Reponse from Geniatech Re: X8000A and KWorld ATSC 120

Reponse from Geniatech Re: X8000A and KWorld ATSC 120

[Vanessa Ezekowitz]

Hi all.  As a follow-up to the remote control support issue for the Kworld ATSC 120, Geniatech sent me a very encouraging reply today.  

Anyone want to take Fang up on his offer?


----------  Forwarded Message  ----------

Subject: 答复: Technical request regarding the HDTV Thriller X8000A
Date: Monday 13 April 2009
From: "Fang" <Fjj@geniatech.com>
To: "'Vanessa Ezekowitz'" <vanessaezekowitz@gmail.com>

Dear Vanessa Ezekowitz:


Thanks for your inquiry. 

My name is Fang, product manager of Geniatech. 

1st, we can provide you the remote decoder IC information, including I2C address, r/w API, it is simple, read I2C address every 150ms, and you can get the the key stroke decoding value. 

2nd, we have step products and both follow this protocol, so it is useful for all our products.

3rd, we'd like to support you directly from the Geniatech, that card is designed by us. 

Finnally,  I'd like to ask you if you can port more linux drivers if we send you samples and tech informations for our other 2 ATSC products: X8350 and X8550. 

I will send you more detailed tech information to you about the remote IC whatever your answer is. 

Best Regards
Fang  

-----邮件原件-----
发件人: Vanessa Ezekowitz [mailto:vanessaezekowitz@gmail.com] 
发送时间: 2009年4月10日 5:36
收件人: support@geniatech.com
主题: Technical request regarding the HDTV Thriller X8000A

THIS IS NOT A USER SUPPORT OR DRIVER REQUEST - WE ALREADY HAVE DRIVERS.

THIS IS A PROGRAMMER'S REQUEST FOR TECHNICAL INFORMATION.

To whom it may concern,

Some time back, I wrote you asking about technical information regarding the Thriller X8000A board.  I never received a reply, so I am writing again.

I own a card that is a chip-for-chip, wire-for-wire clone of the Thriller X8000A, the Kworld HD PCI 120 (also called the "ATSC 120" for short) - it is programmatically indistinguishable from your card.  My apologies in advance if I have mistaken which company first made this particular card.

Anyway...  The manufacturer of my card is refusing to answer my question, claiming that the data I request has been outright lost and can't even be communicated between departments within the company.

So now, I turn to you, as the maker of a 100% compatible card.

We of the Linux community have successfully written open-source drivers for most of the ATSC120/X8000A's  features, except for one:  we wish to add support for this card's remote control unit.

The Linux Community, whom I am sure you are aware represents a very large, rapidly growing market, cannot in good conscience recommend any cards, Geniatech or otherwise, which lack complete programming information.

QUESTION:

On my particular card, this appears to be a 20 pin SMD IC near the IR sensor connector.  the manufacturer of my cloned card has deliberately removed all the markings from the chip, save for a single green dot of paint, and users who own your card have reported similar circumstances.

Is this mystery chip the remote decoder/receiver chip as I suspect?

What is the part number of this chip?

What I2C address does it occupy?

Where can I acquire a datasheet for it?

I await your reply.

--
"There are some things in life worth obsessing over.  Most things aren't, and when you learn that, life improves."
http://starbase.globalpc.net/~vanessa/
Vanessa Ezekowitz <vanessaezekowitz@gmail.com>

Re: Reponse from Geniatech Re: X8000A and KWorld ATSC 120

[Daniel Gimpelevich]

In the past year and a half, my personal life took turns for the crazier 
and crazier. some time prior to that, I had near perfect support working 
for all functions of this card, including IR, but it never made it into 
mercurial due to a disagreement with Mauro about what I saw as 
fundamental changes needed to the cx88 driver design. However, this 
vendor support offer has my attention for a different reason: Having 
successfully added support for the AVerMedia Volar A868R, I've been asked 
to see what I can do about Geniatech's MyGica A680B stick. There is 
already a wiki entry on it:
http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Sabrent_TV-USBHD
If what Fang offered for the X8000A he can provide for the A680B, the 
longstanding issues could be resolved regarding this tree:
http://linuxtv.org/hg/~mkrufky/teledongle
Since it has been so long since the quoted message, I thought it best to 
ask this list whether there was any further communication. Has there been?

On Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:42:17 -0500, Vanessa Ezekowitz wrote:

> Hi all.  As a follow-up to the remote control support issue for the
> Kworld ATSC 120, Geniatech sent me a very encouraging reply today.
> 
> Anyone want to take Fang up on his offer?
> 
> 
> ----------  Forwarded Message  ----------
> 
> Subject: 答复: Technical request regarding the HDTV Thriller X8000A Date:
> Monday 13 April 2009
> From: "Fang" <Fjj@geniatech.com>
> To: "'Vanessa Ezekowitz'" <vanessaezekowitz@gmail.com>
> 
> Dear Vanessa Ezekowitz:
> 
> 
> Thanks for your inquiry.
> 
> My name is Fang, product manager of Geniatech.
> 
> 1st, we can provide you the remote decoder IC information, including I2C
> address, r/w API, it is simple, read I2C address every 150ms, and you
> can get the the key stroke decoding value.
> 
> 2nd, we have step products and both follow this protocol, so it is
> useful for all our products.
> 
> 3rd, we'd like to support you directly from the Geniatech, that card is
> designed by us.
> 
> Finnally,  I'd like to ask you if you can port more linux drivers if we
> send you samples and tech informations for our other 2 ATSC products:
> X8350 and X8550.
> 
> I will send you more detailed tech information to you about the remote
> IC whatever your answer is.
> 
> Best Regards
> Fang
> 
> -----邮件原件-----
> 发件人: Vanessa Ezekowitz [mailto:vanessaezekowitz@gmail.com] 发送时间:
> 2009年4月10日 5:36
> 收件人: support@geniatech.com
> 主题: Technical request regarding the HDTV Thriller X8000A
> 
> THIS IS NOT A USER SUPPORT OR DRIVER REQUEST - WE ALREADY HAVE DRIVERS.
> 
> THIS IS A PROGRAMMER'S REQUEST FOR TECHNICAL INFORMATION.
> 
> To whom it may concern,
> 
> Some time back, I wrote you asking about technical information regarding
> the Thriller X8000A board.  I never received a reply, so I am writing
> again.
> 
> I own a card that is a chip-for-chip, wire-for-wire clone of the
> Thriller X8000A, the Kworld HD PCI 120 (also called the "ATSC 120" for
> short) - it is programmatically indistinguishable from your card.  My
> apologies in advance if I have mistaken which company first made this
> particular card.
> 
> Anyway...  The manufacturer of my card is refusing to answer my
> question, claiming that the data I request has been outright lost and
> can't even be communicated between departments within the company.
> 
> So now, I turn to you, as the maker of a 100% compatible card.
> 
> We of the Linux community have successfully written open-source drivers
> for most of the ATSC120/X8000A's  features, except for one:  we wish to
> add support for this card's remote control unit.
> 
> The Linux Community, whom I am sure you are aware represents a very
> large, rapidly growing market, cannot in good conscience recommend any
> cards, Geniatech or otherwise, which lack complete programming
> information.
> 
> QUESTION:
> 
> On my particular card, this appears to be a 20 pin SMD IC near the IR
> sensor connector.  the manufacturer of my cloned card has deliberately
> removed all the markings from the chip, save for a single green dot of
> paint, and users who own your card have reported similar circumstances.
> 
> Is this mystery chip the remote decoder/receiver chip as I suspect?
> 
> What is the part number of this chip?
> 
> What I2C address does it occupy?
> 
> Where can I acquire a datasheet for it?
> 
> I await your reply.
> 
> --
> "There are some things in life worth obsessing over.  Most things
> aren't, and when you learn that, life improves."
> http://starbase.globalpc.net/~vanessa/ Vanessa Ezekowitz
> <vanessaezekowitz@gmail.com>