HP L28500 User Manual

DESIGNJET L28500 Printer Series
July 2012

For HP Internal Use Only

© 2012 Hewlett-Packard
Company

This document contains
proprietary information that is
protected by copyright. All
rights are reserved. No part of
this document may be
photocopied, reproduced, or
translated to another language
without the prior written
consent of Hewlett-Packard
Company.

2nd edition, July 2012

Warranty

The information contained in
this document is subject to
change without notice.

Hewlett-Packard makes
no warranty of any kind
with regard to this
material, including, but
not limited to, the implied
warranties of
merchantability and
fitness for a particular
purpose.

Hewlett-Packard shall not be
liable for errors contained
herein or for incidental or
consequential damages in
connection with the furnishing,
performance, or use of this
material.

WARNING

The procedures described in
this manual are to be
performed by HP-qualified
service personnel only.

Electrical Shock Hazard

Serious shock hazard leading
to death or injury may result if
you do not take the following
precautions:

- Ensure that the ac power
outlet (mains) has a protective
earth (ground) terminal.

- Disconnect the printer from the
power source before
performing any maintenance.

- Prevent water or any other
liquids from running onto
electrical components or
circuits, or through openings in
the enclosure.

Electrostatic Discharge

Refer to the beginning of
Chapter 4 of this manual, for
precautions you should take to
prevent damage to the printer
circuits from electrostatic
discharge.

WARN ING

The Warning symbol calls
attention to a procedure,
practice, or the like, which, if
not correctly performed or
adhered to, could result in
personal injury. Do not
proceed beyond a Warning
symbol until the indicated
conditions are fully understood
and met.

CAUTION

The Caution symbol calls
attention to an operating
procedure, practice, or the like,
which, if not correctly
performed or adhered to, could
result in damage to or
destruction of part or all of the
product. Do not proceed
beyond a Caution symbol until
the indicated conditions are
fully understood and met.

Customer Assurance
Customer Experience Section
Large Format Printing Division
Hewlett-Packard Espanola, S.L.
Cami de Can Graells, 1–21
08174 Sant Cugat del Vallès
Spain

Safety Symbols

General definitions of safety
symbols are given immediately
after the table of contents.

HP Designjet L28500 Printer Series

Service Manual

Table of Contents 1

Printer system 1-7

Troubleshooting 2-45

System error codes 3-89

Service test, utilities and calibrations 4-145

Print quality 5-207

Ink supplies 6-235

Service parts and diagrams 7-247

Removal and installation 8-271

Preventive maintenance 9-607

Move, repack, and store the printer 10-613

Safety precautions 11-625

Using this manual

Purpose

This Service Manual contains information necessary to test, calibrate, and service the HP Designjet
L28500 104-inch Printer (Model CQ871A).

For information about using the printer, see the User’s Guide.

Chapters

1 Printer systems

Use this chapter as a reference for technical information about the subsystems, components, and how they
work together.

Of particular importance are the diagrams included for each subsystem of the printer. They can be useful
for both troubleshooting and disassembly.

2 Troubleshooting

Whenever a printer is not functioning correctly due to a fault, use this chapter for step-by-step diagnosis
until you arrive at the solution, which may include replacing a part.

Troubleshooting always begins with a problem; so, when you enter the chapter, navigate to the proper
section and find the troubleshooting steps for your problem.

This chapter does not cover the procedures for the diagnostic tests you must perform while troubleshooting,
nor the replacement procedures you must complete to fix the problem.

3 System error codes

This chapter contains the system error codes which are displayed on the Front Panel and by the Embedded
Web Server. Each system error code shown in the chapter has a brief description and the steps required
to solve the error.

Most of the troubleshooting steps involve performing a test or a calibration, which can be found in the
following chapter. Before replacing any part that you suspect of causing the system error code, always
perform the test or calibration.

4 Tests, utilities, and calibrations

Use this chapter whenever you need to perform a diagnostic test, service utility, or service calibration. This
chapter is meant to provide procedures and relevant information, not troubleshooting information. For
troubleshooting information, see the Troubleshooting chapter.

These procedures are described in full, so that you know any relevant values for the test, as well as
information about what the printer is actually doing during the test.

The goal of diagnostic tests is to locate the root cause of the problem and the corresponding system error
code or message that will provide you with logical steps to resolution.

Some diagnostic tests or calibrations must be performed after removing a component.

5 Print quality

This chapter describes the print-quality diagnostic procedures. Further troubleshooting advice can be
found in the User’s Guide.

6 Ink supplies

This chapter describes and discusses the components of the ink supply system.

7 Parts and diagrams

The purpose of this chapter is to detail all of the available service parts of the printer. This information is
presented in tables, organized by subsystem, and includes the following:

• Official service part names

• Part numbers

• Illustrations of the service parts

Use this chapter whenever you need to order a service part.

8 Removal and installation

The purpose of this chapter is to provide procedures for removing and installing service parts. Each service
part has a removal procedure detailed in this chapter, and installation procedures and notes are included
as needed.

Useful information such as access notes and screw types (head sizes) are provided to help you work
efficiently.

9 Preventive maintenance

Maintenance alerts are displayed on the Front Panel and Embedded Web Server whenever maintenance
is required. While most of these alerts can be resolved by the customer, some require a service engineer.

Use the preventive maintenance chapter whenever you need to perform a preventive maintenance
procedure due to an alert the customer receives from the Front Panel or Embedded Web Server, or to get
reference information on life counters and maintenance that must be performed by the customer.

10 Move, store, or repack the printer

This chapter gives advice on moving, storing, and repacking the printer.

11 Safety precautions

This is an industrial printer that uses high voltages: service operations can be hazardous. The safety
chapter covers all the guidelines and checks you need to perform in order to service the printer.

You are expected to have appropriate technical training and experience necessary to be aware of
hazards to which you may be exposed in performing a task, and take appropriate measures to minimize
the risks to yourself and to other people.

Readership

The primary readers of this service manual are HP Service Engineers, although secondary readership may
include resellers. All procedures must be performed by HP Service Engineers or Authorized Service
Delivery Partners, except for those procedures clearly marked otherwise.

1 Printer systems

• Electrical system.....................................................................................................8

• Substrate path ..................................................................................................... 25

• Ink Delivery System (IDS)....................................................................................... 31

• Scan Axis and Carriage........................................................................................ 33

• Service Station and waste management .................................................................. 37

• Heating system ....................................................................................................40

• Front Panel ..........................................................................................................43

Printer Systems

Printer systems 7

Electrical system

Description

The electrical system controls all the printing systems and the heating systems inside the printer. Most parts
of the control electronics are placed inside the ’E-box’.

Printer systems

Components

The electronics can be divided into different functional subsystems and will be described accordingly.
There are 7 functional subsystems within the electronics, as shown below.

• Front Panel: The Front Panel in this printer includes a touchscreen, a power button, and a buzzer.

It is connected to three different boards on the EEbox: Formatter PCA (control), Engine PCA (power
button signal), and Mini Interconnect PCA (buzzer and power control).

• Substrate Path: Controls the substrate movement: Drive Roller and Rewinder motors, Take-Up

Reel, OMAS sensor, four Vacuum Fans (controlled by two Eola PCAs), pinch lever, and Media
Sensors.

• Scan Axis: Printhead firing control and sensors for color and substrate detection (Carriage PCA,

encoder, Tetris and SOL sensors, substrate crash sensor, and movement control using the scan motor
and its fan).

• Service Station: Printhead maintenance. It controls a motor, a drop detector, and some sensors,

including primer.

• Waste Management : Management of the waste ink and aerosol coming from the Service

Station.

• Ink Supply: Control of ink through two ISS PCAs and an intermediate PreDriver board as a buffer.

• Heating System: Dryer and Curing Resistor heater elements controlled by three sinewave

converters plus some Infrared (IR) sensors for Latex ink. The power input lines for the heating are
distributed to the rest of the printer through the EE Cabinet module.

8 Printer systems

Circuit diagram

Printer systems

E-box components

Description

The E-box contains most of the electronics of the printer.

Printer systems 9

Components

Printer systems

1. Mini interconnect PCA [Messi]

2. Formatter PCA [Torus]

3. Engine PCA [Tokamak] (similar to what was known as Sausalito)

4. OMAS PCA

5. Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

6. Power Supply Unit (PSU)

7. Extra Power Supply 24 V

8. Printmech PCA [Boomerang]

Functionality

Mini interconnect PCA

The Mini PCA is just a interconnect board with only connectors that helps distribute the power and control
signals from the Printmech board to all the elements connected to the right side of the machine, including
the following:

• Take-Up Reel

• Vacuum Fans (passes through, the actual control is inside Printmech)

• Front Panel

• TOMAS (temperature sensor for the OMAS sensor)

10 Printer systems

• Valves and motors for primer, rack engage, SVS, and Waste Management

• Top fans

• Rewinder motor

Formatter PCA

The formatter is the motherboard of the printer, and is the same type of board as for a standard PC.

Engine PCA

This board is the main controller of the printer. It is responsible for all the processes performed in real-time
and is the ultimate controller of all electromechanical systems. The Engine PCA controls all substrate path
components (Drive Roller, Spindle Motors, OMAS, etc.) and all non-substrate path components (Carriage,
Scan Axis Motor, Dryer and Curing Heaters, Print Head Cleaning Assembly, Service Station, etc).

OMAS PCA

This board controls the Optical Media Advance Sensor used to measure the substrate advance.

Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

The HDD contains the firmware of the printer.

• The operating system.

• All calibration values, product number, serial number etc, are stored on the Hard Disk Drive. In order

to make sure that this information is not lost in the case of a failure of the HDD, a backup is made in
the ISS top board

NOTE: In order to prevent any loss of calibration values, do not replace the following at the same

time:

• The Hard Disk Drive and the ISS Top Board

Power Supply Unit (PSU)

This PSU delivers power to all the parts of the printer but the heater elements. The internal rails are: 5V_sb;
3V3, 5V, 12V, 24V, and 42V.

Printer systems

Extra Power Supply Unit (24 V)

This extra PSU supplies 24 V for some extra components such as drying fans and scan motor fan.

Printmech PCA [Boomerang]

The Printmech PCA is mainly used to control all the mechatronics of the printer. For routing reasons, only
the parts connected to the left side of the printer are connected to this board:

• Scan-Axis Motor

• Media-Axis Motor

• Ink valves

• Ink pressurizing pumps

• Dryer fans

• Curing fan

• Vacuum fans

• IR sensor

• IR Fan

• Sinewave converter control

• Media Jam Sensor

The remaining functionality implemented in the printmech PCA is sent to the right side of the printer
through the Mini Interconnect PCA and its 3 cables (power + data).

Printer systems 11

Carriage Electronics

The Carriage contains the electronics for controlling and firing the Printheads. It also contains electronics
for controlling the external sensors (SOL and Tetris) as well as the Scan Axis Encoder.

The electronics of the Carriage receives power and data from the Trailing Cables, which include both
power (+45V) and data (LVDS) cables. The power cable connects the Carriage with the Printmech board

Printer systems

Components

and the data cable connects the Carriage with the Engine PCA.

Carriage PCA

The Carriage PCA contains the electronics to control how and when the ink is dropped from every
Printhead, and receives information from the sensors.

SOL Spectrophotometer

The SOL is a color sensor located on the left side of the Carriage. A metal sheet protects the SOL from the
high temperatures produced by the Dryer Assembly. The main function of the SOL is to measure color
samples that have been printed on the loaded substrate and then are placed in the print platen zone.

Before taking any color measurement, the SOL must be initialized. The SOL initialization process takes
approximately 7 minutes. This process consists of three steps:

• Sensor switch on

• Sensor warm up

• Sensor calibration

When the initialization process has finished, the shutter opens automatically and the Carriage is moved
along the Scan Axis to place the SOL on top of each sample to take a color measurement. After the
measurements, the shutter is closed again and the sensor is switched off.

Tetris

Tetris is used to align the Printheads as well as to locate the substrate edges and measure its size. The
alignment procedure consists of a series of patterns first being printed, then scanned using the Tetris, and
finally an internal process is used to correct the timing of when and where the nozzles of the Printheads
fire, and detect any possible nozzle-out issues.

Scan axis encoder

The line encoder is located on the Carriage; it measures and counts the movements of the Scan Axis. An
optical, infrared wavelength encoder is used: the same type of encoder used in most of the HP large-format
printers. The Encoder signal is converted to LVDS logic levels and directly routed through the Data TC.

12 Printer systems

Printhead Flex

To connect the Carriage to the Printheads, a delicate flexible circuit with small golden dimples is used.
Printheads are inserted into unique slots and a spring-loaded mechanism pushes the electrical contacts of
the Printheads into the Printhead flex, which subsequently connects the Printhead to the Carriage
electronics. Printhead Flexes are the most delicate and sensitive part of the Carriage. If the Printheads are
inserted with too much force or they are misaligned, the insertion can easily damage them.

Ink Supply Station (ISS) Electronics

Description

There are two ISS PCAs (as in the DJ L25500/L26500 printers) plus a new extra board in between the
ISS PCAs and the PrintMech PCA, called the Pre-Driver PCA.

Printer systems

Printer systems 13

Components

PreDriver PCA

This board receives signals from the PrintMech PCA in differential mode and translates them to single­ended ones.

It has two LEDS:

Printer systems

• Green LED: 5 V present coming from the PrintMech board (cable connected)

• Red LED: Overpressure or disconnected cable to the ISS PCA

See the Troubleshooting chapter (page 52) for more details, such as the location of the LEDs.

Top and Lower ISS PCAs

The ISS electronics are powered from a +12 V line coming from the PrintMech, and a linear regulator on
the ISS PCAs generates the +5 V used to power all the devices on the board.

The ISS PCAs are two electronic PCAs located at the rear of the Ink Supply Station. The ISS PCAs provide
the following:

• Pressure Ink Level Sense (PILS) measurement

• Ink supply presence detection

• Ink Cartridge broken bag detection

• Ink supply smart chip interface

• Air pressure measurement and air pump shutdown

• Humidity and temperature measurements

• System back-up EEPROM

14 Printer systems

Below is a picture showing the connections and components located at the rear of the ISS.

Marking Description

Printer systems

AISS Top PCA

BISS Lower PCA

CPre-Driver PCA

D Cable: ISS Top PCA to Pre-Driver PCA

E Cable: Pre-Driver PCA to PrintMech PCA (blue)

F Cable: ISS Top PCA to ISS Lower PCA

G Cables (6): ISS PCAs (Top and Lower) to Ink Cartridges

H ISS grounding cable

Both top and lower ISS PCAs share the same PCB, the only difference between them is that the lower PCA
is a simplification of the top PCA: the top PCA contains these additional parts:

• EEPROM

• Connection from the PrintMech PCA

• Air pressure sensor

• Temperature and Humidity sensors

Both PCAs are connected through an 8-pin connector. The 2nd ISS connector is connected to the
PrintMech PCA in a daisy-chained connection, the 1st ISS board by means of this 8-pin connector.

Vacuum Fan electronics

Description

There are two Eola PCAs to control 4 different brushless blowers in order to generate the required vacuum
to hold the substrate. One of the Eola PCAs is connected to the Printmech PCA (left side of the printer) and
the other one to the Mini Interconnect PCA (right side).

Printer systems 15

Waste Management Electronics

Description

There is a small interconnect board (WM PCA) to connect the aerosol fan and two switches used in the
waste management system (as in the DJ L26500). This board is connected to the EEbox through the Mini
Interconnect PCA. There is an intermediate connector in the Ebox chassis to allow customers to connect

Printer systems

the cable during installation.

Heating System Electronics

Description

The heating system provides the power to the heater elements in order to dry and cure the jobs.

The amount of power used for heating requires a three-phase power system.

Components

• Terminal block

• Main Switch

• 3 x RCBs

• 3 x Sine wave converters

• Drying & curing resistors

• Thermal switches

• IR sensors (for curing and heating)

• IR sensor curing cooling fan

• 2 x Window switches x Sine wave converters

• Curing and Drying fans

INPUT Circuit diagrams

The heating components form a high voltage system, so they are protected by their own enclosure (EE
cabinet) for safety.

16 Printer systems

A simplified block diagram of the input stage of the heater system (EE cabinet) is shown in the following
picture:

Printer systems

Terminal block

The terminal block is used to configure the printer depending on the customer's mains configuration. It has
some jumpers used to perform the configuration. The input power cables from the customer's installation
(not provided with the printer) are connected within this terminal block.

NOTE: An electrician is required for the setup and configuration of the building's electrical system

used to power the printer and also for printer installation. Make sure that your electrician is
appropriately certified according to local regulations and supplied with all the information regarding
the electrical configuration.

Remember that you are required to follow the local laws, regulations and standards that pertain to the
electrical installation of your printer.

Electrical power system

The printer requires three-phase power, which provides a more efficient means of supplying large
electrical loads than single-phase power. There are two possible configurations depending on input
voltage range, as described below.

Printer systems 17

380–415 V three-phase line-to-line configuration

Three-phase line specifications

Number of power wires 5 (3 lines + 1 neutral + 1 PE)

Input voltage (line-to-line) 380–415 V (–10%+6%)

Printer systems

Input frequency 50/60 Hz

Power consumption 8 kW

Maximum load current (per phase) 24 A

Circuit-breaker specifications

Branch circuit-breaker

Three-phase 4 poles, 30–32 A

AC power cable specifications

Three-phase line

Configuration 5 wires, L1/L2/L3/N/PE

Wire Strained Cu, minimum 4 mm² or 10 AWG

Terminals Lines: ferrule terminals, PE: M6 ring terminal

External diameter range 15–25 mm

Jumper configuration

18 Printer systems

200–240 V three-phase line-to-line configuration

Three-phase line specifications

Number of power wires 4 (3 lines + 1 PE)

Input voltage (line-to-line) 200–240 V (±10%)

Input frequency 50/60 Hz

Power consumption 8 kW

Maximum load current (per phase) 40 A

Circuit-breaker specifications

Branch circuit-breaker

Three-phase 3 poles, 50 A

AC power cable specifications

Three-phase line

Printer systems

Configuration 4 wires, L1/L2/L3/PE

Wire Strained Cu, minimum 6 mm² or 8 AWG

Terminals Lines: ferrule terminals, PE: M6 ring terminal

External diameter range 15–25 mm

Jumper configuration

Printer systems 19

200–240 V single-phase or bi-phase line-to-line configuration

IMPORTANT: HP strongly recommends using three-phase power to connect the printer, as described in

the Site Preparation Guide and in the flier included in the printer’s box.

The following procedure in this document describes connection options that should be limited to locations
where three-phase power is not available. Compliance must be verified and approved by a certified

electrician according to local regulations.

Printer systems

The 200–240 V installation described in this chapter requires a line capable of delivering up to 10 kW,
which is the maximum consumed by the printer during the warm-up processes.

The power line needs to support 48 A, and the branch circuit breaker must be rated for 60–63 A.

If the customer cannot connect to a three-phase system, it is still possible to connect to a bi-phase or single­phase installation if the following requirements are met and approved by an electrician.

Single- or bi-phase line specifications

Number of power wires 3 (2 lines + 1 PE)

Input voltage (line-to-line) 200–240 V~ (±10%)

Input frequency 50/60 Hz

Power consumption 8 kW

Maximum load current (per phase) 48 A

Circuit-breaker specifications

Branch circuit-breaker

Single- or bi-phase 2 poles, 60/63 A

AC power cable specifications

Single- or bi-phase line

Configuration 3 wires, L1/N/PE or L1/L2/PE

Wire Strained Cu, minimum 10 mm² or 6 AWG

Terminals Lines: ferrule terminals, PE: M6 ring terminal

External diameter range 14–25 mm

20 Printer systems

Jumper configuration

110–130 V single-phase line-to-line configuration

IMPORTANT: HP strongly recommends using three-phase power to connect the printer, as described in

the Site Preparation Guide and in the flier included in the printer’s box.

Printer systems

The following procedure in this document describes connection options that should be limited to locations
where three-phase power is not available. Compliance must be verified and approved by a certified

electrician according to local regulations.

The 110–130 V installation described in this chapter requires a line capable of delivering up to 11 kW
and a transformer for the appropriate power rating. 10 kW is the maximum consumed by the printer
during the warm-up processes, and a 10% power loss in the transformer is assumed.

The power line needs to support 100 A, and the branch circuit breaker must be rated appropriately.

If only single phase 110–130 V power is available, then a transformer is required. The proposed
specifications are:

• Input: 110–130 V, 100 A, 11 kW approximately, assuming 90% transformer efficiency

• Output: 200–240 V, 50 A, 10 kW

The setup of the printer connections in the output line of the transformer is the same as in the previous
section, “200–240 V single-phase or bi-phase line-to-line configuration”.

Printer systems 21

Power cable and Power Distribution Unit (PDU) requirements

These are the requirements for power cable and Power Distribution Unit described in the Site Preparation
Guide:

Printer systems

1. Three-phase power cable longer than 16 ft (5 m) (not supplied)

2. Power Distribution Unit (PDU) including three-phase branch circuit breaker

NOTE: The PDU must be rated to meet the power requirements of the printer, and should be in

accordance with the Electrical Code requirements of the local jurisdiction of the country where the
equipment is installed.

Power cable details and power cable length

The specified power cable length (16 ft, 5 m) in the Site Preparation Guide is not arbitrary. Since the
printer can be directly branched to the PDU and installed with its back against the wall, it is important to
have enough cable to enable proper service of the printer, if necessary. The picture below shows an
example of a printer with a proper power cable installation.

The printer can thus be separated from the wall to service the systems that are accessed from behind.

22 Printer systems

Power Distribution Unit

Find below an example of a compliant PDU in Western Europe: 380–415 VAC, 30–32 A per phase, 5
wires (3 lines, Neutral, and PE). In this example, the setup includes:

1. Three-phase Branch Circuit Breaker, as described in the Site Preparation Guide

2. Residual Current Circuit Breaker

3. Three-phase power plug

• The Residual Current Circuit Breaker (2) adds one level of safety to the operation of the printer.

• The power plug (3) is not required but convenient to service the printer if necessary, allowing the

service engineer to unplug and move the printer, to repair it safely.

Main Switch

The Main Switch is used to switch the whole printer on or off, including all the printer electronics.

Residual Circuit Current Breaker (RCCB)

To protect the printer and the users, there are three Residual Circuit Current Breakers (RCCB), which are
connected between the main power switch and the Sine Wave Converter module. They detect a current
leak greater than 30 mA. Customers can reset the RCCB if a circuit blows, but a frequent reoccurrence
indicates an electrical failure in one or more of the heaters.

Printer systems

Sinewave converters

These three modules convert the input voltage from the mains to a voltage in the output that is controlled
by the EEbox depending the quantity of power required to each of the resistors connected to them.

Each converter has three cables: One power cable for the input, another one for the output power, and
finally the control cable. The control part of the converter that interfaces with the Printmech is powered at
24 V from the printmech PCA through the control cable and through both switches placed in the window
cover of the printer. This cover has to be closed to allow the converters to work.

Each converter has 3 LEDs: Status (off or fault), PWM (if power is being delivered to the output) and ACOK
(if Vin is in range).

Output circuit diagrams

The following diagrams show the connections between the converters and the heating elements.

Printer systems 23

Drying

Printer systems

Curing

24 Printer systems

Substrate path

Description

The substrate path moves the substrate from the input spindle to the take-up reel, through the print path,
while the Carriage prints on the substrate. The objectives of the substrate path while advancing the
substrate are:

• Maintain an accurate advance

• Maintain a constant advance

• Keep the substrate flat

• Advance the substrate straight along the substrate axis

Substrate path workflow overview

The following steps describes the substrate path workflow.

1. The substrate is loaded onto the Input Spindle (1), which is driven by the rewinder mechanism to pro-

vide back tension to the substrate. The substrate is fed through the Input Platen, around the Drive Roller
(2), under the Pinchwheels (3), over the printzone and Overdrive (4), and finally it is either left free
or looped through the Tension Bar (6) and the Diverter (7) to be collected on the Take-Up Reel (8).

Printer systems

2. The Rewinder has a motor that primarily acts as a brake to maintain tension on the substrate. The

Rewinder may turn in either direction, depending on which is the printable side of the input substrate roll
and its winding direction.

3. The Drive Roller also has a motor, and is the primary component that advances the substrate. The sub-

strate is pressed to the drive roller by the pinchwheels, ensuring a smooth substrate advance. The motor
receives feedback from an encoder located at the left side of the roller, inside a protected enclosure on
the left of the left sideplate.

4. The surface of the substrate path where the substrate is printed is called the Print Platen. The Print Platen is

designed to give minimal resistance to the substrate advance, and includes suction holes that apply vac­uum to the substrate.

Printer systems 25

5. The printer detects and controls the substrate advance. The OMAS sensor, located on a special cut-out

section of the Print Platen, is a sensor that is able to detect very small errors in the advance of the sub­strate. These errors are communicated to the motors on the Drive Roller, and small correctional adjust­ments are applied to the movement of the substrate.

In the same area, but not visible from outside the printer, is the TOMAS sensor that measures the
temperature in the area and helps OMAS to provide the drive motors with a high degree of accuracy.

Printer systems

6. The vacuum is calibrated according to the substrate type and print options used. It draws the substrate to

the Print Platen, making sure that the substrate is flat. The substrate is also under the dryer when it is in the
print zone.

7. The area of the platen in front of the print zone holds the Overdrive wheels. This area also has vacuum to

ensure traction over the wheels, which are connected to the Drive Roller through a set of gears. The Over­drive wheels help to remove the substrate from the print zone during substrate advance.

8. After the platen, the substrate goes through the curing zone and finally leaves the printer, either to be col-

lected on the Take-Up Reel or to be cut.

9. When the Take-Up Reel is in use, the substrate must be threaded first under the swiveling Tension Bar and

rerouted to the output roll around the fixed Diverter roller. This system creates tension on the outgoing sub­strate for proper winding. The Take-Up Reel can operate in both directions with the Rewinder, winding
with the printed face outside or inside. Weights on the Tension Bar arms may be slid forward in order to
create higher tension for textile substrates.

Startup, substrate load, substrate selection

During startup, the printer checks that the substrate path components are functioning correctly. When
shutting down, if a substrate is loaded, the printer remembers the substrate definition. This may be
modified through the front panel with the option ’Change loaded substrate’ from the substrate menu list.

NOTE: The OMAS sensor cannot see the fibers on some substrates, such as transparent

substrate or very dark or very reflective substrates. In these cases, the OMAS sensor
can be disabled. To disable the OMAS sensor



See page 182.

During substrate loading the printer may ask the user two interactions:

1. To rewind manually the substrate: The printer automatically checks the direction of the loaded sub-

strate (printed face outwards or printed face inwards). If the ’curve’ of substrate is too large the
printer cannot detect it and the printer asks the user to rewind manually. Once the substrate is
rewound the printer can detect automatically

2. To align the substrate in order to avoid skew: the printer measures skew. If the skew is too large the

printer will ask the user to lift the pinchwheels (big blue lever on right hand side) and align the sub­strate. The substrate must be aligned against itself (substrate edge must be aligned with input roll
edge).

26 Printer systems

Components

Spindle

The spindle can load 3” core rolls. It holds the core of the roll when its rubber bands are nipped between
the core of the roll and the aluminum extrusion.

The hub on the left side has two possible fixed positions: the end position allows loading maximum width
rolls, but there is a second position at 2.6 inches (65 mm) from the end that can be selected.

The right hub can be set along any length of the spindle so any length of roll can be loaded.

The right end of the spindle contains a gear which is used to transmit the movement from the rewinder to
the roll.

Printer systems

Spindle latch

The spindle latch prevents the substrate roll from slipping from its position when
printing. It is not necessary to close it when inserting the spindle, it closes
automatically. But the user must lift the small blue lever in order to release the
spindle and extract the roll of substrate.

Rewinder

The rewinder motor keeps a constant tension on the input substrate to
prevent skew problems. There is a motor and a transmission that gives
torque to the spindle in order to provide the necessary back tension.

Media sensor

The Input Platen has a lever that activates the media sensor whenever substrate is present. When the
substrate is inserted into the entry area, the sensor is activated and the drive roller starts turning to help
the loading process. The substrate load process has been triggered and the printer will provide instructions
through the front panel.

Printer systems 27

OMAS sensor (media advance sensor)

OMAS
location

OMAS

OMAS sensor

TOMAS sensor
location

OMAS is located under the third platen slab from
the right, only the top window can be seen:

OMAS is composed of two parts: the sensor and
its optics located under the platen and a PCI
control board on the main electronics box. Both

Printer systems

are connected through a ribbon cable that runs
through the vacuum beam, by the right sideplate
and into the electronics box.

The optical sensor detects the surface of the back
of the substrate as it moves across the platen. The
sensor is able to evaluate the exact movement of
the substrate, and communicate any small
adjustments required by the system to move the substrate accurately.

The window of the OMAS sensor must be cleaned of dust and ink to work correctly. The cleaning
procedure is described in the User’s Guide, in the section ‘Clean the substrate-advance sensor window’.

During the substrate load, the printer detects that the substrate has
reached the print platen when the OMAS captures its image.

NOTE: The OMAS sensor cannot detect the surface of some

substrates, such as plastic or very dark ones. In these cases, the
OMAS sensor must be disabled, and instead the printer uses
feedback from the Driver Roller encoder to calculate the substrate
advance. To disable the OMAS sensor, locate the OMAS Sensor
selector from the print options menu of the RIP and set it to OFF. This
can also be done from the Service menu page 182.

TOMAS

To compensate for temperature changes and mechanical expansion,
OMAS receives a temperature reading from TOMAS sensor.

Drive roller and motor

The drive roller and motor advance the substrate through the substrate path. The motor requires 42 V, and
is controlled by the Printmech PCA.

The drive roller receives the torque from the motor through a worm as in the Z6100 and other Designjets.
Because of the extension to 104 inches, the roller now has two intermediate supports.

Drive Roller Encoder Disc and Encoder PCA

The Drive Roller Encoder Disc and Encoder PCA provide the feedback system for the Drive Roller.

28 Printer systems

• The Encoder disc is a round disc mounted to the left end of the Drive Roller.

• The Encoder PCA is mounted with a sensor that reads the encoder movements of the disc (the disc

turns with the drive roller).

Pinchwheels

The pinchwheels press the substrate against the Drive Roller to make sure that the Drive Roller can advance
the substrate correctly.

• The pinchwheels are activated with the blue lever at the right side of the substrate roll and usually do

not have to be lifted unless to correct skew during substrate load or to clear jams.

• The pinchwheel system has a sensor that detects if the system is up or down.

Vacuum Pump, Vacuum Tube Assembly, Vacuum Beam

The print zone is the area of the substrate path where the transmission of ink to the substrate occurs. The
main function of the system can be defined as providing the surface where the substrate is printed, keeping
it controlled during the process, playing a main roll on the final IQ of the plots and on the operational
reliability of the printer. The subsystem is composed of the print platen assembly (including the overdrive
wheels), which is the physical interface with the substrate, and the vacuum system which is the mechanical
system where the vacuum pressure used to control the substrate is generated and conduced.

The HP Designjet L28500 printer requires a hot print zone (with additional airflow) to allow the
evaporation of the majority of the water in the latex inks. This feature, plus the new substrates supported,
changes a little the main contributors of the cockle control and substrate expansion from former products
and also adds new issues such as the thermal marks. The platen gives a convenient shape to the heated
substrate, avoiding differential temperatures due to platen conductivity.

Printer systems

The main components are:

• OVD & Platen Assembly 104” including:

• 12 DJ L26500 printer platen + 1 OMAS platen + 2 interplaten 60 + 1 platen right end + 1

platen left end

• Linear blade 104” + springs (same as DJ Z6100 or L26500)

• OVD shafts and wheels (same as DJ Z6100, with some new segments)

• Foams, foam fillings, and foam wall

• Magnets under the platen to hold Media Edge Holders

• ESD brushes

• OVD gears in brass

• Right Vacuum Fan Assembly with Eola Control Board (same as DJ Z6200 or T7100)

• Left Vacuum Fan Assembly with Eola Control Board (new)

Printer systems 29

Related tests, utilities, and calibrations

• Rewinder test page 154

• Drive Roller test page 155

• Substrate Path sensor test page 156

• Vacuum Test

• OMAS Test page 158

Printer systems

• Rewinder Motor polarity test

• Substrate path menu page 182

• Substrate advance adjustmentpage 190

Service parts

• Drive Roller  page 265.

• Media Path Assemblies  page 266.

• Center guide Pinchwheels Assemblies page 267.

• Media Entry Assemblies  page 268.

• Take-up reel Assemblies  page 269.

Removal and installation

• Rewinder page 351.

• Vacuum Fan page 356.

• OMAS page 432.

• TOMAS page 438.

• Output Platen page 524.

• Print Platen page 530.

• Input Roller page 542.

• Output Roller page 554.

• Media Sensor page 557.

• Pinchwheel Assemblypage 569.

• Center Guidepage 575.

• Driver Rollerpage 575.

• Rollfeed Modules page 582.

• Take-up reel page 582.

30 Printer systems

Ink Delivery System (IDS)

Insulation sleeve

Ink Tubes Carrier

Lower ISS: Lm, Lc

Top ISS: M, Y, K, C

On top of the ISS there is a thin
plastic sleeve to avoid the
substrate falling into the Ink
Supply Station when a
substrate crash occurs and
also to avoid the direct heat
radiation from the dryer

Air tubes

non-return valves
for the lower ISS

Spring loaded

Ink tubes

Ink Delivery System

The ink deliver system (IDS) is located in the left enclosure of the printer (inside the left covers) and delivers
a continuous supply of ink to the printheads. It can detect an ink leakage anywhere in the system, including
inside an Ink Cartridge. It also tracks and determines when an Ink cartridge needs replacing.

Rear of the Ink Supply Station

Printer systems

Ink Tubes

There are 6 ink tubes that deliver the inks to the printheads in the carriage and two additional tubes which
are used as a support structure. They are bundled together in a carrier and held on a shelf on the inside
of the top cover with clips.

Insulation Sleeve

The ink tubes are protected from the high temperatures of the Dryer Assembly by a heat resistant insulation
sleeve, which protects the main body of the tubes, that are static.

Upper and Lower Ink Supply Station (ISS)

The Ink Supply Station (ISS) is divided into the upper and lower sections. They have six slots for holding
the ink cartridges. Each slot has a unique shape (or lock out) which matches with an equal shape at the
end of the applicable ink cartridge. this arrangement avoids the incorrect insertion of an ink cartridge,
which would cause major damage to the ink system.

Printer systems 31

There are two places for additional slots but these are covered over.

The upper and lower ISS both contain PCAs, although the top PCA contains more functionality, such as
the pressure sensor, see  page 13.

Non-return valves

The two non-return valves are only for the inks on the lower IDS.

Printer systems

This is to ensure that when the pump stops and the cartridges are
nearly empty, that the ink does not flow back to the cartridge.

If a cartridge is nearly empty, with no pressure from the pump, the
cartridge bag might increase, and air might enter the printhead.

With a valve, the ink can go only from the cartridge to the
printhead, and not the reverse!

Air Pressure System (APS)

The APS contains two air pumps which are used to force the ink through the tubes to the carriage
assembly. In the event of a broken bag in one of the Ink Cartridges, these tubes must be checked in case
any of the leaked ink has been forced into the air tubes.

Related tests, utilities, and calibrations

• Ink Delivery System tests: page 159.

Service parts

• Left hand assembly: page 257

Removal and installation

• Ink supply tubes and trailing cable: page 381

• ISS to Cartridge Cables: page 391

• Ink Supply Station: page 394

• Ink Supply Station PCAs: page 398

• APS Assembly: page 402.

• APS Assembly: page 402.

32 Printer systems

Scan Axis and Carriage

Scan Axis

The Scan Axis System is the part of the Scan Axis subsystem designed to move the carriage backwards
and forwards for printing and servicing. This subsystem moves the carriage with a motor, belt, and pulley
system. Furthermore the scan axis has features to open and close the Spectrophotometer shutter (SOL) and
to enable/disable the cutter.

Scan Axis Components

Scan Beam:

It is an extruded aluminum part. Its main function is to guide the carriage along the scan axis via two rods,
and it sets its limits of movement. Apart from this it positions and holds the Service Station, the Scan Axis
motor, the two brackets and the pinch wheels assembly. It also works as an air container to be blown to
the print zone coming from the rear and leaving through several pipes located over the substrate and
holds the rear fans.

PPS system

The PPS consists of some screws and pockets, it locates the scan beam in reference to the side plates in
order to have a correct distance between the printheads and the substrate. This distance is supposed to
be constant during the life of the machine and it is set to be as small as possible without taking the risk of
having the printheads touching the substrate.

Printer systems

Left Bracket

Left Bracket is an injected plastic part, and its main function is to set an end for the carriage movement. It
also closes the scan beam to avoid the air blown to the print zone leaking. It has several features to
enable/disable the cutter and the SOL shutter. The left bracket also houses the Substrate Jam Sensor,
which works with the reflector panel on the carriage assembly to detect substrate crashes. It also has some
parts to ensure that the encoder strip is held with tension.

Encoder Strip

The Encoder Strip contains positional data that the encoder sensor (located in the carriage) can read and
detect the position of the carriage. Since it is made of thin metal it is sharp and extreme caution is needed
when handling it. Unlike previous versions, do not clean the encoder strip as this will damage it.

Right Bracket

This part is the same in the left bracket, this metallic part closes the right hole of the scan beam extrusion.
It also holds the pulley assembly and the encoder strip.

Motor, pulley assembly and belt.

Their function is to transmit the position/speed to the carriage assembly.

Flat right bump

This plastic part defines the right end of the carriage movement. It is positioned and held by the scan
beam.

Carriage

The carriage is the subsystem of the printer that performs the printing on the substrate. It is moved across
the print path by the scan axis impelling system and with it the 6 printheads and several sensors, the
Spectrophotometer (SOL), the line sensor (Tetris), the scan axis sensor. The carriage houses an on-board
electronics system to send information to the 6 printheads though each of the interconnects, and it receives
information from the sensors. Some parts aid the ink to arrive at the printheads. It also holds in position
the cutter, used to cut some types of substrate.

Printer systems 33

Carriage Components

SOL

SOL actuator
used to open the
shutter

SOL Spectrophotometer

SOL is a color sensor and it is placed in the left side of the carriage, covered by a metal sheet that protects
it from the heater’s high temperatures. The main function of SOL is to measure color samples that have
been printed on the loaded substrate and are placed on the print platen zone.

Printer systems

Before taking any color measurement, SOL must be initialized. The SOL initialization process lasts for
about 7min. This process consists on 3 steps: sensor switch on, sensor warm up and sensor calibration.
When the initialization has been completed, the shutter is opened automatically and the carriage is
moved along the scan axis to place SOL on top of each sample to take a color measurement. After the
measurements, the shutter is closed again and the sensor is switched off.

SOL is used to make the linearization from the RIP.

Carriage base

The main function of this plastic part is to located the printheads. Its position is enforced by the two rods
and the belt. It serves as a base where other parts are attached and it has some features to located other
components (capping station and all the next parts).

Oiler

The Oiler is a small system at the right-hand side of the carriage base that provides continuous lubrication
to the Slider Rod.

Latch assembly

This assembly holds down the printheads and helps to ensure that they do not move during operation.
Once the handle is opened it can rotate to allow the user to remove the printheads. It has some features
(holes) to allow the primer to pass though it and make contact with the printheads. Some parts help to
transmit force to the printheads to hold them in position and to transmit information of when the ink should
be dropped.

Sensors

The SOL, the Tetris and the encoder sensor sends information to the PCA board and is passed to the
printmech though the trailing cable. The SOL performs a color calibration, the line sensor calibrates the
printhead alignment and detects other features (e.g. the substrate) and the encoder sensor detects the
movement of the carriage in relation to the Encoder strip.

34 Printer systems

Carriage PCA,

This part contains the electronics to control how and when the ink is dropped in every printhead and
receives the information from the sensors.

PCA Cover

This part covers the PCA to avoid aerosol contamination and acts as an electronic enclosure.

X-bias springs

The X-bias springs are sheet metal parts that hold the printhead in position in the X axis.

Covering sheet and metal parts

These parts reflect part of the radiation that is received from the heater to avoid excess overheating and
problems with the sensors and the printheads. Bushings, are bronze parts that are attached to the carriage
base and slide over the rod

Felts, these parts help to lubricate the rod and they also avoid dirt going in between the carriage. They
block four degrees of freedom (Z and Y translation and rotation over the primary rod)

SOL protectors, these parts help to avoid the SOL shutter breaking after a substrate jam.

Plastic rear bushing: this blocks one degree of freedom (the X rotation over the primary rod). The dam
protector, are Mylar and stainless steel, and they stop the aerosol.

The plastic non-functioning printhead, is a plastic part which helps keep the carriage’s integrity when the
latch is applied over them. Also from a usability point of view, they avoid possible mistakes when inserting
the printheads and have a cosmetic function too.

The airflow deflector is a part that partially stops the air entering into the print zone, it is used to avoid
vapor concentration over the substrate that also causes “dpe” (drop placement error).

Media Jam reflector

This part is secured to the left ide of the carriage assembly and works with the Media Jam sensor which
is located on the Left end bracket. This is used to detect substrate jams.

Printer systems

Related tests, utilities, and calibrations

• Scan Axis Menu service tests: page 165.

• Carriage service tests page 169.

• Open/close SOLpage 206.

• Scan Axis Calibrations page 199.

• Carriage Calibrations page 201

Service parts

• Right hand Assemblies page 255

• Left hand Assemblies  page 257

• Carriage Assembly page 258.

• Scan Axis Assemblies page 262.

•

Removal and installation

• Cutter Assembly  page 392.

• Encoder Strip and Encoder sensor  page 405.

• Carriage Assembly  page 416.

• Belt Assembly  page 425.

• Scan Axis Motor  page 426.

Printer systems 35

Printer systems

• Line Sensor page 473.

• Color Sensor Assembly (SOL) page 477.

• Color Sensor Actuator  page 481.

36 Printer systems

Service Station and waste management

Web Advance
Mechanism

Primer

Printhead Cleaning
Cartridge

SVS Mech

The main function of the Service Station is to maintain the Printheads in the Carriage assembly and to
manage the waste ink. The Service Station and waste management can be split into three subsystems:

• PHC servicing: Comprising cap, wiping, and priming functions

• Waste management: Contains ink spit/aerosol ink collection and the Aerosol Filter.

Components

SVS Mech

The SVS mechanics provide the movement for the Printhead Cleaning Cartridge, which integrates the
capping and wiping functions and the Web Wipe assembly, which provides the means with which to
advance the Web Wipe accurately.

Printer systems

Primer

The Primer executes the blow primer functionality to the Printheads. Air pressure to perform the prime
operation is drawn from the Ink Supplies, and prime pulse is controlled by solenoid valves.

Printhead Cleaning Cartridge

The Printhead Cleaning Cartridge is a customer consumable that holds the main components for wiping
and capping. It also contains some ink priming functionality.

Printer systems 37

Drop detector

The drop detector is a sensor that analyzes the nozzle health of all the printheads. The drop detector has
a window where it is placed with the ink funnel. The ink funnel divides the window in two different parts,
the flying spittoon and the drop detector spittoon where nozzles are fired to check their status. The nozzles
out that are detected are compensated for by using other nozzles to keep a good print quality.

The drop detector has an infrared LED and a photodiode aligned in a beam light. This beam light can be
blocked by the ink funnel if it is not placed correctly.

Printer systems

Web Wipe

Printhead
Maintenance
Cartridge

Spittoon

Drop Detector
channel

Platen

Web Wipe

The Web Wipe Advance mechanism engages/disengages the advance gear of the Printhead Cleaning
Cartridge. The actual advance is achieved by moving the Printhead Cleaning Cartridge once the gear
has been engaged by this mechanism.

Waste Collection Subsystem

As the Printhead Cleaning Cartridge does not have sufficient space to contain the amount of waste ink
that the printer generates, a separate subsystem provides the collection and storage for it.

38 Printer systems

The main components of this subsystem are:

• Ink Funnel: It collects both the ink and aerosol waste during the spitting printhead servicing

operation.

• Tubes: Each type of waste (ink and aerosol) is driven downwards through its own tube, before

being processed in the Waste Management module. The tubes are fitted inside a guiding tube that
provides the proper routing.

• Waste Management Module: This external subsystem collects both types of waste coming from

the upper part of the system and stores each of them in its consumable. The liquid waste is collected
into a Container (the same container used in the L26500), while the aerosol is collected in a filter.
The ink waste falls down by gravity while the aerosol is sucked down by a centrifugal fan.

Printer systems

Related tests, utilities, and calibrations

• Service Station service tests  page 170.

• Drop detector test  page 170

• Force Drop Detector  page 184

• Drop detection calibration page 201

• Service Station calibration page 187

Service parts

• Right Hand Assembliespage 255.

Removal and installation

• Primer Assembly page 345

• Primer Valves page 347

• Service Station  page 351

• Web Wipe Motor Assembly page 354

• Waste Ink System page 369

• Drop Detector  page 376

• Primer Assembly page 345

Printer systems 39

Heating system

The type of ink used in this printer (latex) requires heating in order for the ink to be cured. The heating
system applies this heat through a Dryer Assembly and a larger Curing Assembly. Temperatures are kept
at a target level depending on the type of substrate and amount of ink fired via a temperature sensor,
which feeds back information to the Heater Control assembly (Petisa) located at the rear of the printer.

Printer systems

Components

Heater Control

See Heating System Electronics for details page 16.

Dryer Module:

The Dryer module heats up the print zone to 40–55ºC while printing. The main objective is to evaporate
most of the water content of the ink and to provide the correct temperature for satisfactory print quality.

The two resistors in the dryer provide up to 6640 W during warm-up, reaching a working temperature of
650–700°C while printing.

Dryer Enclosure System

The main function of the dryer enclosure subsystem is to provide a thermal protection to the user when
accessing the dryer/printing area. The dryer enclosure subsystem includes all the parts and assemblies
that protect the user against the dryer, they are either attached to the dryer module, or attached to the
structure.

40 Printer systems

Curing Module

Curing overdrive

Curing output

The Curing Module fixes the latex ink (cures) at typically around 80–120ºC, depending on the substrate
for satisfactory durability.

The two independent resistors provide a total 4250 W.
subsystems:

The following cross section shows the heating

Dryer Fans and Curing Fans

The Dryer fans and Curing fans provide an airflow parallel to the substrate to reach a higher evaporation
rate at the print zone. The airflow wipes away the vapors from the substrate surface, improving radiation
efficiency.

Printer systems

The Top Cover fans blow air coming from outside of the printer to the ink tubes. This is because during
printing the heat coming from the dryer to keep the substrate warm also goes to the ink tubes causing an
increase of the ink temperature leading to short-term damage to the printheads.

The pipes that drive the air to the ink tubes are injected plastic parts. Three assemblies blow to the front
and rear and two to the rear.

Cables are formed by 4 wires, two supplying the voltage (12 V), one providing the PWM (5 V = 100%
of the voltage) and one containing a fault signal.

Metal Finger Guard

This is a metal guard designed to protect any fingers that may inadvertently enter the assembly.

Printer systems 41

Dryer IR Sensor & Curing IR Sensor

Dryer Module:

Curing Module:

There are two infrared sensors, one for each module, these sensors detect the temperature and feedback
the information to the Heater Control Assembly (Petisa), the power supplied to each module is then
adjusted according to target levels.

In the following picture a closer view of both sensors can be seen.

Printer systems

Thermal Switches

Each module has thermal switches, two in the drying module and one in the curing module. In the event
of too high a temperature, these will physically disconnect the current from the heaters.

Related tests, utilities, and calibrations

• Heating and Curing service tests page 171.

• Heating and Curing Temperature page 187.

Service parts

• Front Covers  page 249.

• Dyer and Curing Modules page 261.

Removal and installation

• Heating Control Assembly  page 463.

• Dryer (IR) Heater Sensor page 486.

• Dryer Heater Assembly  page 494.

• Curing Temperature Sensor page 496.

• Curing Fans  page 496.

• Curing Heaters  page 512.

• Curing Module  page 512.

42 Printer systems

Front Panel

See the User’s Guide for a description of the Front Panel and how to use it.

Printer systems

Printer systems 43

Printer systems

44 Printer systems

2 Troubleshooting

• Troubleshooting the printer................................................................................................ 46

• Printer education and training.................................................................................... 46

• Firmware update ...................................................................................................... 46

• Troubleshooting system error codes .................................................................................... 46

• Performing a service test on a failed assembly ......................................................................47

• Performing the necessary service calibrations .......................................................................47

• The printer does not power on............................................................................................47

• How to read the power switch LEDs ................................................................................... 48

• How to read the Formatter LEDs......................................................................................... 48

• How to read other LEDs.................................................................................................... 50

• Voltage check at installation.............................................................................................. 54

• Troubleshooting substrate jams or printhead crashes..............................................................56

• The printer continuously rejects printheads............................................................................59

• The cutter does not function................................................................................................59

• Troubleshooting Carriage shutdowns...................................................................................59

• How to troubleshoot the 86:01 system error................................................................. 60

• Troubleshooting the drying and curing heaters......................................................................63

• Troubleshooting sensors.................................................................................................... 68

• Cover Sensors...........................................................................................................68

• The Line Sensor.........................................................................................................68

• OMAS.....................................................................................................................68

• How to troubleshoot the 79:04 system error .........................................................................69

• Vacuum suction much lower at high altitudes....................................................................... 77

• Banding due to ink cartridge replacement while printing .......................................................78

• How to interpret the Service Information Pages .....................................................................79

• How to obtain the printer log and the diagnostics package....................................................87

Troubleshooting

45

Troubleshooting the printer

To troubleshoot print-quality issues, please turn to the Print Quality chapter page 207.

Printer education and training

Before any attempt is made to troubleshoot the printer, it is critical that you have the relevant training on

Troubleshooting

Firmware update

USB firmware update

the HP Designjet L28500 Printer series. If you are not trained on this printer, please contact HP Education
or HP Training to enquire about becoming ‘HP Service Qualified’ for this printer.

The first step to take when trying to clear an error with the printer is to check that the firmware installed
in the printer is the latest available. Firmware updates often include fixes for common problems, and
simply updating the firmware can often resolve the problem. New firmware can be downloaded here:
http://www.hp.com/go/L28500/support/.

If it is not possible to perform a firmware update using the Embedded Web Server (for instance, if the
printer has a System Error and the Embedded Web Server is inaccessible), it is still possible to do it using
a USB flash drive.

1. Turn off the printer.

2. Ensure that your USB flash drive contains a valid FMW firmware file and no other files.

3. Connect the USB flash drive to the USB host port on the Formatter.

4. Turn on the printer and follow the instructions on the front panel.

Troubleshooting system error codes

The System Error Codes chapter contains a list of system error codes and their respective descriptions and
recommended corrective actions
the error code has disappeared.

If you have an error code which is not documented in this Service Manual or you have an error which
you cannot resolve, then report the error to the HP Response Center or the nearest HP Support Office.
When reporting the error, have the following information ready:

• Model and Serial Number of the printer.

• Which firmware revision the printer is using (see note below).

• The complete error number.

NOTE: When reporting the System Error Code, make sure that you supply the full Error Code

and the firmware version. Without this information, HP Support Personnel cannot help you.

page 89. Try one recommended action at a time and check whether

• The Service Configuration Print.

• Which RIP the customer is using (name, version, driver version, etc).

• Which software application the customer is using (name, version, etc.).

46 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

Performing a service test on a failed assembly

If possible, always perform a Service Test on the component/assembly that you are about to replace, just
to make sure that is the component/assembly that has failed.

NOTE: If the test on that component/assembly passes, you should NOT replace it.

For information on the Service Tests and how to use them see the Service Tests, Utilities & Calibrations
chapter

page 145.

Performing the necessary service calibrations

Is the printer calibrated correctly after replacing a component? For information on the Service Calibrations
and how to use them refer to the Service Tests, Utilities & Calibrations chapter

NOTE: Remember that certain Calibrations are required even if an Assembly has been

disassembled to gain access to another Assembly or Component.

page 145.

The printer does not power on

Troubleshooting

To resolve printer power-up problems, try the following:

1. Check that power is reaching the printer. An easy first check is to press the "Test" button in the three

Ground Fault Interrupters: if they switch to the lower position (green) then power is reaching them but
is not necessarily reaching the printer.

2. Check that the Power Switch on the BACK of the printer is in the ON position.

3. Check to see if any of the LEDs on the Power Switch are On. If any of the LEDs are On, then see

“How to read the power switch LEDs” (page 48) for more information. If none of the LEDs are on,
check that the hidden plug is well connected and the hidden switch is in the on (I) position.

1. Hidden switch and switch pusher

2. PSU LEDs

3. Hidden power plug

4. Check the Circuit Breaker (Ground fault Interrupter) of the customer has not blown.

5. Check the status of the Formatter PCA’s troubleshooting LEDs. See “How to read the Formatter LEDs”

(page 48) for more information

Performing a service test on a failed assembly 47

6. Check that the Front-Panel Cable is correctly connected to the Electronics Module. Also make sure

Amber is on the Left
Blue is in the center
Green is on the Right

Make sure you look directly at the LEDs
and not at an angle.

that the Front-Panel cable is not damaged.

7. Replace the Power Supply Unit

page 457

How to read the power switch LEDs

Troubleshooting

The LEDs located above the power switch (at the rear of the printer) indicate the status of power supply to
the printer.

1. When only the Amber LED is On:

• The printer has been switched off using the Power button beside the Front Panel.

• The Power Supply Unit delivers only 5 V standby power, which is needed to restart the printer
after the Power button is pressed (the Formatter starts the printer).

2. When the Blue LED is On: The Power Supply Unit delivers standard “ATX” power for the Electronics

Module PCAs (+12 V, +5 V, -5 V, -12 V, and so on). All the functions of the Electronics Module, such
as the Embedded Web Server, are fully operational.

3. When the Green LED is On: The Power Supply Unit delivers “analog” 24 V and 42 V power to

enable printing.

If you turn on the printer at the Front Panel, and the Blue LED does not come on, there is a problem. Turn
off the printer using the switch at the rear, then turn it on again using the same switch. If the Blue LED still
does not come on, replace the Power Supply Unit.

If the Blue LED comes on this time, you will probably see an error reported on the Front Panel as the printer
starts up. If no error is reported, but you continue to have problems when turning on the printer from the
front panel, see ‘How to read the Formatter LEDs’ below.

How to read the Formatter LEDs

The LEDs located on the Formatter can help to troubleshoot the printer. The LEDs can either be on or off;
different combinations can indicate different problems.

48 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

The following image shows the three Formatter LEDs, which are numbered from the top down: number I
at the top, number II in the middle, number III at the bottom.

Use the following table to interpret the LEDs and find the source of the problem. Remember that you should
read these LEDs when you press the Power button.

Some combinations may require you to replace two or more components. In this case, always replace
one component at a time. Test the printer to see if the problem has disappeared (check the LEDs again).
If the same LED sequence continues, replace the next component indicated in the table.

Troubleshooting

Power

amber

LED

Off Off Off Off Off Off Off

On Off Off Off Off Off Off

Power

blue

LED

Power

green

LED

Format­ter I LED

Format-

ter II

LED

Format-

ter III

LED

Front

panel

status

Problem and

recommendations

The printer is not receiving
electrical power. See “The
printer does not power on” on
page 47.

The Power key fails to turn on
the printer.

1. Turn off the printer using

the power switch at the
back of the printer. Wait
for 5 seconds and turn the
printer back on using the
same switch.

2. If the problem persists,

replace the Front Panel.

There is a power failure in the
Formatter.

1. Reseat the power connec-

tor in the Formatter.

Off On Off Off Off Off Off

2. Turn the printer on again.

3. If the problem persists,

replace the PSU.

4. If the problem persists, or

if the boot process starts,
replace the Formatter.

How to read the Formatter LEDs 49

Power
amber

LED

Power

blue

LED

Power

green

LED

Format­ter I LED

Format-

ter II

LED

Format-

ter III

LED

Front

panel

status

Problem and

recommendations

The Formatter BIOS is unable
to start. If an external Memory
Module is installed:

Troubleshooting

Off On Off On Off Off Off

Off On Off Flashing Off Off Off

Off On Off On Flashing Off Off

1. Reseat the Memory Mod-

ule.

2. Remove the Memory Mod-

ule and restart the printer.

3. If the printer is able to start

normally, replace the
Memory Module. If not,
replace the Formatter.

If an external Memory Module
is not installed, replace the
Formatter.

The Formatter BIOS cannot
detect the Hard Disk Drive.

1. Reseat the Hard Disk Drive

connectors.

2. Replace the Hard Disk

Drive.

The operating system has
experienced a fatal error.
Replace the Hard Disk Drive.

Off On Off On On Off Off

Off On Off On On Flashing Off

Off On Off On On On Off

How to read other LEDs

The printer electronics allow for many self-checks that will result in a definite system error when something
goes wrong. Therefore, it is not so important to know what the LEDs in other parts of the electronics mean.
However, they are explained here for reference.

There is a communication
failure in the Formatter.

1. Reseat the Formatter con-

nections to all other com­ponents.

2. Replace the Formatter.

There is an initialization failure
in the Formatter. Replace the
Formatter.

There is an initialization failure
in the Front Panel.

1. Reseat the Front Panel

cable.

2. Replace the Front Panel.

50 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

Extra PSU 24 V

There is only one LED in the extra PSU. This LED indicates that the output 24 V voltage is being delivered
and it is on in normal operation.

If the LED is OFF, there could be a problem in the connections with the Power Supply Unit, in the Extra
PSU 24 V itself or in the Power Supply Unit.

PrintMech PCA

The LEDs in the PrintMech PCA are the following.

Troubleshooting

In normal operation all LEDs will be on.

If any of them are off, power from the corresponding voltage line is not reaching the PrintMech PCA. There
could be a problem with the cable connections from the other electronic boards to the PrintMech PCA, in
the Power Supply Unit, or in the PrintMech PCA itself. If none of these resolves the problem, you can also
replace the cables.

How to read other LEDs 51

Pre-Driver ISS PCA

The Pre-Driver ISS PCA is a new PCA connecting the PrintMech PCA to the Top ISS PCA. It has two LEDs.

Troubleshooting

DS1 (Green) – ON = OK. Pre-Driver and PrintMech are connected and 5 V are present.

DS1 (Green) – OFF = FAILURE. Pre-Driver and PrintMech are not connected and 5 V are present. The
problem could be in the connections to the PrintMech PCA, in the PrintMech PCA, or in the Pre-Driver PCA.
If none of these resolves the problem, you can also replace the cables from PrintMech PCA to Pre-Driver
PCA.

DS2 (Red) – ON = FAILURE. Top ISS PCA is not connected to Pre-driver PCA or an overpressure is detected
in the ISS PCA. There could be a problem with the connection from the Pre-Driver PCA to the ISS PCA, in
the Pre-Driver PCA, or in the ISS PCA. If none of these resolves the problem, you can also replace the
cables from Pre-Driver PCA to ISS PCA.

52 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

Heater control modules (sine-wave converters)

Troubleshooting

State explanation

0 = OFF state

• Fault LED = Off

• PWM LED = Off

• AC OK LED = Off

1 = ON state: input voltage within range

• Fault LED = Off

• PWM LED = On

• AC OK LED = On

2 = Input voltage > 60 V AC and < 135 V AC (approximately)

• Fault LED = Off

• PWM LED = On

• AC OK LED = Off

3 = Input voltage < 60 V AC (approximately)

• Fault LED = On

• PWM LED = Off

How to read other LEDs 53

• AC OK LED = Off

4 = Over Temperature Protection (OTP) state

• Fault LED = On

• PWM LED = Off

• AC OK LED = On

Troubleshooting

5 = Latched protection state

• Fault LED = On

• PWM LED = Off

• AC OK LED = Off

Voltage check at installation

This chapter describes how to check that the power cabinet has been set up properly and that the voltages
are appropriate to operate the printer.

Always refer to the Site Preparation Guide and Power Voltage Configuration information (printed
document in printer box). See also “Electrical power system” on page 17.

WARNING! Risk of electrical hazard! The procedures described below must be performed

only by a certified electrician and always according to local regulations.

Before switching on the printer, the certified electrician setting up the power cabinet should check that the
voltages are appropriate to operate the printer.

The input voltage can be checked at the connection block of the power cabinet, between each pair of
connections for line 1 (L1), line 2 (L2), and line 3 (L3).

Correct voltage

Nominal input voltage range: 200–240 V (as described in the Site Preparation Guide and power setup
flier).

The following pictures show an example of the correct values to be measured.

54 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

Line 1 (L1)

Line 2 (L2)

Troubleshooting

Line 3 (L3)

Voltage check at installation 55

Incorrect voltages

High voltages

Troubleshooting

Line 1 (L1) (example)

Lower voltages

Wrong connections resulting in nominal voltages lower than 200 V may produce system errors in the
printer. The printer will not be able to work.

CAUTION: Wrong connections resulting in nominal voltages higher than 240 V will severely

damage the printer components, especially the Power Supply Unit (PSU) and Extra Power
Supply 24 V.

Voltage range (real) System error

Line 1 (L1) - 14.34:01

140 - 180 V

< 140 V

No tension (0 V)

Line 2 (L2) - 14.54:01
Line 3 (L3) - 14.74:01

Line 1 (L1) - 14.33:01
Line 2 (L2) - 14.53:01
Line 3 (L3) - 14.73:01

Line 1 (L1) - 14.32:01
Line 2 (L2) - 14.52:01
Line 3 (L3) - 14.72:01

Troubleshooting substrate jams or printhead crashes

The failure modes “substrate jam” and “head crash” are grouped together because in many cases a
substrate jam causes the substrate to lift up into the Carriage path and cause a Printhead crash, thus
causing many substrate jam failures to be detected as head crashes.

See the User’s Guide for instructions on how to respond to a substrate jam. Here are some additional tips.

• Always clear substrate jams from the front of the printer.

• Before loading, check the leading edge of the substrate for damage or excessive curling.

• If the substrate is self-adhesive, check that the backing (the liner) has not become detached. This is

quite common in Cast Self-Adhesive Vinyl printing materials.

• Check that the Add New Substrate procedure in the User´s Guide has been correctly followed for

the loaded substrate.

56 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

• Try loading the substrate manually.

• Try using the edge holders provided with the printer.

Take-up Reel usage tips

Correct usage of the Take-up Reel is very important to avoid substrate jams. In some cases, setting it up
wrongly can produce it to wind in the opposite direction than expected or even cause substrate jams at
the end of a job, while curing the final part of the printed image.

To avoid these issues, it is always recommended to follow all steps described in the User’s Guide chapter
“Handle the substrate” (under the heading “The take-up reel”), with the addition of the tips described in
this chapter.

Before loading the substrate onto the take-up reel (User’s Guide, step 2)

Maintain the winding-direction switch in the off position

Make sure to maintain the winding-direction switch in the off position until the substrate has been attached
to the take-up reel core and the tension bar has been lowered. This avoids unwanted movements when
routing the substrate to the take-up reel core, especially when loading it while printing.

Troubleshooting

After routing the substrate and attaching it to the core (User’s Guide, step 18)

Make sure the tension bar operates below the diverter

The tension bar’s working position is below the diverter. The following diagram shows the movement
range for it.

To ensure the correct working position, make sure there is enough substrate when unlocking and lowering
it for the tension bar to move low enough. If the substrate length is not enough, do the following:

• Loading the take-up reel before printing: move the substrate forward until the tension bar is low

enough. Then you can select the right winding direction. See the information below on selecting the
winding direction.

Troubleshooting substrate jams or printhead crashes 57

• Loading the take-up reel while printing: keep printing and wait until the enough printed substrate has

come out so that the tension bar is low enough. Then, you can select the desired winding direction.
See the information below on selecting the winding direction.

If the tension bar is not low enough, it may seem to be working but it could cause problems:

• Winding in the wrong direction

Troubleshooting

• Substrate jams at the end of the job, while curing the print

Selecting the winding direction (User’s Guide, step 19)

To ensure correct winding, the correct winding direction must be selected according to how the substrate
has been attached to the take-up reel core. See the illustrations below.

Printed image face-in (setting 1)

Select setting 1 to roll the output with the printed image facing in.

Printed image face-out (setting 2)

58 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

Select setting 2 to roll the output with the printed image facing out.

The printer continuously rejects printheads

To resolve printhead rejection problems, do the following:

1. Clean the flex contacts on the Printhead and in the Carriage Assembly using the Carriage

Interconnect Wiper (see the User’s Guide) and try again.

2. Swap the failed Printhead with a Printhead that is known to be working, and check if the error

follows the printhead:

Troubleshooting

• If the error follows the Printhead try to recover the Printhead by cleaning the contact again, if

that failed, replace the Printhead.

• If the error does not follow the Printhead, clean again the Carriage Interconnect and check for

damage, check the Carriage Interconnect if appropriate.

3. If all the Printheads are rejected (the status message on the Front Panel does not show “OK” for all

the Printheads), perform the Electronic Systems Test

The cutter does not function

Under certain circumstances the cutter will not cut the substrate. This is mainly when the take-up reel is
enabled, but there are other circumstances when the cutter will not cut.

• If the settings for the RIP have disabled the Cutter, but the customer has set the Front Panel settings to

cut, the customer could expect it to cut at the end of the job.

• If the customer presses the ‘Form Feed and Cut’ option, but the Cutter is disabled on the Front Panel.

• If the substrate being printed on cannot be physically cut because it is too thick.

The customer can enable and disable the cutter from the Front Panel (but remember this will be overridden
by the RIP). To enable the cutter from the Front Panel; select the substrate icon, then Substrate handling
options > Enable/Disable.

page 149.

Troubleshooting Carriage shutdowns

Substrate path

To resolve substrate path problems, proceed as follows:

1. Open the Window and check for any visible obstacles restricting the movement of the Drive Roller.

Make sure that the mylar is not damaged. If there is a substrate jam, see the instructions in the User’s

The printer continuously rejects printheads 59

Guide; remember to clear substrate jams from the front of the printer. The Solve Substrate Jam
service test may help you

2. If this shutdown happens at the end of a roll of substrate, it could be because the substrate is stuck

firmly to the roll. Lift the Pinchwheels (using the Media Load Handles) and pull the substrate clear.

3. Replace spindle if broken.

page 158.

4. Replace the Media-Axis Motor

page 430.

Troubleshooting

How to troubleshoot the 86:01 system error

Possible causes of a system error 86:01

The HP Designjet L28500 will display a System Error 86:01 when there is a shutdown of the scan axis motor (the
carriage movement motor). A shutdown will occur when the motor cannot move the carriage or there is no feedback
from the encoder sensor by the time it has reached its maximum PWM (and shuts down to prevent further issues).

There are several different reasons that could lead to a shutdown:

• There is a physical obstruction in the path of the carriage (such as a substrate jam).

• Carriage stopper is not installed or is damaged.

• The friction between the carriage and the slider rod is too high and the carriage cannot begin

moving before the motor reaches its maximum PWM.

• The belt is not correctly transmitting motion to the carriage, which requires a higher motor PWM to

start it moving. This may occur if the belt is damaged, not correctly positioned or there is insufficient
tension.

• The ink tubes and trailing cable are not in the correct position. If this happens the tubes could

increase friction with the shelf during the carriage motion.

• The encoder strip or encoder sensor have failed, so the actual movement of the carriage is not

detected by the printer, causing an 86:01.

• The motor is defective and cannot generate enough motion or shuts down too early.

• One of the electronic boards or connections processing the carriage movement signal is defective,

so the printer cannot detect the actual movement, and causing an 86:01.

From the list above, it is possible to establish two main groups of causes for a system error 86:01:

• Mechanical: When the motors and electronics are working as expected, but still the carriage does

not move due to an obstacle or too high a friction.

• Electrical (or electromechanical): When the error is caused by one of the motors or electronic

components of the scan axis not working correctly (the scan axis motor, the encoder sensor, the
carriage PCA, etc.).

The first step in troubleshooting a 86:01system error is to determine to which of these two groups it belongs to, since
the troubleshooting process for both groups is significantly different.

Determining the type of system error 86:01

The following symptoms usually indicate that the system error 86:01 is caused by mechanical reasons:

• The system error is intermittent and occurs during printing.

• The performance of the printer is degrading (i.e. the system error is displayed increasingly frequent).

• The system error is preceded by a mechanical noise.

60 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

If any of the previous conditions are occurring in the printer, apply the troubleshooting steps for mechanical 86:01
system errors.

Scan axis test

In case none of the above symptoms is occurring in the printer, perform the Scan axis test, refer to page 165.

Use the scan axis test to determine if the root cause of the system error 86:01 is mechanical or electrical. Once you
determine the type of 86:01, apply the troubleshooting steps described on page 61 (mechanical) or page 62
(electrical).

Following you have a summary of the steps of the Scan Axis test on how to interpret the results:

• Steps 1-4. Check the carriage PCA.

• If the results are correct continue the Scan axis test.

• If the results are not correct (the printer hangs, or the green LED is not ON or a system error is
displayed), the error is electrical, refer to page 62.

• Steps 5-8. Initialize scan axis, prepare PWM test, short carriage movements.

• If the results are correct continue the Scan axis test

• If the results are not correct (the printer hangs or a system error is displayed) the error is
electrical, refer to page 62.

Troubleshooting

• Steps 9-13. Short carriage movements, PWM test.

• If the carriage physically moves but the printer does not detect it, the error is Electrical, refer to
page 62.

• If the carriage does not physically move: check if the motor can move when not attached to the
carriage (to do so, you can reboot the printer in diagnostics boot mode, loosen the tensioner
and remove the belt from the motor pulley; repeat the Scan Axis test once more and check if
the pulley rotates or not):

- If the motor does not move, the error is electrical, refer to page 62.

- If the motor moves when not attached to the carriage the error is Mechanical, refer to

page 61.

• If the carriage moves the error is mechanical, refer to page 61. Take note of the values of the
PWM test. After performing the actions described below, the average PWM should show a
lower value .

How to troubleshoot mechanical 86:01 system errors

When the printer displays a system error 86:01 due to mechanical reasons, it is typically due to the belt not correctly
transmitting the movement of the motor to the carriage or the carriage having too high a friction with the slider rod
(which can be due to aerosol or dust accumulation). The procedure to troubleshoot and fix this type of issues includes
increasing the working margin in those areas that could be contributing to high friction or loss of belt traction.
Perform the following troubleshooting steps:

1. Check for mechanical interferences or encoder strip defects

Check that the error is not caused by a mechanical interference:

• The carriage stoppers not correctly positioned

• A broken carriage datum

• An object in the carriage path

Troubleshooting Carriage shutdowns 61

If you find any of these issues, correct it by correctly installing the stopper, removing the obstacle or replacing the
carriage.

The error can also be caused by a damaged or dirty encoder strip:

• Damaged: the small windows are broken. Replace the encoder strip.

• Dirty: ink/oil stains that block these small windows. Gently clean the ink/oil stains with a lint-free

Troubleshooting

Remember that the metallic encoder strip is not affected by aerosol. If none of these issues is detected, proceed to
Procedure 2.

2. Correct potential causes of high friction or loss of belt traction

cloth damped with a solvent.

NOTE: Do not use Ethanol in California or other areas that restrict the volatile organic compound

(VOC) content of cleaning solvents. A regulatory compliant alternate should be used.

• The cleansing must be very gentle in order not to break these small windows.

1. Clean the slider rod as described in the User’s Guide in order to remove remains of dust or aerosol.

2. Lubricate the scan axis as described in the User’s Guide.

3. Replace the oiler (CQ871-67086 Front Rod Oiler Right Assembly 104 SERV).

4. Check the belt, and replace belt and tensioner if worn or torn.

If these steps correct the issue, stop troubleshooting here. Only if the printer continues showing issues, move to
Procedure 3.

3. Clean or replace the carriage

If the printer is still showing issues at this point, it is possible that the carriage bushings are dirty or that they are worn
out, affecting the friction between the carriage and the rod. Disassemble the carriage and check the bushings. If they
are dirty, try to clean them and lubricate them. If the problem persists, replace the carriage (CQ871-67085 Carriage
w/o PCA, SOL, LS-104 SERV).

4. Increase cleaning and lubrication frequency

For heavy users (> 1500 m²/month) or in dusty or dirty environments, frequent cleaning and lubrication are needed.
Advise the customer to clean and lubricate, following the instructions in the User’s Guide, at least once a week even
if the printer does not ask for it.

How to troubleshoot electrical 86:01 system errors

If the root cause of the system error 86:01 is electrical, the troubleshooting process consists of determining and
replacing which electronic component is failing.

The “Scan axis test” described in the text above will point the following steps or the service part to be replaced at
each step of the diagnosis. Please follow the guidelines for part replacement.

Here is a list of the most important electrical systems involved in the Scan Axis movement:

• Scan Axis motor: Provides the movement (CQ871-67071 Scan Axis Motor 104 SERV).

• PrintMech PCA: Provides the power to the motor, following instructions from the Engine PCA

(C Q 871- 67030 P ri n t m ec h PC A 10 4 S ERV ) .

• Encoder Strip and Sensor: Acquires the signal that provides the position and speed of the

carriage (CQ871-67012 Encoder strip and sensor 104 SERV). Sometimes the Encoder strip sensor is
not working due to a defective line sensor, if the problem is not fixed by replacing the encoder strip
and sensor, then change also the line sensor.

62 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

• Carriage PCA: Provides power to the sensor, processes and passes the encoder signal to the

trailing cable (CQ109-67034 Carriage PCA SERV).

• Trailing Cable: Transfers the processed encoder signal to the Engine PCA (CQ871-67044 SRK

and TC 104 SERV).

• Engine PCA: Processes the encoder signal (servo), takes decisions, and sends instructions to the

Printmech PCA (CQ871-67002 Engine PCA 104 SERV).

All connections among these systems should be checked by disconnecting and reconnecting them to make sure they
are good, especially the Trailing Cable connections.

Troubleshooting the drying and curing heaters

Use this procedure if the resistors have failed. For this procedure you need a voltage-current tester like the
one shown in the pictures to measure resistances. If the printer has been printing, allow enough time
(about an hour) to cool down so that the resistance values will be correct when they are measured.

Important safety notice: Disconnect the printer from any electrical power source before opening the
electronics cover and checking these circuits.

Troubleshooting the drying heaters

1. The first check consists of running the Monitoring Sine-waves and Resistances diagnostic test 

page 173.

2. If any resistor is defective (current too high/low or resistance too low/high, respectively), exchange

dryer power connectors between upper and middle converters (cables labeled H1 and H2).

Run the Monitoring Sine-waves and Resistances diagnostic test again and check whether the defect
has moved to the other converter. If so, it means there is a problem from the connector onwards,
towards the resistor. Otherwise, it means there is a problem in the converter itself.

For this purpose, an input voltage is needed.

Troubleshooting

3. If the problem is not in the converter, remove the Electronics Enclosure Extension Cover to gain

access to the heaters’ connectors

4. Disconnect both dryer power connectors, which are the upper (labeled H1) and the middle (labeled

H2) ones.

NOTE: The colors and labels of the cables may be slightly different in the final product.

page 329.

Troubleshooting the drying and curing heaters 63

Troubleshooting

5. Use a voltage current tester to measure between pins 1 and 2 on both connectors. As dryer resistors

are physically the same, expected resistance values are the same.

6. Check that the values are within specification:

Maximum (ohm) 11.0

Nominal (ohm) 10.5

Minimum (ohm) 10.0

7. Remove the Left Cover to gain access to the cable plate

power cables.

8. The dryer connector has 4 female pins. The illustration below shows the numbering of the connector

pins looking from the connection side and holding the clip down.

page 303. Then disconnect the dryer

64 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

9. Use a voltage tester to measure between pins 1 and 2 and between pins 3 and 4. As dryer resistors

are physically the same, expected resistance values are the same.

10. Check that the values are within specification:

Maximum (ohm) 11.0

Nominal (ohm) 10.5

Minimum (ohm) 10.0

If all the resistances are within specification, the fault is in the path from the Heater Controllers to the
connectors in the arc. It could be due to a failed cable or a wrong contact between pins 1-2 or 3-4 when
measuring.

Troubleshooting

1. Check the connectors and cables are not damaged, disconnect and reconnect them, test the pins

again.

2. Replace the Dryer Heater

3. Replace the left-side cabling.

page 494.

Troubleshooting the curing heaters

1. The first check consists of running the Monitoring Sine-waves and Resistances diagnostic test 

page 173.

2. If any resistor is defective (current too high/low or resistance too low/high, respectively), exchange

the curing power connector (labeled H3) with any other converter.

Run the Monitoring Sine-waves and Resistances diagnostic test again and check whether the defect
has moved to the other converter. If so, it means there is a problem from the connector onwards,
towards the resistor. Otherwise, it means there is a problem in the converter itself.

3. If the problem is not in the converter, remove the Electronics Enclosure Extension Cover to gain

access to the heaters’ connectors

For this purpose, an input voltage is needed.

page 329.

Troubleshooting the drying and curing heaters 65

Troubleshooting

4. Disconnect the curing power connector, which is the bottom one (labeled H3).

NOTE: The colors and labels of the cables may be slightly different in the final product.

5. Use a voltage tester to measure between pins 1 and 2. Curing resistances are connected in parallel,

so the failing resistor can be identified from the value read.

6. Check that the values are within specification. If only one resistor is working, its resistance is higher:

Both resistors

working

Maximum (ohm) 8.6 13.5 23.3

Nominal (ohm) 8.2 12.9 22.2

Minimum (ohm) 7.8 12.3 21.1

Overdrive (front)

resistor only

Output (rear)

resistor only

66 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

7. Remove the Left Cover to gain access to the cable plate page 303. Then disconnect the curing

power cables.

8. The curing connector has 3 female pins. The illustration below shows the numbering of the connector

pins looking from the connection side and holding the clip down.

Troubleshooting

9. Use a voltage tester to measure between the pins 1 and 2.

10. Check that the values are within specification. If only one resistor is working, its resistance is higher:

Both resistors

working

Maximum (ohm) 8.6 13.5 23.3

Nominal (ohm) 8.2 12.9 22.2

Minimum (ohm) 7.8 12.3 21.1

Overdrive (front)

resistor only

Output (rear)

resistor only

If all the resistances are within specification, the fault is in the path from the Heater Controllers to the
connectors in the arc. It could be due to a failed cable or a wrong contact between pins 1-2 when
measuring.

Troubleshooting the drying and curing heaters 67

1. Check that the connectors and cables are not damaged, disconnect and reconnect them, test the

pins again.

2. Replace the defective curing heater

3. Replace the left-side cabling.

Troubleshooting sensors

Troubleshooting

Cover Sensors

To resolve cover sensor problems, try the following:

1. Perform the Sensors Test

2. Check if the cable for the faulty sensor is not damaged and is connected correctly.

3. Replace the faulty Sensor.

The Line Sensor

If the line sensor cannot detect the substrate, try the following:

1. Check the type of substrate that is being used since the Line sensor may have problems detecting

transparent substrate or some types of Non-HP substrate. Try loading white HP substrate in to the
printer and check if the Line sensor detects it.

page 521.

page 174.

OMAS

2. Excessive ink deposits on the Platen surface can fool the sensor by reflecting the light. Clean the Print

Platen.

3. The Line Sensor is not calibrated correctly. Perform the Line Sensor Calibration page 170.

4. The Line Sensor is damaged or faulty. Replace the Line Sensor page 473.

A problem with the OMAS board may cause the printer to display a 50.2:10 service error, this can
be fixed by checking the following connections:

1. Check the CAN Cable is correctly connected.

68 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

2. Check the other end of the CAN cable is also correctly connected

This LED only comes on for the first
20 seconds after the printer is
turned On. When the firmware has
successfully loaded into the
memory the LED will switch OFF.

These LEDs come On and stay On.

LED=3.3 volts

LED=24 volts

LED=5 volts

3. Check the LEDs under the OMAS board.

Troubleshooting

How to troubleshoot the 79:04 system error

Introduction

The system error 79:04 is a generic firmware error, equiva lent to a b lue sc reen in Wi ndow s. It ’s the syst em
error that the printer will display when an unknown exception occurs that cannot be linked to any specific
printer subsystem.

Since this is a generic error, it has many possible causes. This section covers the most likely causes of a
system error 79:04 and recommends the most efficient troubleshooting steps to resolve customer issues.

How to troubleshoot the 79:04 system error 69

One important point to mention is that, although 79:04 system errors can be caused by a hardware
malfunction, the vast majority of 79:04 system errors caused by software or firmware issues. In these cases
the issue can be solved only by determining the root cause and implementing a solution. The solution can
usually be applied by correctly configuring a selection, updating the printer’s firmware or software, or by
fixing an error in the code.

Possible causes

Troubleshooting

Job-related SE 79:04

Possible symptoms

Since the 79:04 system error is a generic error, it has many possible causes. The majority can be
grouped, however, into the following groups.

A specific print job that is not correctly formatted for the printer or that is not correctly processed by it can
trigger a 79:04 system error.

The incorrect format or processing can come from two sources:

• Incorrect commands in the job itself

• Incorrect job settings

A 79:04 error caused by a print job always has the same symptoms:

1. The job is received by the printer and starts to process.

2. In the middle of the processing, the printer stops and displays 79:04.

3. The printer restarts normally.

4. If the same job is sent again, it always produces a 79:04 system error.

This type of 79:04 system error is normally caused by jobs that have been generated by third-party
applications (RIPs, third-party drivers, files exported by an application to PS, PDF, HP-GL/2, RTL, … or
any other format supported by the printer). The HP Designjet L28500 processes only halftone PCL3GUI
files. Thus, there is little chance that this type of 79:04 system error will appear.

Solutions and workarounds

When a job consistently generates a 79:04 system error, it is either because of a issue in the printer’s
firmware or because of a defect in the job itself. In order to identify the cause and find out a solution,
these issues should always be immediately escalated to the GBU through the GCC.

However, there are some workarounds and short-term solutions that can be tested in order to get the
customer up and running in the shortest possible time:

1. Send the job using a variety of different settings, or maybe using a different media preset, in case

the original preset that generated the job is corrupted. The issue is often caused by a combination of
the job contents combined with some specific setting(s).

2. If step 1 did not resolve the issue, try updating the firmware, using a USB flash disk if the printer

does not start up, or the Embedded Web Server if it does.

Data-related SE 79:04

HP Designjet printers have hard disks and non-volatile memories that contain databases and files that can
be modified with user data. Some examples include:

• The database that stores the printer settings

• The database that stores accounting information

70 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

Some of this information is accessed by the printer at start-up, and some accessed as needed. If any of it
contains characters or values that cannot be correctly processed by the printer, a 79:04 system error may
occur.

Possible symptoms

There are two different types of symptoms for data-related 79:04 system errors:

1. When corrupt data are accessed during start-up:

a. The printer displays a 79:04 error during the start-up process.

b. Switching the printer off and on again will not solve the issue. The printer continues displaying

the 79:04 error until the corrupt data have been cleared through a service procedure.

2. When corrupt data are accessed during normal printer operation:

a. The printer starts up normally.

b. When the data are accessed (for example while printing, or when changing some settings),

the printer displays a 79:04 system error.

c. The printer can restart normally.

d. When the data are accessed again (typically, under the same conditions as in step “b”), the

79:04 system error is displayed again.

Solutions and workarounds

Many times, data-related 79:04 errors are resolved by means of hardware intervention. Since data are
stored in physical components (RAM, EEROM and Hard Disk), replacing these components with new ones
that are empty usually solves the problem. However, there are quicker and more effective solutions to this
type of error:

Troubleshooting

1. Clear all information that has been introduced by the user using the standard tools available in the

printer:

a. Reset to factory defaults to clear the user’s configurations and calibrations.

b. Delete any non-standard substrate family in the printer, and any that have been installed as

2. If step 1 did not resolve the issue, try updating the firmware, using a USB flash disk if the printer

does not start up, or the Embedded Web Server if it does.

3. If step 2 did not resolve the issue, you can use Service Tools to clear additional information that

could be causing the issue:

a. Start the printer in Diagnostics Boot Mode.

b. Perform an EEROM reset.

4. If step 3 did not resolve the issue, it is possible to clear the information on the Hard Disk and the

different EEROMs completely, leaving them in an equivalent state to a new part:

a. Access the Service Utilities Menu.

b. Select Disk Recovery.

c. Update the firmware in the printer to the latest official version as soon as the printer has

Important note:

It is possible that the corrupt data came to be in the printer as a consequence of some activity in the
customer’s workflow; in which case, it is possible that the issue will recur. In this situation, it is very
important to understand the sequence of events in the customer’s workflow that led to the error occurring.
Once the error can be traced in the customer’s workflow, escalate the issue to the GBU through the GCC.
It may be possible to modify the printer’s firmware to avoid the issue in future.

OMES profiles through the EWS.

restarted.

How to troubleshoot the 79:04 system error 71

Network-related SE 79:04

Most HP Designjet printers have built-in networking capabilities. Network settings can be made manually,
but in the majority of cases they are obtained automatically from the printer. These settings include many
different fields, such as IP address and subnet mask, available gateways, and host and domain names.

Issues in the firmware can cause a value in one of these fields to be interpreted incorrectly, and this can
lead to a 79:04 system error.

Troubleshooting

Symptoms

There is no single set of symptoms that can absolutely pinpoint a network-related 79:04 system error.
However, the following guidelines can be applied:

• It can happen at start-up or when accessing the Network Configuration section of the Front Panel.

• In both cases, repeating the action with the LAN cable disconnected does not cause the 79:04 to

occur.

Solutions and workarounds

In most cases, this type of error is caused by an issue in the printer’s firmware. As soon as the conditions
in which the issue happens are understood, it should be escalated to the GBU through the GCC.

At the same time, the following short-term solutions and workarounds can help the customer to get up and
running in the shortest possible time:

1. Disconnect the network cable so that you can start the printer and change network settings.

2. In the Network Configuration menu in the Front Panel, disable any protocols that you are not using,

including IPv6, SNMP, and WebServices.

3. If step 2 does not work, try manual configuration:

a. Enter the correct subnet mask and an IP address in the valid range.

b. In the GateWay field, set the same value as in the IP address field.

c. Do not set a host name or a domain name.

4. If step 3 did not resolve the issue, try updating the firmware, using a USB flash disk if the printer

does not start up, or the Embedded Web Server if it does.

User-interaction-related SE 79:04

In some cases the printer may not react as expected when a certain set of conditions coincide. In these
cases, if the printer doesn’t know how to react, it may simply display a 79:04 system error and force a
restart. Some examples (not real) may help to illustrate this:

• A job is cancelled at the “Finishing print” stage.

• The Window is opened while the printer is checking the printheads.

These errors are likely to happen only in very specific corner cases that have not been identified during
the development or the qualification of the printer, so they do not usually impact the customer severely,
as they do not affect normal workflows.

Symptoms

The symptoms here are as numerous as the number of possible interactions between the user and the
printer. In any case, it’s possible to identify the steps that caused the error to occur and avoid them, as
the steps will always be the same with no variance.

Important: An major element in determining the error is what state the printer was in at the time the
error was displayed. For example, a user action while the printer is drying may produce an error, whereas
the same action while the printer is doing something else (or is idle) may not produce any error.

72 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

Solutions and workarounds

First identify the steps that caused the error. Then proceed as follows:

1. Escalate the issue to the GBU through the GCC in order to have it corrected in the firmware.

2. Recommend to customers that they try to avoid those steps in order to avoid the error.

3. If the conditions that cause the error are in the customer’s regular workflow, try to identify a different

way of achieving the same result.

Random SE 79:04: Concurrence issues and memory leaks

Some 79:04 errors can happen randomly when the printer is being heavily used. However, it’s impossible
to find a single set of conditions that reproduce the problem. It just happens from time to time, without a
defined pattern.

These random 79:04 errors can have two different types of root causes:

• Memory leaks: Before a program is executed, it allocates the memory it will need. After the

execution is complete, the allocated memory is freed to be used by other programs. If the allocation
or the release of the memory are not correctly programmed, every time the program is executed
some memory will be incorrectly labeled (either as used or as free). This is known as a memory leak.
When a program with a memory leak is executed repeatedly, more and more memory becomes
unavailable to other programs (since it is not properly freed). When the leak becomes too big, the
printer is left out of memory to execute new processes and a 79:04 is triggered.

• Concurrence issues: There are certain resources that can be accessed by multiple programs or

by multiple executions of the same program (known as multiple threads). Access to these resources
must be correctly controlled to prevent unexpected behavior. Issues caused by an incorrect control of
these resources are concurrence issues.

Troubleshooting

Symptoms

This type of 79:04 error always occurs in heavy load conditions, so the symptoms will always follow this
pattern:

• A printer that is being heavily used (printing a project or in a reprographics environment) produces

79:04 errors randomly, forcing the user to restart.

• After restarting, the printer can be used without any issues for an extended period of time; but, if the

workload is consistently high, a random error will occur again.

• The error can never be associated with a specific file. The file that was being printed when the error

occurred the last time can be printed without issues after restart. And a file that has been printed
without issues several times can trigger the error in the future.

• The error is very dependant on the customer’s workflow. The most common user workflows have

been extensively tested both by HP and by our beta sites, so random 79:04 issues are highly
unlikely in these cases. These random issues tend to occur in very specific corner cases, and cannot
be reproduced unless the exact conditions of the workflow are replicated.

Workarounds and solutions

Random 79:04 errors are, by far, the most complex ones to diagnose and to fix. The only solutions
available in these cases are:

1. Identify the root cause (either in the files or in the firmware) and fix it in the code, which requires the

intervention of the GBU.

2. Test any options available to modify the customer’s workflow and see if any combination of them

solves the issue.

In both cases, a profound understanding of the customer’s workflow is necessary. In particular, the
information that is needed is:

How to troubleshoot the 79:04 system error 73

• Printer front-panel settings

• The RIP and its version number, the driver and its version number

• The media preset

• The application program, if any

• Some sample files that are representative of what the customer is using

Troubleshooting

• The operating system

• The method of connection to the printer

• A description of the normal flow when the issue occurs and the typical frequency of occurrence: for

example, once every hour when sending multiple several files without a pause, each of them with
multiple copies

With this information, the environment can be replicated in order to try to find workarounds. This is also
the information that will be needed at the GBU to investigate and fix the root cause of this issue once it is
escalated.

Hardware-related SE 79:04

Hardware is, by far, the least likely cause of a 79:04 system error. Replacing hardware components does
not normally fix the issue and increases the total time spent in finding a workable solution.

In some cases, a failure in a component in the printer’s electronics may cause a 79:04 system error, since
the printer’s electronics are involved in the execution of the firmware and the processing of jobs. It should
be noted, however, that hardware failures in the electronics tend to produce specific system errors that
point directly to the component that is failing.

Here are some specific hardware failures that could cause a 79:04 error.

• Defective clusters in the Hard Disk Drive. If these clusters are used to execute the firmware or to

process a job, they may produce a 79:04 error. It should be noted, however, that most 79:04 errors
that are resolved by a Hard Disk Drive replacement are, in fact, data-related 79:04 errors that could
have been solved more efficiently and quickly by following the steps in Section 3.

• Defective memory segments. If the RAM memory has some defective segments, a 79:04 may occur

when these segments are used.

• Intermittent defects in the electronic components that are involved in the processing of a job:

Carriage PCA, Trailing Cable, Formatter, and PrintMech. This is a highly unlikely cause, since
defects in these components will produce subsystem-specific errors.

Symptoms

There is no single set of symptoms behind hardware-related 79:04 system errors. These are the most usual
ones:

• 79:04 error during start up. Restarting the printer may or may not solve the problem.

• 79:04 error while processing or printing a job. Restarting the printer and printing the same job does

not always produce the error.

Solutions and workarounds

In the following procedure, perform each step as it appears in the list, and move on to the next step only
once you are sure the 79:04 error has not been cleared.

1. Restart the printer in Diagnostics Boot mode and execute the service tests to validate the functionality

of all the electronics components.

2. Perform the troubleshooting procedure for data-related system errors, as already described.

3. Replace the memory.

74 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

4. Replace the Hard Disk Drive.

5. Escalate the issue before replacing any additional parts.

Troubleshooting based on symptoms

This section will describe which troubleshooting steps to perform for a 79:04 system error based on the
symptoms of the issue. Perform each step as it appears in the list and move on to the next step only once
you are sure the 79:04 error has not been cleared.

Front panel displays 79:04 at start-up

• Restart the printer. If the system error has been caused by a job in an incorrect format, restarting will

clear the error. If restarting the printer solves the issue, see job-related SE 79:04

• Update the printer’s firmware. If the installed firmware is the latest version, re-install it. Since the

printer cannot start normally, you will need to update the firmware using a USB flash drive.

• Disconnect the network cable and restart the printer. If this solves the problem, see network-related

79:04

page 72.

1. Remove all cartridges, printheads, and printhead cleaning cartridge. Unload the substrate. Restart

the printer. If the printer can start normally, insert the consumables one by one until you isolate the
one that is causing the error. Do not insert any of the replaced consumables in another printer.

2. Restart the printer in Diagnostics Boot Mode and perform the electronics test. If an electronic

component is identified as faulty, replace it.

Troubleshooting

page 70.

3. Restart the printer in Diagnostics Boot Mode and reset the EEROM. If this solves the issue, see data-

related 79:04

4. If the printer has been used for some time and has suddenly started to show this behavior, replace

the Hard Disk Drive.

5. If the printer is new and the issue has been happening since it was first started, do not replace the

Hard Disk Drive.

6. If none of the previous steps solved the issue, escalate the issue with the following information:

• Printer information: serial number, part number, accessories

• Conditions in which the problem occurs and conditions prior to the first occurrence of the

problem

• The results of the above troubleshooting steps

• The system error detailed information (this can be obtained by pressing CANCEL + Down)

•The printer logs

page 70.

Front panel displays 79:04 during printer operation – not while sending jobs

1. Restart the printer.

2. Update the printer’s firmware. If the installed firmware is the latest version, re-install it.

3. Reset the printer to factory defaults.

4. In order to narrow the scope of the issue, try the following:

a. Disable any unused network protocols.

b. Disable SNMP and WebServices.

c. Disable “Sleep mode” from the Service Utilities menu.

d. Delete any substrate families that you may have added to the printer.

How to troubleshoot the 79:04 system error 75

5. Restart the printer in Diagnostics Boot Mode and perform the electronics test. If an electronic

component is identified as faulty, replace it.

6. Restart the printer in Diagnostics Boot Mode and reset the EEROM. If this solves the issue, see data-

related 79:04

page 70.

7. Run the HDD Recovery service utility. If this solves the issue, see data-related 79:04

Troubleshooting

8. Try to identify the combination of settings or actions that led to the system error and try to reach the

same result with a different combination. Escalate the issue to fix the original problem.

9. If none of the previous steps solved the issue, escalate it with the following information:

• Printer information: serial number, part number, accessories

• Conditions in which the problem occurs and conditions prior to the first occurrence of the

problem

• The result of the above troubleshooting steps

• The printer information pages (either printed and faxed or obtained through the Embedded

Web Server)

• The system error detailed information (it can be obtained by pressing CANCEL + Down)

•The printer logs

Front panel displays 79:04 while printing

A. While printing a single job

The error happens after a single job is sent. It’s easy to identify which job has produced the error, since
every time this same job is sent, the error is repeated.

page 70.

1. Restart the printer.

2. Update the printer’s firmware. If the installed firmware is the latest version, re-install it. Send the job

using different print settings. The following ones can be helpful:

a. Try using a different media preset.

b. Try changing the print mode, or at least the number of passes.

3. Escalate the issue, providing the following information:

• Printer information: serial number, part number, accessories

• Conditions in which the problem occurs and conditions prior to the first occurrence of the

problem

• The result of the above troubleshooting steps

• The printer information pages (either printed and faxed or obtained through the Embedded

Web Server)

• The system error detailed information (it can be obtained by pressing CANCEL while the error

is being displayed)

•Workflow information:

-Operating system

- Application

- RIP and RIP version, driver and driver version

- Substrate family and media preset

76 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

-Printer settings

- Connection method and settings

• The original file along with information on how to reproduce the issue

• A print to file that can reproduce the issue

•The printer logs

B. Random 79:04 during continuous printing

The error does not happen with a single job. It happens randomly during continuous printing, normally
while the printer is managing a heavy load (printing a project or in a reprographics environment).

This type of error is caused either by memory leaks or by concurrence issues in the printer’s firmware.
They normally happen in unusual environments in which memory leaks or concurrence issues may occur
without having been detected during qualification. These issues cause the printer to crash at a completely
random moment during printing, and are not associated with a specific job.

Troubleshooting these issues is normally quite complex.

1. Restart the printer. If the issue continues occurring randomly, continue troubleshooting.

2. Update the printer’s firmware. If the installed firmware is the latest version, re-install it.

3. Escalate the issue, providing the following information:

Troubleshooting

• Printer information: serial number, part number, accessories

• The printer information pages (either printed and faxed or obtained through the Embedded
Web Server)

• The system error detailed information (it can be obtained by pressing CANCEL while the error
is being displayed)

•Workflow information:

-Operating system

-Application

- RIP and RIP version, driver and driver version

- Substrate family and media preset

-Printer settings

- Connection method and settings

• Exact information on how to replicate the environment that reproduces the issue, including
some example files that can be sent to the printer to replicate a heavy load environment. These
files will need to be:

- Original application files, if the error occurs when printing from an application

-A print to file

•The printer logs

Vacuum suction much lower at high altitudes

At altitudes above 1,000 meters, the vacuum force holding down the substrate will be lower, therefore
the substrate will not be held in place sufficiently, causing:

• Ink smearing on the substrate

Vacuum suction much lower at high altitudes 77

• Printhead crashes against the substrate

• Roll loading problems (low probability)

The altitude range must be selected in the Front Panel for altitudes higher than 1,000 m.

At altitudes above 3,000 m the printer may not work correctly.

Troubleshooting

The level of suction applied to the substrate can be adjusted from the RIP.

Banding due to ink cartridge replacement while printing

A user has removed the Ink Cartridge while the printer was printing, which has caused the printer to stop.
If the user does not replace the Ink Cartridge immediately, when the printer starts to print again, a band
will appear in the position where the printing restarted. This is because the wet ink interacts with the dried
ink on the substrate causing the band to appear. To solve the problem, try the following:

• Do not remove the Ink Cartridge while the printer is Printing. Only replace/remove Ink Cartridges in

between prints.

• If the Ink Cartridge was replaced due to the “Empty” status on the Front Panel, then advise the

customer to replace the Ink Cartridge when the “Very Low” status is showing on the Front Panel.

78 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

How to interpret the Service Information Pages

The Service Information Pages contain the following information:

• Current Information

• Usage Information

• Event Logs

• Calibration Status

• Connectivity Configuration

• All Pages

It is possible to print the Service Information Pages either through the Front Panel or through the Embedded
Web Server:

• Front Panel: Setup menu Internal Prints Service Information Prints.

• Embedded Web Server: Support tab Service SupportPrinter Information.

Troubleshooting

Even if the printer cannot print, the Information Pages are still accessible through the Embedded Web
Server.

Main characteristics

• Only available in English (except the current information page).

• From the Front Panel, you can choose to print ALL pages or just select the specific pages that are

needed. If ALL pages are printed, nesting is turned ON automatically (and turned OFF once all the
pages have been printed).

• Each page can be printed from the Web browser when using the Embedded Web Server.

• Each page can be sent by e-mail from the Web Browser when using the Embedded Web Server

(File Send Page by E-mail).

• You can see the same information through the Front Panel or the Embedded Web Server.

Banding due to ink cartridge replacement while printing 79

Current information (1 of 2)

The first section, is generic information and is available in every tab, it displays information such as the
current level of firmware installed, the serial number of the printer etc.

This page is in two parts: The first part displays information on the following:

• Current Printer Configuration.

Troubleshooting

• Substrate Loaded Information.

• Current Printhead Kit Information.

Current information (2 of 2)

The second part displays information on the following:

• Current Ink Cartridge Information

• Printhead Cleaning Kit.

80 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

• Ink Maintenance

Printer usage information (1 of 3)

Troubleshooting

This page contains the following information:

• Printer Usage

• Usage per Printhead Slot

• Usage per Cartridge Slot

• Media Usage per Media Type

Banding due to ink cartridge replacement while printing 81

Troubleshooting

Printer Usage: The

total amount of substrate
used in the printer

Media Usage per Media Type: It is possible that the sum of the media used for each media type is lower that the total
amount of media used in the printer. This is because only the total media used in the printer is saved in the backup EEROM
which is located in the ISS PCA. When the Hard Disk Drive is replaced, the total media used per media type is reset to zero
(0), but the total media used is recovered from the backup EEROM.

Total Insertions: This is
linked to the current
printhead installed. When
the printhead is replaced, it
is reset to 1 (the initial
insertion of the current
printhead).

The Ink Cartridges This
section displays the ink
usage per cartridge.

Printer usage information (2 of 3)

• Component Usage

• Preventive Maintenance Usage

• Job Accounting I

• Job Accounting II

82 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Component Usage: A

cycle is counted when the
Carriage makes one
movement to the left of the
printer and then returns to the
right will be reset to zero (0).

Maintenance Usage:

Once the value reaches
100%, the corresponding
Preventive Maintenance Kit
should be used. For further
details, refer to Chapter 9 ­Preventive Maintenance

The history data is the
information of the last 10
consumables. In the case of
the example, the customer
already changed:
one “Print Head Cleaning kit”
at 114% of usage
one “Ink Maintenance Kit” at
8% of usage
This history information may
help to understand the type of
use the customer has with the
consumables.

Job Accounting:

Tracks the usage information
for the purposes of
accountability

Printer usage information (3 of 3)

• Job Accounting III

• Job Accounting IV

• Job Accounting V

Banding due to ink cartridge replacement while printing 83

Troubleshooting

Event logs

This page contains the following information:

• Last 20 System Error Codes (which prevented the printer from booting).

• Last 20 System Warnings (which did not prevent the printer from booting, but which required the

user to acknowledge the problem).

• Printhead Error log.

• GPIO Sensor Status.

In this section the printer is reporting the status of all the sensors. In that way we will know a lot about the
status of the printer at that moment (is the window open?, are all the printheads installed?, etc…)

This may help also to understand if the sensors are working. For example, you could get the information
with loaded substrate, check the status of the “MediaPresenceSensor”, remove the substrate from the
substrate path, get again the service plot information and check if the status has changed.

This may help in several circumstances for an advanced troubleshooting. For example:

We can know the milivolts of the pressure sensor at the moment of getting the service plot (without
measuring it directly). This may help to the R&D engineers to understand the real status of the
pressurization system.

84 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

Same for the sensors inside the ink cartridges.

System/Warning error

• The Line and Internal Code do not provide much information, but are useful in the case of

escalating a problem to the division (different internal error codes can point to the same error code
(e.g. 01.10:10)).

Troubleshooting

• Media Usage (in square meters) and Date (from the printer’s Internal Clock (RTC)) help you to

understand if the printer has been used (media usage) and how much time has passed since the last
error.

Printhead error log

• Printheads ago: History of the last three Printheads used (’0’ represents the current Printhead used).

• Status:’0’ = Working,’1’ = No Printhead Detected,’2’ = Replace,’4’ = Reseat,’8’ = Remove.

• % Ink Used: Percentage of the Warranty life (1000cc).

• Error Code: Specific error code generated by the printer when the Printhead has been replaced.

• Max Recovery:

• 0: No manual Printhead recovery has been performed on the Printhead.

Banding due to ink cartridge replacement while printing 85

Troubleshooting

• 1 or higher: At least one Printhead recovery has been performed.

GPIO log

Calibrations status

This page contains the following information:

• General Calibrations (performed by Service Engineers)

• Diagnostic Log

• Information about the internal NVM values

• For advanced troubleshooting (with the help of an R&D engineer), you can see whether if the line

sensor has “normal” calibration values or something is abnormal

General calibrations

• Printhead Alignment relates to the Printhead Alignment which changes to ‘pending’ when a

Printhead is replaced and the Printhead Alignment has not been performed.

NOTE: When a component is replaced, the corresponding calibration is NOT automatically

set to ‘NOT DONE‘. This is because the printer does not know that there is a new part
installed.

• Drop Detector relates to the Drop Detector or Service Station calibration.

• Line Sensor relates to the Line Sensor Calibration.

Diagnostic log

This section displays the details of the Calibrations that have been performed on the printer, it also
contains useful information, such as if the particular calibration was successful or not.

86 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

Connectivity configuration

This page contains full details of the current configuration of the printer.

Troubleshooting

How to obtain the printer log and the diagnostics package

The printer keeps an internal log of its own actions. When a system error occurs, the product log may
help you to find the cause and the solution. By default, whenever it restarts, the printer deletes the current
log and starts a new one, to avoid using a lot of hard disk space.

You can obtain the printer log through the diagnostics package. There are two types of diagnostic
package:

• Diagnostic package (reduced level)

• Extended diagnostic package (full level)

And there are two ways of retrieving the information:

How to obtain the printer log and the diagnostics package 87

• From the Front Panel with a USB flash drive (reduced level only)

• From the Embedded Web Server (reduced or full level)

NOTE: If the extended diagnostic package is available, it will be the only one visible from

the Embedded Web Server. In order to use the reduced diagnostic package from the
Embedded Web Server, you must disable the extended diagnostic package.

Troubleshooting

When you have obtained the information, it should be attached to the customer case.

Front Panel method

This method works only if you have a standard USB flash drive. If you do not have a flash drive, use the
Embedded Web Server method. You are also recommended to use the Embedded Web Server if you
need the extended diagnostics package to solve a particularly difficult problem.

1. Take a standard USB flash drive, formatted as FAT32.

2. Create an empty file in the USB flash drive (right-click, New > Text Document) and name it

pdipu_enable.log. Then insert the USB flash drive into the printer.

3. The printer starts to copy the diagnostic package to the USB flash drive. Wait for one or two minutes.

You may hear several short beeps for each file copied to the USB flash drive.

4. When you hear one long beep, that means the entire diagnostics package and the printer log have

been copied to the USB flash drive. You can now remove the drive.

5. It will have created a folder with the name part number_serial number_time stamp, and in this folder

you’ll find one or more files with the extension trb. As the name of the folder contains the serial
number, you can reuse the flash drive for different products and the information will not be lost.

Embedded Web server method

1. You can access the Embedded Web Server by typing the IP address of the product in a Web

browser. In the Support tab, click Service support.

2. If the problem persists and is difficult to debug, try the extended diagnostics package. To enable the

extended diagnostics package, click Enable the extended diagnostics package. The printer
should be restarted after enabling or disabling the extended diagnostics package.

3. At any time after enabling the extended diagnostics package, you can download the package and

the printer log by clicking Download the extended diagnostics package.

4. When you have finishing using the extended diagnostics package, remember to disable it;

otherwise it could affect product performance or even cause undesirable side-effects.

Retrieving logs without the diagnostic package

This method is recommended only if you are unable to use the diagnostic package for some reason.

1. Enable the printer log by using the Enable/Disable Logs service test

2. After DO NOT REBOOT is displayed, retrieve at least the current printer log from the following URL:

http://<IP>/hp/device/3432/8828/tmp/, where <IP> is the IP address of the product. Click the
file once to select it, then right-click and select Save target as.

3. The printer.log file contains a log of printer activity since it was last restarted. Previous logs are

compressed and stored in .gz files whose names contain the date and time of the restart. You may
wish to download some of these files as well.

When you do not require permanent logging any more, remember to turn it off, to avoid filling up the
hard disk and degrading product performance. To disable permanent logging, use the Enable/Disable
Logs service test

page 176.

page 176.

88 Chapter 2 Troubleshooting

3System Error Codes

• Introduction......................................................................................................................92

• System error codes and warnings—explanation....................................................................93

• Continuable and non-continuable error codes ......................................................................96

• 01.0:03 – Engine PCA electronics error........................................................................96

• 01.0:10 – Engine PCA hardware failure........................................................................96

• 01.1.03 – PrintMech PCA electronics error.....................................................................96

• 01.1.10 – PrintMech PCA hardware failure.....................................................................96

• 01.2:10 – ISS Pre-Driver PCA communication failure .......................................................96

• 01.3:10 – ISS Pre-Driver PCA communication failure .......................................................97

• 01.10:10 – PrintMech PCA is faulty...............................................................................97

• 01.11:10 – PrintMech PCA is faulty................................................................................97

• 02:10 – Mechanical Carriage error .............................................................................97

• 02.1:10 – Problem with the Carriage PCA .....................................................................98

• 03:10 – Power distribution failure.................................................................................98

• 03.10:10 – Extra 24 V PSU failure................................................................................98

• 05:10 – Formatter communication failure with ISS ..........................................................98

• 05.01:10 – Formatter CPU fan stopped or burnt out........................................................99

• 06.03 – Main NVM communication failure ..................................................................99

• 06.10 – Main NVM communication failure ...................................................................99

• 08.04 – The Front Panel watchdog timer has expired.....................................................99

• Replace the Formatter Þ Page 452. ..............................................................................99

• 08:08 – ASSERT in Front Panel code..........................................................................100

• 08:11 – A Front Panel application has died.................................................................100

• 11:10 – Connection problem with the Trailing Cable ..................................................... 100

• 14.31:10 – Pinch Power regulator V null and no fault.....................................................100

• 14.32:01 – Pinch Power regulator V null and faulty ...................................................... 101

• 14.33:01 – Pinch Power regulator V lower than 140..................................................... 101

• 14.34:01 – Pinch Power regulator V lower than 180..................................................... 101

• 14.35:01 – Pinch Power regulator V higher than Vmax................................................. 101

• 14.36:11 – Pinch Power regulator V could not be read.................................................. 101

• 14.40:10 – Pinch Power regulator current not null......................................................... 102

• 14.41:10 – Pinch Power regulator current too high ........................................................ 102

• 14.42:10 – Pinch Power regulator short-circuit.............................................................. 102

• 14.43:11 – Pinch Power Regulator open circuit............................................................. 102

• 14.46:11 – Pinch Power regulator R out of range.......................................................... 103

• 14.47:10 – Pinch Power regulator OverTemp................................................................ 103

• 14.48:10 – Pinch Power regulator overvoltage or short-circuit......................................... 104

• 14.49:10 – Pinch sine-wave converter failure ............................................................... 104

• 14.51:10 – Overdrive power regulator V null and no fault.............................................. 104

• 14.52:01 – Overdrive power regulator V null and fault................................................. 104

• 14.53:01 – Overdrive power regulator V lower than 140.............................................. 105

• 14.54:01 – Overdrive power regulator V lower than 180.............................................. 105

• 14.55:01 – Overdrive power regulator V higher than Vmax.......................................... 105

• 14.56:11 – Overdrive power regulator V could not be read ........................................... 105

• 14.60:10 – Overdrive power regulator current not null.................................................. 105

• 14.61:10 – Overdrive power regulator current too high ................................................. 106

• 14.62:10 – Overdrive power regulator short-circuit.......................................................106

• 14.63:11 – Overdrive power regulator open circuit....................................................... 106

• 14.66:11 – Overdrive power regulator R out of range................................................... 107

• 14.67:10 – Overdrive power regulator OverTemp......................................................... 107

• 14.68:10 – Overdrive power regulator overvoltage or short-circuit.................................. 107

• 14.69:10 – Overdrive sine-wave error......................................................................... 108

• 14.71:10 – Curing power regulator V null and no fault.................................................. 108

• 14.72:01 – Curing power regulator V null and fault .....................................................108

• 14.73:01 – Curing power regulator V lower than 140 .................................................. 108

• 14.74:01 – Curing power regulator V lower than 180 .................................................. 109

• 14.75:01 – Curing power regulator V higher than Vmax .............................................. 109

• 14.76:11 – Curing power regulator V could not be read ............................................... 109

• 14.80:10 – Curing power regulator current not null ...................................................... 109

• 14.81:10 – Curing power regulator current too high...................................................... 109

• 14.82:10 – Curing power regulator short-circuit ............................................................110

System Error Codes

89

• 14.83:11 – Curing power regulator open circuit............................................................110

• 14.84:11 – Curing power regulator Rtotal is nominal1 ................................................... 111

• 14.85:11 – Curing power regulator Rtotal is nominal2 ................................................... 111

• 14.86:11 – Curing power regulator R out of range ........................................................ 111

• 14.87:10 – Curing power regulator OverTemp.............................................................. 111

• 14.88:10 – Curing power regulator overvoltage or short-circuit ....................................... 112

• 14.89:10 – Curing sine-wave converter failure..............................................................112

• 15.01:00 – Drying system warn-up timed out................................................................ 112

• 15.02:00 – Drying system cool-down timed out ............................................................ 113

• 15.03:00 – Drying system temperature too high ........................................................... 113

• 15.04:00 – Drying system temperature too low ............................................................ 113

• 15.05:00 – Problem with the drying system Temperature Sensor ..................................... 114

• 15.06:00 – Temperature error detected....................................................................... 114

• 15.08:00 – Heating fans array not connected.............................................................. 115

• 15.09:11 – Heating fan fault ...................................................................................... 115

• 15.15:11 – Drying fan short-circuit................................................................................115

• 15.20:01 – Minimum drying power has been automatically adjusted.............................. 115

• 15.15:11 – Drying fan short-circuit................................................................................115

• 16.01:00 – Curing system warn-up timed out................................................................ 116

• 16.02:00 – Curing system cool-down timed out............................................................ 116

• 16.03:00 – Curing system temperature too high ........................................................... 116

• 16.04:00 – Curing system temperature too low ............................................................ 117

• 16.05:00 – Problem with the curing system Temperature Sensor .....................................118

• 16.06:00 – Temperature error detected.......................................................................118

System Error Codes

• 16.08:00 – Curing fans array 1 not connected ............................................................ 119

• 16.09:00 – Curing fan array 1 fault ........................................................................... 119

• 16.11:00 – Curing fans array 2 not connected .............................................................. 119

• 16.20:11 – IR sensor curing fan not connected.............................................................. 119

• 16.21:10 – Curing fan array 2 fault............................................................................ 120

• 17.0:11 – PrintMech to Interconnect power cable disconnected ...................................... 120

• 17.1:11 – PrintMech to Interconnect data 1 cable disconnected....................................... 120

• 17.2:11 – PrintMech to Interconnect data 2 cable disconnected...................................... 120

• 17.3:11 – Engine PCA to PrintMech black 1 cable disconnected......................................121

• 17.4:11 – Engine PCA to PrintMech blue 2 cable disconnected.......................................121

• 21:03 – Service Station electrical current limit...............................................................121

• 21:13 – Problem with the Service Station......................................................................121

• 21.2:10 – Problem with the Web Wipe motor.............................................................. 122

• 21.3:10 – Electrical problem in the Web Wipe Motor................................................... 122

• 21.4:03 – Electrical problem in the Web Wipe Motor.................................................. 122

• 21.5:03 – Web Wipe Assembly Drifting..................................................................... 122

• 23:10 – Air Pressure System failure ............................................................................ 123

• 24:03 – Ink Supply Tubes purge failure...................................................................... 123

• 24:10 – Ink cartridge broken bag .............................................................................. 123

• 24:11 – PrintMech PCA to ISS Top cable disconnected ................................................. 124

• 24.1:11 – ISS Top PCA to ISS Bottom PCA cable disconnected ....................................... 124

• 24.02:00 – Top Cover fans disconnected ................................................................... 124

• 24.03:00 – Top Cover fans not working..................................................................... 124

• 26:14 – A wrong ink cartridge has been detected........................................................ 125

• 26.0:01 – Contact failure with magenta ink cartridge .................................................. 125

• 26.1:01 – Contact failure with yellow ink cartridge....................................................... 125

•

26.2:01 – Contact failure with black ink cartridge ....................................................... 125

• 26.3:01 – Contact failure with cyan ink cartridge ........................................................ 126

• 26.4:01 – Contact failure with light magenta ink cartridge ........................................... 126

• 26.5:01 – Contact failure with light cyan ink cartridge ................................................. 126

• 27:01 – Calibration failed due to a printhead............................................................. 127

• 27:14 – A wrong printhead has been detected ............................................................ 127

• 27:14 – A wrong printhead has been detected ............................................................ 127

• 27.2:01 – Calibration failed due to printhead in slot 2................................................. 127

• 27.3:01 – Calibration failed due to printhead in slot 3................................................. 127

• 27.4:01 – Calibration failed due to printhead in slot 4................................................. 128

• 27.5:01 – Calibration failed due to printhead in slot 5................................................. 128

• 27.6:01 – Calibration failed due to printhead in slot 6................................................. 128

• 29:01 – Printhead Cleaning Cartridge incorrectly inserted............................................ 128

• 32:01 – Take-Up Reel disconnected ........................................................................... 128

• 32:01.1 – Early Take-Up Reel substrate jam ................................................................. 129

• 32:01.2 – Take-Up Reel substrate jam ........................................................................ 129

• 32:01.9 – Take-Up Reel substrate unexpectedly removed............................................... 129

• 32:02 – Take-Up Reel disconnected at initialization ..................................................... 129

• 41:03 – Media-Axis Motor electrical current limit ......................................................... 129

• 42:03 – Scan-Axis Motor electrical current limit........................................................... 130

• 42:10 – Electrical fault in the Scan Axis area............................................................... 130

90 Chapter 3 System Error Codes

• 42.10:11 – Scan-Axis Motor cooling fan not connected ................................................. 130

• 42.11:10 – Scan-Axis Motor cooling fan fault ............................................................... 130

• 43:11 – Vacuum Fan not connected.............................................................................131

• 43.2:11 – Vacuum Fan stopped ..................................................................................131

• 43.3:10 – Vacuum Fan overcurrent..............................................................................131

• 43.4:10 – Vacuum Fan low performance .....................................................................131

• 43.11:11 – Vacuum Fan 2 or 3 not connected................................................................131

• 43.12:11 – Vacuum Fan 2 or 3 stopped ...................................................................... 132

• 43.13:10 – Vacuum Fan 2 or 3 overcurrent.................................................................. 132

• 43.14:10 – Vacuum Fan 2 or 3 low performance ......................................................... 132

• 44:10 – There is a problem with the Aerosol Fan ......................................................... 132

• 44:11 – Aerosol Fan not connected............................................................................ 132

• 44.2:01 – Waste management switch open................................................................ 133

• 44.3:01 – Waste management cable short-circuited .................................................... 133

• 44.4:01 – Problem in the waste management feedback signal...................................... 134

• 45:03 – Rewinder servo shutdown............................................................................. 134

• 45:10 – Rewinder fault............................................................................................. 134

• 46:03 – Primer servo shutdown................................................................................. 135

• 46:10 – Primer test distance failed............................................................................. 135

• 50:14 – Firmware version mismatch ........................................................................... 135

• 50.1:10 – OMAS communication failure ..................................................................... 135

• 50.2:10 – OMAS Controller Card communication failure.............................................. 135

• 50.3:11 – Engine PCA to OMAS Controller cable not connected ................................... 136

• 50.10:11 – TOMAS error .......................................................................................... 136

• 52:01 – A problem with the Drop Detector ................................................................. 136

• 52:10 – A problem with the On/Off switch in the Drop Detector.................................... 136

• 53.1:10 – Media Sensor error.................................................................................... 137

• 53.1:11 – Media Sensor cable not connected............................................................... 137

• 54:10 – Media Lever Sensor error.............................................................................. 137

• 55:10 – Line Sensor communication failure ................................................................. 137

• 56:01 – Incorrect readings from Substrate Encoder...................................................... 137

• 56:10 – Substrate Encoder calibration failed............................................................... 138

• 58:01 – Color Sensor shutter error............................................................................. 138

• 58:10 – Color Sensor failure ..................................................................................... 138

• 58.1:10 – Color Sensor Shutter Actuator failure............................................................ 138

• 58.2:10 – Color Sensor Shutter Deactivator failure....................................................... 139

• 59.1:09 – Two electrical parts have been replaced at the same time............................... 139

• 59.2:00 – An unsupported or reused part has been installed ........................................ 139

• 61:10 – Data lost due to I/O timeout .......................................................................... 139

• 63:05 – The job is reaching the printer too slowly ....................................................... 139

• 65:04 – I/O problem though an unknown port........................................................... 140

• 65:04 – I/O problem though an unknown port........................................................... 140

• 77:04 – Embedded Web Server internal software error................................................ 140

• 78.1:04 – Substrate settings error............................................................................... 140

• 78.2:01 – The back tension has been lost................................................................... 140

• 79:03 – Generic firmware error I................................................................................141

• 79:04 – Generic firmware error II...............................................................................141

• 81:01 – Possible substrate jam....................................................................................141

• 81:03 – Problem with setting the encoder position ....................................................... 142

• 82:01 – Substrate jam in the platen area.................................................................... 142

•

85:03 – Drive Roller encoder problem ....................................................................... 142

• 86:01 – Possible substrate jam .................................................................................. 142

• 87:01 – Problem with the Scan Axis encoder sensor readings ....................................... 142

• 94:01 – Substrate unsuitable for color calibration ........................................................ 143

• 94:02 – Color calibration error: inconsistent colors...................................................... 143

• 94:10 – Color Sensor contaminated by aerosol ........................................................... 143

• 98:03 – Printhead nozzles out.................................................................................. 143

System Error Codes

91

Introduction

Code: 0x1901001
Severity: Error
Priority: 3000
Id: 0x101021a
Description:
STRING_POWER_OFF
File:

73:03

This is the Code that is required
when escalating a problem

Firmware upgrade

The first step to take when trying to clear an error with the printer is to check that the firmware installed
in the printer is the latest available. Firmware updates often include fixes for some of the problems that
are found in the following pages, simply updating the firmware can often resolve the problem. The latest
firmware can be downloaded from the following url: www.hp.com/go/L28500/support

If the error with the printer does not allow you to upgrade the firmware using the normal process, try
upgrading the firmware using the emergency .plt file procedure.

What are system error codes?

System error codes are hexa-decimal based numbers generally caused by internal system errors. The
following pages contain a list of system error codes and their respective descriptions and recommended
corrective actions. Only try one recommended action at a time and check if the issue causing the error
code has been solved.

System Error Codes

If you have an error code which is not documented in this Service Manual or you have an error which
you cannot resolve, then report the error to the HP Response Center or the nearest HP Support Office.
When reporting the error, have the following information ready:

• Model and serial number of the printer.

• Which firmware revision the printer is using (see note below). Check firmware in Setup Menu /

Information Menu / Show Printer Information.

• The complete error number (see note below).

• The Service Configuration Print

• The Current configuration sheet.

• Which software application the customer is using (name, version, etc).

NOTE: When reporting the System Error Code, make sure that you supply the full Internal

Error Code and the firmware version. Without this information, HP Support Personnel cannot
help you. To view the Internal Error Code, hold the DOWN key and press the CANCEL key at
the same when the System Error Code is displayed on the Front Panel.

.

92 Chapter 3 System Error Codes

System error codes and warnings—explanation

System Error Codes explain which component/system is failing and what action should be taken to
resolve the problem.

System Error Codes are displayed directly on the front panel (but can also be seen on the Information
Page) and have been defined in the format XX.YZ. or XX.n:YZ.m.

• XX: Service Part (2 digits).

• n: Service Part Index (if more than one used in the product) – Optional.

• e.g. Identify the Ink Supply (color and number).

• Y: Who should perform the action (1 digit) – (User or Service Engineer).

• Z: Action to perform (1 digit).

• m: additional actions/information to consider (1 digit) – Optional.

• e.g. Non-authorized ink was detected, PM was triggered or printhead in/out of Warranty.

The following table explains the XX part of the System Error Code or Warning:

Code Component/System

01.0 En g in e PC A

01.1 Pri nt M ec h PC A

01.2 ISS Top PCA

01.3 ISS B o tt o m P CA

01.10 PrintMech PCA sine-wave management

01.11 PrintMech PCA sine-wave management

02.1 Carriage PCA
03 Power Supply Unit

03.10 Extra 24 V PSU
05 Formatter

05.1 Formatter Fan

05.3 Formatter Memory
06 Hard Disk Drive
08 Front Panel
09 Vacuum

11 Trailing Cable
14 . 3 , 14 .4 H e a t er C o n tr o l D ry e r Pi n c h e s
14,5, 14.6 Heater Control Dryer Overdrive

14.7, 14.8 Heater Control Curing
15 D r y i n g S y s t e m
16 C u r i n g Sy s t em
17 O t h e r ca b l e s
21 Se r v i ce S t a t io n

23 Pressure System (APS)
24 Ink Delivery Tubes

26.n Ink cartridge (color n)

27.n Printhead (color n)
29 Printhead Cleaning Cartridge
31 C u t t e r

System Error Codes

System error codes and warnings—explanation 93

Code Component/System

32 Take-Up Reel
41 M e d ia -A x i s M o t or

42 Scan-Axis Motor
43 Vacuum Fan
44 Aerosol Fan

45 Rewinder
46 Primer
50 OMAS

51 Window Sensor

51.1 PHC Access Door Sensor
52 Drop Detector
53 Media Sensor

54 Media Lever Sensor

55 Line Sensor
56 Drive Roller Encoder Sensor

System Error Codes

58 Color Sensor
61 Language Interpreting
63 Input/Output through LAN Card
65 Input/Output (port unknown)

66 Print Job Configuration

71 Memory Management
74 Firmware Upgrade

77 Embedded Web Server

78 Media Settings
79 Assertion (Uncontrollable Firmware Error)
81 Media Advance
82 Media Jam Sensor

85 Media-Axis Encoder Reading
86 Carriage Movement

93 Ink Pumping
97 Automatic Media Advance Calibration

The following table explains the YZ part of the System Error Code or Warning:

Code Recovery action Response

00 Replace
01 Reseat/Reconnect/Clean/Adjust (manually)
02 Calibrate/Adjust (using automatic process)
03 Power off and restart the printer
04 Upgrade system firmware
05 Upgrade driver or computer software
06 Add accessory
07 Escalate
08 Send plot again
09 Wrong part installed

94 Chapter 3 System Error Codes

Possible for customer to perform action

Code Recovery action Response

10 Replace

11 Reseat/Reconnect/Clean/Adjust (manually)
12 Calibrate/Adjust (using automatic process)
13 Po w e r of f
14 Upgrade system firmware
15 Upgrade driver or computer software
16 Add accessory
17 E s ca l a te
18 Send plot again
19 Wrong part installed

HP qualified personnel assistance

required

System Error Codes

System error codes and warnings—explanation 95

Continuable and non-continuable error codes

Some of the error codes are continuable, which means you can press Enter on the front panel and
continue working with the printer. Non-continuable error codes do not allow you to continue working with
the printer, in this case power the printer off and on again and see whether the system error disappears.
If the error code reappears, then the printer requires an on-site visit in order to resolve the problem.

Important note: If the solution calls for a replacement part, replace one component at a time and check
if the error has been cleared before replacing another component. Using this procedure you will be able
to determine exactly which component has failed.

SE Code: 01.0:03 – Engine PCA electronics error

Problem description:

The Engine PCA has failed to respond.

Corrective action:

Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

System Error Codes

SE Code: 01.0:10 – Engine PCA hardware failure

Problem description:

Engine PCA hardware failure.

Corrective action:

1. Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

2. Replace the Engine PCA Page 452.

SE Code: 01.1.03 – PrintMech PCA electronics error

Problem description:

The PrintMech PCA has failed to respond.

Corrective action:

Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

SE Code: 01.1.10 – PrintMech PCA hardware failure

Problem description:

PrintMech PCA hardware failure.

Corrective action:

1. Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

2. Replace the PrintMech PCA Page 467.

SE Code: 01.2:10 – ISS Pre-Driver PCA communication failure

Problem description:

The ISS Pre-Driver PCA has failed to respond.

96 Chapter 3 System Error Codes

Corrective action:

1. Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

2. Check that the connections of the ISS Pre-Driver PCA (Upper, Lower, and Adaptor) are correctly

connected and not damaged.

3. Check with another set of ink cartridges, to ensure the error is not with the ink cartridges.

4. Replace the ISS Pre-Driver PCA (Upper, Lower, and Adaptor) -->

Page 398

SE Code: 01.3:10 – ISS Pre-Driver PCA communication failure

Problem description:

The ISS Pre-Driver PCA has failed to respond.

Corrective action:

1. Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

2. Check that the connections of the ISS Pre-Driver PCA (Upper, Lower, and Adaptor) are correctly

connected and not damaged.

3. Check with another set of ink cartridges, to ensure the error is not with the ink cartridges.

4. Replace the ISS Pre-Driver PCA (Upper, Lower, and Adaptor) -->

Page 398

SE Code: 01.10:10 – PrintMech PCA is faulty

Problem description:

The PrintMech PCA is not disabling sine-wave converters when requested.

Corrective action:

1. Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

.

System Error Codes

.

2. Replace the PrintMech PCA Page 467.

SE Code: 01.11:10 – PrintMech PCA is faulty

Problem description:

The PrintMech PCA is not enabling sine-wave converters when requested.

Corrective action:

1. Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

2. Replace the PrintMech PCA Page 467.

SE Code: 02:10 – Mechanical Carriage error

Problem description:

Mechanical Carriage error.

Corrective action:

1. Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

2. Replace the Carriage Assembly Page 416.

Continuable and non-continuable error codes 97

SE Code: 02.1:10 – Problem with the Carriage PCA

Problem description:

The Carriage PCA has failed to respond.

Corrective action:

1. Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

2. Check that the Trailing Cable is not damaged.

3. Check that the Trailing Cable is correctly connected to the Carriage PCA, Interconnect PCA, and

Engine PCA

4. Replace the Carriage PCA Page 408.

.

SE Code: 03:10 – Power distribution failure

Problem description:

The Power Supply Unit (PSU) may have failed.

System Error Codes

Corrective action:

1. Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

2. If the Power Supply Unit's blue LED is on, replace the PrintMech PCA Page 467.

3. Otherwise, replace the Power Supply Unit Page 457.

SE Code: 03.10:10 – Extra 24 V PSU failure

Problem description:

Extra 24 V PSU failure.

Corrective action:

1. Switch the power off at the rear of the printer.

2. Disconnect all drying fans (not the array, the fans one by one).

3. Switch the printer on.

4. If the error persists, check that Secondary PSU cables are properly connected to PrintMech PCA and

Main PSU.

5. If the error persists, replace the Extra 24 V PSU Page 323.

6. Connect the fans one by one until the error returns. Use the diagnostic test for the fans; it should

switch them all on.

7. Replace the drying fan that caused the error.

8. Make sure that you test all of them: more than one may be faulty.

SE Code: 05:10 – Formatter communication failure with ISS

Problem description:

The Formatter is not communicating with the Ink Supply Station.

Corrective action:

1. Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

98 Chapter 3 System Error Codes

2. Check that the Formatter to PrintMech PCA cable is correctly connected.

3. Replace the Formatter Page 452.

SE Code: 05.01:10 – Formatter CPU fan stopped or burnt out

Problem description:

Formatter CPU fan stopped or burnt out.

Corrective action:

1. Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

2. Replace the Formatter Page 452.

SE Code: 06.03 – Main NVM communication failure

Problem description:

The Main NVM is not responding.

Corrective action:

1. Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

2. Replace the Hard Disk Drive Page 454.

SE Code: 06.10 – Main NVM communication failure

Problem description:

The Main NVM is not responding.

Corrective action:

1. Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

2. Replace the Hard Disk Drive Page 454.

SE Code: 08.04 – The Front Panel watchdog timer has expired

Problem description:

The Front Panel watchdog timer has expired.

Corrective action:

1. Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

System Error Codes

2. Check the main PSU LEDs to make sure that it is providing power as expected. See “The printer does

not power on” on page 47.

3. Upgrade the firmware.

4. Replace the Formatter Page 452.

SE Code: 08:04.1 – ASSERT in Front Panel code

Problem description:

ASSERT in Front Panel code.

Continuable and non-continuable error codes 99

Corrective action:

1. Press Enter and continue.

2. Update the firmware.

SE Code: 08:08 – ASSERT in Front Panel code

Problem description:

ASSERT in Front Panel code.

Corrective action:

Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

SE Code: 08:11 – A Front Panel application has died

Problem description:

A Front Panel application has died.

System Error Codes

Corrective action:

1. Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

2. Check the main PSU LEDs to make sure that it is providing power as expected. See “The printer does

not power on” on page 47.

3. Upgrade the firmware.

4. Replace the Formatter Page 452.

SE Code: 11:10 – Connection problem with the Trailing Cable

Problem description:

The Trailing Cable does not seem to be connected.

Corrective action:

1. Check that the Trailing Cable is not damaged.

2. Check that the Trailing Cable is correctly connected to the Carriage PCA, Interconnect PCA, and

Engine PCA.

3. Replace the Ink Supply Tubes and Trailing Cable Page 381.

NOTE: If the Ink Supply Tubes are to be replaced, the ink cartridges need to be checked

beforehand to see if they are capable of purging the new tubes. If they are not, new ink
cartridges must also be sent with the parts to be replaced. To check the ink cartridges 
Page 159.

SE C o d e : 14 . 31:10 – Pin c h Po wer regulator V null and no fault

Problem description:

Pinch Power regulator V null and no fault.

Corrective action:

1. Switch the power off at the rear of the printer, wait briefly, then switch it back on again.

2. Run the Monitoring Sine-waves and Resistances diagnostic test.

100 Chapter 3 System Error Codes