CS4205 (snd-intel8x0) missing recording inputs

CS4205 (snd-intel8x0) missing recording inputs

[Ivica Bukvic]

This driver seems to be notorious right now with its features (or better
lack thereof). When using Alsa driver for the above-mentioned driver
found in many of the current laptops, not all inputs can be selected for
recording. For instance, line-in is available as an input source, but
mic-in surprisingly isn't.

One more thing is that CS4205 is a full-blown dsp so while it is
compatible with the intel8x0 standard, it in addition has some nice
features to offer, such as hw multi-open as well as SPDIF and other
gizmos. Perhaps due to such a variety of intel8x0-compatible hw that
varies in the number of features, it would be prudent to split a
intel8x0 driver into two (or more) branches, and implement these
features so that the full potential of the chip can be utilized, since
right now it seems to be utilized in a basic (sb-compatible) mode which
renders the card rather useless.

Alsa is a God-sent framework for the Linux platform, but it isn't much
good to the end-user if it runs utilizing barely-working driver. I am
aware of the fact that CS probably is not offering too much
documentation, but it seems that OSS-free drivers for the same card at
least offer some additional functionality (such as selecting mic-input)
that could be easily reimplemented in the Alsa driver. 

Personally, I'd do it myself, but I have no knowledge of Alsa
architecture, nor the driver-writing. So, for right now, I don't seem to
be to be the best person to tackle this issue. However, there have been
a number of inquiries on this list regarding this problem from both
myself and other people, but so far it has been mostly ignored.

Any thoughts, and/or suggestions regarding this issue are greatly
appreciated! Sincerely,

Ico



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Re: [Alsa-user] CS4205 (snd-intel8x0) missing recording inputs

[Jaroslav Kysela]

On Sun, 17 Nov 2002, Ivica Bukvic wrote:

> This driver seems to be notorious right now with its features (or better
> lack thereof). When using Alsa driver for the above-mentioned driver
> found in many of the current laptops, not all inputs can be selected for
> recording. For instance, line-in is available as an input source, but
> mic-in surprisingly isn't.

Could you send me output from 'amixer contents' ?

> One more thing is that CS4205 is a full-blown dsp so while it is

Are you kidding? It's a simple AC'97 codec. Please, check the manufacture 
information before flames (www.crystal.com).

						Jaroslav

-----
Jaroslav Kysela <perex@suse.cz>
Linux Kernel Sound Maintainer
ALSA Project, SuSE Labs



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RE: [Alsa-user] CS4205 (snd-intel8x0) missing recording inputs

[Ivica Bukvic]

Thank you for your reply!

>Could you send me output from 'amixer contents' ?

Will do as soon as I get a hold of the laptop (later this afternoon).

>Are you kidding? It's a simple AC'97 codec. Please, check the
manufacture 
>information before flames (www.crystal.com).

>From what I saw on the website (again, this may be pure propaganda, but
it does seem like this thing does have some additional features, and
perhaps more importantly is capable of at least 2 hw streams, like Ess
Maestro 3i was/is -- however, let me state that I am not a hw/driver
specialist, so I may be misinterpreting this):

(http://www.crystal.com/design/products/overview/detail.cfm?d=146)

...
"Delta Sigma and mixed-signal technology"
...
"Coupling the CS4205 with a PCI audio accelerator or core logic
supporting the AC '97 interface"
...
"Digital docking of I2S output, 3 synchronous I2S inputs"
...
"Performance digital mixer with SRSR 3D stereo enhancement"
...
"S/PDIF digital audio output"
...

Also, what caught my eye is the "hw-mixer" which perhaps could be used
for down-mixing streams (I may be talking nonsense here).

I am not sure what this means, but judging from the given info, it does
not look to me like the basic on-board chip. I do remember using Ess
maestro 3i laptop chip, which was capable of providing 2 streams. The
other thing is that OSS (commercial) drivers do allow opening of the
second stream (which unfortunately does not work properly, go figure).

Finally, I did notice that if the laptop (Dell Inspiron 8200) does go
into the power-save mode (any of the aspects, such as powering down the
screen or anything else defined in the BIOS), that machine sometimes
hard-locks when trying to run sound stuff afterwards (0.9 rc5) using Mdk
9.0 (2.4.19 kernel), but I am not sure whether this has anything to do
with Alsa, I'll keep digging and see what I come up with.

Again, any help on this issue is greatly appreciated!

Ico



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