Epson EPL-N4000 User manual

EPSON EPL-N4000/EPL-N4000+
Laser Printer
SEPG98002
®


Notice

All ri
g
hts reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic,
mechanical, photocopyin
g
, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION.

All effort have been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this manual. However, should any errors be detected, SEIKO EPSON would
g
reatly appreciate bein
g
informed of them.

The contents of this manual are subject to chan
g
e without notice.

All effort have been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this manual. However, should any errors be detected, SEIKO EPSON would
g
reatly appreciate bein
g
informed of them.

The above not withstandin
g
SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION can assume no responsibility for any errors in this manual or the consequences
thereof.
EPSON is a re
g
istered trademark of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION.
General Notice: Other product names used herein are for identification purpose only and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective owners. EPSON disclaims any and all rights in those marks.
Copyri
g
ht © 1998 SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION. Printed in Japan.

PRECAUTIONS
Precautionary notations throu
g
hout the text are cate
g
orized relative to 1)Personal injury and 2) dama
g
e to equipment.
DANGER
Si
g
nals a precaution which, if i
g
nored, could result in serious or fatal personal injury. Great caution should be exercised in
performin
g
procedures preceded by DANGER Headin
g
s.
WARNING
Si
g
nals a precaution which, if i
g
nored, could result in dama
g
e to equipment.
The precautionary measures itemized below should always be observed when performin
g
repair/maintenance procedures.
DANGER
1. ALWAYS DISCONNECT THE PRODUCT FROM THE POWER SOURCE AND PERIPHERAL DEVICES PERFORMING ANY
MAINTENANCE OR REPAIR PROCEDURES.
2. NO WORK SHOULD BE PERFORMED ON THE UNIT BY PERSONS UNFAMILIAR WITH BASIC SAFETY MEASURES AS DICTATED
FOR ALL ELECTRONICS TECHNICIANS IN THEIR LINE OF WORK.
3. WHEN PERFORMING TESTING AS DICTATED WITHIN THIS MANUAL, DO NOT CONNECT THE UNIT TO A POWER SOURCE UNTIL
INSTRUCTED TO DO SO. WHEN THE POWER SUPPLY CABLE MUST BE CONNECTED, USE EXTREME CAUTION IN WORKING ON
POWER SUPPLY AND OTHER ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS.
WARNING
1. REPAIRS ON EPSON PRODUCT SHOULD BE PERFORMED ONLY BY AN EPSON CERTIFIED REPAIR TECHNICIAN.
2. MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE SOURCE VOLTAGES IS THE SAME AS THE RATED VOLTAGE, LISTED ON THE SERIAL NUMBER/
RATING PLATE. IF THE EPSON PRODUCT HAS A PRIMARY AC RATING DIFFERENT FROM AVAILABLE POWER SOURCE, DO NOT
CONNECT IT TO THE POWER SOURCE.
3. ALWAYS VERIFY THAT THE EPSON PRODUCT HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED FROM THE POWER SOURCE BEFORE REMOVING OR
REPLACING PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS AND/OR INDIVIDUAL CHIPS.
4. IN ORDER TO PROTECT SENSITIVE MICROPROCESSORS AND CIRCUITRY, USE STATIC DISCHARGE EQUIPMENT, SUCH AS
ANTI-STATIC WRIST STRAPS, WHEN ACCESSING INTERNAL COMPONENTS.
5. REPLACE MALFUNCTIONING COMPONENTS ONLY WITH THOSE COMPONENTS BY THE MANUFACTURE; INTRODUCTION OF
SECOND-SOURCE ICs OR OTHER NONAPPROVED COMPONENTS MAY DAMAGE THE PRODUCT AND VOID ANY APPLICABLE
EPSON WARRANTY.

About This Manual
This manual describes basic functions, theory of electrical and mechanical operations, maintenance and repair procedures of EPL-N4000/N4000+.
The instructions and procedures included herein are intended for the experienced repair technicians, and attention should be
g
iven to the precautions
on the precedin
g
pa
g
e.
Contents
This manual consists of six chapters and Appendix.
CHAPTER 1. PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS
Provides a
g
eneral overview and specifications of the
product.
CHAPTER 2. OPERATING PRINCIPLES
Describes the theory of electrical and mechanical
operations of the product.
CHAPTER 3. TROUBLESHOOTING
Provides the step-by-step procedures for the
troubleshootin
g
.
CHAPTER 4. DISASSEMBLY AND ASSEMBLY
Describes the step-by-step procedures for
disassemblin
g
and assemblin
g
the product.
CHAPTER 5. ADJUSTMENTS
Provides Epson-approved methods for adjustment.
CHAPTER 6. MAINTENANCE
Provides preventive maintenance procedures and the
lists of Epson-approved lubricants and adhesives
required for servicin
g
the product.
APPENDIX Provides the followin
g
additional information for
reference:
• Connector pin assi
g
nments
• Electric circuit boards components layout
• Exploded dia
g
ram
• Electrical circuit boards schematics
Symbols Used in This Manual
Various symbols are used throu
g
hout this manual either to provide
additional information on a specific topic or to warn of possible dan
g
er
present durin
g
a procedure or an action. Be aware of all symbols when
they are used, and always read WARNING, CAUTION or NOTE
messa
g
es.
Indicates an operatin
g
or maintenance procedure, practice
or condition that, if not strictly observed, could result in injury
or loss of life.
Indicates an operatin
g
or maintenance procedure, practice,
or condition that, if not strictly observed, could result in
dama
g
e to, or destruction of, equipment.
May indicate an operatin
g
or maintenance procedure,
practice or condition that is necessary to accomplish a task
efficiently. It may also provide additional information that is
related to a specific subject, or comment on the results
achieved throu
g
h a previous action.
CAUTION
CHECK
POINT

Safety Information
To prevent accidents durin
g
a maintenance procedure, strictly observe
the Warnin
g
s and Cautions. Do not do anythin
g
that is dan
g
erous or not
within the scope of this document.
Do not do anythin
g
that is dan
g
erous even if not specifically described
in this manual. In addition to the descriptions below and those
g
iven in
this manual, there are many situations and circumstances that are
dan
g
erous. Be aware of these when you are workin
g
with the printer.
Safety Precautions
POWER SUPPLY AND ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
Before startin
g
any service procedure, turn off the printer and unplu
g
the power cord from the wall outlet. If you must service the printer with
the power applied, be aware of the potential for electrical shock and do
all tasks by followin
g
the procedures in this manual.
W ARNING
Do not touch any electrified component unless you are
instructed to do so by service procedure.

MECHANICAL COMPONENTS
If you service a drivin
g
assembly (e.
g
.,
g
ears), first turn off the power
and unplu
g
the power cord. Then manually rotate the assembly.
LASER ASSEMBLY
To avoid permanent eye dama
g
e, follow these directions;

Before startin
g
any service procedure, switch off the printer
power and unplu
g
the power cord from the wall outlet.

Do not disassemble the ROS Assembly or any laser component
that displays a Laser Warnin
g
Sticker.

Use caution when you are workin
g
around the ROS Assembly or
when you are performin
g
laser related repair procedures.

Do not disassemble the printer in such a way that the laser
beam can exit the printer en
g
ine durin
g
a print cycle.
W ARNING
Do not try to manually rotate or stop the drive
assemblies while the Main Motor is running.
W ARNING
This printer uses a laser as part of the printing process.
The laser beam is a very powerful, straight, narrow
beam of light that produces extreme heat at its focal
point. The laser beam in this printer is invisible.
Although you cannot see the beam, it can still cause
severe damage. Direct eye exposure to the laser beam
may cause eye injury or blindness.
Never place a mirror or a reflective tool or object in the
laser beam path.

Safety Components
Make sure fuses, interlock switches, covers and panels are all
functionin
g
properly after you have reinstalled or replaced them.
Warning/Caution Labels
WARNING and CAUTION labels are stuck on dan
g
erous parts in the
printer to make you aware of the potential dan
g
ers that are present
when you are workin
g
with those parts.

Revision Status
Revision Issued Date Description
Rev. A November 4, 1998 First Release
Rev.B September 16, 1999 Add EPL-N400+ and revise all chapters for EPL-N4000/N4000+

EPSON EPL-N4000/EPL-N4000+
Rev.B
Contents
Product Description
Features ........................................................................................................ 2
Changes from EPL-N4000 to EPL-N4000+ ................................................ 5
Basic Specification ...................................................................................... 8
Controller Specification ............................................................................ 8
En
g
ine Specification ................................................................................. 9
Paper Specification ................................................................................ 10
Electrical Specification ........................................................................... 12
Reliability, Durability and Maintainability ................................................ 13
Safety Approval ...................................................................................... 15
Environmental Specification ................................................................... 16
Operatin
g
Environment(includin
g
optional parts) ............................... 16
Stora
g
e Environment(includin
g
optional parts) ................................... 16
Altitude ............................................................................................... 16
Vibration Tolerance ............................................................................ 16
External Dimension and wei
g
ht .............................................................. 17
Other Specifications ............................................................................... 18
Consumables ......................................................................................... 18
Confi
g
uration .......................................................................................... 18
Host Interface Specification .................................................................... 19
Parallel Interface ................................................................................ 19
Ethernet Interface Specification ......................................................... 20
Type-B Interface ................................................................................. 22
OPERATION ............................................................................................... 23
Control Panel .......................................................................................... 23
Status Sheet ....................................................................................... 26
Panel Settin
g
Mode ................................................................................ 26
One Touch Settin
g
Mode .................................................................. 26
List of Settin
g
Items ............................................................................ 27
Description of Settin
g
Item and Model-dependent ............................. 35
Printin
g
Menu ..................................................................................... 36
User settin
g
items not included in the settin
g
menu ............................... 43
Special Operation Functions .................................................................. 44
Maintenance Mode ................................................................................. 46
Operation ............................................................................................ 46
En
g
ine Status Sheet .............................................................................. 47
Initialization Process .............................................................................. 51
Operating Principles
Mechanical Drive ....................................................................................... 53
Overview ................................................................................................ 53
Mechanical Drive Component ................................................................ 53
Offset Motor ........................................................................................ 54
Main Motor and Main Drive Assembly ................................................ 54
Lift Up Motor 1 and Lift Up Motor 2 .................................................... 55
Motor Control ...................................................................................... 55
Paper Path .................................................................................................. 56
Paper Path Components ........................................................................ 57
Paper Feed, Transport and Paper Eject Drive ....................................... 59
Mechanical drive for paper fed from the MSI ......................................... 59
Mechanical Drive for Paper Fed from Tray1 .......................................... 60
Mechanical Drive for Paper Fed from Tray2 .......................................... 60
Mechanical Drive for Re
g
istration .......................................................... 61
Mechanical Drive for the Drum and BTR ............................................... 61
Mechanical Drive for the Fuser .............................................................. 62
Mechanical Drive for Exit Drive .............................................................. 62
Mechanical Drive for Offset .................................................................... 63
Paper Path Component Control ............................................................. 63
ROS (Raster Output Scanner) .................................................................. 64
ROS Components .................................................................................. 64
Housed inside the ROS Assembly ..................................................... 64
ROS Operation ....................................................................................... 65
Ima
g
e Resolution ............................................................................... 66
ROS Control ....................................................................................... 66
Print Process ............................................................................................. 68

EPSON EPL-N4000/EPL-N4000+
Rev.B
Char
g
e .................................................................................................... 69
Exposure ................................................................................................ 70
Develop .................................................................................................. 71
Transfer .................................................................................................. 72
Detack .................................................................................................... 72
Fusin
g
..................................................................................................... 73
Clean ...................................................................................................... 73
Print Sequence .......................................................................................... 74
Operating Principles for Power Supply Circuit ...................................... 76
Power Supply Circuit .............................................................................. 76
Power Supply Components .................................................................... 76
Printer Control ........................................................................................... 79
Printer Control Components ................................................................... 81
Machine Control Unit PWB (MCU PWB) ............................................ 81
Components attached to or associated with the MCU PWB: ............. 81
Function of the MCU durin
g
printer control ......................................... 85
Controller ................................................................................................ 87
Functions of the Controller ................................................................. 87
Specification on the Controller ........................................................... 87
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting ........................................................................................ 90
Service Flowchart ................................................................................... 90
FIP Flowchart ......................................................................................... 91
How to use the FIP Flowchart ............................................................ 91
How to follow a FIP ............................................................................ 92
General Notes on Usin
g
FIPs ............................................................. 92
Printer Message ......................................................................................... 94
Printer Messa
g
e ..................................................................................... 96
Service Req. Error .................................................................................. 99
En
g
ine Error ....................................................................................... 99
Controller Error ................................................................................... 99
Operation when Service Req. Error Occurs ......................................... 100
Printer Performance Problems(not indicated by Error Codes) ........... 101
Inoperative Printer ................................................................................ 101
Erratic Operation .................................................................................. 103
Inoperative Control Panel ..................................................................... 104
Inoperative Main Drive Assembly ......................................................... 105
Inoperative Paper Feed Drive .............................................................. 107
J1-2 is not displayed when the EP Cartrid
g
e is out of toner ................ 108
Inoperative Interlock Switch ................................................................. 108
Inoperative Offset ................................................................................. 109
Image Quality FIPs .................................................................................. 110
Li
g
ht(Undertoned) Prints ...................................................................... 111
Blank White .......................................................................................... 113
Black Prints .......................................................................................... 114
Vertical Band Deletions ........................................................................ 116
Horizontal Band Deletions .................................................................... 117
Vertical Streaks .................................................................................... 118
Horizontal Streaks ................................................................................ 119
Spot Deletions ...................................................................................... 121
Spots .................................................................................................... 122
Residual Ima
g
e or Ghostin
g
................................................................. 124
Back
g
round .......................................................................................... 125
Skewed Ima
g
e ..................................................................................... 127
Dama
g
ed Prints ................................................................................... 128
Unfused Ima
g
e or Ima
g
e Easily Rubbed Off ........................................ 129
Ima
g
e not Re
g
istered Correctly ........................................................... 129
Secondary FIPs ....................................................................................... 130
Disassembly and Assembly
Overview .................................................................................................. 133
Cautions before startin
g
....................................................................... 133
Tools .................................................................................................... 133
Notations in the Manual ....................................................................... 133
Procedures for Disassembling .............................................................. 135
Fuser Full Cover ................................................................................... 138
Removal ........................................................................................... 138
Installation ........................................................................................ 138
Top Cover Assembly ............................................................................ 139
Removal ........................................................................................... 139
Installation ........................................................................................ 139
Rear Cover Assembly .......................................................................... 140
Removal ........................................................................................... 140
Installation ........................................................................................ 140