The Canon-designed AX engine was first introduced in 1995 with the HP LaserJet 5L, a 4 page per minute (ppm) laser printer targeting the Small Office Home Office (SOHO) and corporate personal printer markets.

In 1998 HP introduced the LaserJet 3100, a multi-function machine (MFP) - ideal for small businesses - with print, scan, copy and FAX capabilities. It featured a print speed of 6 ppm, 600 dpi print resolution, and used the same AX cartridge as the 5L and 6L printers.

In January 2000 the LaserJet 3100 was replaced with the LaserJet 3150 model. The 3150 offered network capability and some enhanced faxing features, but otherwise it was practically identical to the 3100.

The usage of the AX cartridge design was not limited to laser printers and MFPs. Canon offered several fax machines that utilized the FX3 cartridge, which shared many of the same internal components as the AX cartridge.

HP LaserJet 5L