[9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[Kenji Okamoto]

I got a PCI sound card, which says "Legacy audio SB16 compatible".
Please remark it doesn't say SB neither SBpro.   The chip name is
CMI8738/PCI-SX, note the -SX suffix!

Does anyone have any experience on this sound card?

Kenji

Re: [9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[Sergey Reva]

Wednesday, September 15, 2004, 11:23:25 AM, you wrote:

KO> I got a PCI sound card, which says "Legacy audio SB16 compatible".
KO> Please remark it doesn't say SB neither SBpro.   The chip name is
KO> CMI8738/PCI-SX, note the -SX suffix!

KO> Does anyone have any experience on this sound card?

Sorry for my english :)

Yes i use this card too. If you want to turn on SB16 compatible
mode you need run special program which available only for DOS. For
this sound card available Linux driver.

I am tryed run this program, then run Plan 9  through ld.com but this
do not work.

In datashet for this chip says about SB16 mode, but i tryed run old
dos game and it say about SBPro not SB16.

Sergey Reva
-- 
http://rs-rlab.narod.ru                            mailto:rs_rlab@mail.ru

Re: [9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[Kenji Okamoto]

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Thanks Sergey for your comment.

I supposed something similar, that is, some work might be neccessary
to make it work as SB16 compatible.
The card attrracted me by the reason that we may have a easy way
to shift the ISA SB16 codes to PCI one if it does SB16 compatible.
We have no PCI sound driver for Plan 9 so far.

Furthermore, SBpro is 8 bit with 48KHz sampling, however, SB is 8 bit
with lesser sampling rate, which indicates no use for music.

I'm now enjoying USb audio programming...
Really? I got damaged my CM106/F chip probably because I used it 
under smaller than 500mA circumstance or plugged low impedance 
headphone to front speaker line out connection, anyway, it dosen't 
sound anymore.   I tried it on my home Win2k, and got the same no 
sound result.   I lost $40 (sigh).  
I should buy another one?   Maybe or not.   If I'll buy another CM106/F 
USb sound device, I'd like to avoid the one, at least I choose the one has 
self power supply in itself.   I'm now standing stop around there.

USB audio sounds greater than on board sound chips, it's true.
However, then, what we can do anything else by USB audio?
To use USB audio, we need independent CD/MD player with
S/PDIF or analog output.   Can we use Mini-compo?   It seems to me
toy things, then, I should buy another CD/MD player?...

Copying sounds through Plan 9 (network) to MD?   I'm not a MD user, 
in fact, I hate it.   Anything other merit for USB audio other than better
sound quality?

If we could have PCI sound driver, it may give us more benefits
than the quality of sound?   It's not easy to solve...

Anyway writing a new sound driver is a cumbersome task, I think.
First of all, which chip we trusted on?   more, more, more...
If we could use SB16 compatible chip, we can just shift the SB16
driver to PCI version.

Kenji  -- now 

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From: Sergey Reva <rs_rlab@mail.ru>
To: Fans of the OS Plan 9 from Bell Labs <9fans@cse.psu.edu>
Subject: Re: [9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2004 20:14:40 +0300
Message-ID: <1393880000.20040916201440@mail.ru>

Wednesday, September 15, 2004, 11:23:25 AM, you wrote:

KO> I got a PCI sound card, which says "Legacy audio SB16 compatible".
KO> Please remark it doesn't say SB neither SBpro.   The chip name is
KO> CMI8738/PCI-SX, note the -SX suffix!

KO> Does anyone have any experience on this sound card?

Sorry for my english :)

Yes i use this card too. If you want to turn on SB16 compatible
mode you need run special program which available only for DOS. For
this sound card available Linux driver.

I am tryed run this program, then run Plan 9  through ld.com but this
do not work.

In datashet for this chip says about SB16 mode, but i tryed run old
dos game and it say about SBPro not SB16.

Sergey Reva
-- 
http://rs-rlab.narod.ru                            mailto:rs_rlab@mail.ru

Re: [9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[jmk]

On Thu Sep 16 21:14:36 EDT 2004, okamoto@granite.cias.osakafu-u.ac.jp wrote:
> ...
> If we could have PCI sound driver, it may give us more benefits
> than the quality of sound?   It's not easy to solve...
> ...

Why doesn't someone do an AC'97 driver? I think there's enough
real documentation available. I started a devad driver a year or
so ago and got as far as detecting the various Intel ICH[013]
interfaces (so not a real driver). If someone was serious about
doing it I'm sure we could help.

--jim

Re: [9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[Kenji Okamoto]

I forgot one thing to say.

I started USB audio to learn how to write USB drivers, because
I thought Sape was engaged in much into USB audio.  Then, I
have to deal with USB audio if I want to read his USB codes...

Now, I think I've done it, my sound chip was damaged,
however, I think I got the working version of its driver now.
The problem is "Is it worth to deal with it anymore?"  The
device box I bought was not so good from the view point of
its toughness.  It was a cheap version of something else.
In this case, cheap means something might be lack.☺

I'd like to make the Richard's usb storage driver work for the
new Sape's USBD driver...

Kenji

Re: [9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[Kenji Okamoto]

> Why doesn't someone do an AC'97 driver? I think there's enough
> real documentation available. 

Even if we got AC97 driver, I suppose we'll meet the same problem
as VGA drivers...?
In the case of USB sound, it may avoid such thing, however, after
cumbersome work on a CM106/F chip, I got it's same, at least, not
so different.   To get a general solution is, I don't want to say.☺

Kenji

Re: [9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[jmk]

On Thu Sep 16 23:18:17 EDT 2004, okamoto@granite.cias.osakafu-u.ac.jp wrote:
> ...
> Even if we got AC97 driver, I suppose we'll meet the same problem
> as VGA drivers...?
> ...

Maybe, maybe not. How would we know if no one tries?

--jim

Re: [9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[Christopher Nielsen]

On Thu, Sep 16, 2004 at 10:45:50PM -0400, jmk@plan9.bell-labs.com wrote:
> On Thu Sep 16 21:14:36 EDT 2004, okamoto@granite.cias.osakafu-u.ac.jp wrote:
> > ...
> > If we could have PCI sound driver, it may give us more benefits
> > than the quality of sound?   It's not easy to solve...
> > ...
> 
> Why doesn't someone do an AC'97 driver? I think there's enough
> real documentation available. I started a devad driver a year or
> so ago and got as far as detecting the various Intel ICH[013]
> interfaces (so not a real driver). If someone was serious about
> doing it I'm sure we could help.

i actually have need for such a beast, but i really
don't have the time right now. maybe i'll make an
attempt this fall after fire season is over, and i
am off-call.

-- 
Christopher Nielsen
"They who can give up essential liberty for temporary
safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." --Benjamin Franklin

Re: [9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[Kenji Okamoto]

> Now, I think I've done it, my sound chip was damaged,
> however, I think I got the working version of its driver now.
> The problem is "Is it worth to deal with it anymore?"

Today, I got a real USB audio processor made by real audio
maker in Jpan, which is SE-U55X by Onkyo.   Onkyo is the
old audio maker, and I have experiences of their audio quality
in several products.  Yes, they are doing very good quality
sound.

I spent $160 this time.   However it seems to be atrractive to me.
Now, I'm going to play with this USB audio processor, and now 
I think what and how I should do to make it work...

Kenji

Re: [9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[Fco. J. Ballesteros]

> I'd like to make the Richard's usb storage driver work for the
> new Sape's USBD driver...

I'll do the same for our usb keyboard, mouse, touch screen, and
mimio drivers.  I'll send patches when they're done.

Re: [9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[Kenji Okamoto]

> Today, I got a real USB audio processor made by real audio
> maker in Jpan, which is SE-U55X by Onkyo.   

This has very simple topology, that is, has no mixer, selector
just do it by hand or optical remote control (the last USB vendor
ID is 0xff, Oh no, vendor specific!).   It also has only two channels,
this is also very good to me.   I never want 8 channels!   Anyway, 
if you just hear the music connected to its digital/analog input, 
no drivers are neccessary, just plug it then enjoy the music!    
It has also self power supply mechanis using external 500mA 
7.5V power supply,   I'm using this mode now. 
Glenn Gould is now playing Bach.

Sound quality?
very nice!

Kenji

Re: [9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[Kenji Okamoto]

> Today, I got a real USB audio processor made by real audio
> maker in Jpan, which is SE-U55X by Onkyo.   

I've been enjoying this USB audio device, and sadly I've been using
external CD Player for this connected to digital input of Onkyo's
USB audio device.   It's not so convenient, because I cannot use
Russ's acd on acme.   I solved this today.

My DVD/CDROM drive has digital output (S/PDIF), and then, I managed
to convert it to optical digital output, because Onkyo's USB audio device
has no coaxial digital input connector.   Now, I'm enjoying Russ's acd
with internal DVD/CDROM drive, and external USB audio device!

Kenji

Re: [9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[Kenji Okamoto]

> My DVD/CDROM drive has digital output (S/PDIF), and then, I managed
> to convert it to optical digital output, because Onkyo's USB audio device
> has no coaxial digital input connector.   

I forgot one thing to mention.
I don't want to connect the analog output from the internal DVD/CDROM
drive to USB audio device.   I dislike noisy analog interface in such conditions.

Kenji

Re: [9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[Kenji Okamoto]

> I don't want to connect the analog output from the internal DVD/CDROM
> drive to USB audio device.   I dislike noisy analog interface in such conditions.

Hm, I'm enjoying Mahler' Symphony by Tennstedt + London Phil.   Yes, we can 
enjoy it by this system, ie., internal CDROM + optical connection to external 
USB audio + acd.☺

Kenji

Re: [9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[Kenji Okamoto]

> enjoy it by this system, ie., internal CDROM + optical connection to external 
> USB audio + acd.☺

I've heard today fro Onkyo that a new model, replacing SE-U55X, was released
recently named as SE-U55GX.

Kenji

Re: [9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[Matthias Teege]

On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 16:37:42 +0900, Kenji Okamoto
<okamoto@granite.cias.osakafu-u.ac.jp> wrote:

> I've heard today fro Onkyo that a new model, replacing SE-U55X, was released
> recently named as SE-U55GX.

Yes, it looks cool but I can't find a source outside of japan. There
are some hints on .ru websites and I found one note in German (from
may). Looks like Onkyo doesn't sell this device in USA or Europe.

Matthias

Re: [9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[Kenji Okamoto]

> Yes, it looks cool but I can't find a source outside of japan. There
> are some hints on .ru websites and I found one note in German (from
> may). Looks like Onkyo doesn't sell this device in USA or Europe.

I've heard that the major differences were
(1) support internal AC power supply, a good choice I believe.
(2) USB control chip was changed from KC (Taiwanese) to something
	made in Japan (SANYO, probably).  Hmm, I should have chosen
this new type, if I knew it.

By the way, I'm be sure the sound quality of that device is very high.

Onkyo is a company located in Osaka, hehehe.

Kenji

Re: [9fans] strange sound card HCMI-4CH

[Kenji Okamoto]

>> I've heard today fro Onkyo that a new model, replacing SE-U55X, was released
>> recently named as SE-U55GX.

I forgot to write here.
I' now using this new SE-U55GX model exchanged without extra-fee.

It can run standalone which means you can use it without USB
if you don't need to feed music from Plan 9.☺

It uses Sanyo LC89057W-VF4-E chip which you can get the document
from internet, although it deeply harware oriented.

Kenji