ES1938 - ESS Solo1 - 3 Cards mounted

ES1938 - ESS Solo1 - 3 Cards mounted

[Francesco Rossi]

Hi,
I have been running serious headaches since I am trying to mount 3 cards
in one box running the latest stable kernel, I have tried with both alsa
0.5.12a and 0.9rc3 but still I am having the same kind of problem.

I am loading snd-pcm-oss and snd-mixer-oss
I have patched the sound_core.c to fix the problem of devfs' /dev/sound
so that now it generates the right device names.

When I start recording from the /dev/sound/dsp everything goes right,
when I do it from /dev/sound/dsp1 or /dev/sound/dsp2 the machine is
freezing without even a panic message.

I am attaching here the output of lspci -v

Is there anybody out there who can prevent me from having any further
headache ?

Thank you very very much,
          Franc



00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 82845 845 (Brookdale) Chipset Host
Bridge (rev 03)
        Subsystem: Asustek Computer, Inc.: Unknown device 8070
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
        Memory at f8000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=64M]
        Capabilities: <available only to root>

00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82845 845 (Brookdale) Chipset AGP Bridge
(rev 03) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])        Flags: bus master, 66Mhz,
fast devsel, latency 64
        Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=0
        I/O behind bridge: 0000d000-0000dfff
        Memory behind bridge: f3000000-f3dfffff
        Prefetchable memory behind bridge: f3f00000-f7ffffff

00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82820 820 (Camino 2) Chipset PCI (rev
12) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
        Bus: primary=00, secondary=02, subordinate=02, sec-latency=32
        I/O behind bridge: 00006000-0000bfff
        Memory behind bridge: f2800000-f2ffffff
        Prefetchable memory behind bridge: f3e00000-f3efffff

00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82820 820 (Camino 2) Chipset ISA Bridge
(ICH2) (rev 12)
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0

00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82820 820 (Camino 2) Chipset IDE U100
(rev 12) (prog-if 80 [Master])
        Subsystem: Asustek Computer, Inc.: Unknown device 8028
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0
        [virtual] I/O ports at 01f0
        [virtual] I/O ports at 03f4
        [virtual] I/O ports at 0170
        [virtual] I/O ports at 0374
        I/O ports at 5800 [size=16]

00:1f.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82820 820 (Camino 2) Chipset USB
(Hub A) (rev 12) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
        Subsystem: Asustek Computer, Inc.: Unknown device 8028
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 5
        I/O ports at 5400 [size=32]

00:1f.4 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82820 820 (Camino 2) Chipset USB
(Hub B) (rev 12) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
        Subsystem: Asustek Computer, Inc.: Unknown device 8028
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 9
        I/O ports at 5000 [size=32]

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Rage 128 PF
(prog-if 00 [VGA])
        Subsystem: ATI Technologies Inc: Unknown device 5446
        Flags: bus master, stepping, 66Mhz, medium devsel, latency 64,
IRQ 11
        Memory at f4000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=64M]
        I/O ports at d800 [size=256]
        Memory at f3000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
        Expansion ROM at f3fe0000 [disabled] [size=128K]
        Capabilities: <available only to root>

02:09.0 Multimedia audio controller: ESS Technology ES1969 Solo-1
Audiodrive (rev 02)
        Subsystem: ESS Technology: Unknown device 8898
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 9
        I/O ports at b800 [size=64]
        I/O ports at b400 [size=16]
        I/O ports at b000 [size=16]
        I/O ports at a800 [size=4]
        I/O ports at a400 [size=4]
        Capabilities: <available only to root>

02:0b.0 Multimedia audio controller: ESS Technology ES1969 Solo-1
Audiodrive (rev 02)
        Subsystem: ESS Technology: Unknown device 8898
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 9
        I/O ports at a000 [size=64]
        I/O ports at 9800 [size=16]
        I/O ports at 9400 [size=16]
        I/O ports at 9000 [size=4]
        I/O ports at 8800 [size=4]
        Capabilities: <available only to root>

02:0c.0 Multimedia audio controller: ESS Technology ES1969 Solo-1
Audiodrive (rev 02)
        Subsystem: ESS Technology: Unknown device 8898
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 9
        I/O ports at 8400 [size=64]
        I/O ports at 8000 [size=16]
        I/O ports at 7800 [size=16]
        I/O ports at 7400 [size=4]
        I/O ports at 7000 [size=4]
        Capabilities: <available only to root>

02:0e.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3c905C-TX [Fast Etherlink]
(rev 74)
        Subsystem: 3Com Corporation 3C905C-TX Fast Etherlink for PC
Management NIC
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 10
        I/O ports at 6800 [size=128]
        Memory at f2800000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=128]
        Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled] [size=128K]
        Capabilities: <available only to root>






-------------------------------------------------------
Sponsored by: AMD - Your access to the experts on Hammer Technology! 
Open Source & Linux Developers, register now for the AMD Developer 
Symposium. Code: EX8664 http://www.developwithamd.com/developerlab

Re: ES1938 - ESS Solo1 - 3 Cards mounted

[Francesco Rossi]

Some more info, I finally ran into a kernel message:
CPU 0: Machine Check Exception: 0000000000000004
Bank 0: a200000084010400
Kernel panic: CPU context corrupt
In idle task - not syncing

I have actually modified my application not to use the OSS layer anymore
but to go directly with the ALSA APIs. The result is the same.
Since I was not completely sure about my software, I tried also using
the arecord from alsa-utils and the result hasn't changed.

I also started thinking about too much stuff passing through the bus but
it shouldn't be that a big deal. I haven't reached my need of 5 cards
yet. :-)

I have also tried to differenciate the IRQ configuration of the three
cards, at the beginning they were all on IRQ #9.

This is the configuration I am using when I am recording:

stream      : CAPTURE
access      : RW_INTERLEAVED
format      : S16_LE
subformat   : STD
channels    : 2
rate        : 44100
exact rate  : 44100 (793800/18)
msbits      : 16
buffer_size : 16320
period_size : 4080
period_time : 92517
tick_time   : 10000
tstamp_mode : NONE
period_step : 1
sleep_min   : 0
avail_min   : 4080
xfer_align  : 4080
start_threshold  : 1
stop_threshold   : 16320
silence_size: 0
boundary    : 2139095040


Any idea ?

Thanks in advance,
           Franc




> Subject: [Alsa-devel] ES1938 - ESS Solo1 - 3 Cards mounted
> 
> Hi,
> I have been running serious headaches since I am trying to mount 3 cards
> in one box running the latest stable kernel, I have tried with both alsa
> 0.5.12a and 0.9rc3 but still I am having the same kind of problem.
> 
> I am loading snd-pcm-oss and snd-mixer-oss
> I have patched the sound_core.c to fix the problem of devfs' /dev/sound
> so that now it generates the right device names.
> 
> When I start recording from the /dev/sound/dsp everything goes right,
> when I do it from /dev/sound/dsp1 or /dev/sound/dsp2 the machine is
> freezing without even a panic message.
> 
> I am attaching here the output of lspci -v
> 
> Is there anybody out there who can prevent me from having any further
> headache ?
> 
> Thank you very very much,
>           Franc
> 
> 
> 
> 00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 82845 845 (Brookdale) Chipset Host
> Bridge (rev 03)
>         Subsystem: Asustek Computer, Inc.: Unknown device 8070
>         Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
>         Memory at f8000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=64M]
>         Capabilities: <available only to root>
> 
> 00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82845 845 (Brookdale) Chipset AGP Bridge
> (rev 03) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])        Flags: bus master, 66Mhz,
> fast devsel, latency 64
>         Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=0
>         I/O behind bridge: 0000d000-0000dfff
>         Memory behind bridge: f3000000-f3dfffff
>         Prefetchable memory behind bridge: f3f00000-f7ffffff
> 
> 00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82820 820 (Camino 2) Chipset PCI (rev
> 12) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
>         Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
>         Bus: primary=00, secondary=02, subordinate=02, sec-latency=32
>         I/O behind bridge: 00006000-0000bfff
>         Memory behind bridge: f2800000-f2ffffff
>         Prefetchable memory behind bridge: f3e00000-f3efffff
> 
> 00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82820 820 (Camino 2) Chipset ISA Bridge
> (ICH2) (rev 12)
>         Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0
> 
> 00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82820 820 (Camino 2) Chipset IDE U100
> (rev 12) (prog-if 80 [Master])
>         Subsystem: Asustek Computer, Inc.: Unknown device 8028
>         Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0
>         [virtual] I/O ports at 01f0
>         [virtual] I/O ports at 03f4
>         [virtual] I/O ports at 0170
>         [virtual] I/O ports at 0374
>         I/O ports at 5800 [size=16]
> 
> 00:1f.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82820 820 (Camino 2) Chipset USB
> (Hub A) (rev 12) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
>         Subsystem: Asustek Computer, Inc.: Unknown device 8028
>         Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 5
>         I/O ports at 5400 [size=32]
> 
> 00:1f.4 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82820 820 (Camino 2) Chipset USB
> (Hub B) (rev 12) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
>         Subsystem: Asustek Computer, Inc.: Unknown device 8028
>         Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 9
>         I/O ports at 5000 [size=32]
> 
> 01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Rage 128 PF
> (prog-if 00 [VGA])
>         Subsystem: ATI Technologies Inc: Unknown device 5446
>         Flags: bus master, stepping, 66Mhz, medium devsel, latency 64,
> IRQ 11
>         Memory at f4000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=64M]
>         I/O ports at d800 [size=256]
>         Memory at f3000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
>         Expansion ROM at f3fe0000 [disabled] [size=128K]
>         Capabilities: <available only to root>
> 
> 02:09.0 Multimedia audio controller: ESS Technology ES1969 Solo-1
> Audiodrive (rev 02)
>         Subsystem: ESS Technology: Unknown device 8898
>         Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 9
>         I/O ports at b800 [size=64]
>         I/O ports at b400 [size=16]
>         I/O ports at b000 [size=16]
>         I/O ports at a800 [size=4]
>         I/O ports at a400 [size=4]
>         Capabilities: <available only to root>
> 
> 02:0b.0 Multimedia audio controller: ESS Technology ES1969 Solo-1
> Audiodrive (rev 02)
>         Subsystem: ESS Technology: Unknown device 8898
>         Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 9
>         I/O ports at a000 [size=64]
>         I/O ports at 9800 [size=16]
>         I/O ports at 9400 [size=16]
>         I/O ports at 9000 [size=4]
>         I/O ports at 8800 [size=4]
>         Capabilities: <available only to root>
> 
> 02:0c.0 Multimedia audio controller: ESS Technology ES1969 Solo-1
> Audiodrive (rev 02)
>         Subsystem: ESS Technology: Unknown device 8898
>         Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 9
>         I/O ports at 8400 [size=64]
>         I/O ports at 8000 [size=16]
>         I/O ports at 7800 [size=16]
>         I/O ports at 7400 [size=4]
>         I/O ports at 7000 [size=4]
>         Capabilities: <available only to root>
> 
> 02:0e.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3c905C-TX [Fast Etherlink]
> (rev 74)
>         Subsystem: 3Com Corporation 3C905C-TX Fast Etherlink for PC
> Management NIC
>         Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 10
>         I/O ports at 6800 [size=128]
>         Memory at f2800000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=128]
>         Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled] [size=128K]
>         Capabilities: <available only to root>
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 




-------------------------------------------------------
This SF.NET email is sponsored by: AMD - Your access to the experts
on Hammer Technology! Open Source & Linux Developers, register now
for the AMD Developer Symposium. Code: EX8664
http://www.developwithamd.com/developerlab

Re: ES1938 - ESS Solo1 - 3 Cards mounted

[Takashi Iwai]

At 17 Sep 2002 21:39:01 +0200,
Francesco Rossi wrote:
> 
> Some more info, I finally ran into a kernel message:
> CPU 0: Machine Check Exception: 0000000000000004
> Bank 0: a200000084010400
> Kernel panic: CPU context corrupt
> In idle task - not syncing

this is really weird.
it looks like a hardware problem rather than the driver problem.

questions come to my mind are:

- try UP kernel if you're using smp?
- playing on three cards is ok?
- still problems only with two cards?
- how about different pci slots?


Takashi


-------------------------------------------------------
This SF.NET email is sponsored by: AMD - Your access to the experts
on Hammer Technology! Open Source & Linux Developers, register now
for the AMD Developer Symposium. Code: EX8664
http://www.developwithamd.com/developerlab

Re: ES1938 - ESS Solo1 - 3 Cards mounted

[Francesco Rossi]

I believe it may sound weird, but I have successfully ran 3 cards
recording at 32.000 Hz each stereo, 16 bits. I left it running for
24hours to check if it was just luck and it never crashed!

The configuration I have used with three cards sums up to 384K per
second running on the PCI bus. 

Now my test continues and I have added another two cards, reaching the
limit of my slots, 5 cards.

When I start the arecord on all of them, it doesn't crash, but it's
recording at 8000 Hz 8bits mono by default.

I then tried running arecord at 16000 Hz, stereo, 16 bits, and it
crashed when I started the 5th card.

What's weird is that with this configuration on the bus we should have
only 320k per second.

It appears to me that it is crashing when I am increasing the summed
sample rate. But then it doesn't make sense because 320k is less than
384k.

Do you have any idea?

Thanks,
              Franc



On Wed, 2002-09-18 at 12:14, Takashi Iwai wrote:
> At 17 Sep 2002 21:39:01 +0200,
> Francesco Rossi wrote:
> > 
> > Some more info, I finally ran into a kernel message:
> > CPU 0: Machine Check Exception: 0000000000000004
> > Bank 0: a200000084010400
> > Kernel panic: CPU context corrupt
> > In idle task - not syncing
> 
> this is really weird.
> it looks like a hardware problem rather than the driver problem.
> 
> questions come to my mind are:
> 
> - try UP kernel if you're using smp?
> - playing on three cards is ok?
> - still problems only with two cards?
> - how about different pci slots?
> 
> 
> Takashi




-------------------------------------------------------
This sf.net email is sponsored by:ThinkGeek
Welcome to geek heaven.
http://thinkgeek.com/sf

Re: ES1938 - ESS Solo1 - 3 Cards mounted

[Jaroslav Kysela]

On 19 Sep 2002, Francesco Rossi wrote:

> I believe it may sound weird, but I have successfully ran 3 cards
> recording at 32.000 Hz each stereo, 16 bits. I left it running for
> 24hours to check if it was just luck and it never crashed!
> 
> The configuration I have used with three cards sums up to 384K per
> second running on the PCI bus. 
> 
> Now my test continues and I have added another two cards, reaching the
> limit of my slots, 5 cards.
> 
> When I start the arecord on all of them, it doesn't crash, but it's
> recording at 8000 Hz 8bits mono by default.
> 
> I then tried running arecord at 16000 Hz, stereo, 16 bits, and it
> crashed when I started the 5th card.
> 
> What's weird is that with this configuration on the bus we should have
> only 320k per second.
> 
> It appears to me that it is crashing when I am increasing the summed
> sample rate. But then it doesn't make sense because 320k is less than
> 384k.
> 
> Do you have any idea?

Note that ESS Solo1 hardware is not very good. We have several workarounds 
in our driver to fix the wrong hardware behaviour. Perhaps, it could have 
more design problems so it eats more bus bandwidth than necessary. Try 
another hardware.

						Jaroslav

-----
Jaroslav Kysela <perex@suse.cz>
Linux Kernel Sound Maintainer
ALSA Project  http://www.alsa-project.org
SuSE Linux    http://www.suse.com



-------------------------------------------------------
This sf.net email is sponsored by:ThinkGeek
Welcome to geek heaven.
http://thinkgeek.com/sf

Re: ES1938 - ESS Solo1 - 3 Cards mounted

[Francesco Rossi]

Do you think that the SoundBlaster Live would do the trick ?
Or can you suggest me any hardware able to do it ?
Thank you in advance,
             Franc


On Thu, 2002-09-19 at 10:41, Jaroslav Kysela wrote:
> On 19 Sep 2002, Francesco Rossi wrote:
> 
> > I believe it may sound weird, but I have successfully ran 3 cards
> > recording at 32.000 Hz each stereo, 16 bits. I left it running for
> > 24hours to check if it was just luck and it never crashed!
> > 
> > The configuration I have used with three cards sums up to 384K per
> > second running on the PCI bus. 
> > 
> > Now my test continues and I have added another two cards, reaching the
> > limit of my slots, 5 cards.
> > 
> > When I start the arecord on all of them, it doesn't crash, but it's
> > recording at 8000 Hz 8bits mono by default.
> > 
> > I then tried running arecord at 16000 Hz, stereo, 16 bits, and it
> > crashed when I started the 5th card.
> > 
> > What's weird is that with this configuration on the bus we should have
> > only 320k per second.
> > 
> > It appears to me that it is crashing when I am increasing the summed
> > sample rate. But then it doesn't make sense because 320k is less than
> > 384k.
> > 
> > Do you have any idea?
> 
> Note that ESS Solo1 hardware is not very good. We have several workarounds 
> in our driver to fix the wrong hardware behaviour. Perhaps, it could have 
> more design problems so it eats more bus bandwidth than necessary. Try 
> another hardware.
> 
> 						Jaroslav
> 
> -----
> Jaroslav Kysela <perex@suse.cz>
> Linux Kernel Sound Maintainer
> ALSA Project  http://www.alsa-project.org
> SuSE Linux    http://www.suse.com




-------------------------------------------------------
This sf.net email is sponsored by:ThinkGeek
Welcome to geek heaven.
http://thinkgeek.com/sf

Re: ES1938 - ESS Solo1 - 3 Cards mounted

[Francesco Rossi]

I just wanted to inform that I have changed the cards with SoundBlaster
4.1 Digital (driver snd-ens1371) and they are working together like a
charm!
It has also been a nice opportunity to test the new Mandrake Linux 9.0
which comes bundled with the latest alsa drivers.
Thanks,
             Franc


On Thu, 2002-09-19 at 10:41, Jaroslav Kysela wrote:
> On 19 Sep 2002, Francesco Rossi wrote:
> 
> > I believe it may sound weird, but I have successfully ran 3 cards
> > recording at 32.000 Hz each stereo, 16 bits. I left it running for
> > 24hours to check if it was just luck and it never crashed!
> > 
> > The configuration I have used with three cards sums up to 384K per
> > second running on the PCI bus. 
> > 
> > Now my test continues and I have added another two cards, reaching the
> > limit of my slots, 5 cards.
> > 
> > When I start the arecord on all of them, it doesn't crash, but it's
> > recording at 8000 Hz 8bits mono by default.
> > 
> > I then tried running arecord at 16000 Hz, stereo, 16 bits, and it
> > crashed when I started the 5th card.
> > 
> > What's weird is that with this configuration on the bus we should have
> > only 320k per second.
> > 
> > It appears to me that it is crashing when I am increasing the summed
> > sample rate. But then it doesn't make sense because 320k is less than
> > 384k.
> > 
> > Do you have any idea?
> 
> Note that ESS Solo1 hardware is not very good. We have several workarounds 
> in our driver to fix the wrong hardware behaviour. Perhaps, it could have 
> more design problems so it eats more bus bandwidth than necessary. Try 
> another hardware.
> 
> 						Jaroslav
> 
> -----
> Jaroslav Kysela <perex@suse.cz>
> Linux Kernel Sound Maintainer
> ALSA Project  http://www.alsa-project.org
> SuSE Linux    http://www.suse.com




-------------------------------------------------------
This sf.net email is sponsored by:ThinkGeek
Welcome to geek heaven.
http://thinkgeek.com/sf