# Epson scanner connection problem



## Adam Addis (Mar 17, 2005)

Since buying a new eMac Combo last November, I've been trying for quite a while to connect my old Epson GT-9000 scanner to it. After a series of melodramatic struggles that make Wagner's Ring cycle look like a limerick, I've got a collection of cables and adapters that enable me to connect the two machines physically. However, the CompuCable driver software that came with one of the cables doesn't work. The CompuCable instructions say I need two things called SCSI Manager Set 4.3 and USB Software 1.3, neither of which is on my computer. Anyone know where I can get these? Or does anyone have any other ideas on connecting the eMac and the GT-9000?

Buying a new scanner doesn't seem to be the answer. I've tried some of the cheaper ones and they don't seem to work properly with Mac. Also I need a scanner with a perfectly flush top for scanning large objects (many over A3). Very few scanners meet my needs and the ones that do each cost several arms and legs.


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## bobw (Mar 17, 2005)

VueScan supports your scanner.


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## Adam Addis (Mar 18, 2005)

No it doesn't.


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## bobw (Mar 18, 2005)

[font=Comic Sans MS, Arial] *Epson*
 [/font][font=Comic Sans MS, Arial] Epson 1000 ICS  
ES-1000C / GT-8500  
ES-1200C / *GT-9000* 
ES-6000HS  
ES-8500  
Expression 636 / GT-9500  
Expression 800 / GT-9600  
Expression 836XL / GT-12000 / ES-8000  
Expression 1600 / ES-2000  
Expression 1640XL / ES-8500  
Expression 1680 / ES-2200  
Expression 10000XL / ES-10000G  
FilmScan 200 / FS-1300
http://www.hamrick.com/vuescan/vuescan.htm#epson
[/font]


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## Adam Addis (Mar 18, 2005)

Tried it. Didn't work.


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## DeltaMac (Mar 18, 2005)

My opinion (FWIW), your 'collection of cables and adapters' to hook a SCSI scanner to a USB port, is what is not working. This is probably never going to work without an actual SCSI connection at the computer, either through a logic board port (not going to happen) or connecting through a PCI SCSI adapter card (also not going to happen on an eMac)


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## Adam Addis (Mar 19, 2005)

Plan B: Can anyone suggest how I can get my old Mac (Powermac 7500/100) going again? If it worked I could use it for scanning, and use the new one for everything else. All that's wrong with the old Mac (as far as I know) is that the screen stays dark when I turn it on. 

It was still working (however slowly) when I bought the new one. The cables are connected, power is getting through to the monitor, I've checked the monitor's own on/off button, I've twiddled the brightness and contrast controls, I've reset PRAM a hundred times, I didn't drop it (or the processor) when I moved them to make room for the new machine...so what's wrong with it?


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## DeltaMac (Mar 19, 2005)

The easiest thing to try:  Replace the battery.
Some older Macs won't start the video unless the battery is good. I'm not sure about the 7500, but if it helps, it's worth the 10-15 bucks for that.


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## Adam Addis (Mar 20, 2005)

What battery? The manual for the old Powermac doesn't mention a battery, except the clock battery. Is that really what you mean?


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## DeltaMac (Mar 20, 2005)

Calling this battery a 'clock battery' is a little bit understated. Apple's service manual calls this simply a battery, although one of its functions is to maintain the time and date. It also serves several functions related to the CUDA chip on the logic board, which has vital system functions such as:
Turn system power on and off 
Manage system resets from various commands 
Maintain parameter RAM (PRAM) (includes display and video settings)
Manage the Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) 
Manage the real-time clock


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## Adam Addis (Mar 21, 2005)

OK, maybe that could be the problem. Now, how do I change the battery (assuming I can find a new one)? I've looked at the inside of the computer and I can't see where the battery is, let alone any sign of how to get it out or get a new one in. Do I really have to get an Apple engineer to come out (assuming I can find one who knows about prehistoric Mac models)? (By the way, I'm in England, so please don't tell me things that apply only to the US, or US and Canada.)


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## chornbe (Mar 21, 2005)

It'll be about the size of a dime, tho' a little thicker. It'll be inside a black or brown plastic housing that either has pressure clips to hold the battery in, or has a removable cap. It'll most likely be soldered onto the main board in such a way so that the battery stands vertical. Look for a small black or brown plastic tower that's roughly 1/4" x 3/4" standing roughly 3/4" high. The battery (big watch-type battery) should be inside it. Pop it out and get the *exact* same type. There is a globally standardized numbering system for batteries (with several regional variations well documented with cross references). Most of these are of a very common type and can be found at Walmart, Radio Shack and other reasonably well-stocked stores that sell consumer electronics.

In some cases the casing may be soldered on so it lays down, but typically not as this wastes space on the main board.

Hope this helps. If you have trouble, see if you can post (or email me) a decent picture of the main board and someone here can point it out for you.


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## DeltaMac (Mar 21, 2005)

chornbe, I guess you haven't changed batteries on many desktop Macs. What you describe is what you would look for in a typical PC, not a Mac.
Until very recently, the desktop Macs have never used anything similar to a watch battery. The battery in a PowerMac 7500 is on the logic board. If you remove the upper case and pull up the drive chassis, you can see almost the entire logic board. If you look behind the area where the front power button is located, you will see that battery. It IS NOT flat, and not soldered in place, just held in position by a black cover. It sits horizontally in a black battery holder, and is called a 1/2 AA, because it is about 1/2 the length of a standard AA flashlight (torch) battery. The battery should measure about 3.6 volts DC.


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## chornbe (Mar 21, 2005)

You're correct; I haven't done many on a Mac. Thanks for the clarifications.


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## Adam Addis (Mar 21, 2005)

I've got the old battery out (it's exactly the type you said, DeltaMac - take a bow) but the shops near me haven't got one. I've had to order one online. We will all now hold our breath until the dear old Royal Mail get around to delivering it - probably about August...

Of course even if I can get the old PowerMac going again, I'd still be interested in any ideas anyone may have about (a) getting the old Epson GT-9000 to work with the eMac Combo, and/or (b) finding a new scanner with a completely flush bed-and-surround; genuinely (not just allegedly) Mac-compatible; and affordable - say not more than about £200/$400.


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## TommyWillB (Mar 21, 2005)

Adam Addis said:
			
		

> ...finding a new scanner with a completely flush bed-and-surround; genuinely (not just allegedly) Mac-compatible; and affordable - say not more than about £200/$400.


I'm not sure what "flush bed-and-surround" means, but I can say do not buy another Epson if you are worried about "alleged" compatibility. They make crappy OS X drivers.... I've had problems with multiple Epson printers/scanners since having OS X and will never buy another one of their produts.


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## chornbe (Mar 22, 2005)

I went thru' 2 epsons before I got the Stylus Photo RX500. It works wonderfully. the "Perfection" series seems to be a waste of time.


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## Adam Addis (Mar 23, 2005)

I have now got the new battery. I have cleaned the contacts. I have installed the new battery. I have checked the polarity. I have connected the cables. I have reset PRAM. I have checked and double-checked everything. Guess what. It still doesn't work. The screen still stays dark. No more just now - I have to chew the carpet for an hour or two.


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## Adam Addis (Mar 23, 2005)

Only just seen Tommy WillB's message - carpet-chewing temporarily suspended. 'Flush bed-and-surround' means that the scanner bed and the surrounding area have to be on the same level to allow objects larger in area than A4 (most of them larger than A3, as it happens) to be scanned in sections.

Hello, chornbe - I've been looking at a photo of the RX500 on some site or other. Are the bed and the surrounding area really dead flush? Difficult to make out from the pic, but it looks as if there's probably a difference in level of about 1/8 inch, which unfortunately would rule it out for my purposes. If you've seen the HP Scanjet 4670, it has the 'flushness' I'm nattering on about. Unfortunately the Mac software that comes with it is nightmarish. (I bought one last December and had to send it back.)  

Now back to that carpet.


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## macos10 (Mar 27, 2005)

Have a look at this forum (last post).

http://www.applefritter.com/node/6924


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## chornbe (Mar 27, 2005)

It's not quite an 1/8th of an inch. It's pretty shallow but it isn't flush, either. 



			
				Adam Addis said:
			
		

> Only just seen Tommy WillB's message - carpet-chewing temporarily suspended. 'Flush bed-and-surround' means that the scanner bed and the surrounding area have to be on the same level to allow objects larger in area than A4 (most of them larger than A3, as it happens) to be scanned in sections.
> 
> Hello, chornbe - I've been looking at a photo of the RX500 on some site or other. Are the bed and the surrounding area really dead flush? Difficult to make out from the pic, but it looks as if there's probably a difference in level of about 1/8 inch, which unfortunately would rule it out for my purposes. If you've seen the HP Scanjet 4670, it has the 'flushness' I'm nattering on about. Unfortunately the Mac software that comes with it is nightmarish. (I bought one last December and had to send it back.)
> 
> Now back to that carpet.


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## Adam Addis (Mar 28, 2005)

I've found a Canon scanner (Lidé 35) which, amazingly, actually works with Mac OSX, unlike the new Epson and HP scanners I've tried recently. Compared with the new Epson and HP garbage, the Canon software (a) seems to be very stable, (b) produces scans that don't look as they've been sprinkled with salt or white sugar, and (c) is much more simply and sensibly arranged. The top is nearly flush, enabling me to scan some of my items, but not all of them. For many Mac users, who don't need to scan outsize articles, this scanner could be an affordable solution.

Thanks for the applefritters tip, macos10, but this seems to involve buying a lot more gadgets and gismos. And when I've bought 'em, will the whole set-up work? It may work on an iMac but will it work on an eMac? It may work on 10.3.8 but will it work on 10.3.5? Who knows?


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## macos10 (Mar 28, 2005)

I've just bought a Gt-9000 on ebay!!!  I will let you know how I get on.


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## Adam Addis (Mar 29, 2005)

You mad foolhardy crittur, macos10!!!! Good luck with it. 

I, in stark contrast, have just bought a cheap A4 picture frame. 'So what?' I hear you all cry. So this: I took the A4-size piece of glass out of the frame and laid it on the bed of my new scanner, _to bring the level of the scanning area up to the level of the surround._ I can now scan all the things I need to scan, and the images still come out pretty good.

However, as this is a bit of a makeshift solution, I would still be interested in any further developments in the great Mac scanning saga.


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## macos10 (Mar 30, 2005)

Sorry to see you have no more replies on your question. That nightmare is yet to come for me!!!  

Last thought, have you tried going through Virtual pc using XP? Also switching the scsi number to *0*?

Received my Scanner today, Wow!!! The GT-9000 is big. It will be difficult to throw it out of the window when the drivers does not work and does not connect!

Keep posting at different forums, you may still get some help, It would be a shame to chuck the scanner!!!


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## macos10 (Mar 30, 2005)

All this trouble for the 'Flush bed-and-surround'. Just thought.......... What's the image like? As good as the Flat HP 4670?


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## Adam Addis (Mar 31, 2005)

Big? Yes, I usually think of mine as 'the aircraft carrier'.

HP 4670? I think I mentioned before, I bought one and had to send it back.The software was horrendously unstable, and when I did manage to get a scan out of it, the image looked as if it had been sprinkled with salt or white sugar.

Virtual PC? Wossat? Sounds a bit technical for me.

SCSI ID? Yes, I tried all the numbers - no go.


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## macos10 (Mar 31, 2005)

Virtual PC is now made by Microsoft!!!!

It's been updated and runs on all machines. 

*Product Description:*
Virtual PC for Mac lets you run Microsoft Windows applications, access Windows networks, use Windows-only Internet applications, and share files with Windows-based colleagues. Virtual PC for Mac employs standard Mac controls and commands. It gives you the flexibility to work across platforms--side by side--without changing your Mac OS, software or files. Say goodbye to compatibility issues. Virtual PC for Mac lets you have the best of both worlds.

Did you say Gt-9000 is a good scan?


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## Adam Addis (Apr 1, 2005)

Thanks for low-down on Virtual PC.

No, I don't think I specially mentioned scan quality on the GT-9000. With only 8-bit colours the image you get naturally needs a bit of tweaking up. Mind you, so do the images I'm getting with the new 48-bit Canon. But I've been using the old Epson for so long that I'm used to humouring it. And it does have the flush deck I need and a new equivalent might cost a fortune, which I can't spare just now...


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## macos10 (Apr 1, 2005)

I'm sure the 9000 is a 8 bit grayscale and 30 bit colour! Anyway, Hopefully will work when I get my scsi card installed. Good luck.


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