DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EXPERT SYSTEM ON TROUBLESHOOTING AND MAINTENANCE OF EPOSON PRINTER
  ABSTRACT
Most often, the printing of very important and computer reports have been stopped midway owing to some minor faults on the computer/printer system.  At times, due to the complexity of the faults some maintenance find it difficult beginning to perform detailed diagnosis due to lack of specialized equipment, some of which are available only to a few big firms due to their high cost of acquisition.
As the case may be, some of those faults may be such that will require a very fundamental knowledge of printer maintenance, making use of minor tools.  Once the actual causes are identified.
This project “EPERT SYSTEM ON TROUBLE – SHOOTING AND MAINTENANCE OF EPSON PRINTER” shooting and maintenance information for non-computer/printer engineers.
  ORGANISATION OF THE WORK
This work is organized into seven chapters.
CHAPTER ONE:     Highlights the native, aims and objectives of the project, the general work to be done, what it will achieve and benefits derivable there from.
CHAPTER TWO:    Reviews some literature of related subject matter by earlier authors.
CHAPTER THREE: Describes and analyses the existing system, states its mode of operation and identities the problem facing at, providing possible solution thereof.
CHAPTER FOUR:  Treats the design of the new system.  Things in the present system as well as the new structure and design elements that are needed to properly implement the new system are also described.
CHAPTER FIVE:    Deals with the implementations phase, comprising program design, coding and testing.     
CHAPTER SIX:       Presents the documentation of the new system, describing the functionality of various parts of the program.  It also provides a risers guide to using the system.
CHAPTER SEVEN:            Gives some concluding remarks as well as recommends possible areas of further research and improvement.   
  TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE:
INTRODUCTION
1.1              BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
1.2              STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
1.3              PURPOSE OF STUDY
1.4              SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1.5              AIM AND OBJECTIVES     
1.6              SCOPE OR DELIMITATION
1.7              LIMITATIONS OR CONSTRAINTS
1.8              ASSUMPTIONS
 CHAPTER TWO:    
LITERATURE REVIEW
 CHAPTER THREE:            
DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS OF EXISTING SYSTEM
3.1       FACT FINDINGS METHOD USED
3.2              OBJECTIVE OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM
3.3              INPUT, PROCESS AND OUTPUT ANALYSIS
3.4              INFORMATION FLOW DIAGRAM
3.5              PROBLEMS OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM
3.6              JUSTIFICATION OF THE NEW SYSTEM
 CHAPTER FOUR:  
DESIGN OF THE NEW SYSTEM
4.1       OUTPUT SPECIFICATION AND DESIGN
4.2              INPUT SPECIFICATION AND DESIGN
4.3              FILE DESIGN
4.4              PROCEDURE CHART
4.5              SYSTEM FLOW CHAR
4.6              SYSTEM REQUIREMENT
 CHAPTER FIVE:    
IMPLEMENTATION
5.1              PROGRAM DESIGN
5.2              PROGRAM FLOW CHART
5.3              PSUDOCODE
5.4              SOURCE PROGRAM
5.5              TEST RUN
 CHAPTER SIX:       
DOCUMENTATION
 CHAPTER SEVEN:            
RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION
REFERENCES
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
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 (J.I.T) 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.