Author Topic: Canon MG7550 issues  (Read 12599 times)

MatNieuw

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Canon MG7550 issues
« on: June 24, 2015, 11:24:55 am »
Hi,

First, many thanks to Pete for his instructions on how to get the 7550 to work with cups on the network. I've done this successfully on both my live and test partition.

I have two issues with printing:
- The printer (using the MG7150 model in Cups which is very similar) has 2 paper cassettes. I can only address cassette 2 (bottom one, A4 paper), and the CD. I cannot address cassette 1, which normally hold envelopes or photo paper. On a Mint Linux system with Cups 1.4.8, I installed the Canon drivers, they work fine and have the same problem. I cannot test here with the Windows package that comes with the printer to see if cassette 1 can be used. Has anyone suggestions?

- Whenever I print A4, the printer complains about it not being the same paper. Obviously both PC and printer have been setup for A4. I've disabled the warning for now, but what does the printer look at for this? I've set the menu language to Dutch, I cannot imagine this would be related. Suggestions?

Thanks, Mat

Alex Taylor

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Re: Canon MG7550 issues
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2015, 01:04:10 pm »
In an OS/2 printer object there are two places you have to set the paper size: in the driver properties, and in the default job properties.

You should also make sure that the application isn't overriding the paper size in the job properties.

And, if you are using CUPS, you should ALSO check the CUPS job properties for that printer.

So in total there are four possible places that an incorrect paper size could be hiding.  Not counting in the actual printer.

MatNieuw

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Re: Canon MG7550 issues
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2015, 01:14:18 pm »
Hi Alex,

thanks, but I am using Cups, and it also has the problem if I print a Cups test page, where I can see the media as being "media=iso_a4_210x297mm" . I wonder if it hasn't more to do with the paper type than the size. In Cups it is set to "plain paper", and if I set the printer to the English menu it is the same "plain paper", but it still has the problem.

Mat

Pete

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Re: Canon MG7550 issues
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2015, 02:18:09 am »
Hi Mat

I bumped into this paper size error problem and ended up disabling the setting on the printer that checks paper size.

I did this simply because under Windows7 the *Default* driver setting is something like "Ignore paper size" ie this does not work properly under Windows!

I guess it could be my Windows7 system that somehow set this; if you have Windows7 run the MG7550 install then check the driver settings.

Must admit that I have not yet tried using cassette 1... without looking up the specs for the MG7150 maybe that did not have 2 cassettes. Looking at the \cup\etc\cups\ppd\mg7550.ppd file I see only 1 "input slot"  which is named "cassette".

Looks like we are waiting for cups to catch up with the hardware  - no real surprise for OS/2 users to have to wait for software driver(s) to catch up with hardware  :-)


Regards

Pete

MatNieuw

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Re: Canon MG7550 issues
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2015, 05:22:53 am »
Hi Pete,

From looking at the Canon website, the MG7150 also has two cassettes, I don't know what changed between the two.
Under Linux, using Cups 1.4.8 with the binary Canon driver, the paper size is set up the same in Cups as under OS/2, and if I print a Linux Cups test page the printer does not complain. I guess I ought to look at the datastream to the printer and see what difference there is, maybe they translate the Cups setting into something different.
The ppd file Canon uses on Linux is so different from the OS/2 (Cups 2.0.0) one, that I don't dare importing it.
Do you have a windows to test with? Does the cassette 2 appear there?

Mat

MatNieuw

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Re: Canon MG7550 issues
« Reply #5 on: June 25, 2015, 10:53:04 pm »
I have been able to test with a Windows and the sample photo paper that came with the printer.

If you initially look at windows, you see also just one cassette, nr 2. If you print on 10x15 cm for the photo, then the cassette changes to 1, presumable because I registered that paper for that cassette at the printer, and Windows queries the printer (via the LAN).

I attempted to print from OS/2 a photo using PMView, it didn't give me a different cassette after selecting 10x15. I did initially get a forms mismatch in the OS/2 spooler, but this can be fixed by enabling in the printer driver properties (not the job properties) in the Options tab "Override form mismatch" . Then the photo went to the printer, but it still wanted to print on the bottom cassette with A4. Better but not quite there yet, I don't really want to change the paper in the bottom tray just for a photo.

Pete

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Re: Canon MG7550 issues
« Reply #6 on: June 28, 2015, 02:58:03 pm »
Hi Mat

Do *not* bother trying to import the Canon linux ppd file - been there, done that, does not work  :-(

Looking in the Canon supplied ppd file I do not see any mention of "Cassette", "input slot", "cd", "tray" - in fact nothing to select what paper input to use. I suspect that the logic is built into the Canon driver to select the correct input tray based on media size - probably works that way with the Windows driver as well.

Paul very kindly ported the Canon linux driver for me but Canon have not open sourced a library which is required to make it all work - probably the bit that selects the correct input tray for the media selected  :-)

So, we are either waiting for an updated cups/gutenprint to work correctly or we can try hassling Canon to get the closed source bit that is needed with their drivers released as open source or, possibly, enter some sort of Non Disclosure Agreement  with Canon to port their closed source bit to OS/2 for them. Both Canon options are highly unlikely.

I do not have any experience of writing ppd file but am wondering if it is possible to add the missing Cassette to the ppd file section *OpenUI *InputSlot/Media Source: PickOne
I am not sure what else would need editing/adding to make it work.

I am not likely to get the time to try this for a week or several myself as we have just moved house and there is lots to do before Herself will let me "play on computer for hours"  ;-)


Regards

Pete


MatNieuw

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Re: Canon MG7550 issues
« Reply #7 on: June 28, 2015, 04:23:57 pm »
Hi Pete,

Thanks, I won't try that. My guess that now that that printer asks you to tell it which paper is in which cassette,  the official Canon drivers now simply ask the printer what it has and adapts the users available choices accordingly. I'm not sure if that would be available using bjnp. I hope I'll have time today to test the Canon drivers on Linux Mint 17.1, and see if I can get to cassette 1 from there.

Anyway, finding out how to control paper source should be a reverse-engineering job of e.g. the USB or BJNP protocol. I think I read that Wireshark has some support for the protocol. That would be right in my ballpark, but time....

Time is short here as well, at least until December.

Regards, Mat

MatNieuw

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Re: Canon MG7550 issues
« Reply #8 on: June 28, 2015, 05:46:07 pm »
One more data item:

I was able to test in Mint Linux 17.1. I used the standard install to add a printer, to my surprise it saw the printer on the LAN. I let it install it, it used the DNS-DS protocol (keywords: zeroconf, bonjour, avahi).
This Mint uses Cups 1.7.2 , Gutenprint 5.2.10-pre2, and I selected printer MG7100 . It didn't allow me to select cassette 1 either. It printed the test page not quite OK, missing most of the border. I then attempted to print my standard reference print from www.colour-science.com, with 4x6 paper in the printer's cassette 1, with Mint's gthumb. When I selected that Glossy paper, and set the printer source to 'printer default' , it came out properly from cassette 1, although a bit dark.

I checked the Mint Cups backend directory, and it indeed uses dnsds. The printer tool from that Mint even showed ink levels (don't know how accurate).

Our Cups 2.0.0 doesn't have a dns-ds backend available, and I cannot find it under it various names on either Hobbes or this site. I have no idea how difficult this would be to port. The Ahavi diagram on Wikipedia didn't look simple.

Even if it were available, you'd be dependent on Cups translating the OS/2 4x6 request to the proper printer cassette. No easy fix, I think.

Regards, Mat

Pete

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Re: Canon MG7550 issues
« Reply #9 on: June 28, 2015, 11:59:02 pm »
Hi Mat

The auto selection of input tray based on media selected by user must work with bjnp - that is what is used in Windows7 here - although whether our current builds of bjnp support this I do not know.

What ppd file is in use in your Mint cups setup? - ie is it a gutenprint generated file or a Canon supplied ppd file?

If it is a gutenprint file I would not mind a copy to compare with the gutenprint mg7150.ppd file.

Regards

Pete

MatNieuw

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Re: Canon MG7550 issues
« Reply #10 on: June 29, 2015, 09:19:27 pm »
Hi Pete,

Attached is a zip with 3 PPD files for the sameprinter.
One from an older Mint Linux with Cups 1.4.8 and the downloaded Canon driver, called MG7500 series, USB attached printer. Couldn't get the printer over the LAN working so far with this.
One from a newer Mint Linux with he Cups 1.7.2 driver and ppd, LAN attached printer.
One from OS/2 Cups 2.0.0 (Paul's), LAN attached printer.

I hope this helps,

Regards, Mat