External integration - IPP (printers)

It’s coming along! SNMP is working: your printer responds, and for the first time we can see its four tanks (Black / Cyan / Magenta / Yellow Ink Bottle). That’s already information we didn’t have at all before.

The issue is what it reports for each: -2, which in the protocol means exactly « I don’t know this level ». It’s not the integration that can’t read the value — it’s your printer that declares it doesn’t have it. And there’s a very plausible explanation: on the EcoTank models, the ink is in reservoirs that you fill from bottles, without chips or level sensors. Unlike a classic cartridge, the printer has nothing to measure what’s left — hence the « unknown ». The name it gives itself to its consumables, « Ink Bottle », supports this.

Before concluding, a question that settles it once and for all. What does the Epson application (Smart Panel) or the printer’s screen display regarding ink levels?

  • If it doesn’t give any numbers — just a message like « check the reservoirs visually » — then that’s it: the information doesn’t exist anywhere, no software in the world can display it, and I’ll document it as a limitation of this type of printer (with the status, which continues to work).
  • If, on the other hand, it displays estimated levels (bars, a percentage), then Epson calculates an estimate somewhere and keeps it in its private channel. In this case, it’s worth going to get it: Epson exposes this kind of data via a proprietary SNMP channel, and it’s feasible.

Your answer tells me whether to dig deeper or stop here — thanks in advance, and especially for your patience on this thread, your feedback has already led to three fixes that benefit everyone. :slightly_smiling_face:

@elfedagger are you changing printers? :rofl:

So, I have an Epson ET-2850, do you want me to test it?

I wasn’t planning to add this integration, but if you need to test, let me know :wink:

I’m all for any kind of test ^^

Et voilà !

Nothing to say! Well done! :wink:

Edit: Nice in gauge:

Thanks for the test! :+1:

I was so used to my previous printers showing my ink levels on my PC that I didn’t even think to check with this one. It probably doesn’t display its levels as you assumed.


Sorry for the time you wasted.

The economy in cartridge justifies keeping it. :grin:

No problem at all! :slight_smile:

For your information, I found out the truth about the black cartridge
It was actually empty, so I replaced it and after re-discovering the external integration, the black cartridge appeared
I updated the device and the black cartridge appeared :wink: