Epson 1390 DTF Printer Ink Out / Unrecognized Cartridge Error, Blank Nozzle Check, and Resetter Code 20000010: Troubleshooting Guide

Question

I have a Fynqil A13 DTF printer that is built around an Epson Stylus Photo 1390 print engine. I purchased the printer secondhand, and it appears to be in some type of hardware or ink-system lockout.

When I turn the printer on, the carriage initializes and moves normally, but the printhead does not appear to fire any ink. A nozzle check comes out completely blank. The middle ink-droplet indicator remains solid red, and Windows reports an "Ink Out" or "Unrecognized Cartridge" condition.

I tried resetting the waste ink pad counter with a resetter/adjustment utility, but after restarting the printer, the solid red ink light comes back. The resetter also displays "Communication error occurred" (Code 20000010). The printer port does not appear in the resetter's port selection list even though Windows detects that a USB device is connected.

I also noticed a small blue ink streak on the outside of the printhead ribbon cable.

What should I investigate first? Could the problem be a blown F1/F2 fuse, a failed cartridge or communication circuit, contamination of the printhead ribbon cable, or another mainboard problem? Is this something worth attempting as a DIY repair before considering professional service?

Answer

Based on the symptoms you described, I would not start by assuming that F1 or F2 is blown. The first problem I would investigate is the Ink Out / Unrecognized Cartridge condition, because an active cartridge-recognition error can prevent normal printing and make a completely blank nozzle check misleading.

1. Resolve the "Ink Out / Unrecognized Cartridge" Error First

The solid red ink-droplet light is a very important clue. Epson documentation for this printer family treats a continuously illuminated red ink indicator as an ink-cartridge problem, such as an exhausted, incorrectly installed, incompatible, or otherwise unrecognized cartridge. Epson also specifically instructs users to reseat cartridges when the red ink light remains on. (Epson Support)

The Epson Stylus Photo 1390 remains listed by Epson as its own supported model, although your Fynqil DTF machine is a third-party conversion built around that Epson mechanism. (Epson India) Because of the conversion, however, you are probably dealing with refillable cartridges, a continuous ink system, aftermarket auto-reset chips, a chip decoder, or some combination of those rather than the original Epson cartridge arrangement.

That is where I would begin.

With the printer unplugged, inspect each cartridge or cartridge-chip assembly carefully. Look for:

• A cartridge that is not sitting at exactly the same height as the others.

• A chip that has shifted or come loose from its cartridge.

• Dirty, oxidized, bent, or ink-contaminated electrical contacts.

• A damaged auto-reset chip.

• A cartridge chip that is the wrong generation for the Epson 1390 electronics.

• A broken wire or ribbon cable between an aftermarket chip decoder and the printer electronics, if your conversion uses one.

• Ink that has migrated into the cartridge-contact area.

• Damage from a previous owner attempting to bypass or modify the cartridge-recognition system.

If the printer's software can identify one particular color as unrecognized, concentrate on that position first. On many Epson systems, one failed cartridge chip is enough to keep the printer in an ink-error condition.

If this printer has auto-reset chips, keep in mind that resetting the waste ink counter does not reset cartridge chips. They are two separate systems. That is one reason resetting the waste counter can appear successful while the red ink light immediately returns.

2. The Waste Ink Reset Probably Is Not the Main Issue

From your description, I would put the waste ink pad counter lower on the list.

A waste-counter lockout and an Ink Out / Unrecognized Cartridge condition are not the same thing. If the computer is specifically reporting that a cartridge is empty or cannot be recognized, resetting the maintenance or waste-ink counter will not repair the cartridge communication circuit.

Therefore, the fact that the red light returns after power cycling does not necessarily mean the waste reset failed. It may simply mean the printer boots, checks its cartridges, finds that one or more cartridge chips cannot be validated, and immediately returns to the ink-error state.

Before running more adjustment-program resets, I would first get the cartridge-recognition system working normally.

3. What Does Resetter Error Code 20000010 Mean?

You also mentioned:

"Communication error occurred" - Code 20000010

In this situation, I would treat Code 20000010 primarily as a communication failure between the reset/adjustment software and the printer, rather than as proof that the mainboard or printhead electronics are defective.

The particularly useful clue is that Windows sees the USB connection, but the adjustment program does not list an available printer port.

Those two things can happen at the same time.

Windows detecting a USB device only confirms that something is enumerating through USB. It does not guarantee that an older adjustment utility can communicate with the printer using the driver and port configuration it expects.

Before interpreting Code 20000010 as hardware failure, I would check the computer side carefully:

1. Connect the printer directly to the computer rather than through a USB hub.

2. Try another known-good USB cable.

3. Try a different physical USB port, particularly a USB 2.0 port if one is available.

4. Check Windows Device Manager and the Windows printer list separately.

5. Make sure the actual Epson 1390 printer driver is installed rather than relying only on a generic USB-printing device.

6. Look in the printer's Printer Properties > Ports area and see whether Windows has assigned a USB virtual printer port such as USB001.

7. Remove duplicate or abandoned Epson printer installations if Windows has accumulated several copies.

8. Power-cycle the printer and restart the computer before opening the adjustment utility again.

9. If the utility is an older program, Windows compatibility can also become an issue on newer versions of Windows.

I would also be cautious with resetter and adjustment-program downloads from unknown sources. Many Epson adjustment utilities circulating online are unofficial copies, modified versions, or packages intended for a specific printer, operating system, or regional model.

Most importantly, Code 20000010 by itself is not enough evidence to replace the mainboard.

The fact that your carriage initializes and Windows recognizes a connected device tells us that at least substantial portions of the printer's controller are functioning. It does not prove that every circuit on the board is healthy, but it makes a completely dead controller less likely.

4. The Blue Ink Streak on the Printhead Ribbon Cable Is Worth Investigating

The blue ink on the printhead ribbon cable is the symptom that concerns me more from an electrical standpoint.

There is an important distinction, however.

If you simply have a small dried ink stain on the insulated outer surface of the flexible flat cable, that alone does not prove the cable is electrically damaged.

What you do not want is ink reaching:

• The exposed copper contacts at either end of the ribbon cable.

• The printhead connector.

• The mainboard connector.

• Damaged or scratched conductors in the ribbon.

• An area where the cable insulation has worn through.

Liquid or ink contamination around exposed connector contacts can create unintended electrical paths. It can also cause corrosion over time.

I would unplug the printer from AC power before doing anything around these cables.

Inspect the printhead FFC cables under very good lighting. Pay particular attention to the connector ends rather than only the blue stain in the middle of the cable. Look for darkened contacts, corrosion, burned areas, folded contacts, scratches through the traces, or dried ink inside the connector.

If you are experienced with removing and reinstalling FFC cables, the exposed contacts can generally be cleaned carefully with high-purity isopropyl alcohol and allowed to dry completely before reconnection. Do not reconnect or power the printer while anything is still wet.

Also be extremely careful with the orientation of Epson printhead ribbon cables. Installing an FFC crooked, partially inserted, or reversed can cause much more serious electrical damage.

5. Could F1 or F2 Be Blown?

Yes, a blown printhead-circuit fuse is possible, particularly on an older Epson-based printer that has been converted to DTF.

The combination of:

• Normal carriage movement,

• Normal mechanical initialization,

• Paper feeding capability,

• But no printhead firing

can sometimes occur when the printhead's electrical drive circuit has lost its power supply.

Depending on the exact mainboard revision, there may be board-mounted fuses marked F1, F2, or similar designations protecting portions of the printhead circuitry. I would not rely on the fuse designator alone because board revisions and third-party modifications can differ.

If you are comfortable using a multimeter, disconnect AC power completely and check the relevant fuses for continuity.

A healthy fuse should have essentially continuous conduction through it. If a fuse measures completely open, then you have found a significant problem.

However, do not simply bridge a blown fuse with wire.

The fuse often blows because something downstream failed. Possible causes include:

• A shorted printhead.

• Ink-contaminated printhead contacts.

• A damaged printhead FFC cable.

• A cable inserted incorrectly.

• A shorted component in the head-driver circuit.

• Failed driver transistors or MOSFETs on the mainboard.

If you replace or bypass a fuse without finding the cause, the replacement fuse may immediately blow again. Worse, bypassing it can transfer the damage to the mainboard and make the repair considerably more expensive.

6. Why I Would Check the Fuse After the Cartridge Error

This order is important.

Right now, the printer is telling you that it has an ink/cartridge recognition problem. Epson documentation for this printer family indicates that an incorrectly installed or incompatible cartridge can keep the red ink indicator illuminated and prevent normal operation. (Epson Support)

Therefore, a blank nozzle check does not yet prove that the printhead drive electronics are dead.

The printer may simply not be reaching a normal printing state.

If you successfully eliminate the Ink Out / Unrecognized Cartridge error, the red ink light goes out, the printer reaches Ready status, and you still get a completely blank nozzle check, then the electrical side becomes much more suspicious.

At that point I would investigate the following roughly in this order:

Printhead ribbon cable and connectors → F1/F2 or equivalent board fuses → printhead itself → head-driver circuitry/mainboard.

7. The "Communication Chip" Could Mean Several Different Things

You mentioned the possibility of a damaged communication chip. On a converted DTF printer, that description could refer to several completely different parts.

It could mean the cartridge chip itself, an aftermarket cartridge decoder, a chip-reset circuit, the cartridge-contact assembly, or circuitry on the Epson mainboard.

I would not condemn the printer's main processor or USB communication IC based on the symptoms you have now.

The fact that the carriage moves normally means the controller is executing its startup sequence. The fact that the computer receives an Ink Out / Unrecognized Cartridge message also suggests that some communication between the printer and computer is taking place.

That makes a cartridge-side recognition problem or adjustment-program compatibility problem worth eliminating before attempting mainboard replacement.

8. One Very Useful Test: See Whether the Printer Can Identify the Bad Cartridge

If pressing the ink button causes the carriage to move through cartridge-check positions, see whether the printer can indicate which cartridge it considers empty or unrecognized.

If it repeatedly points to one color, that is useful information.

Try swapping in a known-good compatible chip or cartridge at that position, if you have one. If the error moves with the cartridge or chip, you have isolated the problem considerably.

If every cartridge suddenly appears unrecognized at the same time, I would become more suspicious of a common component such as the cartridge contact assembly, decoder board, cable, or its power/communication circuit rather than six cartridges failing independently.

9. Should You Keep Running Head Cleanings?

I would not.

A completely blank nozzle check combined with an active cartridge error is not a good reason to keep performing cleaning cycles.

Repeated cleanings consume a great deal of ink, fill the waste system, and can flood the capping station without telling you whether the printhead electronics are actually functioning.

First make the printer electrically ready and remove the cartridge error. Then determine whether you have an ink-delivery problem or an electrical firing problem.

10. Is This Worth Pursuing as a DIY Repair?

I think it is worth doing basic diagnostic work before shipping the printer, especially since it is a secondhand DTF conversion and you do not yet know whether the problem is a $10 chip/contact issue or a much more serious printhead/mainboard failure.

My preferred troubleshooting order would be:

First: Resolve the Ink Out / Unrecognized Cartridge condition.

Second: Get Windows and the Epson driver communicating correctly and determine whether Code 20000010 is simply an adjustment-program/port issue.

Third: Inspect the blue-stained printhead FFC and both connector ends very carefully for contamination or damage.

Fourth: With the printer unplugged, test the F1/F2 or corresponding mainboard fuses for continuity.

Fifth: If a fuse is open, investigate the printhead and cable for a short before replacing anything.

Sixth: If the fuse is good and the cartridge error is completely resolved but the head still will not fire, then start considering printhead failure or mainboard head-driver failure.

That sequence should prevent you from spending money on a mainboard or printhead before eliminating the much simpler causes.

One thing I would keep in mind with a secondhand converted printer is that you do not know its repair history. A previous owner may already have experienced an ink spill, shorted printhead, failed chip system, incorrect ribbon-cable installation, or unsuccessful board repair. For that reason, take pictures before disconnecting anything and document the orientation of every cable and connector.

Addressing printer problems can become complicated very quickly because so much of the diagnosis depends on hands-on inspection, measurements, and observing the machine directly. For that reason, we're not able to provide ongoing remote troubleshooting, repair suggestions, or step-by-step repair support for individual printers. We do offer an in-person evaluation and repair service through our BCH Technologies printer diagnostic and repair facility [https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service]. Due to the volume of printers we receive, service is handled on a first-come, first-served basis, and there may be a wait of several weeks before a printer can be accepted for drop-off. Our service options are structured around repairing either a complete printer or specific components, with instructions provided on the service page. We also recognize that professional repair is not always the most economical choice, particularly for older or secondhand machines, so we strongly encourage self-help and independent research when practical. You can start with YouTube or visit the BCH Technologies YouTube channel [https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies]. On our channel homepage, use the search icon near the About section to search for the specific printer, error, printhead, fuse, ribbon cable, or cartridge issue you are working on. I receive dozens of questions asking whether we have a video about a particular problem, and after creating repair videos for many years, it is difficult to remember every video we've produced. YouTube's channel search is usually the fastest way to find the relevant material, and YouTube may also recommend useful repair videos from other creators.

Thank you again for contacting us and for giving such a detailed description of what the printer is doing. The details about the solid red ink light, Ink Out / Unrecognized Cartridge message, Code 20000010, missing resetter port, and blue ink on the printhead ribbon cable are all useful diagnostic clues. I hope this gives you a logical order for checking the printer without immediately replacing expensive parts, and we sincerely appreciate your continued support of BCH Technologies and our YouTube channel.