[Waaaay OT] possible to hack Canon printers to update firmware?

[l_d_allan]

My speculation is that it MIGHT be possible to do something like ML to Canon printers. Feasible?

I'm aware that Canon publishes an API for interacting with [fill-in-the-blank]. Is this mostly related to their software, like DPP? Or does it provide any kind of baseline toolkit for interacting with cameras? Printers?

I think the Canon printers I'm familiar with allow firmware updates. IIRC, I don't know if I've every actually done that. My understanding is that the recent Pro-100 has had several firmware updates.

Specifically, I'd be interested in enhancing some of the diagnostics that Canon printers can do. Thinks like:

• Put a timestamp on nozzle checks, alignments, etc.
• Including other information on nozzle checks, alignments, etc. ... such as printer serial number and print-head serial number
• Enhance nozzle check to print out the "slanted diagonal grid" for all cartridges and nozzle sizes, similar to what is done for the pigment black ink (which is very helpful to see exactly if a specific nozzle is clogged ... but could be hard to see with yellow and PM, PC, etc.)
• Print out pure large rectangles like the nozzle check, but at "full color" purity and intensity, rather than diminished intensity like the nozzle check. Would include the different nozzle sizes, like 5 picoliter, 2 pl, 1 pl, depending on the printer model
• Eventually accomplish something like a RIP for specialized b/w printing
• "Stress tests" that really challenge ink flow, much more challenging than nozzle check
• Intelligently "defeat" the ink level monitoring so perhaps cartridge chip resetters would be less necessary, or unnecessary
• lots more, but the above may give a sense of possibilities

[nanomad]

Well, you can start by either reverse-engineering the firmware update (if you find one) or by phisically disassembling the printer to find test points. One of them may be an UART/JTAG port