BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The impact of engineering age is tremendous and its arrears of application are increasing geometrically  It is believed that the information revolution will radically change the nature and quality of engineering work in the near future

Some of the most exiting arrear of the information technology includes

–                     Office automation and computer publishing

–                     Just-in-time (JIT) production techniques to reduce cost and improve quality

–                     Electronic shopping and electronic funds transfer

–                     Computer controlled commuter train system

–                     Decision support system (DSS) that facilitate real time control of making under battle field condition typically characterized by uncertainty

–                     Computer aids to the handicapped including intelligent implants and experts for medical diagnosis

–                     Computer aids instruction (CAI) and aided manufacturing

Due to all these mentioned arrears of computer application and more, computer has now been accepted and used by so many organizations, by individuals for various purposes  It is believed that computer is an agent, which improves productivity, enhances competition

It is however worthy to not that 75% of all computer application generate documented information  This is why it is said that had copy is the spice of information

Computer generates printed report for adequate circulation and communication  This underlines the importance of printers in computerized operations and environments

Considering the increasing number of which malfunction ‘vis a vis’ while the scanty availability of maintenance experts, these is no doubt that may important and urgent reports are either frustrated permanent or produced too late to serve their purpose

  It therefore become very imperative to develop this EPSON printer troubleshooting and maintenance expert system which will guide a non-expert through step by step approach to troubleshoot and maintain his EPSON printer

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

When printers malfunction, it is often difficult tracing the causes of such malfunctions with respect to identified symptoms  Often, some of these faults are so minor that virtually every user is supposed to be able to handle them effectively without having to undergo the rigours of finding maintenance experts  In many occasions, the defects are perfectly eliminated by clearing the edge connectors and resisting the plugs and printer interface cards  Some diagnostic software such as Qapuls could also help in locating the causes of the problem

However, the need for a reliable maintenance service cannot be over emphasized

Since it is necessary for effective performance of any printer  Also it is pertinent to observe that there are many other preventive maintenance procedures that can be duly appreciate by the user which could minimize printer failure  This project has been designed and preventive maintenance in a “DO IT YOURSELF FASHION  It as well provides most of the salient information necessary to troubleshoot Epson printers

PURPOSE OF STUDY

The purpose of this project or study is to give expert knowledge or guide on the rectification of several known faults commonly developed by Epson printer and then develop an expert software system which will give any user the expertise knowledge to rectify the problem of his/her Epson printer

This project will, therefore, briefly, look at the superficial culture of maintaining and trouble shooting printers with a view providing a number of analytical diagnostic steps that an operator could easily implement to enable him/her forge ahead when his/her printer suddenly develops a fault in the make of a printer job

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The aims and objectives of this project are:-

To assemble a knowledge base that is common to the trouble shooting and maintenance Epson printers of diverse models  To prevent this knowledge in a diagnostic format such that will enable even non-expert identify and rectify minor problems of the printers especially  When the maintenance experts are not handy  To provide a printer maintenance teaching aid on the basis of DO IT YOURSELF  To emphasize the concept of preventive maintenance, especially as it effects fragile electronic of the ink of computer and printers

SCOPE OR DELIMITATION

Even though there are several types laser, dot matrix, inkjet and makes of printer Epson, OK1, NEC, CITIZEN, IBM, STAR, PANASONIC, etc, for the purpose of this project, it has been designed to focus on the most commonly found (the Epson dot matrix printer)  This option was chosen with the respect to the fact that this could be regarded as the (economy class) hence need as much guide as possible both in preventive and guide as possible both in preventive and corrective maintenance

It is worth being mentioned that the project has been designed and mainly flow on the Epson and similar  The area of coverage is not very wide, however, since volume of books and journals are regularly on the issue  Hence this work shall not attempt to be exhaustive

16                        LIMITATION