HP 3200m

What you should do at this point is confirm if the formatter board is damaged or not. As this problem was caused by a lightning strike, it may well be that the formatter board has failed.

Using your service manual, pull the formatter board from the defective printer, and install it in the working printer. If the fault follows the formatter board, then that is proof that the formatter board is the problem.

If you confirm that the formatter board has failed, you can then decide if you want to replace it or not. Go to:

Look up the parts for your model, and then search for the formatter board assembly.

There is a good chance that a replacement board from HP will cost you more that you originally paid for the printer.

There are some other suppliers of HP parts. Most of them charge less than HP. Take the HP part number and do a Web search for it, to confirm what the lowest price is.

Aidan Grey

Yes you should have it fixed - if you get it fixed it will probably last a long time again. HP is very reliable when you don't expose the products to surges. If you end up replacing this unit, buy another HP.

One Last note: install one of those six plugs with phone protection so it won't get nuked again

Thanks. I've pulled the LIU (modem) board, following the advice of someone on the fixyourownprinter forum; but the error code remains. Preliminary testing indicates some failed silicon on that piece. I'll do the parts swap thing if I can pry the other printer away from my wife. She insisted that I pull *my* fax/printer for her use until I get the other fixed or replaced....

I'll do that immediately.

Almost goes without saying. I paid less than $50 for this one.

Will be worth it *if* I can obtain replacement parts for less than $50-$100. Much more and I'll find another one, albeit probably not as good as this one was.

Stay online...I'll keep you updated. BTW, what exactly is indicated by a good engine test? Is the formatter board included in that? Mine tested good, so I'm sure it's not a complete loss...if, for nothing else, spares for the one that's still working.

jak

( Snip )

The engine test confirms that the hardware can actually write an test image to the page. It indicates that the print laser and associated hardware is OK.

The engine test bypasses the formatter board completely, and does not test the formatter board at all.

The formatter board takes the incoming data, and "formats" a page in memory according to what is received. The formatter board then writes this page to the print engine as a raster image, one line at a time.

Most of the complexity of handling PCL and PS data is handled by the formatter board. It is most complex circuit board in the printer, and usually is controlling everything else. If you can find a processor/speed specification

for your printer, then that processor will be located on the formatter board.

Aidan Grey