I recently decided to convert all my old electrical engineering data books and application notes to electronic format. This involved cutting the spines off books and pamphlets, and then scanning them. I had several hundred books and other documents of varying paper size, paper quality, and condition. I scanned probably 300,000 sheets (or more, counting the mistakes).
I used an HP Scanjet 5590. The scanner is largely a robust and reliable machine, but, more than not, a few gremlins inhabit it. It appeared that any tests that were done on the 5590 during development were done with “perfect” paper -- letter or A4 size.
Firmware and/or hardware problems
When using small sheets, double-sided, the second side frequently has a stretch at the top of the page. The 5590 documentation limits the double-sided scanning to 5-inch by 5-inch, but this happens on pages 7-inch by 9-inch and larger. I have a 5590 at home, and we have a much older one at work. Both do exactly the same thing. From my observations, I think this happens only on Optical Character Recognition (OCR) scanning.
At times, on single-sided scanning, the top of every six or seven pages is cut off. It seems to me this is a function of the paper thickness. With thicker paper, the scanner pauses at every page. With thinner paper, there are occasions where this pause is missed. Not every “miss” coincides with a shortened page, but it does seem that every shortened page occurs at a “miss.” I have only noticed this on OCR scanning, but that is the only scanning I have done.
For a short while, I tried re-scanning, and the problem appeared to happen at the same spot every time. I also tried cleaning the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF), without any improvement in the results. I have also seen where a page has been reduced to an inch in length as perhaps an extreme example of the point above. It may be a completely different error, of course.
Software and/or firmware problems
On the startup menu, it is not obvious how to add or remove the scanner in the HP Solution Center. I somehow arrived at three instances of the same scanner, and I can only get one to work. I would like to remove two of them, but I cannot find any method of doing it in the HP Solution Center.
When there is some other task going on in the operating system (Windows Vista Ultimate) -- such as opening up a browser or a virus scan running in the background -- the scanner can lock up. It freezes in the middle of a page being scanned. There are two applications being run -- the “HP Solution Center” application and the “scanning” application, as reported by the Windows Task Manager. It is the “scanning” application that becomes non-responsive, and the only way out is to get to the Windows Task Manager and stop the application, or to remove the power from the scanner. See later for problems of paper extraction.
Periodically, I received a software update prompt from HP. Clicking on “yes” results in a small window. There are no controls on the window -- it impossible to size. It can be moved around. The only way to get rid of it is to restart the computer.
Toward the end of my scan project, I acquired a HPC309 series printer/scanner/fax and bottle washer (itself subject to monkey issues). Without any prompting, the installation overwrote the existing software (HP Solution Center) with a new and completely different interface. It also added a new problem.
In the old system, if a paper jam was detected, everything that had been scanned to that point was saved. After the problem was rectified, the scan would continue from the point of the jam. With the new software, everything scanned is deleted. If you've scanned 29 pages of a 30-page document and then get a paper jam, you have to scan the 30 pages again.
Most of the time, the printers are good products like on InkJetSuperStore.com hp inks that deliver quality prints, no doubt about that, but what brings the impression and experience way down is faulty and buggy printer drivers and hp deskjet printer that would make Dalai Lama go insane.
From what I know, the diyscanner is designed to accomodate various size books since it has a mechanism to lower the book down from the clear glass or plexiglass. I think they are constantly updating the design since a lot of people are collaberating on it. Seems like it might have a quick mechanism to lower the book, turn the page and lift it back up to the glass. It might even push the button to take teh picture allowing for it to be quickly done. I heard that a xxx page book took yyy minutes, and I thought it was alot faster than I expected.
As far as Vuescan, I like it because now I own one software solution for almost any scanner or operating system. Not dependant on HP to make sure softwre works on newest Windows only operating system,etc.
I'll be honest- I never considered any other approach. However looking at the camera approach I am not sure I would have used it although the challenge of making the equipment is enticing.
Preserving the books was not of interest since I was going to turf them anyway.
Secondly the system that they propose requires each page to be hand turned. This means you have to be present for each scan. In my case I would start the scanner and walk away able to come back 20 minutes later to initiate the next scan. As an added benefit, I did get a lot of exercise going up and down the stairs to the basement.
Thirdly looking at the photos, it seems to me that the equipment would have had problems with really fat data books ~2000 pages.
Thanks for the Vuescan link. I will give it a shot although I really don't do much ny scanning now.
I have Windows 7 and a HP Photsmart Premium Priner that are filled with monkey designs.
When i got the unit, there were constant problems. It would not print a document with multilple pages in consecutive order. Since I like to print on both sides, this made it impossible to put the pages in order. If I wanted to put page numbers on each page, it would number every other page. It would not print addresses on envelopes. To solve the problem HP told me to download a special printer driver. and use it for such things as printing envelopes.
For some reason the printer decided to act like a printer and worked fine for about a year. Several days ago, it decided not to print envelopes, instead oit operates the photo printing slide and prints addresses on photo paper. After lots of tries, tried the special driveragain and that prints envelopes. However since i cannot change drivers after printing out a letter, I cannot print envelpes without going back to the beginning and selecting the special driver. A real time saver.
I am not sure whether the problem is an HP problem or Micorsoft problem. I mistakenly put Windows 7 on the computer and as a result access to the internet is always a problem, in addition to many others. Sometimes the internet willl not start when the computer is turned on. Sometimes the internet connection will be lost when in use. To date I have always been able to recover the internet by restarting the computer. Another time saver.
I have had computers and printers for many years. The total number of problems in all the previous years do not come close to the problems with Windows 7, Office 2007 and my HP Printer.
Incidentally, both are not out of warranty, so I am expected to pay for service now. I prefer to keep the problems as a reminder of how to ruin good products.
My recommendataion is to keep Windows XP, use Open Office and keep your old HP printer.
I will not go into why I would not cut the splines on my originals, or attempt scanning 300,000 documents on a flatbed scanner...
1. For this size project, look to what college kids created for scanning their textbooks with. It's a two camera textbook copier that interfaces with open source software. Even Google invited him to give a talk to their project team that copies old books (Google books?). This would be a faster solution without tearing aprt your originals.
2. To be able to use your 'old' scanner on your newer OS (cross platform like Mac, Win 7, and Linux), I was recommended Vuescan. http://www.hamrick.com/ This was written by a guy who understood how a flatbed scanner is communicated with, and he has written a universal software package to interface most scanners. I have used it for 4 different scanners, all in one, etc. It's $29, but I opted for the $79 price tag so I can update it forever. One software package on any platform for most scanners (see his list). I use it at work on my 10+ year old HP scanjet 6200C on Win7.
I agree. I understand the need/desire to put books in electronic format. But I couldn't help but chuckle at the irony here: The author spends copius amounts of time not only scanning 300K pages, but also dealing with the gremlins and shortfalls of "electronic" devices. Then posts a detailed depiction on DesignNews about his "electronic" device woes, but cuts the splines off his books and puts them in an "electronic" format anyway. I hope for his sake his "electronic" storage media is more robust.....otherwise we might see a follow-up story. Using a scanner for this kind of volume is like Lance Armstrong trying to win a race with a tricycle.
Seems like I have a whole cellar full of gadgets that won't work with Vista or Windows 7. But I found that usually the driver installation in Linux consists of 1) Plugging in the device........use it! Last night I scanned 200 pages using Xscan and our "old" scanner (using my new laptop and Ubuntu 11.04, in the cellar, where it's cool). The HP Windows driver (for XP) was a real PIA to use. Our new HP printer/scanner is not much better. Don't these people ever test them for useability?
HP HAD...I repeat HAD good printer, plotter and scanner products that worked well and did the job under PREVIOUS versions of M$ software and O/Ses. I know, my collection of older hardware still works well from NT 3 to NT 5 ( AKA Ww2000 ) operating systems.
Then M$ literally put a gun to every manufacturers head and demanded that the driver suite that was BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE ( mostly in XP too ) would be rebuilt and the original APIs would be severed. This issue was because of the DRM demands of Gates, the RIAA and MPAA...
These demands even came at the CHIP LEVEL...Which also broke the chips too.
Google " tilt bits " if you want the gory hardware details...
So suddenly a bunch of good hardware was rendered obsolete...
Which is why I still have ( and use ) my old ( LEGAL ) copies of AutoCad....
And earlier system that run 98se, W2000 and XP have the same vintage software and games....
If you really want screaming performance, try putting that old stuff on a new machine.....
And if you really want to dump the new/old compatibility issue, go to LINUX ( old stuff still runs on new hardware/OS ) and set up VMs with your old M$ O/S...You DO have the COA and docs, right?
Linux is at the W2000 point in useability today....
My solution to the problems with an HP printer was to scrap the device and purchase a Cannon brand 4-in-1 package. Not only does it perform flawlesly, but the ink is much cheaper and available at a discount seller.
I do still have an HP1320 laser printer to print PC board artwork on "magazine paper", which then the page is ironed onto a blank board and the resulting pattern can be etched. Unfortunately I can't get the driver for this printer to install now with Windows XP. I don't know if the problem is monkeys or demons.
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