Epson do not like customers use Epson DX5 heads on Mimaki Mutoh and China printers, they locked the new DX5 head from Nov. 2012. Locked DX5 print span was limited, print width can not more than 60cm. Early months after locked, users have to buy old version DX5 head. The price is rising up week by week, and hard to buy day by day. There are so many printers in China need DX5 head, technicians developed decoder card to solve this problem. At first, decoders (the red one) not work well, some printers not recognize it. Technicians improve it many times, new generation decoders (the green one) works perfect now.

After DX5 head, Epson locked DX7 head too. China printers decode DX7 head at their main board. So, many China printers using locked DX7 head without decoder.