CLX 3175 CLX 3175FW toner / page count reset by changing the EEprom values

Hello, 

This is all due to the fact that I found recently 2 printers, one CLX3175 and another one CLX3175FW in the recycling. This was on top of my son's CLP315 that was going empty for almost all cartridges.

Obviously the scanner and copier version is much more attractive than the simple CLP 310, so I start to dig in the page counts, both CLX were about 21.000 pages old and chipped cartridges almost empty.

After reading more info about the methods to reset the CLP300 cartridge chips, using the PonyProg software and the serial interface I2C, I noticed that the CLX cartridge chip cannot be read (and therefore to be copied) like the CLP 300. ( They may be encrypted or protected, not worth the headache and not the purpose of this blog).

On all the posts I have read on this topic of resetting Samsung CLP and CLX printers, there was a guy who said the method did not work for him but the modified software (firmware) solution was very good for him (of course, he was the one selling it), to contact him at ..bla @bla.com

Well, if I got the printers for free, why I will ever want to pay for the stupid software, while I can do this for free and lots of fun too :)

Of course the usual disclaimer, you're doing this at your own risk, I'm not going to buy you another printer if you wreck yours, etc..

After reading about the previous discovered ways of reset the EEprom data by holding SDA to ground and loss of all the wifi DATA and the rest, that solution was not very acceptable, I started to read the info dealing with ponyprog and changing the EEprom values.

I read the first EEprom on the CLP 315 pcb (which I finally trashed for the much newer parts it had, like the fuser (3.000 pages) and the image transfer belt. )

I took the CLP315 pcb out, power up the 24C64WP to 3.3V to read it.

The amps consumed ( is connected to the ARM CPU) is around 0.8A at 3.3V

Reading the hex dump with a hex editor was giving interesting info about the locations of different supply's life remaining.

Those hex dumps are similar with the ones in the clp-300.blogspot.ca CLP 300 reset blog, read there about how to build your PonyProg serial interface and the rest of the hardware details.

I went after to CLX-3175, open the side cover and while the printer is OFF, read the EEprom.

CLX 3175 pcb

(First put tape on all cartridge chips, print supply info, then turn off and read eeprom.) 

I liked to use non invasive soldering of any wires, I used pins to provide power and SDA SCL contacts.

The pic is from CLX-3175FW

 

Search for values in hex for the supply numbers. It is interesting that for this version of the FW the incremented page count is reflected in the supply info page.

For CLX-3170FW the actual numbers are incremented with 1 due to the supply info page you just print.

So look for +1 black page numbers. The color numbers stay the same. (but the drum and belt all go +1).

So with tape on the chips, all the cartridges info in the EEprom goes into CRUM-0000000000 like format, no need to zero there anything.

Using the hex to decimal calculator I was able to find the exact numbers like in the supply info for CLX-3175, same locations are kept in the CLX-3175FW, which is good, I could verify and confirm them! ( As I said, they were actually +1 page numbers for CLX-3175FW) 

 
 

HEX address locations are here:

Total page count: 7E-7F/82-83 

Total image count: 542-543

Platen Scan Page Count: 676-677

Fuser Life: 6E-6F

Transfer Roller Life: 72-73

Tray Roller Life: 7A-7B

Transfer Belt Life: 86-87

The pages of each CRUM-0000000000 and percentage are 2 different locations:

Page count for Yellow is at: 4AE-4AF

Page count for Magenta is at: 4BA-4BB

Page count for Cyan is at: 4C6-4C7

Page count for Black is at: 4D2-4D3

The toner % remaining locations are taken from another post: (if you do not fix that, it will give you weird numbers and still not turn off the empty toner message)

Dot Count Remain(%): 4A8-4AB;4B4-4B7;4C0-4C3;4CC-4CF –right before the page count

Not sure what is the real dot count and the rest but I did as instructed from another post:

Real Dot Count: 7A8-7AF;7B0-7B7  fill with 00, also

Motor on Time: 7B8-7BF;7C0-7C7

As a mention, I did not tied up the 24C64 pin 7 (WP)  to VCC to block writing, because I needed to still do changes in the settings, anyway it takes about 30 minutes to open the cover, fire up the ponyprog and rewrite the already saved (modified) file back to the EEProm. Plus there is no soldering required.
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Latest update, after fixing a CLP-310 / 315 toner levels, I decided to test the write block to see if the values remain and if the firmware will not complain. I did lift the pin 7 of the EEprom and put a wire so I can solder-it to Vcc or GND. By turning off the power, indeed it all the values on the CLP 310 toner comes back to 0 and the FW does not complain. I will put this in another blog.

I finished by adding the same feature to the CLX 3175, adding to the wire I hooked on pin 7 (previously lifted from the pcb) an extra switch to the back of the printer so I can change the ip address if I need and I can still make-it permanent after the power on - power off.
The switch puts the pin 7 to Vcc (pin8) or GND (pin4) -write enable, depending on the need.
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The original firmware file and the modified one compared give this:

Search for differences

1. C:\CLX3175FW data\clx3175FW.bin: 8,192 bytes
2. C:\CLX3175FW data\clx3175FW_doctored.bin: 8,192 bytes
Offsets: hexadec.  example:  6E: 55 00  where 6E=location, 55 original value, 00 new value and so on

  6E: 55 00
  6F: C4 05
  72: 1D 00
  73: C1 06
  7A: 1D 00
  7B: C8 07
 4A9: 2B 00
 4AA: 7C 00
 4AB: 16 00
 4AE: 02 00
 4AF: 75 01
 4B5: 38 00
 4B6: 5E 00
 4B7: 3A 00
 4BA: 02 00
 4BB: 75 02
 4C1: 31 00
 4C2: BF 00
 4C3: 6E 00
 4C6: 02 00
 4C7: 75 03
 4CD: A0 00
 4CE: A4 00
 4CF: 25 00
 4D2: 03 00
 4D3: FE 04
 542: 56 00
 7A9: 26 00
 7AA: D1 00
 7AB: E5 00
 7AD: 38 00
 7AE: 89 00
 7AF: 72 00
 7B1: 31 00
 7B2: E1 00
 7B3: C4 00
 7B5: 88 00
 7B6: D4 00
 7B7: 06 00
 7B9: 04 00
 7BA: DD 00
 7BB: FC 00
 7BD: 03 00
 7BE: 97 00
 7BF: D8 00
 7C1: 03 00
 7C2: BE 00
 7C3: A4 00
 7C5: 0E 00
 7C6: F9 00
 7C7: AC 00

51 difference(s) found.

I do not think is good to alter other locations, you may have unexpected results.

Also check my post in fixing Apple MacBook A1181 power button problem / magsafe not turning on the green light, at http://a1181-power-button.blogspot.ca/

Tags: CLX 3175 / CLX 3175FW toner percentage reset refill no chip required