[Shelby] at Tech Tangents just lately wrapped a undertaking / obsession to acquire an previous HP ScanJet 4C, get it operating on a PC and put it via its paces. After after practically 5 years, three scanners, and untold SCSI playing cards and drivers later, he lastly succeeded. The primary large drawback was getting a working scanner. These don’t arise nicely to transport, and one arrived with damaged mirrors. And when he lastly bought one which labored, checking out SCSI controller and driver points was surprisingly sophisticated, although finally profitable.

The HP ScanJet 4C was launched in 1995, and was notable for its scanning high quality, its decision ( 2400 DPI interpolated / 600 DPI optical ), and promoting for underneath $1000. Apart from substitute elements considerations, notably the personalized triphosphor fluorescent bulb meeting, it might nonetheless be a really competent scanner immediately. For that reason, [Shelby] won’t be utilizing it as his day by day use scanner.

As soon as all the things was operating easily, he makes a sequence of take a look at scans at varied settings, and compares them to scans made with a contemporary true 2400 DPI scanner. The decision appears to be to disregard the built-in interpolation and scan on the 600 DPI decision. He goes on to indicate the scanner operating underneath fashionable Linux on a PC that has a PCI slot. The just about hour-long video wraps up by going over a few of the cool design options, just like the loopy optics path and the scanner’s three-line CCD constructed right into a DIP package deal. To learn extra, take a look at this text within the Feb 1997 HP Journal which describing the scanner design.

Even in the event you aren’t planning on restoring an HP 4C, and [Shelby] advises towards that, there’s loads of attention-grabbing and helpful details about scanner expertise on this video. Don’t let the operating time scare you away, it’s fairly participating — as one commenter put it, “How the hell did you get me to observe an almost hour lengthy video a couple of 30yo scanner. Kudos“. Do you continue to use a scanner lately? Tell us within the feedback beneath.