Epson EcoTank ET-4700 Carriage CR Encoder: 4-Pin vs 7-Pin
- By Ellen Joy
- On Jan 01, 2025
- Comment 0
Question: I am trying to find a cable to connect my printer, so I am looking at this 7-pin Carriage CR Encoder & PW Sensor FFC Cable for the Epson EcoTank ET-2750 (https://bchtechnologies.com/products/7-pin-carriage-cr-encoder-pw-sensor-ffc-cable-for-epson-ecotank-et-2751). However, I am not sure if this cable will work for my Epson EcoTank ET-4700 because it only has four pins. Is it compatible?
Answer:
For your question, the 7-pin Carriage CR Encoder & PW Sensor FFC Cable: Is this FFC cable compatible with my Epson EcoTank ET-4700
The 7-pin cable you mentioned consists of two sections: 4-pin and 3-pin. The 4-pin piece attaches to the CR Encoder at the back of the carriage, and the 3-pin piece runs underneath the carriage to the PW Sensor. While this setup is standard in the various Epson EcoTank models, such as the ET-2750, your ET-4700 may not use the same setup.
Key Compatibility Points:
- 4-pin vs 7-Pin Setup: If your Epson EcoTank ET-4700 only has a 4-pin connection and does not use the PW Sensor (this is a feature in some EcoTank models), you may not need the entire 7-pin cable. A 4-pin cable is more suitable for printers that don't use the optional PW Sensor, so this option is available instead.
- What You Can Do:
- If your ET-4700 does not work and only requires a 4-pin cable (no PW Sensor dispatch), you could:
- Buy four pin FFC cable listed here: [4-Pin FFC Cable for Epson EcoTank CR (Printhead Carriage Return) Sensor](https://bchtechnologies.com/products/4-pin-ffc-cable-for-epson-ecotank-cr-printhead-carriage-return-sensor-regular-width-8-5-printers [https://bchtechnologies.com/products/4-pin-ffc-cable-for-epson-ecotank-cr-printhead-carriage-return-sensor-regular-width-8-5-printers]).
If you wish to maintain flexibility with future upgrades or modifications, you could also use the 7-pin cable (cut the cable with a pair of scissors to allow the pins needed for the 4-pin configuration and exclude the PW Sensor). This is a minor change that adjusts the cord to your printer's needs.
Ultimately, the 7-pin cable was probably incompatible with your 4-pin-only setup until you made some changes to allow FIT to connect them to a working connection. If your printer does not have the PW Sensor installed, the 4-pin FFC cable will be the easiest solution.
Printer issues can be tricky to address because they are so hands-on. As such, we're unable to provide remote troubleshooting, guidance, or support for printer repairs. We offer in-person diagnostic and repair services through our local diagnostic center (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service [https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service]) and have a high volume workload , so we work on a first-come, first serve basis. So, your printer can't drop it off for a couple of weeks. We assist in fixing the entire printer or a few parts with distinct steps to follow while sorting out ways to proceed with the repair process. Nonetheless, we understand that our rates are not the lowest. So, I strongly suggest you do self-help through online searching. You can always go to YouTube or our YouTube channel's homepage (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies) and peruse a few visual content by selecting some options on the search icon next to "About" on the right side of the menu bar. I get dozens of questions about videos on particular topics. As someone who has made videos for the last nine years, I can not distinguish every video I made. As such, it would be best to use YouTube's search function. And YouTube may recommend other channels' relevant videos that can help.