From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-path: Received: from 200-232-120-2.rf.com.br ([200.232.120.2]:33046 "EHLO rf.com.br" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1753123Ab0KKSpy (ORCPT ); Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:45:54 -0500 Received: from rf.com.br (yankee.rf.com.br [127.0.0.1]) by rf.com.br (8.14.3/8.14.3/Debian-5+lenny1) with ESMTP id oABIYh0B015792 for ; Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:34:43 -0200 From: "Joao S Veiga" To: linux-media@vger.kernel.org Subject: DVB-S/S2 Card for a linux-based dish pointer Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:34:43 -0200 Message-Id: <20101111175421.M41484@rf.com.br> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 List-ID: Sender: Hello guys, We're developing an automatic satellite dish pointer controller (for Satellite News Gathering vehicles and other applications), and it will be based on a mini-itx Atom motherboard running debian. I'm looking for options for measuring the received signal strength and quality for the auto-track and signal lock confirmation, and would like to use an off-the-shelf dvb-s card, supported by a vanilla kernel if possible. I've looked at this list's archive, and found good recommendations for the Technotrend TT-S3200 and TT-S1600. Remote control and hardware mpeg2 decoding are not needed; the 2Ux19" dish pointer controller will have no display (other than a 480x220 touchscreen which cannot show video, and a web user interface). Eventually we'll allow the connection of a monitor if the 1.6GHz fanless single-core Atom can handle the decoding, but that would be just a interesting feature, not a must. The card can be PCI or USB2 (the mini-itx board also has a very useful mini-pcie). I've never used a DVB card, so I'd like to please ask you guys if the dvb-s support under linux can be used in this situation: - no X running - send tuning/cps/etc configuration/commands via command line - get signal strength (dBm?) and quality (BER?), signal lock, and other sat info via command line or api or somewhere in /proc/ for example Considering that this is all I need (and users-do-not-need-to-know-this-is-a-computer stability), are the Technotrend TT-S3200 and TT-S1600 still good bets? Any less featured but still good quality cheaper option? Thank you! Joao S Veiga