.

For Finland, Sweden Service People

vARoITus

Avattaessa ja suojalukitus ohitettaessa olet alttiina

sateilylle.

Ala katso

VARNING
Osynlig

laserstr&lning

Betrakta ei strblen.

turvallisuusluokan 1

sHtt an

i denna bruksanvisning specificerats

laserstr&ing,

sateeseen.

nar denna

de1 3r oppnad

ylittaville

nakymatt6mHlle

som over&rider

nakymhttomalle

och

spirren Hr

gr%ns

laser

urkopplad

For Norway Users;

1

ADVARSEL

Dersom apparatet brukes pa
visning, kan brukeren utsettes for

annen mate

unsynlig

enn spesifisert i denne bruksan

laserstr%ng som over&rider gren

sen for laser klasse 1.

Dette er en halvleder laser. Maksimal

[bolgelengde

er

790 f

20

run.

effeckt

til laserdiode er 5.0 x

Laser Safety Labels
[Label on rear printer case]

A laser safety labels is attached on the outside of the printer shown below.

For United State

This laser product conforms to the applicable
requirement of 21 CFR
Chapter I, subchapter J.

SEIKO EPSON
Hirooka Office
80 Hirooka, Shiojiri-shi, Nagano-ken,
Japan

MANUFACTURED:

CORP.

lo4

W o

I

- iv

-

For Europe

[Label inside printer]

The following laser safely label will be attached inside the printer as shown below.

For Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway

This manual describes functions, theory of electrical and mechanical operations, maintenance, and repair
of

EPL-NlZOO.

The instructions and procedures included herein are intended for the experience repair technician, and
attention should be given to the precautions on the preceding page. The chapters are organized as
follows:

CHAPTER 1. GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Provides a general product overview, lists specifications, and illustrates the main components of the printer.

CHAPTER 2. OPERATING PRINCIPLES

Describes the theory of printer operation.

CHAPTER 3. DISASSEMBLY AND ASSEMBLY

Includes a step-by-step guide for product disassembly and assembly.

CHAPTER 4. ADJUSTMENTS

Includes a step-by-step guide for adjustment.

CHAPTER 5. TROUBLESHOOTING

Provides Epson-approved techniques for adjustment.

CHAPTER 6. MAINTENANCE

Describes preventive maintenance techniques and lists lubricants and adhesives required to service the equipment.

APPENDIX

Describes connector pin assignments, circuit diagrams, circuit board component layout and exploded diagram.

The contents of this manual are subject to change without notice.

- vi

-

REVISION SHEET

I

Revision

Rev.

A

I

Issue Date

December 9 1996

Revision Page

1st issue

-

vii -

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1.
CHAPTER 2.
CHAPTER 3.
CHAPTER
CHAPTER
CHAPTER
APPENDIX

4.

5.

6.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
OPERATING PRINCIPLES
DISASSEMBLY AND ASSEMBLY
ADJUSTMENTS

TROUBLESHOOTING

MAINTENANCE

-

. . .

VIII -

Chapter 1 General Description

Table of Contents

1.1 FEATURES 1-1

1.2 SPECIFICATIONS 1-3

1.2.1 Basic Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

1.2.2 Electrical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

1.2.3 Reliability Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

1.2.4 Environmental Conditions for Operating (Including Imaging Cartridge). . . 1-5

1.2.5 Environmental Condifitons for Storage and Transporation

(Excluding Image Cartridge). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

1.2.6 Applicable Standards (without any electrical optional unit) . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

1.2.7 Specification for Consumable (Imaging Cartridge) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

1.2.8 Physical Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

1.2.9 Software Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

1.2.10 Lower Paper Cassette (Option) Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

1.3 INTERFACE SPECIFICATIONS 1-12

1.3.1 Parallel Interfaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

1.3.1.1 Compatibility (Standard) Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

1.3.1.2 Nibble (Reverse), ECP Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14

1.3.2 Optional Serial Interface (LocalTalk/Serial Module). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18

1.4 OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 1-22

1.4.1 Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22

1.4.2 SelecType Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24

1.4.3 Service Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-29

1.4.3.1 Hexadecimal Dump Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-29

1.4.3.2 EEPROM Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-29

1.4.3.3 Error Recovery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-30

1.4.4 Display of Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-31

1.4.4.1 Status Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-31

1.4.4.2 Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-32

1.4.4.3 Warning Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-33

1.4.5 Multi-User and Multi-Emulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-34

1.4.6 Emulation Mode Switch Function. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-35

1.4.6.1 Emulation Switch by SPL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-35

1.4.6.2 Intelligent Emulation Switch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-35

1.4.7 Bi Resolution Improvement Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-36

1.4.8 Printer Initialization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-37

1.4.9 Toner Save Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-38

1.5 MAIN COMPONENTS 1-39

1.5.1 C205 MAIN Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-40

1.5.2 C173 PROG Board`. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-41

1.5.3 Control Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-41

1.5.4 Engine Coontroller Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-42

1.5.5 Power Supply Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-42

1.5.6 High-Voltage Supply Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-43

1.5.7 Optical Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-43

1.5.8 Fusing Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-44

1.5.9 Imaging Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-44

1.5.10 Lower Paper Cassette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-45

List of Figures

Figure 1-1. EPL-N1200 Exterior View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Figure 1-2. Printable Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Figure 1-3. Compatibility Mode Signal Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

Figure 1-4. Parallel Interface State Switch Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15

Figure 1-5. Negotiation Timing Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16

Figure 1-6. Data Transfer Timing Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16

Figure 1-7. Termination Timing Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17

Figure 1-8. Interrupt Timing Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17

Figure 1-9. Control Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22

Figure 1-10. Multi-Port and Multi-Emulation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-34

Figure 1-11. Emulation Switch by SPL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-35

Figure 1-12. Intelligent Emulation Switch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-35

Figure 1-13. BiRITech Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-36

Figure 1-14. RITech Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-36

Figure 1-15. Toner Save Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-38`

Figure 1-16. Component Layout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-39

Figure 1-17. C205 Main Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-40

Figure 1-18. C173 PROG Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-41

Figure 1-19. Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-41

Figure 1-20. Engine Controller Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-42

Figure 1-21. Power Supply Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-42

Figure 1-22. High-Voltage Supply Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-43

Figure 1-23. Optical Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-43

Figure 1-24. Fusing Unit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-44

Figure 1-25. Imaging Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-44

Figure 1-26. Lower Paper Cassette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-45

List of Tables

Table 1-1. EPL-N1200 Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Table 1-2. Paper Feed Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Table 1-3. Paper Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Table 1-4. Special Papers Usability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Table 1-5. Electrical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Table 1-6. Differences between EPSON GL/2 and GL/2 in the

HP LaserJet 4 Emulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

Table 1-7. Built-in Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

Table 1-8. Parallel Interface Pin Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13

Table 1-9. Parallel Interface Pin Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14

Table 1-10. Serial Interface Pin Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19

Table 1-11. LocalTalk Interface Pin Assignments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21

Table 1-12. SelecType Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27

Table 1-13. Main Controller Board Default Paper Size Setting. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-29

Table 1-14. Status Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-31

Table 1-15. Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-32

Table 1-16. Warning Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-33

Table 1-17. Differences in Components for the C205 MAIN Board . . . . . . . . . 1-40

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

1.1 FEATURES

The EPSONEPL-N1200 is a non-impact page printer that combines a semi-conductor laser with
electro-photographic technology. Resolution is 600/300 DPI and print speed is 12 PPM. The main
features are:

o Upward compatibility with the EPL-5600
o No ozone generation
o Printing speed — 12 PPM (pages per minute) for A4 size or letter paper
o Resolution — 600/300 DPI (dots per inch)
o Standard paper tray holds up to 250 sheets
o Standard paper tray can be used as manual feed slot
o Lower paper cassette (500 sheets ) available as option
o Small footprint because output tray is held within the printer



o Support of HP

IBM I239X mode in standard model
o 45 built-in scalable fonts (14 Windows TrueType compatible and 31 LJ4 compatible)
o With memory improvement technology, standard RAM supports 600 DPI at full-page size in all

modes (LJ4, GL/2, FX, ESC/P2, and I239X modes)
o High-performance controller (20 MHz SPARKlite (MB86930) CPU)
o Bi Resolution Improvement Technology (BiRITech) refines print quality, eliminating jagged

edges from images and characters on 600 and 300 DPI printing.
o Optional EPSONScript Level 2 (PostScript
o Optional LocalTalk/Serial Module and Type-B interfaces can be used simultaneously
o 2 MB standard RAM and up to 64 MB RAM using optional SIMMs
o Two bidirectional parallel interface ports, Parallel B and Parallel C

Parallel B : Supports IEEE 1284 compatible, Nibble modes

Parallel C: Supports IEEE 1284 compatible, Nibble, and ECP modes
o High-speed parallel communication rate

Parallel B : Approx. 400 KB / second in fast mode

Parallel C: Approx. 2 MB / second in ECP mode
o Support for EPA Energy Star program
o Multi-port and multi-emulation are supported
o IES (Intelligent Emulation Switch) allows switching between EPSONScript mode and other

mode
o Setting for automatic release of paper size errors

LaserJet4 (LJ4) emulation mode, EPSON GL/2 mode, ESC/P 2 mode, and



compatible) module

Figure 1-1 shows an exterior view of the EPL-N1200.

Figure 1-1. EPL-N1200 Exterior View

Rev. A 1-1

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

Table 1-1 lists optional units available for the EPL-N1200.

Table 1-1. EPL-N1200 Options

Cat. No. Description Note

Supports EPSONScript Level 2 ROM

C83219✽ EPSONScript Level 2 ROM Module

— 72-pin RAM SIMM memory modules For IBM PC compatibles

C81262✽ 500 sheet lower paper cassette A4 Lower paper cassette

C812631 500 sheet lower paper cassette Letter Lower paper cassette
S051016 Imaging cartridge Toner cartridge

C82334✽ LocalTalk



/ Serial Module —
C83620✽ RS-232C intrerface cable (9 pin) For C82334✽
C83619✽ RS-232C intrerface cable (25 pin) For C82334✽
C83618✽ Current loop cable For C82334✽

C82307✽/

C82308✽

C82310✽/

C82311

C82312✽ LocalTalk

32 KB serial interface card —

32 KB parallel interface card —



interface card —
C82314✽ COAX interface card —
C82315✽ TWINAX interface card —
C82323✽ GPIB interface card —

C82331✽

Ethernet interface card for
NetWare



Note: The LocalTalk card (C82312✽) cannot be used with LocalTalk setting on the

LocalTalk/Serial I/F module (C82355✽).

mode (PostScript Level 2 compatible)
fonts and commands

å

1-2 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

1.2 SPECIFICATIONS

This section provides statistical data for the EPL-N1200.

1.2.1 Basic Specifications

Print method: Laser beam scanning and dry electro-photography
Resolution: 600 DPI
Printing speed: 12 PPM (letter/A4)
First print time (A4/LT): Less than 16 seconds (A4/Letter; at Polygon-motor stop)

(Warm-up time must be added in above value at standby mode)

Warm-up time:
Paper supply: See Table 1-2.

60 seconds (at rated current and 23° C (73° F) temperature)

Table 1-2. Paper Feed Methods

Paper Supply Capacity Paper Size

A5, B5, A4, LT, GLT,

250*3)

Standard paper tray

EXE, LGL, GLG, F4,
HL, Custom

Monarch, DL, C5,

10 (Envelope)

C6, International B5,
Commercial-10

Lower paper cassette
(optional)*1)

*1:Two units maximum can be mounted.
*2:Paper size is fixed either A4 or Letter.

2

*3:70g/m
*4:When you set pieces of paper on standard paper tray.
*5:When you set a piece of paper on standard paper tray.
*6) It can be used as manual feeding paper slot.

Note 1:

(20lb.)paper

The weight in pounds (lb.) is determined by how much 500 sheets cut to 17 × 22
inch would weigh; 1 g/m

500*3) A4 or LT*2)

2

= 0.2659763 lb.

16 to 24 lb.*4)
(60 to 90 g/m
16 to 41.8 lb.*5)
(60 to 157 g/m

Envelopes made of 16
to 24 lb. (60 to 90 g/m
paper

16 to 24 lb.
(60 to 90 g/m

Note 2: Paper size range: width 3.62 to 8.5 inches (92 to 216 mm)

length 5.83 to 14.0 inches (148 to 356 mm)

Paper types: See Table 1-3.

Usable Thickness

(Ream Weight)

2

)

2

)

2

)

2

)

Table 1-3. Paper Types



Standard paper

Xerox
20 lb. (75 g/m

Regular photocopier paper,

Normal paper

Bond paper,
Recycled paper,
16 to 24 lb. (60 to 90 g/m

Card stock (90 to 157 g/m

Special papers

Envelopes, Labels,Letterhead,
Transparency (OHP) sheets,
Colored paper

Rev. A 1-3

4024 DP paper

2

)

2

)

2

),

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

Usability of special papers: See Table 1-4.

Table 1-4. of Special Papers Usability

Input Output OHP Envelopes Labels Card Stock Letterhead

Standard
built-in paper
tray

Lower paper
cassette

R: Reliable feeding and good image quality.
P: Possible, but better avoided.
N: Not supported.

Face down P P P P R

Face down N N N N P

Paper feed alignment and direction:
Paper ejection: Face down
Output tray capacity: 250 sheets (standard paper ; 20 lb. (75g/m
Printable area (standard paper): See Figure 1-2.

Note: The actual printable area depends on the printer mode.
Harmonic noise:

Ozone density: Less than 0.02 PPM
Toxicity: No toxicity exists in organic photo-conductor (OPC), toner,

Center alignment for all sizes

Less than 36 dB(A) standby
Less than 52 dB(A) operating

and plastic materials

2

))

4.00mm

Printable Area

4.00mm

4.00mm4.00mm

Figure 1-2. Printable Area

1-4 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

1.2.2 Electrical Specifications
Table 1-5. Electrical Specifications

Description 100 V Version 230 V Version

Rated voltage
Rated frequency range
Input frequency range
Power consumption Less than 700 W Less than 800 W
Power consumption in

non-standby mode
Power consumption in

standby mode
(Heater lamp is off.)

100 ∼ 120 VAC

50 ∼ 60 Hz
47 ∼ 63 Hz

Less than 150 W (Average)

Less than 30 W

(without any optionals installed)

230 VAC

1.2.3 Reliability Specifications

MPBF (Mean Prints Between Failures): Over 50,000 sheets
Note: MPBF indicates average number of pages printed before an occurrence of a problem

requiring replacement or service.

MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures): 3000 Power on hours (more than 10 months)
Jam rate: 1 out of 2,000 sheets or less (excluding multiple-sheet feeding)
Feed failure: 1 out of 2,000sheets or less (excluding multiple-sheet feeding)
Multiple-sheet feeding: 1 out of 500 sheets or less
Paper curl height: 30 mm (1.2 inches) or less (Standard paper)

30 mm (1.2 inches) or less (OHP sheet)
Leading edge bending (1 cm or more): 1 out of 1,000sheets
MTTR (Mean Time To Repair): 30 minutes or less
Durability: 5 years or 300,000 sheets

1.2.4 Environmental Conditions for Operating (Including Imaging Cartridge)

Temperature:
Humidity: 15 to 85% RH
Altitude: 2,500m (8,200 feet) or lower
Levelness: 1 degree or less (front to rear,right to left)
Illuminance: 3,000 lux or less (must not be exposed to direct sunlight)
Surrounding space: Printer should have at least 100mm of clearance on sides

10 to 35°C (50 to 95°F)

and rear.

1.2.5 Environmental Conditions for Storage and Transportation

(Excluding Imaging Cartridge)

Temperature:
Humidity: 30 to 85% RH overfull storage period
Drop test: Clear to JISZ0200-1987 Level1

Vibration: Vibration frequency 5 to 100Hz and 100 to 5Hz

Resistance to atmospheric pressure: 61.3 to 101.3 KPa
Storage period: 18 months (after date of manufacture)

0to35°C (32 to 95°F) overfull storage period

Sweep time10 minutes
Acceleration1G
Acceleration direction 3 directions
Acceleration time180 minutes(60 minutes for ach
direction X, Y, Z)

Rev. A 1-5

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

1.2.6 Applicable Standards (without any electrical optional unit)

Safety Standards

120 VAC model: UL 1950 Deviation 3, CSA 22.2 No.950 Deviation 3
230 VAC model (Europe): EN 60950 (IEC950), NEMKO (IEC950),

CE marking (low voltage directive)

Safety Regulations (Laser Radiation)

120 VAC model: FDA (NCDRH) Class 1
230 VAC model (Europe): VDE 0837 (Laser Class 1)(IEC825)

EMI

120 VAC model: FCC Part 15 Subpart B Class B, DOC Class B
230 VAC model (Europe): Vfg 243 (VDE 0878 Part 3,30),

EN55022 class B (CISPR Pub.22 class B),
CE marking (EMC directive)

230 VAC model (Pacific): AS/NZS 3548

Others

Toner: No effect on human health (OSHA, TSCA, EINECS)
OPC: No effect on human health (OSHA)
Ozone: Less than 0.02 PPM

other UL478 (5th edition)
Materials: SWISS Environmental Law (No CdS must be contained)
Power Consumption Applies to International Energy Star Program standard

1.2.7 Specification for Consumable (Imaging Cartridge)

Life: 6,000 pages
Note: In continuous print mode with A4/letter paper at a 5% image (black/white ratio) ratio. L

life varies, depending on print mode (continuous or intermittent) and/or image ratio.

Environmental Conditions for Storage and Transportation

Temperature:
Humidity: 30 to 85% RH over full storage period
Drop test: Height 76 cm (30.4 inches): 1 corner, 3 edges, 6 sides

Vibration: Same as printer
Resistance to atmospheric pressure: Same as printer
Storage period: 18 months after date of manufacture

0to30°C(32 to 86°F) overfull storage period

1.2.8 Physical Specifications

Dimensions (Width × Depth × Height):

Printer: 411 × 484 × 265 mm (16.2 × 19.0 × 10.4 inches)
With one lower cassette: 411 × 484 × 365 mm (16.2 × 19.0 × 14.4 inches)
With two lower cassettes: 411 × 484 × 466 mm (16.2 × 19.0 × 18.3 inches)

Weight: Approx. 15 Kg (33.1 lb.)

(including imaging cartridge, excluding optional unit)

1-6 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

1.2.9 Software Specifications

Built-in modes: HP LaserJet4 emulation ( PCL

EPSON GL/2 mode (LJ4-GL/2 mode and GL-like mode)
FX (FX-870/1170,LX-100) emulation mode
ESC/P2 (Stylus800/1000) mode
I239X ( IBM 2390/2391 Plus emulation)
EPSON PostScript Level 2 (Option)

Note: The EPSON GL/2 mode is similar to the GL/2 mode included in the HP LaserJet 4

emulation. Table 1-6 shows the differences between EPSON GL/2 mode and the GL/2
mode in the HP LaserJet 4 emulation. While in EPSON GL/2 mode, the operator can
enter GL/2 mode without sending the ESC %#B (Enter GL/2 mode) command. If the
operator’s application software cannot send the ESC %#B command, then use this mode.



5e)

Table 1-6. Differences between EPSON GL/2 and

GL/2 in the HP LaserJet 4 Emulation

EPSON GL/2 Mode

PCL mode Does not exist Exists as the initial mode
Paper eject Supports PG, AF commands Supported in PCL
Auto eject SelecType setting Not available
Reduced printing SelecType setting Available in PCL
Switch to PCL

(ESC %#A)
Reset (ESC E) Ejects paper and then initializes
PJL, EJL, and ES Supported Supported

Advance Full Page
(PG, AF)

Notes: EPSON GL/2 mode has two operational modes. One is LJ4-GL/2 mode; the other is the

GL-like mode.
LJ4-GL/2 mode emulates the GL/2 mode in the HP LaserJet 4 emulation. The user can

print with software that supports the HP 7600 series plotter.
The GL-like mode features all the commands of the LJ4-GL/2 mode, plus a few additional

commands. The GL-like mode emulates some of the HP-GL
commands. If the application software uses unsupported commands for the GL-like
mode, print cannot be assured.

Optional modes:

EPSON Script Level 2(PostScript Level 2 emulation) mode

Not supported Supported

Supported Not supported

GL/2 for HP LaserJet 4

Emulation Mode

Ejects paper, switches to PCL,
and then initializes



plotter (HP 7475A, etc.)

Auxiliary software: Hexdump

Status sheet
Font sample

Built-in fonts: SeeTable1-7.

Table 1-7. Built-in Fonts (Bitmap Fonts)

Applicable Mode

Resident Fonts

Line Printer 16.66 CPI (Portrait)
OCR B 10 CPI (Portrait)

V: Supported, -: Not Supported

Rev. A 1-7

HP LJ4

GL/2

ESC/P 2 FX I239X

V--

-VV

­V

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

Table 1-7. Built-in Fonts (Scalable Fonts)

Applicable Mode

Resident Fonts

HP LJ4

GL/2

ESC/P 2 FX I239X

EPSON Roman - V V ­EPSON Sans serif - V V V
EPSON Prestige - V V V
EPSON Script - V V V
EPSON Gothic - - - V
EPSON Presentor - - - V
EPSON Orator - - - V



Dutch

801 Roman SWC V - - ­Dutch 801 Bold SWC V - - ­Dutch 801 Italic SWC V - - ­Dutch 801 Bold Italic SWC V - - ­Zapf Humanist 601 Demi SWC V - - ­Zapf Humanist 601 Bold SWC V - - ­Zapf Humanist 601 Demi Italic SWC V - - ­Zapf Humanist 601 Bold Italic SWC V - - ­Ribbon 131 SWC V - - ­Clarendon Condensed SWC V - - -



Swiss

742 SWC V - - ­Swiss 742 Bold SWC V - - ­Swiss 742 Medium Italic SWC V - - ­Swiss 742 Bold Italic SWC V - - ­Swiss 742 Condensed SWC V - - ­Swiss 742 Bold Condensed SWC V - - ­Swiss 742 Condensed Italic SWC V - - ­Swiss 742 Bold Italic Condensed SWC V - - ­Incised 901 SWC V - - ­Incised 901 Black SWC V - - ­Incised 901 Italic SWC V - - ­Original Garamond SWC V - - ­Original Garamond Bold SWC V - - ­Original Garamond Italic SWC V - - ­Original Garamond Bold Italic SWC V - - ­Audrey Two SWC V - - ­Flareserif 821 SWC V - - ­Flareserif 821 Extra Bold V - - ­Swiss 721 Roman SWM V V - ­Swiss 721 Bold SWM V V - ­Swiss 721 Oblique SWM V - - ­Swiss 721 Bold Oblique SWM V - - ­Dutch 801 Roman SWM V V - ­Dutch 801 Bold SWM V V - ­Dutch 801 Italic SWM V - - ­Dutch 801 Bold Italic SWM V - - ­Symbol Set SWA V - - ­More WingBats SWM V - - -

V: Supported, -: Not Supported

1-8 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

Table 1-7. Built-in Fonts (Scalable Fonts;Cont’)

Applicable Mode

Resident Fonts

HP LJ4, GL/2 ESC/P 2 FX I239X

Courier SWC V V V V
Courier Bold SWC V V V V
Courier Italic SWC V - - ­Courier Bold Italic SWC V - - ­Letter Gothic Roman SWC V V V ­Letter Gothic Bold SWC V V V ­Letter Gothic Italic SWC V - - ­Ext. Graph - V V V

V: Supported, -: Not supported

Rev. A 1-9

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

Font Symbol Sets and Character Tables

HP LaserJet 4 Mode (bitmap fonts) : 28 symbol sets

Roman-8 Norweg1 Roman Extension French
HP German ItalianT JIS ASCII ECM94-1
Swedis2 ANSI ASCII Norweg2 UK
French2 German HP Spanish Legal
Chinese 8859-2 ISO Spanish IRV
Swedish Portuguese 8859-9 ISO IBM Portuguese
IBM Spanish IBM

HP LaserJet4 Mode (scalable fonts) :45 symbol sets

Roman-8 Norweg1 Roman Extension French
HP German Italian JIS ASCII ECM94-1
Swedis2 ANSI ASCII Norweg2 UK
French2 German HP Spanish Legal
Chinese 8859-2 ISO Spanish IRV
Swedish Portuguese PsMath 8859-9 ISO
IBM Portuguese WiTurkish DeskTop Math-8WiE.Europe
PcTk437 Windows PsText IBM-US
IBM-DN McText PcMultilingual VeInternational
VeUS PiFont PcE.Europe Symbol
WiAnsi TWingdings MsPublishing VeMathRIBM SPanish



-US IBM-DN PcMultilingual

ESC/P 2 Mode : 15 International characters and 9 code tables

USA SPAIN1 FRANCE JAPAN
GERMANY NORWAY UK DENMARK2
DENMARK1 SPAIN2 SWEDEN L.AMERICA
ITALY KOREA TLEGAL

PcUSA(437) PcMultilingual(850) TPcPortuguese(860)
TPcCanFrench(863) PcNordic(865) T PcTurk2(857)
PcE.Europe(852) BpBRASCII BpAbicomp

FX Mode : 13 International characters and 9 code tables

USA SPAIN1 FRANCE JAPAN
GERMANY NORWAY UK DENMARK2
DENMARK1 SPAIN2 SWEDENT L.AMERICA
ITALY

PcUSA(437) PcMultilingual(850) TPcPortuguese(860)
PcCanFrench(863) PcNordic(865) PcTurk2(857)
PcE.Europe(852) BpBRASCII T BpAbicomp

I239X Mode : 5 code tables

PcUSA(437) PcMultilingual(850)
RPcPortuguese(860) PcCanFrench(863)
PcNordic(865)

1-10 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

1.2.10 Lower Paper Cassette (Option) Specifications

Paper Size: A4 or Letter

2

Paper Weight: 60 to 90 g/m
Print Speed: 12 PPM (letter/A4)

(16 to 24 lb)

Paper Feed: Automatic feed delivery system. Cassette capacity up to 500 sheets

(75 g/m

2

or 20 lb paper)

Feeding Speed (first print): First Lower Paper Cassette:

16 seconds or less; (A4 or letter)
Second Lower Paper Cassette

16 seconds or less; (A4 or letter)

Feeding Speed

12 PPM (A4/Letter)

(subsequent sheets)
Paper Type: Plain paper, such as copier paper
Power Supply: 5 V DCand 24 VDC are supplied by the printer
Dimensions and Weight:

(Width × Depth × Height)

Lower paper cassette entire housing;
405 × 477 × 107 mm (18.8 × 19.0 × 4.2 inches)

2.8 Kg (6.2 lb.)
Paper Cassette;
252 × 318 × 82 mm (9.9 × 12.5 × 3.2 inches)

1.1 Kg (2.4 lb.)

Harmonic noise: Less than 52 dB(A) (operating)

Rev. A 1-11

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

1.3 INTERFACE SPECIFICATIONS

The EPL-N1200 is equipped with the following external interfaces:

■ Parallel interface B

■ Parallel interface C

■ Serial interface on optional LocalTalk/Serial module

■ LocalTalk interface on optional LocalTalk/Serial module

1.3.1 Parallel Interfaces

There are two parallel interfaces: parallel interface B and parallel interface C. Each interface has
his own connector.

Parallel Interface B

Interface specification complies with IEEE 1284-I.
Operating modes:

Compatibility (standard) and nibble (reverse) modes

Transfer speed: APPROX. 400 KB/second (MAX.)
Connector type: Amphenol or equivalent (IEEE 1284B - type connector)

Parallel Interface C

Interface specification complies with IEEE 1284-II.
Operating modes:

Compatibility (standard), nibble (reverse), and ECP modes

Transfer speed: APPROX. 2MB/second in ECP mode (MAX.)
Connector type: IEEE 1284C - type connector

1.3.1.1 Compatibility (Standard) Mode

System: STROBE synchronization, 8-bit parallel data transfer
Handshaking: BUSY andACKNLG signals
Applicable plug: 57-30360 (Amphenol or equivalent)
Signal timing: See Figure 1-3.
Signal description: See Table 1-8.

0.5

(minimum)

s

µ

0.5

s

µ

(minimum)

DATA 1-8

STROBE

0.5

BUSY

ACKNLG

s (maximum)

µ

VALID

0.5 or 5

0.5

s (minimum)

µ

s

(minimum)

µ

0 s

(min.)

1 or 10

(typical)

VALID

s

µ

Figure 1-3. Compatibility Mode Signal Timing

1-12 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

Table 1-8. Parallel Interfaces Pin Assignment

Parallel-B Parallel-C

Pin

Signal Name I/O

No.

STROBE I 15 STROBE I

1

2-9 DATA 1-8 I 6-13 DATA 1-8 I/O

ACKNLG O 3 ACKNLG O

10

11 BUSY O 1 BUSY O

Pin
No.

Signal Name I/O

Description

STROBE is a strobe pulse used to read data from
the host computer. The pulse width must be more
than 0.5 µsec. Normally it is HIGH, and data is
latched at the trailing edge of this signal.

DATA 1 to 8 are parallel data bits. When the signal
is HIGH, the data bit is 1, and when it is LOW, the
data bit is 0.
The most significant bit (MSB) is DATA8. The
signal state must be maintained for 0.5 µsec. on
either side of the

ACKNLG is an acknowledge pulse with an
approximate width of 1 or 10 µsec. This signal
goes LOW when the data reception is completed,
which indicates that the printer can accept new
data. Timing with the BUSY signal is specified
through SelecType.

The BUSY signal informs the host computer of the
printer state. When the signal is HIGH, the printer
cannot accept data.

STROBE signal active edge.

The PE signal indicates paper empty for the

12 PE O 5 PE O

13 SLCT O 2 SLCT O

AUTO-FEED I 17 AUTO-FEED I Not used.

14

15,18,

19-30 GND - 19-35 GND - Ground level for the twisted pair return signal.

NC - - - - Not used.

34
16 GND - - - -

CHASSIS

17

GND

INIT I 14 INIT I

31

32

ERROR O 4 ERROR O

33 GND

---

---

standard tray selected through SelecType or
command, or for the optional paper cassette.
Paper empty is indicated by HIGH.

Use at reverse mode.

Logic ground level.
Connected to the printer chassis. The printer

-

chassis GND and the signal GND are connected
to each other.

The STROBE signal is ignored when this signal is
LOW.

This level goes LOW when the printer is:

out of paper
paper jam
in error state
off line

- Same as for pins 19 to 30.

35 +5 - - - - Pulled up to +5V through 1.0 Kohm resistance.

SLCT IN - 16 SLCT IN I

36

-- - 18

--

Rev. A 1-13

-36

Host Logic
High

Peripheral
Logic High

Use the reverse mode.
Hosyt logic high signal

I

O Peripheral logic high signal

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

1.3.1.2 Nibble (Reverse), ECP Mode

The reverse mode for EPL-N1200 supports the IEEE-P1284 nibble mode. This printer can run in
reverse mode, in which the printer can inform the computer of its status by EJL and PJL commands.

System:
Connector type: P90-25027-1 (Amphenol) receptacle
Applicable plug: 57-30360( Amphenol or equivalent)
Signal description: See Table 1-9.

Nibble mode of IEEE-P1284

Table 1-9. Parallel Interface Pin Assignment

Pin No. Signal Name I/O Description

1

2-9 DATA 1-8 IN

10
11 BUSY OUT

12 PE OUT

13 SLCT OUT

STROBE IN

ACKNLG OUT

HostClk: This signal is a strobe pulse used to read extension
request values from the host computer during negotiation.

The signals are data bits of extension request values during
negotiation. This printer supports following values:
0000 0100: Request Device ID (by nibble mode sending)
0000 0000: Request nibble mode

PtrClk: Printer data sending clock.
PtrBusy: Printer sending data bits 3 and 7 during data transfer

to host computer.
AckDataReq: Printer sending data bits 2 and 6 during data

transfer to host computer.
Xflag: Printer sending data bits 2 and 6 during data transfer to

host computer.
HostBusy: This signal informs the printer of the host computer

14

15 NC ­16 GND -

17 CHASSIS GND ­18 NC - Not connected.

19-30 GND -

31
32
33 GND -

34 NC ­35 +5 - Pulled up to +5V through 1.0 Kohm resistance.

36

AUTO-FEED IN

INIT IN nInit: High level fixed
ERROR OUT

SLCT IN IN

state. When the signal is HIGH, the host computer cannot
accept data.

Not used.
Logic ground level.

Connected to the printer chassis. The printer chassis GND
and the signal GND are connected to each other.

Ground level for the twisted pair return signal.

nDataAvail: Printer sending data bits 0 and 4 during data
transfer to host computer.

Same as for pins 19 to 30.
Not used.

1284Active: If this signal is set to HIGH, this printer active
P1284 (reverse mode).

1-14 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

Compatibility Mode

Forward

Data

Transfer

No data sent

Host Busy

Data Not

Available

STROBE

ACK and BUSY

ERR=HIGH

ERR=HIGH

No data sent

Forward
Idle

SLCT IN=HIGH

Negotiation

Reverse

Data
Transfer

Failed

Negotiation

Sending data

ERR=LOW

Sending data

AUTO
FEED=LOW

Request to
send data

Terminate

SLCT IN=LOW

ERR=LOW

Host Busy
Data
Available

AUTO

FEED=LOW

Reverse

ERR=LOW

Idle

Figure 1-4. Parallel Interface State Switch Diagram

Figure 1-4 shows the parallel interface state switch diagram.

AUTO
FEED=HIGH

Interrupt
Host

Rev. A 1-15

(

)

(

)

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

Figure 1-5 shows the timing chart for negotiation.

DATA

SEL-IN

STROBE

AUTO-FEED

ACKNLG

BUSY

ERROR

Peripheral Busy Status

Current Peripheral StatusPE

Current Peripheral Status

Compatibility

00h or 04h

Negotiation

Note1

Note 2SLCT

Note1

HB DA or
HB DNA

Note 3

Figure 1-5. Negotiation Timing Chart

Note 1: The signal is set to HIGH when not sending data.

The signal is set to LOW when sending data.

Note 2: The signal is set to HIGH, if extension request value was 04h.
Note 3: HB DA: Host Busy Data Available

HB DNA: Host Busy Data Not Available

Idle or
Transfer

Figure 1-6 shows the timing chart for data transfer.

DATA

SEL-IN

STROBE
AUTO-FEED

ACKNLG

Peripheral Busy StatusBUSY

PE

SLCT

ERROR

HB DA Negotiation

Bit 3 Bit 7

Bit 2 Bit 6

Bit 1 Bit 5

Bit 0 Bit 4

Figure 1-6. Data Transfer Timing Chart

Peripheral Busy Status

Note 1

Note 2

Note 1

Idle or

Transfer
HB DA or
HB DNA

Note 3

Note 1: The signal is set to HIGH when not sending data.

The signal is set to LOW when sending data.

Note 2: The signal is set to HIGH, if extension request value was 04h.
Note 3: HB DA: Host Busy Data Available

HB DNA: Host Busy Data Not Available

1-16 Rev. A

A

A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

DATA

SEL-IN

STROBE
AUTO-FEED

ACKNLG

Note 3

Peripheral Busy StatusBUSY

PE

SLCT

ERROR

Note 1

Note 2

HB DNA, Idle,
or HB DA

Termination Compatibility

Current Peripheral Status

Current Peripheral StatusNote 1

Figure 1-7. Termination Timing Chart

Figure 1-7 shows the timing chart of termination.

Note 1: The signal is HIGH when HB DNA.

The signal is LOW when HB DA.

Note 2: The signal is set to HIGH, if extension request value was 04h.
Note 3: Idle = LOW

Figure 1-8 shows the timing chart for an interrupt.

Peripheral Busy Status

DATA

SEL-IN

STROBE

UTO-FEED

CKNLG

Peripheral Busy StatusBUSY

PE

SLCT

Note 1

ERROR

Reverse Idle Interrupt

HB DA Transfer

Figure 1-8. Interrupt Timing Chart

Note : The signal is set to HIGH, if extension request value was 04h.

Rev. A 1-17

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

1.3.2 Optional Serial Interface (LocalTalk/Serial Module)

The optional LocalTalk/Serial module contains serial interface with the following characteristics.
Type: RS-232C or current loop

Transfer system: Full duplex
Synchronization: Asynchronous start-stop system

Start-bit: 1 bit
Stop-bit: 1 or 2 bits
Data length: 7 bits or 8 bits
Parity: Odd, even, or none

Protocol: X-ON/X-OFF (can be combined with DTR control)

DTR control (can be combined with X-ON/X-OFF)
Transfer speed: 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, or 57600 BPS
Note 1: For RS-232C signal level, speeds of 38400 BPS and above place restrictions on the host

computer, cable, and other operating conditions.

Note 2 For current loop signal level, speeds of 2400 BPS and above place restrictions on the

host computer, cable, and other operationg conditions.

Error: Overrun error: Processed as missing data and replaced by “*”

Parity error: Replaced by “*”

Framing error: Replaced by “*”

Breaking character: Ignored
Applicable plug Circular miniature DIN 8-pin plug
Signal Level

(EIA BASED) :

Note : Annotations “MIN”. and “MAX.” apply to absolute values.
Signal descriptions: See Table 1-10.

TXD, DTR

Out put Voltage (VOH) 5 to 15 V

(VOL) -5 to -15 V
Open circuit voltage (VO) within
Impedance with power off (rO) 300 ohms (MIN.)
Load capacitance (CL) 2500 pF (MAX.)
Through rate 30 V/u SEC (MAX.)
Load resistance (Lo) 3 K to 7 K ohms

RXD, CTS
Input Voltage (VIH) 3 V (MIN.)

(VIL) -5 V (MIN.)*1)
Input signal range +25 V (MAX.)*1)
Input impedance (RI) 3 K to 7 K ohms
Imput current (II) + 8 mA (MAX)*1)
Open-circuit input voltage (EL) -2 V (MAX>)*1)

+15 V

1-18 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

Table 1-10. Serial Interface Pin Assignments

Pin No.
^

1

2

3

4

RS-232C Current Loop

Signal Name I/O Signal Name I/O ^

DTR O N.C. -

CTS I N.C. - Always ignored.

TXD O

GND - GND - Ground.

TTY-TXD

return

Description

Signal output by the printer. When the DTR
signals HIGH, the RXD signal can be
received by the printer. The SelecType
setting doesn’t specify DTR control, the
signal level is HIGH while the printer power is
on. When SelecType setting is used for DTR
control, DTR goes LOW in case of any error
conditions.
The data (RXD) from host computer must be
stopped within 256 characters after DTR
goes LOW.

TXD:
Serial ASCII data output from the printer.
It maintains “MARK” state (LOW level)
between transmitted character codes.

-

Logic 0 is at HIGH level (“SPACE”) and logic
1 is at LOW level (“MARK”).
TTY-TXD return:
Refer to TTY-TXD.

RXD:
Serial ASCII data input to the printer. It

5

6

7

8

RXD I

N.C. - TTY-TXD O

N.C. - N.C. - Not connected.

N.C. I TTY-RXD I

TTY-RXD

return

maintains “MARK” state (“LOW level)

-

between received character codes.
TTY-TXD return:
Refer to TTX-RXD.

TTY-TXD:
Serial ASCII data output from the printer.
The logic is determined by the impedance
between pins 3 and 6.
Logic 0 is high impedance (“SPACE”) at
current off and logic 1 is low impedance
(“MARK”) at current on.
It maintains “MARK” state (LOW level)
between transmitted character codes

TTY-RXD:
Serial ASCII data input to the printer.
The logic is determined by the impedance
between pins 5 and 8.
Logic 0 is high impedance (“SPACE”) when
current is off and logic 1 is low impedance
(“MARK”) when current is on.
It maintains “MARK” state (LOW level)
between transmitted character codes

Rev. A 1-19

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

Handshaking

When the vacant area for data in the input buffer drops to 256 bytes, the printer outputs an X-OFF
code or sets the DTR signal level to LOW, indicating that the printer cannot receive more data.
Once the vacant area for data in the buffer recovers to 512 bytes, the printer outputs an X-ON code
or sets the DTR flag to HIGH, indicating that the printer is again ready to receive data.

Protocol

There are two types of protocols, as listed below, and each of them can be designated by
SelecType independently.

o DTR/DSR protocol
SelecType is used to execute the DTR/DSR control protocol. The DTR signal is set to HIGH when

the printer is ready to receive data, and to LOW when conditions indicate an error or that the
receiving buffer is full.

When the error is cleared and the printer returns to on-line mode, the signal returns to HIGH. When
SelecType is used to set the DTR control OFF, DTR is always set HIGH. The printer transmits TXD
only when DSR is at the HIGH level (DSR is always considered HIGH when the SelecType setting
for DSR is OFF). X-ON/X-OFF transmission is independent of the DSR state.

o X-ON/X-OFF (DC1/DC3) protocol
SelecType is used to execute the X-ON/X-OFF protocol. The X-OFF (DC3) code is output if status

indicates an error, and the printer warns the host to stop data transmission within 256 characters.
No further X-OFF codes are sent in response to additional data received from the host after the
X-OFF code has been sent once. The X-ON (DC1) code is output after all conditions given in the
error are cleared.

When the remaining capacity of the receive buffer reaches 512 characters, X-OFF (DC3) is output
once. It is sent only once, even if there are multiple errors. The printer goes on line automatically at
power on, and outputs an X-ON code. Transmission of X-ON/X-OFF codes can be defined by
SelecType.

1-20 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

1.3.3 Optional LocalTalk Interface (LocalTalk/Serial Module)

The optional LocalTalk/Serial module contains LocalTalk interface with the following characteristics.
Type: LocalTalk

Signal level: Same as RS-422 signal level
Protocol: X-ON/X-OFF (cannot be combined with DTR control)

DTR control (cannot be combined with X-ON/X-OFF)
Transfer speed: 230.4 K BPS
Signal description: See Table 1-11.

Table 1-11. LocalTalk Interface Pin Assignments

Pin No.

1
2

3

4

5

6
7
8

Signal Name I/O Description

DTR O
CTS I The printer transmits the data through TXD while CTS is HIGH.

TXD- O

GND - Ground.

RXD- I

TXD+ O Refer to TXD-.

N.C. - Not connected.

RXD+ I Refer to RXD-.

Signal output by the printer. When the DTR signals HIGH, the RXD

signal can be received by the printer.

Serial ASCII data output from the printer.

HIGH level: when SD+ voltage is higher than SD- voltage.

LOW level: when SD+ voltage is less than SD- voltage.

Logic 0 “SPACE” and logic 1 “MARK” must be maintained between

transmitted character codes.

Serial ASCII data input from computer.

HIGH level: when RD+ voltage is higher than RD- voltage.

LOW level: when RD+ voltage is less than RD- voltage.

Logic 0 “SPACE” and logic 1 “MARK” must be maintained between

transmitted character codes.

Rev. A 1-21

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

Buttons

o On Line Switches the printer between on-line and off-line modes. While in

SelecType mode, this button exits SelecType mode.

o Manual Feed

(On Line + ALT)

o Item Enters SelecType mode.

o Page Size

(Item+ ALT)

Enters directly (a short cut) to manual feed; this setting is the same
as the manual setting in the PRINTING Menu of SelecType.

Changes the item in SelecType mode.
Enters directly (a short cut) to the paper size setting for the standard

and optional paper tray in Printing Menu of SelecType.

o Paper Source

(Menu+ ALT)
o ALT Modifies functions of other buttons.
o ↑
o ↓ (↑ + ALT)
o Enter Sets the current option in SelecType.
o Form Feed When the printer is off line and the Form Feed light is lit, pressing

o Continue Pressing this button when the Continue light is flashing clears an

o SelecType Selects one of three modes, OneTouch menu 1, OneTouch menu 2,

o Menu Selects one of three menus, Paper Source, RITech, or SelecType.
o Value Selects one of three menus, Manual Feed, MP Tray Size, or

o Enter Selects one of three menus, Orientation, Toner Save Mode, or

o RESET

(Continue + ALT)

Enters directly (short cut) to the paper tray select setting in
Config Menu of SelecType.

Changes to the next SelecType option.
Changes to the previous SelecType option.

this button prints data in the printer’s memory.

error.

or SelecType mode.

selects item option in SelecType.

defines setting value or executes an operation in SelecType.
Enter to reset operation; LCD displays “Reset”, printing stops, and

the input buffer of current interface is cleared.
If the Continue + ALT buttons aredepressed continuously after

“Reset” displays, the message displayed on the LCD changes to
“Reset ALL” (after about 5 seconds), and the printer enters to
Warming Up" operation; printer clears all RAM.

Rev. A 1-23

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

1.4 OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

This section describes the functions performed through the control panel, such as test print,
hexadecimal dump, and SelecType.

1.4.1 Control Panel

The printer control panel gives you easy control over most common printer operations. The panel
consists of a liquid crystal display (LCD), indicator lights, and buttons.

Figure 1-9. Control Panel

Display (LCD)

A 20-character (5 × 7 dot matrix) by 1-row liquid crystal display (LCD) unit that indicates printer
status. A variety of printer parameters can be displayed and set using SelecType mode.

Indicator lights
o On Line
ON: Communication with the host is possible.

OFF: Communication with the host is not currently possible.
Flashing: This state occurs when the system cannot shift from off line to on line, or vice

versa.
o Form Feed
This LED indicates the data processing condition for each interface channel.
ON: Received data stored in the printer but has not been printed.

OFF: No printable data remains in the printer.
Flashing: The printer is processing data.

o Continue
Flashes when an error is detected or a maintenance procedure is needed. An error message

appears on the display at the same time.
o OneTouch Menu 1
Indicates that OneTouch setting mode is active and OneTouch Menu 1 is in use.
o One Touch Menu 2
Indicates that OneTouch setting mode is active and OneTouch Menu 2 is in use.
o SelecType
Indicates that SelecType setting mode is active.
o All LEDs are flashing
An error has occurred that requires a service call.

1-22 Rev. A

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

1.4.2 SelecType Functions

SelecType function on the printer control panel allows the user to control most of the printer’s
functions, such as printing test pages, selecting a paper size, and changing the printer’s
configuration. Enter SelecType mode by pressing the Menu or Item button.
Table 1-12 shows the SelecType options.

Table 1-12. SelecType Functions

Menu
(Changed by Menu
button)

Printing Menu

LJ4 Menu

Item

(Changed by Item button)

Paper Source

Page Size

Orientation Port, Land
Copies 1 to 999
Manual Feed Off, On
Resolution 600, 300

Font Source Resident, SIMM, Download

Font Number 0 to (available; MAX. 65535)
Pitch 0.44 to 10.00 to 99.99 CPI (step 0.01)
Height 4.00 to 12.00 to 999.75 PT. (step 0.25)

SymSet

Auto, MP, LC1*11), LC2*12)
A4*1), A5, B5, LT*3), HLT, LGL, GLT,

GLG, EXE, F4, MON, C10, DL, C5, IB5,
CTM

Roman-8, ECM94-1, 8859-2 ISO, 8859-9
ISO, IBM-US, IBM-DN, PcMultiling,
PcE.Europe, PcTk437, WiAnsi,
WiE.Europe, WiTurkish, DeskTop, PsText,
VeInternati, VeUS, MsPublishin, Math-8,
PsMath, VeMath, PiFont, Legal, UK, ANSI
ASCII, Swedis2, Italian, Spanish, German,
Norweg1, French2, Windows

Available Options

(Changed by ↑ or ↓ button)

(Set by Enter button)

Form 5 to 60*3), to 64*2), to 128 lines
Source SymSet*16) 0 to 277 to 3199
Desrt SymSet*16) 0 to 277 to 3199

PS Menu*4)

ESCP2 Menu

* With option

1-24 Rev. A

Err Sheet Off, On
MicroGray Off
Protect Level 1 to 5

Font

Pitch 10 CPI, 12 CPI, 15 CPI, Prop
Condensed Off, On
T.Margin 0.40 to 0.50 to 1.50 Inch (step 0.05)

Text

Courier, Prestige, Roman, Sans serif,
Roman T, Orator S, Sans H, Script, OCR B

1 to 62*3), to 66*2), to (available; MAX.

81) Lines

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

Table 1-12. SelecType Functions (Cont.)

Menu
(Changed by Menu
button)

ESCP2 Menu
(Cont.)

FX Menu

Item

(Changed by Item button)

Italic, PcUSA, PcMultilin, PcPortugues,

CG Table

Country

Auto CR On, Off
Auto LF Off, On
Bit Image Dark, Light, BarCode
Zero Char 0, 0

Font

Pitch 10cpi, 12cpi, 15cpi, Prop
Condensed Off, On
T.Margin 0.40 to 0.50 to 1.50 Inch (step 0.05)

PcCanFrenc, PcNordic, PcTurkish2,
Pc.E.Europe, BpBR ASCII, BpAbicomp

USA, France, Germany, UK, Denmak,
Sweden, Italy, Spain1, Japan, Norway,
Denmark2, Spain2, LatinAmeric, Korea

Courier, Prestige, Roman, Sans serif,
Script, Orator S, OCR B

Available Options

(Changed by ↑ or ↓ button)

(Set by Enter button)

,

I239X Menu

1 to

Text

CG Table

Country

Auto CR On, Off
Auto LF Off,On
Bit Image Dark, Light, BarCode
Zero Char

Font

Pitch 10cpi, 12cpi, 15cpi, 17cpi,20cpi,24cpi, Prop
Code Page 437, 850, 860, 863, 865
T.Margin 0.30 to 0.40 to 1.50 Inch (step 0.05)

Text

62*3) to 66*2) to (Available 81 MAX.)

Lines
Italic,

PcUSA, PcMultilin, PcPortugues,
PcCanFrenc, PcNordic, PcTurkish2,
Pc.E.Europe, BpBRASCII, BpAbicomp

USA, France, Germany, UK, Denmak,
Sweden, Italy, Spain1, Japan, Norway,
Denmark2, Spain2, LatinAmeric

0, φ
Courier, Prestige, Gothic, Orator, Script,

Presentor, Sans serif

1 to

62*3) to 66*2) to (Available 81 MAX.)

Lines

Auto CR Off,On
Auto LF Off,On
Alt. Graphics Off,On
Bit Image Dark, Light
Zero Char
CharacterSet 1*3), 2*2)

Rev. A 1-25

0, φ

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

Table 1-12. SelecType Functions (Cont.)

Menu
(Changed by Menu
button)

Emulation Menu

Tray Size Menu

Config Menu

Item

(Changed by Item button)

Parallel B LJ4, ESCP2, FX, I239X, PS*4), GL2, Auto
Parallel C LJ4, ESCP2, FX, I239X, PS*4), GL2, Auto
Serial*6) LJ4, ESCP2, FX, I239X, PS*4), GL2, Auto
L/T*6) PS*4), GL2, Auto, LJ4, ESCP2, FX, I239X
AUX* LJ4, ESCP2, FX, I239X, PS*4), GL2, Auto

MP Tray Size*0)

LC1 Size*8)*11) A4, LT
LC2 Size*8)*12) A4, LT
RITech*0) Medium, Dark, Off, Light
Toner Save Off, On
Density 3, 4, 5, 1, 2
Top Offset -9.0 to 0.0 to 99.0 mm

A4*2), A5, B5, LT*3), HLT, LGL, GLT,
GLG, EXE, F4, MON, C10, DL, C5, C6, IB5

Available Options

(Changed by ↑ or ↓ button)

(Set by Enter button)

Setup Menu

Left Offset -9.0 to 0.0 to 99.0 mm
Size Ignore Off, On
Auto Cont Off, On
Page Protect Auto,On
Image Optimum Auto, Off, On

Interface

Time Out 0, 5 to 60 to 300
Standby Enable, Disable
Lang*18) English
Lang*18) Francais
Sprache*18) Deutch
Ling*18) Italiano
Leng*18) Espanol
Sprak*18) Svenska
Sprog*18) Dansk

Auto, ParallelB, ParallelC, Serial*6),
L/T*5), AUX*10)

Taai*18) Nederal.
Kieli*18) Soumi
Idiom*18) Portugues
Panel Lock*1`7) Off, On
Toner*8) E****F, E*** F, E*** F, E* F, E F
Toner Count Clear
Page Count*8) 0 to 99999999

1-26 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

^

Menu
(Changed by Menu
button)

Test Menu

Parallel B Menu

SelecType Init

Table 1-12. SelecType Functions (Cont.)

Item

(Changed by Item button)

Status Sheet —
LJ4 Font Sample —
ESCP2 Font Sample —
FX Font Sample —
I239X Font Sample —
PS Status Sheet*4) —
PS Font Sample*4) —
Speed Fast, Normal
Bi-D On, Off
Buffer Size*21) Normal, Maximum, Minimum

Available Options

(Changed by ↑ or ↓ button)

(Set by Enter button)

Parallel C Menu
^
Serial Menu*6)

L/T Menu*5)
AUX Menu*10)
JOB

*1) GL/2 menu doesn’t have it.

Speed Fast, Normal
Buffer Size*21) Normal, Maximum, Minimum
Word Length 8, 7

Baud Late

Parity None, Even, Add
Stop Bit 1, 2
Xon/Xoff*7) On, Off, Robst
DTR On, Off
Buffer Size*21) Normal, Maximum, Minimum
Buffer Size*21) Normal, Maximum, Minimum
Buffer Size*21) Normal, Maximum, Minimum
PAGE PROTECT OFF, LT, LGL, A4
RESOLUTION 300, 600
TIMEOUT 5 to 300

9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 300, 600,
1200, 2400, 4800

*2) Factory setting for Europe and Taiwan.
*3) Factory setting for North America
*4) Can be selected only when EPSONScript Level 2 ROM Module is installed
*5) Can be selected only when LocalTalk/Serial module is installed and LocalTalk is selected on

the module.
*6) Can be selected only when LocalTalk/Serial module is installed and serial I/F is selected on the

module.
*7) LJ4 is the factory setting without EPSONScript Level 2 ROM Module.
*8) The item is display

Rev. A 1-27

-only and can ‘t be selected.

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

*10) Can be selected only when Type-B I/F is installed.
*11) Can be selected only when the lower paper cassette is set as unit 1.
*12) Can be selected only when the lower paper cassette is set as unit 2.
*13) Can be selected only when content-information data exists.
*15) Internally always set to OFF. It is not displayed on the LCD as a setting item.
*17) This item is not displayed on the LCD.
*18) Setting Item Lang is displayed for a language setting value for both setting the item and the

value.
*21) After resetting the value, warm boot or restart the printer to make the value effective.

1-28 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

1.4.3 Service Mode

This printer has the following three service modes:

■ Hexadecimal Dump Mode

■ EEPROM Format

■ Error Recovery

1.4.3.1 Hexadecimal Dump Mode

Hexadecimal dump mode is a useful tool for troubleshooting data control problems. To enter
hexadecimal dump mode, turn on the printer while holding down the Form Feed button until
“HEX Dump Mode

.......” is displayed.

To exit the hexadecimal dump mode, executing warm boot by resetting or turning printer power off,
waiting a few seconds, then turning it on again.

1.4.3.2 EEPROM Format

EEPROM format operation is required only when the main controller board (C205 MAIN board) or
EEPROM is replaced and these operations are specified in the accompanying documentation.

EEPROM format functions (default paper size (A4 or letter), toner counter, page counter, jam
counter, and panel settings) are all stored in memory.

Default Factory Setting

Defaults for EEPROM format functions can be written to EEPROM as follows:
Turn on the printer while holding down the On Line, Reset, and Menu buttons until

“Format Nvram" is displayed.
This function :
* Clears the page counter
* Clears the paper jamcounter
* Writes the factory default setting. The destination is identified by the jumper setteing on the main

controller board. Refer to Table 1-13..

Table 1-13. Main Controller Board Default Paper Size Setting

Jumper Address

J4

^

Clear Page Counter to 0

Setting

Close pin 1 and pin 2 A4

Open pin 1 and pin2 Letter North America

Fcatory Default

Paper Size

Market

Eurpoe, Asia, and
Oceania

Clears EEPROM page counter to 0 by turning the printer while holding down the On Line, Menu,
and Item buttons until “PCOUNT CLEAR” is displayed.

Rev. A 1-29

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

1.4.3.3 Error Recovery

The LCD on the control panel unit indicates the printer status and error code if the printer has fatal
error.

CPU reset

This function can be used without restarting the printer to attempt to recover from a fatal error
(“E*****” or “C2XXX”) that occurs during printer operation.

Press the SelecType, Menu, Item, Value, and Enter buttons.

Displays the detailed information for the fatal error code

This function let you know the meaning of the error status (“E*****” or “C2XXX”) in details.

1. Press the Continue, SelecType, and Menu buttons.

2. The printer diplays “ERR YXXXX 0X*******”.

3. Press any button.

4. The printer diplays “ERR TYPE 0X*******”.

5. Press any button, then return to 2.

6. “Printing SysErr? >” desplays, and you can print an error status sheet by pressing the Enter
button.

1-30 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

1.4.4 Display of Messages

This printer displays three types of messages on the LCD: status messages, error messages, and
power on messages.

1.4.4.1 Status Messages

The LCD panel normally indicates the printer’s status and the software mode.

Table 1-14. Status Messages

Message
Self Test

Reset All
Reset

Reset to Save

Form Feed
Warming up
Standby
Ready

Menus Locked

Chack Paper Size

Image Optimum
Toner Low

Status Message Type

Internal self test Status
Warm boot Status
Resetting Status
A control panel setting has been changed.

Press the Continue or On Line button to bring the
change becomes valid when a reset or warm boot is
performed.

Paper form feeding Status
Warming up Status
Power down mode Status
Normal condition Status
This message is valid when Panel Lock is set to on by

EJL command.
Press any button.

This message is valid when Size Ignore is off.
Paper size is different from the page size you are
attempting to print.
Press the Continue button or performs a reset or warm
boot.

Couldn’t be printed at the specified resolution, due to
memory shortage.

Detected toner low (remaining toner is 0 %.) Warning

Status

Warning

Warning

Warning

Rev. A 1-31

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

1.4.4.2 Error Messages

If any of the following errors occurs, it will be displayed on the LCD panel. The error must be cleared
immediately using the measures shown in the following table.

Table 1-15. Error Messages

Message

Paper Jam

Feed Jam

Printer Open

Manual Feed XXX

Paper Out XXXXX
YYYY

Toner Out

Paper Set XXXXX
YYYY

Print Overrun

Mem Overflow

Illegal AUX I/F Card

Illegal I/F Module
Service Req XYYYY

Status Measures

Open the top cover and remove

A paper jam occurred.

A paper jam occurred in the feed
process.

Cover is open. Close the top cover.

Manual feed selected.

No paper is left in either the
standard tray or optional cassette.

The engine detects toner out and
printing is terminated.

The paper in the selected tray is
different from the paper size
selection.

Engine speed is faster than print
image processing.

Data has filled the buffer.

The inserted I/F card not supported.
The inserted I/F module not

supported.
Printer problem Service required.

jammed paper. Then close the top
cover.

Open the top cover and remove
jammed paper. Then close the top
cover.

Insert paper and press the On Line
button.
Perform a reset or warm boot.

Load proper paper in paper tray or
optional cassette.

Replace the imaging cartridge
Press the Continue button clear
the error temporarily.

When Auto Cont is off:
Load proper paper in the correct
paper tray.
Press the Continue button without
replacing paper.

When Auto Cont is on:

The error is automatically cleared.
When the Auto Cont is off:

Press Continue button.

When Auto Cont is on:

The error is automatically cleared.
When Auto Cont is off:

Press the Continue button.
Perform reset or warm boot.
When Auto Cont is on:
The error is automatically cleared.

Turn power off and remove the I/F
card.

Turn power off and remove the I/F
module.

1-32 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

1.4.4.3 Warning Message

If any of the following warnings occurs, it will be displayed on the LCD panel.

Table 1-16. Warning Messages

Message

Menus Locked

Check Paper Size

Image Optimum

Toner Low

Status Measures

Occurs when Panel Lock=On is set by
EJL.
When the setting is on, press Menu,
Item, Value or Enter button in One
Touch Mode or press Enter button in
SelecType mode. Also displays the
warning to indicate that setting values
can’t be saved in EEPROM.

Paper in the selected tray is different
from the paper size chosen with Size
Ignore = Off.

Because of insufficient memory, the
printer uses a lower print quality.

Remaining toner is 0 %.

Press any button to release
this warning.

Press the Continue button.

Increase memory size.
Press the Continue button.

Replace the imaging cartridge
with a new one.
You can clear the error
temporarily by pressing the
Continue button.

Rev. A 1-33

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

1.4.5 Multi-user and Multi-emulation

This printer has a multi-user and multi-emulation functions. It can be connected simultaneously to
and receive print codes from up to four different hosts or networks (when the optional module and
I/F card are installed.).

Figure 1-10. Multi-port and Multi-emulation

Note 1: LocalTalk/Serial Module and Type-B I/F card can be used simultaneously.
Note 2: Selection of one of two interfaces for the LocalTalk/Serial Module is determined by the

type of cable and jumper settings on the module. Jumper settings for the module are
recognized when the printer is powered on.

Note3: Installation of a Type-B I/F card is recognized when the printer is powered on.

1-34 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

1.4.6 Emulation Mode Switch Function

This section describes the emulation mode switch function.

1.4.6.1 Emulation Switch by SPL

The four types of emulation switch functions described below are available on this printer.

EJL: Eson Job Language

This is EPSON’s original language system. It is able to skip among various destinations, as shown
in Figure 1-11.

PJL: Printer Job Language

This is HP’s original language, which is available with the LaserJet 4 printer.
It is able to skip among various destinations, as shown in Figure 1-11. The precise specifications for
this language are based on the HP LaserJet 4.

The figure below shows three types of mode switching.
Neither EJL nor PJL switches the mode directly. They first exit the current mode and return to EJL

or PJL. Then they enter another mode.

FX

EJL

I239X

PJL

ESCP2

Figure 1-11. Emulation Switch by SPL

1.4.6.2 Intelligent Emulation Switch

The Intelligent Emulation Switch (IES) automatically switches the emulation switch mode,
depending on the data sent from the host computer through one of the interface channels. It is able
to switch between EPSON Script and other modes, as shown in the figure below.

ESCP2

FX

I239X

Figure 1-12. Intelligent Emulation Switch

Rev. A 1-35

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

1.4.7 Bi Resolution Improvement Technology

The EPL-N1200 printer has BiRITech (Bi Resolution Improvement Technology), which is designed
to improve print quality at 600 DPI and 300 DPI. Using this method, dot map data extracted from the
image data and reassembled to improve print quality.

The main improvement of this technique is in eliminating “jaggies” in diagonal lines. It is most
effective when the dot map data fits the development characteristics of the printer mechanism well.
It is therefore necessary to set appropriate values in SelecType.

1 inch

1 2 600

34

1
2
3

4
5

1 inch

6

7
8

R

600

(When 600 DPI printing)

Figure 1-13. BiRITech Effect

Note: BiRITech is not as effective for printing mesh patterns or gray scales. In such cases,

BiRITech must be set to OFF. (The default setting is MEDIUM.) Since the BiRITech
effect depends on the toner condition, it should be adjusted when the imaging cartridge is
replaced or after the imaging cartridge is used for a long time.

The following settings are available in SelecType Level for RITech: DARK, MEDIUM, LIGHT, OFF.
When the toner density of area A is almost the same as that of area B (as shown in the figure
below), the RITech setting is at its optimum setting. In other words, the optimum setting is achieved
when it is difficult to distinguish the shape of area A from that of B.

A

B

Figure 1-14. RiTech Adjustment

1-36 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

1.4.8 Printer Initialization

There are three ways to initialize this printer before entering the on line state.

Reset Procedure

This is performed by holding down the Alt and Reset buttons. The reset procedure aborts printing
on the active interface only, then performs the reset. It can be used to cancel multi-copy printing or
abort prinitng of invalid data.

1. Compared print requests made up to the point of the reset are
lost.

2. Data input from the current port up to the point of the reset is lost.

3. Errors are canceled.

Warm Boot Procedure

This is performed by holding down the Alt and Reset buttons for several seconds. The worm boot
procedure aborts printing on all interfaces, and performs the reset.

1. Initialization of memory.

2. The data input buffers for all interfaces are cleared.

Cold Start Procedure

This is performed by turning the power switch is on. A cold start performs the following processes.

1. Initialization of engine.

2. Check of ROM, EEPROM, and DRAM.

3. Check of peripheral devicess.

4. Initialization of memory.

5. Initialization of peripheral devices.

Rev. A 1-37

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

1.4.9 Toner Save Mode

The Tonere Save Mode uses about 50 % less toner than the normal. The printer saves toner by
substituting a gray shade for the black inside of characters. The outsides of the characters are still
printed in full black.

Upper Edge

Left Edge

Figure 1-15. Toner Save Mode

1.4.10 Optional Memory

If you have difficulty printing complex, graphics-intensive pages or if you regularly use downloaded
fonts, you may need to install the optional SIMM sets on this printer’s controller board. The printer’s
controller board comes with 2 MB of RAM installed.

By installing additional SIMMs, you can increase the printer’s memory to a total of 64 MB, including
the resident memory.

EPSON supplies several types of memory option (SIMMs). Other SIMMs can be purchased from
other vendors. Be sure the SIMM meets the requirements listed below.

■ 72-pin type

■ Capacity is one of the following: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 MB

■ Access speed is less than 70 ns.

■ Within the following dimensional size:

36 mm (Height) × 108 mm (Width) × 10 mm (Depth)

1.4" (Height) × 4.3" (Width) × 0.4" (Depth)

1-38 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

1.5 MAIN COMPONENTS

To simplify maintenance and repair, the main components of the EPL-N1200 has been designed for
easy removal and replacement. The main components are:

❏ C205 MAIN Board Main controller circuit board
❏ C173 PROG Board*1) Program ROM circuit board
❏ Control panel Unit
❏ PWB-A Board Engine controller circuit board
❏ PU1 Board Power supply circuit board
❏ HV1 Board High-voltage supply circuit board
❏ Optical Unit Printhead unit
❏ Fusing Unit
❏ Imaging Cartridge
❏ Lower Paper Cassette Unit (optional)

Only for specific models.

Figure 1-16. Component Layout

Rev. A 1-39

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

1.5.1 C205 MAIN Board

The C205 MAIN board is a Main controller board. The primary functions of this board are receiving
print data from the host, generating the print image (Main), and sending the print image to the
engine controller via the Main interface. A 32-bit 20 MHz RISC CPU MB86930 (SPARKlite)
(location: IC15) is used, and the following memory chips and custom ICs are assigned to the 4 GB
memory space.

■ Memory chips
Font ROM: two 8M-bit ROMs (IC32, IC33)

Code ROM: two 8M-bit ROMs (IC12, IC13)
4M-bit DRAM (IC18, 19, 20, 21)
1K-bit EEPROM (IC5)

■ Custom ICs
ASIC E05A91 (IC1)

ASIC E05A93 (IC11)
ASIC E05B17 (IC16)
ASIC E05B27 (IC43)
ASIC E05B31 (IC38)

■ Other
Reset IC 953B

(IC2)

8M-Bit ROM
Socket (Local Language)

ROM SIMM
Slot

E05B17
(IC16)

E05B31
(IC38)

8M-Bit ROMs
(IC32, 33)

8M-Bit ROM
(IC12)

953B
(IC2)

RAM SIMM
Slots`

E05A91(IC1)

8M-Bit ROM
(IC13)

4M-Bit DRAM
(IC18,19,20,21)

MB86930

(IC15)
E05A93
(IC11)

Figure 1-17. C205 Main Board

E05B27
(IC43)

1K-Bit
EEPROM
(IC5)

There are two types of C205 MAIN boards used as after service parts. The following table shows
differences between them.

Table 1-17. Differences in Components for the C205 MAIN Board

For USA For Others

Standard Paper Size
Jumper J4 Setting

1-40 Rev. A

Letter Size Paper A4 Size Paper
Open Pin 1 and Pin 2 Close Pin 1 and Pin2

(

)

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

1.5.2 C173 PROG Board

The C173 PROG board, which is mounted on the C205 MAINboard, includes the program ROMs. It
consists of four 4M-bit flash ROMs and its peripheral bus interface communicating with C205 Main
board

.

4M-bit Flash ROM

IC1, 2, 3, 4

Figure 1-18. C173 PROG Board

1.5.3 Control Panel

The control panel includes a 20 column × 1 row LCD panel, which provides many functions for the
printer (e.g., displaying error messages or printer operation status).

Figure 1-19. Control Panel

Rev. A 1-41

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

1.5.4 Engine Controller Board

The engine controller board consists of an M37451 8-bit CPU (including a P-ROM) and a gate
array. The board controls laser scanning (the polygon mirror drive motor), image synchronization,
laser beam pulse width, and power.

M37451(IC1)

Figure 1-20. Engine Controller Board

1.5.5 Power Supply Board

The power supply board consists of a switching regulator circuit. It converts the AC line voltage into
+24 V and +5 VDC voltages. There are two types of power supply board, the 100/120 V type and
230 V type. The difference between the two circuits is only in the input section.

CAUTION

Do not touch VR1 and VR61 on the power supply board. These volumes are for
factory setting only.

Figure 1-21. Power Supply Board

1-42 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

1.5.6 High-Voltage Supply Board

The high-voltage supply circuit board converts the development bias, OPC drum charge bias, and
image transfer bias.

CAUTION

Do not touch VR1 and VR2 on the high-voltage supply board. These volumes are for
factory setting only.

Figure 1-22. High-Voltage Supply Board

1.5.7 Optical Unit

The optical unit consists of the laser diode (semi-conductor laser), the mirror motor (scanner motor)
which drives the polygon mirror for laser scanning, and several mirrors and lenses. The laser beam
generated by the laser diode is conducted to the OPC drum surface by way of the polygon mirror,
as well as several mirrors and lenses, to create a latent electro-photographic image on the drum.

Figure 1-23. Optical Unit

Rev. A 1-43

General Description EPL-N1200 Service Manual

1.5.8 Fusing Unit

The fusing unit fixes the toner to the paper using heat and pressure. This unit has a heater lamp,
thermistor, and thermostat. There are two types of fusing units, the 100/120 V type and the 230 V
type. The only difference between them is the heater lamp.

Figure 1-24. Fusing Unit

1.5.9 Imaging Cartridge

The core mechanisms of the printing process, such as charging, developing, and cleaning, are
integrated into this imaging cartridge.

Figure 1-25. Imaging Cartridge

1-44 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual General Description

1.5.10 Lower Paper Cassette

The optional lower paper cassette allows you to feed up to an additional 500 sheets of A4 or
letter-size paper into this printer. You can add the two lower papaer cassettes for the printer.

Figure 1-26. Lower Paper Cassette

Rev. A 1-45

Chapter 2 Operating Principles

Table of Contents

2.1 ENGINE OPERATION 2-1

2.1.1 Print Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

2.1.1.1 Paper Feeding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

2.1.1.2 Drum Charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

2.1.1.3 Laser Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

2.1.1.4 Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

2.1.1.5 Drum Cleaning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

2.1.1.6 Image Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

2.1.1.7 Fusing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

2.1.1.8 Paper Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

2.1.1.9 Toner Empty Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7

2.1.2 Engine Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

2.1.2.1 Main Motor Functions and Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

2.1.2.2 Fuser Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11

2.1.2.3 Scanner Mirror Motor Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13

2.1.2.4 Laser Diode Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13

2.1.2.5 Bias Voltages and Laser Drive Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14

2.1.2.6 Power Supply Circuit Function and Safety Protection. . . . . . . . . 2-16

2.2 VIDEO CONTROLLER OPERATION 2-17

2.2.1 C205 MAIN Board Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17

2.2.1.1 Reset Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20

2.2.1.2 Bus Control Circuit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19

2.2.1.3 Interrupt Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21

2.2.1.4 DRAM Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21

2.2.1.5 Parallel-B Interface Circuit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22

2.2.1.6 Parallel-C Interface Circuit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22

2.2.1.7 Video Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22

List of Figures

Figure 2-1. Main Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Figure 2-2. Print Process Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Figure 2-3. Paper Feeding from Multi-Purpose Tray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Figure 2-4. Paper Feeding from Lower Paper Cassette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

Figure 2-5. Drum Charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

Figure 2-6. Laser Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Figure 2-7. Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Figure 2-8. Image Transfer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

Figure 2-9. Fusing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

Figure 2-10. Toner is Enough. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7

Figure 2-11. Tonere is Empty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7

Figure 2-12. Engine Controller Connecting Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

Figure 2-13. Gears and Rollers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

Figure 2-14. Gear and Roller Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

Figure 2-15. Main Motor Drive Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11

Figure 2-16. Fuser Control Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11

Figure 2-17. Temperature for Fuser Control Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12

Figure 2-18. Scanner Motor Control Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13

Figure 2-19. Laser Diode Drive Circuit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13

Figure 2-20. /L DATA Generation Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13

Figure 2-21. High-Voltage Supply Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14

Figure 2-22. Print Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15

Figure 2-23. Print Sequence (Start) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15

Figure 2-24. Print Sequence (End). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15

Figure 2-25. Power Supply Circuit Block Diagram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16

Figure 2-26. Video Controller Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17

Figure 2-27. C205 MAIN Board Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17

Figure 2-28. Data Flow Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19

Figure 2-29. Reset Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20

Figure 2-30. Bus Control Circuit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20

Figure 2-31. DRAM Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21

Figure 2-32. Parallel-B Interface Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22

Figure 2-33. Parallel-C Interface Circuit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22

List of Tables

Table 2-1. Gears and Rollers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

Table 2-2. Functions of C205 MAIN Board Main Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Operating Principles

2.1 ENGINE OPERATION

This section describes the functions and operating principles of the EPL-N1200 engine.
Figure 2-1 shows the locations and names of the main engine components.

1

26

25

24

6

2

43

5

8

7

9

10

11

12

13

14

15
16
17
18

19

23

20

21

22

1. Paper Guide 16. Paper Take-up Sensor Lever

2. Paper Empty Sensor Lever 17. Transfer Roller

3. Optical Unit 18. Paper Take-up Roller

4. Imaging Cartridge 19. Paper Empty Sensor Lever

5. Paper Take-up Roller 20. Transfer Roller

6. Heater Lamp (H1) 21. Paper Take-up Roller

7. Thermostat 22. Paper Empty Sensor Lever

8. Paper Exit Roller 23. 2nd Lower Paper Cassette Unit (Option)

9. Upper Fusing Roller 24. 1st Lower Paper Cassette Unit (Option)

10. Paper Exit Sensor Lever 25. Power Supply Unit (PU1)

11. Paper Exit Sensor (PC3) 26. Multi- Purpose Paper Tray

12. Lower Fusing Roller

13. Image Transfer Roller

14. Cooling Fan (M3))

15. Main Motor (M1)

Figure 2-1. Main Components

Rev. A 2-1

Operating Principles EPL-N1200 Service Manual

2.1.1 Print Process

This section describes the print process from paper feeding to paper exit.
Figure 2-2 shows a diagram of the print process.

Figure 2-2. Print Process Diagram

2-2 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Operating Principles

2.1.1.1 Paper Feeding

There are two methods of feeding paper into the printer. One uses the multi—purpose tray
(standard tray), and the other uses one or two optional 500-sheet lower paper cassettes.

Paper-out conditions are detected by the paper empty sensor, located above the paper tray or the
cassette. While paper is in the tray or cassette, the detection lever for the paper empty sensor is
lifted. When the paper supply runs out, the detection lever is lowered, causing the shutter to
interrupt light from the LED to the photo-transistor. This causes the signal to go HIGH, informing
the engine driver that the paper tray or the cassette is empty.

When the paper take-up solenoid is actuated, the paper take-up roller rotates and feeds the first
page. The paper take-up roller stops after one rotation. The timing to align the leading edge of the
page with the image is detected by the paper take-up sensor.

When the page is on top of the paper take-up sensor, the detection lever is lowered, allowing light
from the LED to reach the photo-transistor. This causes the signal to go HIGH, informing the
engine driver that paper has been detected.

The paper exit sensor is located beyond the fusing roller in the paper path. When paper passes the
paper exit sensor, the detection lever is lowered, allowing light from the LED to reach the
photo-transistor. This causes the signal to go HIGH, informing the engine driver that paper has
been delivered.

Multi-Purpose Tray (Standard Tray)

The paper guide can be moved to fit against the sides of various sizes of paper, allowing the paper
to be fed.

Although the paper take-up roller stops after one rotation, the transport rollers continue to feed the
first page, because these rollers are independent of the paper take-up roller. At this time, the
depressing cams attached to the paper take-up roller depresses the paper lift-up plate to prevent
the feeding of a second sheet.

Paper

Paper Exit Sensor

Imaging Transfer
Roller

Paper Take-Up Sensor

Transport Roller

Paper Lifting-Up
Plate

Lower Fusing Roller

Upper Fusing Roller

OPC Drum`

Depressing Cams

Transport Roller

Paper Take-up Roller

Paper Take-Up Clutch

Paper Take-Up Solenoid

Paper Empty Sensor

Paper Guide

Figure 2-3. Paper Feeding from the Multi-Purpose Tray

Rev. A 2-3

Operating Principles EPL-N1200 Service Manual

Lower Paper Cassette

A maximum of 500 sheets can be loaded in the optional 500-sheet lower paper cassette. The paper
size, however, must be a size that the casette is capable of handling. (The lower paper cassette unit
can hold letter or A4 paper.)

The driving force for paper feeding and transport is from the transmission gear. All electrical
controls are performed on the printer side through the coupling connector.

Transport Rollers

Paper Take-Up Rollers

Paper Empty
Sensor Lever

Paper Take-Up Clutch

Transmission Gears
to 2nd Lower Paper Cassette

Lower Paper Cassette
(up to two units)

Connector to 2nd Lower Paper Cassette

Paper Take-Up Solenoid

Figure 2-4. Paper Feeding from the Lower Paper Cassette

2.1.1.2 Drum Charge

Drum charge is the process of charging the PC drum with static electricity before laser exposure.
This printer uses a brush charge method, rather than the corona charge method, to charge the
drum. In the brush charge method, there is no generation of ozone as a result of corona discharge.
This method also allows the drum to be charged at a low voltage, because a direct electric load is
applied to the PC drum.

Figure 2-5. Drum Charge

2-4 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Operating Principles

2.1.1.3 Laser Exposure

Laser exposure is the process of creating an invisible static electric image on the PC drum with
laser beams emitted from the optical unit. The mirror scanner motor (polygon motor) rotates the
six-sided mirror counterclockwise to produce a laser light scan. (One side of the mirror produces
one scan.) The SOS (start of scan) sensor detects the laser rays from the SOS mirror and outputs
the SOS signals to make the starting position of each line of the image uniform.

Figure 2-6. Laser Exposure

2.1.1.4 Development

Development is the process of creating a toner image on the PC drum by applying toner to the
invisible static electric image. The doctor blade spreads a thin, even coat of toner over the flexible
sleeve. When the toner passes between the doctor blade and the flexible sleeve, it becomes
negatively charged. The flexible sleeve transports toner to the surface of the PC drum and controls
the development with the developing bias voltage.

No positively charged toner is transported to the PC drum, and the doctor blade is negatively
charged to prevent the printout from having a foggy background.

Figure 2-7. Development

2.1.1.5 Drum Cleaning

After the image is transferred onto paper, any remaining toner on the PC drum is scraped off by the
cleaning blade and collected in the used toner bottle.

Rev. A 2-5

Operating Principles EPL-N1200 Service Manual

2.1.1.6 Image Transfer

Image transfer is the process of transferring the toner image created on the PC drum to the paper
during the developing process. This printer uses the roller image transfer method, instead of corona
image transfer, as the image transfer process. In roller image transfer, there is no generation of
ozone as there is with corona discharge. Also, there is no blurring caused by motion in the image
transfer, because the image transfer roller is maintained for the pressure bonding of the paper with
the PC drum.

A reverse bias voltage is applied so that the positive toner is not transferred onto the image transfer
roller. (The drum charge bias voltage is used.)

Figure 2-8. Image Transfer

2.1.1.7 Fusing

Fusing is the process of fixing the toner image transferred during the image transfer process onto
the paper. This printer uses the heating roller method for fusing. The heating roller method fixes
the toner image with an upper fusing roller that is heated by the heater lamp.

The thermistor (TH1) detects the temperature of the upper fusing roller and the value is fed back to
the PWB-A board to controls On/Off operation of the heater lamp.

If the thermostat (S3) detects 210° C (410° F), inside the terminal, S3 goes open and cut the
current off to the heater lamp (H1).

Figure 2-9. Fusing

2.1.1.8 Paper Exit

The paper on which the toner image has been fused is fed to the face-down tray.

2-6 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Operating Principles

2.1.1.9 Toner Empty Sensor

Toner empty is detected by the toner empty LED and the photo sensor on the toner empty
detection board.

When there is enough toner in the imaging cartridge, light is not reflected from the toner empty
sensor LED. When toner in the imaging cartridge is empty, light from the toner empty sensor LED is
reflected by the reflective mirror. Then, the photo sensor receives the light and the controller
recognizes a toner empty condition.

When you open and close the top cover after the printer has detected a toner empty signal, the
controller assumes that the imaging cartridge has been replaced and resets the toner empty status.

Toner is enough Toner is empty

Reflective Mirror

Figure 2-10. Toner is Enough

LED Transparent Windowpane

Toner Empty Sensor LED

Photo Sensor

Figure 2-11. Toner is Empty

Rev. A 2-7

Operating Principles EPL-N1200 Service Manual

2.1.2 Engine Control

This section describes engine control, the power supply board, and the high-voltage supply board.
The engine is controlled by the engine controller board (PWB-A board). Figure 2-12 shows an
engine controller connecting diagram.

Fan Motor

PWB-D

LD
SOS

Mirror
Scanner
Motor

Engine

Controller

Board

PWB-A

High Voltage
Supply B
HV-1

Doctor Blade Bias

Image Transfer Roller

Development

Charge Brush

Control
Panel

Main
Controller
Board
C205
MAIN

Lower Paper

Cassette #1
(option)

PWB-B

Paper Empty

Sensor

Cassette
Detecting
SW

Paper Take Up
Solenoid SL2

Lower Paper

Cassette #2
(option)

PWB-B

Paper Empty

Sensor

Paper Take Up
Sensor PC2

Thermistor

Paper Take Up Solenoid SL1

Paper Exit Sensor PC3

Paper Empty Sensor PC1

Power SW

Power
Supply
Board
PU1

AC Power Input

Interlock SW

Heater Lamp

Main Motor

PWB-G
Toner Empty
Sensor

PWB-S
Transfer Current
Change SW.

Cassette
Detecting
SW

Paper Take Up
Solenoid SL2

Figure 2-12. Engine Controller Connecting Diagram

2-8 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Operating Principles

2.1.2.1 Main Motor Functions and Control

Power from the main motor (M1) drive is used for the P/C (photo conductor) drive, the developing
drive, the fusing drive, the standard paper slot feeding drive, and the lower paper cassette (optional)
feeding drive. Figures 2-13 and 2-14 show the positions of the gears and rollers.

15

29

29

28

19

20

26

18

10

14

20

25

6
5

8

7

21

4

31

11

30

27

18

31

13

16

12

3

2

1

0

9

28

30

27

0: Main Motor (M1)
4: PC Drum
10: Paper Take-up Roller
11: Transport Roller
13: Upper Fusing Roller
15: Paper Exit Roller
21: Image Transfer Roller

Figure 2-13. Gears and Rollers (1)

Rev. A 2-9

Operating Principles EPL-N1200 Service Manual

4

21

8

3

26

2

1

0

14

10

11

9

15

5

13

15

16

18

9

765112

Figure 2-14. Gear and Roller Positions

Table 2-1. Gears and Rollers

No.

No. of Gear

Teeth

Roller Name No.

0 20 Main Motor (M1) 15 14 Paper Exit Roller
1 84/38/23 16 50/35
2 29 18 36/27
3 32/24 19 24/14
4 43/30 P/C Drum 20 22/17
5 47 21 16 Image Transfer Roller
6 41/29 25 39
7 28/26/24 26 17
823 2718
9 40/16 28 18
10 69/46 Paper Take-Up Roller 29 28
11 23 Transport Roller 30 18
12 66/18 31 14
13 40 Upper Fusing Roller
14 35

No. of Gear

Teeth

Roller Name

2-10 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Operating Principles

Figure 2-15 shows the main motor drive circuit. The main motor (M1) is a four-phase stepping
motor. This motor is controlled by the CPU (IC1) on the engine controller board (PWB-A). The
power supply board (PU1) has a stepping motor driver IC. This IC drives the main motor (M1) with
a constant current.

Engine Controller
Board
PWB-A

CN10A

A
B

TdA
TdB

2
3
4
5

Power Supply
Board
PU1

CN3PU1

5

4
3
2

CN5PU1

24V

24V

1

B

2
3

B

4

A

5
6

A

Main Motor M1

M

Figure 2-15. Main Motor Drive Circuit

2.1.2.2 Fuser Control

The fuser is heated by the heater lamp, which is powered by AC voltage. When the power supply
board receives a
board (PU1) supplies the AC voltage to the heater lamp. This AC voltage is cut by the interlock
switch when the top cover opens.

FUSER LAMP signal from the engine controller board (PWB-A), the power supply

The fuser temperature is detected by the thermistor. Based on the TH1 signal from the thermistor,
the engine controller board (PWB-A) controls the fusing temperature using the
signal.

Engine Controller
Board
(PWB-A)

CN2A

THERMISTOR

+5V

CN10A

FUSER LAMP

CN1T

1
2

Power Supply
(PU1)

CN1H

HEAT-L

6

HEAT-N

1
2

1

2

Fusing Unit

Thermostat
(S3)

FUSER LAMP

Thermistor
(TH1)

Heater
Lamp
(H1)

Figure 2-16. Fuser Control Circuit

Rev. A 2-11

Operating Principles EPL-N1200 Service Manual

The following figure shows the fuser temperature control operation.

Temperature

Normal Mode

Hot Mode

Ready

Power On

Ready

Print Cycle
(Normal Mode)

Print Cycle
(Hot Mode)

Print Cycle
(Envelope)

Time

Figure 2-17. Temperature for Fuser Control Procedure

There is a thermistor to the surface of the upper fusing roller to detect its temperature and to
controls the fusing lamp On/Off operation. There are three temperature control modes for the upper
fusing roller on the fusing unit.

Normal Node

When the temperature of the upper fusing roller is less than 100° C (212° F) after printer power on,
fusing temperature is controlled to heat the roller to 195° C (383° F) during standby and to 200° C
(392° F) during printing. After the standby state has continued for 300 seconds or more, or the
printing state has continued for 120 seconds or more, the printer enters hot mode.

Hot Mode

When the temperature of the upper fusing roller is less than 100° C (212° F) or more at the printer
power on, the fusing temperature is controlled keep the roller at 175° C (347° F) during standby
and 200° C (392° F) during printing.

Envelope Mode

When the printer encounters paper smaller than the exective paper, such as an envelope, in the
standard MP tray, the fusing temperature is controlled to keep the roller at 175° C (347° F) during
standby and 200° C (392° F) during printing. When the roller temperature is 100° C (212° F) or
more at printer power on, the fusing temperature is controlled to keep the roller at 175° C (347° F)
during standby and 205° C (401° F) during printing.

The thermostat goes open (S3) if the temperature of the fusing section rises to an abnormally high
level (over 210° C, 410° F).

2-12 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Operating Principles

2.1.2.3 Scanner Mirror Motor Control

Figure 2-18 is the scanner mirror motor (M2) control circuit. The scanner mirror motor is driven
while the scanner motor receives the

Engine Controller Board
(PWB-A)

POLYGON MOTOR

PORYGON CLOCK

POLYGON MOTOR (M2:ON) signal.

Scanner Motor

CN5A

+24V

GND2

PORYGON LOCK

5
4
3
2
1

M2

M

Figure 2-18. Scanner Motor Control Circuit

2.1.2.4 Laser Diode Drive

Figure 2-19 shows the laser diode drive circuit. Laser diode emission is controlled by three signals

L DATA, DA1, and DA2) from the engine controller board (PWB-A).

(

CN5A

S SCAN

DA2
DA1

L DATA

Engine Controller
Board (PWB-A)

CO

12
11

10

7

9

LD
SOS
(PWB-D)

Laser Diode

SOS Mirror

SOS sensor

Figure 2-19. Laser Diode Drive Circuit

L DATA signal is the laser ON/OFF signal. When it is LOW, the laser emits, and when it is

The
HIGH, the laser stops emitting.
the

VIDEO or the FORCED LASER DIODE ON signal is activated (LOW), the L DATA signal will be
active. The
board). The FORCED LASER DIODE ON signal is a laser emission signal to apply the laser beam
to the SOS sensor.

VIDEO signal is an image signal sent from the video controller board (C205 MAIN

L DATA is the combination of the two signals in the figure below. If

Forced Laser Diode ON

L DATA

VIDEO

from the Video

Controller Board
(C205 MAIN)

Figure 2-20. /L DATA Generation Circuit

Rev. A 2-13

Operating Principles EPL-N1200 Service Manual

2.1.2.5 Bias Voltages and Laser Drive Timing

Figure 2-21 is a diagram of the drum charge bias voltage, image transfer bias voltage, doctor blade
bias voltage, and the developing bias voltage control circuit. These bias voltages are generated
from the +24 VDC from the high-voltage supply board (HV1). If the printer detects the top cover
open condition, the interlock switch is set to OFF, which cuts the +24 VDC, which, in turn, cuts the
bias voltages.

These bias voltages are controlled by the engine controller board (PWB-A). The

HV-T signal is the
image transfer (roller) bias voltage control. While this signal is LOW, the image transfer roller is
charged to 3.2K VDC by the high-voltage supply circuit. And while this signal is HIGH, the image
transfer roller is charged to –0.8K VDC. The

HV-CT.R signal controls the drum charge. While this

signal is LOW, the PC drum is charged to –1.2K VDC.
The

HV-B.VR signal is an analog signal for developing bias voltage control. This signal controls the
bias voltage level (–175 V to –375 VDC) using analog data. The image density is controlled by the
developing bias voltage level.

Power Suppry
Board
(PU1)

+24 VDC

Engine Controller
Board
(PWB-A)

Interlock
SW

+24 VDC

HV-B.VR

HV-T

HV-CT.R

High Voltage Supply
Board
(HV1)

Image Transfer
Bias

3.2K or -0.8 K VDC

Developing
Bias

-175 to -375 VDC

Drum Charge

-1.2 K VDC

Doctor Blade Bias

-550 VDC

PWB-S Board

HLM

Figure 2-21. High-Voltage Supply Block Diagram

There is a three position slide switch on the PWB-S board. The switch can select one of three
image transfer bias current values. The standard position is M.

If the printer is used in an environment with high temperature and high humidity and an image
transfer problem occurs, especially with small size of paper, it is recommended that the switch be
positioned at H.

If the printer is used in an environment with low temperature and low humidity and a toner smear
problem occurs at the age of the transparency sheets, it is recommended that the switch be
positioned at L

Each position’s current value is shown below.

H: 18 uA
M: 8 uA
L: 5 uA

2-14 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Operating Principles

Figure 2-22 shows the print process.

Brush Charging

Laser Exposure

PC Drum

Development

Image Transfer

Figure 2-22. Print Process

Figure 2-23 shows the start print sequence. The printer’s engine starts printing when the
signal is received from the video controller board.

Drum
Charge (CH1)

Laser
Exposure (LD)

Development
(DB)

Image
Transfer (CH1)

Paper Take-up
Solenoid(SL1)

Print

4.09

Main Motor On

0.8

074

0.5

0.3

[sec.]

0.255

0.26

0.5

PRINT

Paper Loading Sensor(PC2): On

Figure 2-23. Print Sequence (Start)

Figure 2-24 is the end of the print sequence. The printer stops the main motor (M1) from rotating
when the paper exit sensor turns off after 1.71 seconds.

Drum
Charge (CH1)

Laser
Exposure (LD)

Development
(DB)

Image
Transfer (CH1)

Paper Take-up
Solenoid(SL1)

0.65

0.575

Paper Loading Sensor(PC2): Off

Main Motor Off

0.735

0.12

0.195

0.15

1.56

Paper Exit Sensor(PC3): Off

[sec.]

Figure 2-24. Print Sequence (End)

Rev. A 2-15

Operating Principles EPL-N1200 Service Manual

2.1.2.6 Power Supply Circuit Function and Safety Protection

The printer’s power supply board (PU1) supplies the +5 VDC and +24 VDC. The +24 VDC is used
as the bias voltage supply, main motor (M1) drive, scanner mirror motor (M2) drive, fan motor (M3)
drive, and solenoid drive. For safety protection, the +24 VDC line is cut when the interlock switch
(cover open switch) is off.

Interlock
SW

+24 VDC

GND2

AC IN

Power Supply Board
(PU1)

+5 VDC

GND1

Figure 2-25. Power Supply Circuit Block Diagram

2-16 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Operating Principles

2.2 VIDEO CONTROLLER OPERATION

The video controller section generates the video signals for the received data. The video controller
section is separate in the C205 MAIN board and the control panel. The control panel is connected
to the engine controller board (PWB-A), but is controlled by the C205 MAIN board, which sends the
signals for the control panel through the engine controller board.

Video Controller Section

C205 MAIN Board

Engine
Controller
Board
(PWB-A)

Control
Panel

Figure 2-26. Video Controller Section

2.2.1 C205 MAIN Board Operation

Figure 2-27 shows a block diagram of the C205 MAIN board. The C205 MAIN board contains the
video controller, which consists of a MB86930 (SPARKlite, 20 MHz, 32-bit bus) RISC CPU, the
standard cells developed for this printer, RAMs, ROMs, and a EEPROM.

Parallel-C

74ACT1284
(C29,30,31)

CPU

MB86930
(IC15)

ROM 16M-Bits
(Code)

(IC32, 33)

E05A91

(IC 1)

ROM 16M-Bits
(Font)

(IC12, 13)

I/O Data
Address

E05B17
(IC16)

E05B27

(IC43)

E05B31
(IC38)

E05A93

(IC11)

Address
Data
Control

EEPROM

(IC5)

Control Panel

PWB-A Board

DRAMs
(IC 18, 19,
20, 21)

RAM SIMM
(CN1, CN6)

ROM SIMM

(CN3)

L. L. ROM

(IC6)

: Option

SRAM
(IC17)

Video I/F
(PWB-A)

Serial/LT
Module

RS-232C, RS-422, or
LocalTalk

Parallel-B

Type B
I/F

Specific

I/F

Figure 2-27. C205 Main Board Block Diagram

Rev. A 2-17

Operating Principles EPL-N1200 Service Manual

Table 2-2 lists the functions of the C205 MAIN board mainelements.

Table 2-2. Functions of C205 MAIN Board Main Elements

Element Location Function

MB86930 RISC CPU IC15

E05A91 ASIC IC1

E05B31 ASIC IC38

E05A93 ASIC IC11

E05B17 ASIC IC16

E05B27 ASIC IC43
Two 8 M-bit ROMs IC12,13 These ROMs are code ROM.

Two 8M-bit ROMs IC32,33 These ROMs are font ROM.
Option 8M-Bit ROM IC6 This ROM is a local language ROM option for fonts.

EEPROM IC5

SRAM IC17 It provides working memory area for E05B17.
DRAM

IC18,19,20,21These DRAMs are used as the working area of the CPU:

The CPU, which operates at 20 MHz, manages the video
controller operation.

This ASIC contains the following functions:

Address decoding
DRAM management (refresh control,
RAS/CAS control)

This ASIC contains the following functions:

Video signal processing

This ASIC contains the following functions:

Video interface
Parallel-B interface
Serial/LocalTalk I/F board interface
Type-B interface card control
Control panel control

This ASIC contains the following functions:

BiRITech

This ASIC contains the following functions:

Parallel-C interface

This 1 K-bit EEPROM stores the following:

Model type
Printed page counter value
Toner life counter value
Jam counter value
SelecType setting

input buffer, image buffer, etc.

2-18 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Operating Principles

Print data and commands transmitted from the host computer via parallel-B/C, serial/LocalTalk, or
optional interfaces are read using the interrupt process of the CPU and stored in the DRAM input
buffer.

Data and commands in the input buffer are processed by the CPU, which then stores the printing bit
map data (image data) in the V (video) -RAM (image buffer) of the DRAM. The size of the V-RAM
depends on the available DRAM size. A “Print Overrun” occurs when the V-RAM is so small that
the CPU cannot process data faster than it is transmitted to the engine controller board. If such an
error occurs, the user can increase the V-RAM by using SelecType setting “Page Protect”.

The E05A91 transmits image data stored in the V-RAM to E05B17. The E05B17 changes the
image data format from 32 bits parallel data to serial data, and stores it in the internal temporary
buffer. The temporary buffer has a capacity equivalent to several lines. This is controlled by the
E05B17, which synchronizes and transmits the temporary buffer’s data to the engine controller
board. The E05B17 then manipulates the printer data according to the BiRITech setting.

CPU
MB86930
(IC15)

Development

Input Buffer

E05A91
(IC1)

E05A93
(IC11)

or E05B27
(IC43)

SRAM
(IC17)

Buffer

VRAM System Area

Parallel/Serial
Converter

Host Computer

RITech

E05B17
(IC16)

Video

DRAM

Figure 2-28. Data Flow Diagram

Rev. A 2-19

Operating Principles EPL-N1200 Service Manual

2.2.1.1 Reset Circuit

The entire system (CPU and external devices) can be initialized if the RESET signal (CPU pin 113)
is active simultaneously. This circuit uses an M5193B IC to monitor the supply voltage if the voltage
level less than 4.25 V is detected. The reset time is approximately 128 ms.

+5V

+5V

Vcc

M51953B
(IC2)

C

OUT

RSTOUTRSTIN

E05B31
(IC38)

RESET

Figure 2-29. Reset Circuit

2.2.1.2 Bus Control Circuit

The MB86930 CPU outputs the R/W (read/write) signal, AS (address strobe) signal, and the BE0,
BE1, BE2, and BE3 signals (byte enables) to the ASIC E05A91. The ASIC E05A91 uses these
signals to generate the

RD (read strobe) signal, WR (write strobe) signal, and READY signal.

R/W
AS

CPU
MB86930

BE0-3

READY

E05A91
(IC1)

(IC15)

Address
Bus

Data
Bus

RD WR

Figure 2-30. Bus Control Circuit

2-20 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Operating Principles

2.2.1.3 Interrupt Control

The ASIC E05A93 determines the priority level of the interrupt and outputs it to terminals IRL0 ­IRL3. Then an interrupt is sent to the CPU. When the IRL0-3 value is 1111B, the CPU process is a
non-maskable interrupt process. When the IRL0-3 value is 0000B, the CPU process is a standard
process. When the IRL0-3 is any other value, the CPU process is a maskable interrupt process.

2.2.1.4 DRAM Management

The video controller uses DRAMs for the system RAM and for the V-RAM.
In this printer, four standard 512K × 8bit DRAMs are mounted in locations IC18, IC19, IC20, and

IC21, providing a total of 2 MB. SIMM sockets number 1 (CN1) and number 2 (CN6) are optional
SIMM sockets. These SIMM sockets can use 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 MB SIMM (32-bit bus).

The DRAMs (including optional SIMMs) are managed by the ASIC E05A91, which also outputs
MA0-10 (memory address),

RAS/CAS, and DWE signals.

RAS3,4
RAS1,2

RAS0

DWE

E05A91
(IC1)

CAS0,1,2,3

MA0-10

CPU DATA BUS

DRAM
(IC18)

DRAM
(IC19)

SIMM
Slot 1
(CN1)

DRAM
(IC20)

DRAM
(IC21)

Figure 2-31. DRAM Management

SIMM
Slot 2
(CN6)

Rev. A 2-21

Operating Principles EPL-N1200 Service Manual

2.2.1.5 Parallel-B Interface Circuit

Figure 2-32 shows the Parallel-B interface circuit block diagram. Data sent from the host computer
is latched within the E05A93 by the
the host computer from sending additional data. The CPU resets the BUSY signal after reading the
data from the E05A93, so that the printer is ready to receive more data from the host computer.

STROBE signal. The E05A93 outputs the BUSY signal to stop

DATA

Latch

E05A93

STROBE

BUSY

Latch

(IC11)

Figure 2-32. Parallel-B Interface Circuit

2.2.1.6 Parallel-C Interface Circuit

Figure 2-33 shows the Parallel-C interface circuit block diagram. The 74ACT1284 is a bi-directional
bus driver IC that used to satisfy the data bus length under the IEEE1284 standard. The
E05B27(IC43) is used the Parallel-C interface to support, not only standard parallel interface, but
also compatibility mode and bi-directional mode (Nibble and ECP) under the IEEE1284 standard.

Data 0-7

BUSY
/ACK
PE
SELECT
/ERR

/STB
/SEL IN
/AUTO
/INIT

74ACT1284

/DIR

/DIR

PD 0-7

BUSY
/ACK
PE
SELECT
/ERR

/STB
/SEL IN
/AUTO
/INIT

I/ODB0-7

E05B27
(IC43)

Figure 2-33. Parallel-C Interface Circuit

DB 0-7

AB 0-4

E05A93
(IC11)

2-22 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Operating Principles

2.2.1.7 Video Interface

The ASIC E05B17 (IC16) maps the SRAM into a different memory space from system memory.
The CPU transmits data from the V-RAM (in the system RAM) to the SRAM using the ASIC
E05B17. The ASIC cell converts the image data in the SRAM from parallel to serial, synchronizes
it, and then transmits it to the engine controller board. In other words, the SRAM is a temporary
buffer used to transmit the image data to the engine controller board. This serial image data
creates VIDEO signal of video interface.

The signal line of the internal video interface circuit (the C205 MAIN board and engine controller
board) can be broadly divided into four groups. The first group (PRINT, CPRDY, EPRDY, and
PRDY) gives the status of either the video controller or engine controller and indicates whether they
are ready to communicate with each other or ready to start the printing operation.

The second group (VSYNC, HSYNC) is the synchronizing signal for the printing operation. The
third group (VIDEO) is the serial video data signal. The fourth group (CMD, SRCLK, CTBSY, and
ETBSY) is used to transfer the commands (from the video controller) or status (from the engine
controller) for printer mechanism control. Except for VIDEO, PRINT, VSINC, and HSYNC, all
signals are controlled by ASIC E05A93.

This printer has BiRITech function standard. These functions modify the VIDEO signal with the
ASIC E05B17 (IC16).

Rev. A 2-23

Chapter 3 Disassembly and Assembly

Table of Contents

3.1 GENERAL INFORMATION 3-1

3.1.1 Precautions for Disassembly/Assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

3.1.2 Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

3.1.3 Small Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

3.1.4 Service Checks after Repair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

3.2 DISASSEMBLY AND ASSEMBLY 3-4

3.2.1 Removal of the Main Controller Section. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

3.2.1.1 Main Controller Board (C205 MAIN Board) Removal . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

3.2.1.2 Control Panel Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

3.2.2 Disassembling the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

3.2.2.1 Engine Controller Board Removal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

3.2.2.2 Power Supply Unit Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

3.2.2.3 Interlock Switch Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11

3.2.2.4 Optical Unit Removal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12

3.2.2.5 Paper Empty Sensor Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13

3.2.2.6 Toner End Sensor Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14

3.2.2.7 Paper Take-Up Solenoid Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15

3.2.2.8 High-Voltage Supply Board Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16

3.2.2.9 Main Motor Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18

3.2.2.10 Paper Take-Up Sensor Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19

3.2.2.11 Fan Motor Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20

3.2.2.12 Fusing Unit Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21

3.2.2.13 Paper Exit Sensor Removal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21

3.2.2.14 Fusing Lamp Removal; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22

3.2.2.15 Thermistor and Thermostat Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23

3.2.2.16 Image Transfer Roller Removal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24

3.2.2.17 Paper Take-Up Roller Removal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25

List of Figures

Figure 3-1. Main Controller Board Removal (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Figure 3-2. Main Controller Board Removal (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Figure 3-3. Control Panel Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

Figure 3-4. Shield Cover Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

Figure 3-5. Connectors on Engine Driver Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

Figure 3-6. Engine Controller Board Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

Figure 3-7. Front Cover Removal` . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Figure 3-8. Shield Cover Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Figure 3-9. Power Supply Unit Removal (1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9

Figure 3-10. Power Supply Unit Removal (2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9

Figure 3-11. Power Supply Unit Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10

Figure 3-12. Interlock Switch Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11

Figure 3-13. Left Cover Removal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12

Figure 3-14. Optical Unit Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13

Figure 3-15. Paper Empty Sensor Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13

Figure 3-16. Toner End Sensor Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14

Figure 3-17. Bracket Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15

Figure 3-18. Paper Take-Up Solenoid Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15

Figure 3-19. Fusing Unit Cover Removal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16

Figure 3-20. Rear Panel Unit Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16

Figure 3-21. High-Voltage Supply Board Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17

Figure 3-22. Main Motor Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18

Figure 3-23. Paper Take-Up Sensor Removal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19

Figure 3-24. Fan Motor Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20

Figure 3-25. Fusing Unit Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21

Figure 3-26. Paper Exit Sensor Removal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21

Figure 3-27. Fusing Unit Removal (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22

Figure 3-28. Fusing Unit Removal (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22

Figure 3-29. Fusing Unit Disassembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23

Figure 3-30. Thermistor and Thermostat Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23

Figure 3-31. Image Transfer Assembly Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24

Figure 3-32. Image Transfer Roller Combination. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24

Figure 3-33. Paper Pick Unit Removal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25

Figure 3-34. Right Frame and Paper Pick Unit Matching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25

Figure 3-35. Paper Pick Unit Disassembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26

Figure 3-36. Paper Take-Up Roller Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26

List of Tables

Table 3-1. Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Table 3-2. Abbreviations Used for Screws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Table 3-3. Screw Types and Abbreviations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Table 3-4. Checks after Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Disassembly and Assembly

3.1 GENERAL INFORMATION

This chapter describes the disassembly/assembly procedures to be used for replacing the main
assemblies of the EPL-N1200.

3.1.1 Precautions for Disassembly/Assembly

Follow the precautions below when disassembling/assembling the printer.

WARNING

■

Disconnect the power cord before disassembling/assembling the printer.

■

Be sure to handle the fusing unit carefully, because the unit remains hot for a

while after the

printer stops printing.

■

If it is necessary to plug in the power cord and operate the printer after

disassembling it,

please be careful of the following:

1. Keep your hands and clothing well away from operating or rotating parts (such

as rollers,

fan motors, etc.).

2. Never touch electric terminals or high-voltage components (such as the charger

and the high

voltage unit).

CAUTION

■

Do not disassemble the imaging cartridge.

■

If the imaging cartridge is removed from the printer, do not place it in direct

sunlight.

■

Do not disassemble the optical unit.

■

Never turn power on if the optical unit is not installed.

■

To prevent damage to ICs from static electricity, do not touch the ICs on the

circuit board or

the terminals of peripheral electrical components with your hands.

■

Use only the recommended tools to ensure safe and efficient maintenance work.

Inappropriate tools may damage the machine.

■

Never open the top cover until the main motor stops completely. Otherwise, the

gears may

be damaged.

■

When transporting the printer, remove the imaging cartridge from the printer.

■

When transporting the printer a long distance, pack up the printer using the

original packing

material.

3.1.2 Tools

Use the tools listed in Table 3-1 for disassembling/assembling the printer and for troubleshooting.

Table 3-1. Tools

Name Commercially Available? Part No.

Philips screwdriver No. 2 Yes B743800200
Regular screwdriver Yes B743000100
Tweezers Yes B641000100
Soldering iron Yes B740200100
Round-nose pliers Yes B740400100

Rev. A 3-1

Disassembly and Assembly EPL-N1200 Service Manual

3.1.3 Small Parts

In the following sections, abbreviations are used for small parts, such as screws and washers.
Tables 3-2 and 3-3 list these abbreviations.

Table 3-2. Abbreviations Used for Screws

Abbreviation Part Name

CP Cross-recessed Pan head
CC Cross-recessed Cup head
CP(O) Cross-recessed Pan head with Outside toothed lock washer
CP(S)(P1) Cross-recessed Pan head with Spring lock washer and 1 Plain washer
CCB Cross-recessed Cup head Bind
SCB Slotted Cross-recessed B-tight
SCB(S)(P1) Slotted Cross-recessed Bind with Spring washer and 1 Plain washer

Table 3-3. Screw Types and Abbreviations

3-2 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Disassembly and Assembly

3.1.4 Service Checks after Repair

Check the repaired unit using the following list on completion of servicing.

Table 3-4. Checks after Repair

Item Location Check Point Check

Control panel Do all LEDs, LCD, and buttons function normally?

Heater lamp Does the heater lamp turn ON normally?

Operation

Adjustment Print position

ROM
version

Cleaning

Packing

Test print (status

sheet, font sample,

feature print)

Data print Does data print in all modes?

Status sheet or

C205 MAIN board

Is the test print performed normally?

Does the J4 on the main controller board match
for the specific standard paper size (A4 size paper
of letter size paper)?

Is it the latest ROM version?
Is toner and dust removed from the paper path?

Is the lens on the optical unit cleaned?
Is the paper take-up roller cleaned?
Is the rollers in the fusing unit cleaned?
Is the outer surface of the printer clean?

Is the imaging cartridge removed from the printer?
Is the unit packed securely?
Are accessories packed also?

Rev. A 3-3

Disassembly and Assembly EPL-N1200 Service Manual

3.2 DISASSEMBLY AND ASSEMBLY

This section describes and illustrates the procedures for removing and disassembling the
components of the EPL-N1200. Cleaning is described in Chapter 6. The assembly procedures are
not described, except for special notes where necessary, because assembly can be accomplished
by performing disassembly in reverse.

3.2.1 Main Controller Section Removal

The control section is comprised of the main controller board (C205 MAIN board) and the control
panel unit.

3.2.1.1 Main Controller Board (C205 MAIN Board) Removal

CAUTION

Before you remove the main controller board, make sure that you remove any
optional cards or cartridges. Otherwise, you may damage the cartridge or card
connectors on the board as well as the cartridge or card itself.

1. Turn the printer so that its back side faces you.

2.

Remove the four thumbscrews (M3 × 14).

3.3. Pull the plastic tabs to release the main controller board.

5. Grasp the board with both hands and pull it out of its slot.

Figure 3-1. Main Controller Board Removal (1)

Figure 3-2. Main Controller Board Removal (2)

3-4 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Disassembly and Assembly

3.2.1.2 Control Panel Removal

1. Open the top cover. Remove the imaging cartridge. Cover the imaging cartridge to protect it
from light or place it in a dark area.

2. Remove the main controller board. (Refer to Section 3.2.1.1.)

3.3. Remove one CC (M3x6) screw from the control panel and lift the panel forward.

4. Remove two CC (M3x8) screws and take the right cover away.

5. Remove two CC (M3x8) screws on the paper guide case.

6. Remove four CC (M3x6) screws on the top and two CC (M3x6) screws at the right of the shield
cover and take it away.

7. Remove connector CN3 on the engine controller board.

8. Remove the control panel.

CC(M3X8)

CC(M3X8)

CC(M3X6)

Control Panel

Paper Guide Case

Figure 3-3. Control Panel Removal

CC(M3X6)

CC(M3X6)

Figure 3-4. Shield Cover Removal

Rev. A 3-5

Disassembly and Assembly EPL-N1200 Service Manual

CN3

Figure 3-5. Connectors on Engine Driver Board

3-6 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Disassembly and Assembly

3.2.2 Engine Disassembly

This section describes disassembling the engine, including the engine controller board and power
supply board.

3.2.2.1 Engine Controller Board Removal

1.1. Open the top cover. Remove the imaging cartridge. Cover the imaging cartridge to protect it
from light or place it in a dark area.

2. Remove the main controller board. (Refer to Section 3.2.1.1.)

3.3. Remove one CC (M3x6) screw from the control panel and lift the panel forward.

4. Remove two CC (M3x8) screws and take the right cover away.

5. Remove two CC (M3x8) screws on the paper guide case.

6. Remove four CC (M3x6) screws on the top and two CC (M3x6) screws at the right of the
shield cover and take it away.

7. Remove all connectors, CN2, CN3, CN4, CN5, CN6, CN7, CN9, and CN10 on the engine
controller board.

8. Remove four CC (M3x6) screws on the engine controller board.

9. Remove the engine controller board.

CC(M3X6)

CN5

CN9

CC(M3X6)

CN8

CN7

CN3

CN10

CC(M3X6)

CN6

CC(M3X6)

CN2

CN4

Figure 3-6. Engine Controller Board Removal

Rev. A 3-7

(

)

)

Disassembly and Assembly EPL-N1200 Service Manual

3.2.2.2 Power Supply Unit Removal

1. Open the top cover. Remove the imaging cartridge. Cover the imaging cartridge to protect it
from light or place it in a dark area.

2.

Remove one CC (M3 × 6) screw from the control panel then lift the panel forward.

3. Remove two CC (M3x8) screws on the paper guide case.

4.4. Loosen one CC (M3x8) screw which secures the front cover.

5. Remove the paper guide case and the front cover.

6. Remove one CP(O) (M3x6) screw on the power supply board shield cover and take the PS
unit shield cover away.

7. Remove two CP(O) (M3x8) screws which secure the power supply unit frame and release two
fooks from the bottom frame. Then remove the power supply unit frame by pulling it forward.

8. Remove all connectors on the power supply board, CN1, CN2, CN3, CN4, CN5, CN6, blue
socket and white socket cables on the power supply board.

9. Remove four CC (M3x6) screws securing the power supply board and its frame.

Paper Guide Case

Front Cover

Figure 3-7. Front Cover Removal

Shield Cover

CC

M3X8

CP(O)(M3X6

Figure 3-8. Shield Cover Removal

3-8 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Disassembly and Assembly

CP(O)(M3X8)

CP(O)(M3X8)

Power Supply Unit

Figure 3-9. Power Supply Unit Removal (1)

CC(M3X6)

Blue

White

CC(M3X6)

CC(M3X6)

CN4

CN6

CN2

CN3

CN5

CC(M3X6)

CN1

Figure 3-10. Power Supply Unit Removal (2)

Rev. A 3-9

Disassembly and Assembly EPL-N1200 Service Manual

ASSEMBLING POINT

When you install the power supply unit into the printer, insert the tabs on the power
supply unit frame into the holes in the bottom frame correctly.

Power Supply
Unit Frame

Bottom Base Frame

Figure 3-11. Power Supply Unit Installation

3-10 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Disassembly and Assembly

3.2.2.3 Interlock Switch Removal

1. Open the top cover. Remove the imaging cartridge. Cover the imaging cartridge to protect it
from light or place it in a dark area.

2. Remove the main controller board. (Refer to Section 3.2.1.1.)

3.3.

Remove one CC (M3 × 6) screw from the control panel and lift the panel forward.

4. Remove two CC (M3x8) screws and take the right cover away.

5. Remove two CC (M3x8) screws on the paper guide case.

6. Remove four CC (M3x6) screws on the top and two CC (M3x6) screws at the right of the shield
cover and take it away.

7. Remove two CP(S)(P) (M3x16) screws.

8. Remove two cables (orange and red) from the interlock switch.

CC (M3x16)

Orange Wire

Red Wire

Interlock Switch

Figure 3-12. Interlock Switch Removal

Rev. A 3-11

Disassembly and Assembly EPL-N1200 Service Manual

3.2.2.4 Optical Unit Removal

CAUTION

■

Do not touch the optical unit except at the time of replacement.

■

Do not open the unit under any conditions.

■

Do not remove the circuit board from the optical unit under any condition.

■

Do not loosen two screws that secured with a black paint, shown in position A in

Figure

3-14.

■

Do not loosen two screws shown in position B in Figure 3-14.

1.1. Open the top cover. Remove the imaging cartridge. Cover the imaging cartridge to protect it
from light or place it in a dark area.

2. Remove the main controller board. (Refer to Section 3.2.1.1.)

3.3.

Remove one CC (M3 × 6) screw from the control panel and lift the panel forward.

4. Remove two CC (M3x8) screws and take the right cover away.

5. Remove two CC (M3x8) screws on the paper guide case.

6. Remove four CC (M3x6) screws on the top and two CC (M3x6) screws at the right of the shield
cover and take it away.

7. Remove connector CN5 on the engine controller board.

8. Remove one CC (M3x6) screw on the right frame which secures the optical unit.

9. Loosen two CC (M3x8) screws and take the left cover away.

10. Remove one CC (M3x6) screw on the left frame which secures the optical unit.

11. Remove one CC (M3x14) screw on the bottom side of the optical unit, then remove the optical
unit.

CC(M3X8)

Left Cover

Figure 3-13. Left Cover Removal

3-12 Rev. A

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Disassembly and Assembly

A

CC (M3x14)

B

CC (M3x6)

B

CN5

CC (M3x6)

Engine Controller Board

A

Figure 3-14. Optical Unit removal

3.2.2.5 Paper Empty Sensor Removal

1. Open the top cover. Remove the imaging cartridge. Cover the imaging cartridge to protect it
from light or place it in a dark area.

2. Remove the optical unit. (Refer to Section 3.2.2.4.)

3. Disconnect tabs for the paper empty sensor and remove the paper empty sensor .

Paper Empty Sensor

Connector

Figure 3-15. Paper Empty Sensor Removal

4. Disconnect connector for the paper empty sensor.

Rev. A 3-13

Disassembly and Assembly EPL-N1200 Service Manual

3.2.2.6 Toner End Sensor Removal

1. Open the top cover. Remove the imaging cartridge. Cover the imaging cartridge to protect it
from light or place it in a dark area.

2. Remove the optical unit. (Refer to Section 3.2.2.4.)

3. Disconnect tabs for the toner end sensor and remove the toner end sensor.

4. Disconnect connector for the toner end sensor.

Toner End Sensor

Connector

Figure 3-16. Toner End Sensor Removal

3-14 Rev. A

(

)

EPL-N1200 Service Manual Disassembly and Assembly

3.2.2.7 Paper Take-up Solenoid Removal

1. Open the top cover. Remove the imaging cartridge. Cover the imaging cartridge to protect it
from light or place it in a dark area.

2. Remove the toner end sensor. (Refer to Section 3.2.2.6.)

3. Remove the roller cover.

4. Remove the bracket which mounted the toner empty sensor.

5. Disconnect the cable for the paper take-up solenoid from the base unit.

6.

Remove one CC (M3 × 6) screw from the paper take-up solenoid and remove the paper
take-up solenoid.

Bracket

Roller Cover

CC(M3X6)

CC(M3X6)

Figure 3-17. Bracket Removal

Paper Take-up
Solenoid

Connector

CC

M3X6

Figure 3-18. Paper Take-up Solenoid Removal

Rev. A 3-15

(O)(

)

Disassembly and Assembly EPL-N1200 Service Manual

3.2.2.8 High-Voltage Supply Board Removal

1.1. Open the top cover. Remove the imaging cartridge. Cover the imaging cartridge to protect it
from light or place it in a dark area.

2. Remove the main controller board. (Refer to Section 3.2.1.1.)

3.3. Loosen two CC (M3x8) screws which secure the right cover.

4. Remove left and right tabs for the top cover from the printer base unit then remove the top
cover. (Refer to Figure 3-2)

5. Remove one CC (M3x6) screw on the fusing unit cover and remove the fusing unit cover.

6. Remove four CP(O) (M3x6) screws on the rear panel unit.

7.7. Disconnect connector from the paper exit sensor then lay the rear panel unit flat.

8. Remove connectors CN1, CN2, CN3, the red wire terminal, and the black wire terminal on the
high-voltage supply board.

9.

Remove three CP(B) (M3 × 6) screws on the high-voltage supply board then remove the
high-voltage supply board.

CP(O)(M3X6)

CP(O)(M3X6)

CC(M3X6)

Fusing Unit Cover

Figure 3-19. Fusing Unit Cover Removal

Paper Exit Sensor

Figure 3-20. Rear Panel Unit Removal

CP(O)(M3X6)

CP

M3X6

3-16 Rev. A