TerraTec Cinergy T PCIe Dual not working

TerraTec Cinergy T PCIe Dual not working

[Jean Delvare]

Hi all,

I have a TerraTec Cinergy T PCIe Dual card and I can't get it to work.
I had been using it several months ago, with some success, although the
stability wasn't ideal. Then I moved it to another machine to check if
it was any better on Windows (and indeed it was better.) Now I put it
back in my system and I can't get it to work at all.

I have the following relevant kernel log messages:

[    0.362783] pci 0000:0b:00.0: [14f1:8852] type 00 class 0x040000
[    0.362809] pci 0000:0b:00.0: reg 10: [mem 0xfbc00000-0xfbdfffff 64bit]
[    0.362940] pci 0000:0b:00.0: supports D1 D2
[    0.362942] pci 0000:0b:00.0: PME# supported from D0 D1 D2 D3hot
[    0.362967] pci 0000:0b:00.0: disabling ASPM on pre-1.1 PCIe device.  You can enable it with 'pcie_aspm=force'
[    6.313259] cx23885 driver version 0.0.3 loaded
[    6.313898] CORE cx23885[0]: subsystem: 153b:117e, board: TerraTec Cinergy T PCIe Dual [card=34,autodetected]
[    6.498999] cx25840 11-0044: cx23885 A/V decoder found @ 0x88 (cx23885[0])
[    7.114399] cx25840 11-0044: loaded v4l-cx23885-avcore-01.fw firmware (16382 bytes)
[    7.150641] cx23885_dvb_register() allocating 1 frontend(s)
[    7.150704] cx23885[0]: cx23885 based dvb card
[    7.178681] drxk: status = 0x639160d9
[    7.180049] drxk: detected a drx-3916k, spin A3, xtal 20.250 MHz
[    7.245259] DRXK driver version 0.9.4300
[    7.268760] drxk: frontend initialized.
[    7.961207] mt2063_attach: Attaching MT2063
[    7.961271] DVB: registering new adapter (cx23885[0])
[    7.961332] DVB: registering adapter 0 frontend 0 (DRXK DVB-T)...
[    7.961877] cx23885_dvb_register() allocating 1 frontend(s)
[    7.961881] cx23885[0]: cx23885 based dvb card
[    7.974320] drxk: status = 0x639130d9
[    7.975838] drxk: detected a drx-3913k, spin A3, xtal 20.250 MHz
[    8.040888] DRXK driver version 0.9.4300
[    8.064459] drxk: frontend initialized.
[    8.064467] mt2063_attach: Attaching MT2063
[    8.064475] DVB: registering new adapter (cx23885[0])
[    8.064482] DVB: registering adapter 1 frontend 0 (DRXK DVB-C DVB-T)...
[    8.065919] cx23885_dev_checkrevision() Hardware revision = 0xa5
[    8.066004] cx23885[0]/0: found at 0000:0b:00.0, rev: 4, irq: 28, latency: 0, mmio: 0xfbc00000
[   27.281490] mt2063: detected a mt2063 B3
[   27.319390] mt2063: detected a mt2063 B3

I don't see anything wrong here, all the components are apparently
found and identified properly. However I can't get the card to actually
work, neither in me-tv nor in VLC.

Me-tv (version 1.3.6) tells me:
03/06/13 14:20:10: Device: 'DRXK DVB-T' (DVB-T) at "/dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0"
03/06/13 14:20:11: Device: 'DRXK DVB-C DVB-T' (DVB-C) at "/dev/dvb/adapter1/frontend0"
03/06/13 14:20:11: Frontend::tune_to(490000000)
03/06/13 14:20:11: Waiting for signal lock ...
And then "Failed to lock channel".

VLC (version 2.0.5) tells me:
main stream error: cannot pre fill buffer

I tried with kernels 3.4.30, 3.5.7, 3.6.0, 3.6.11, 3.7.10 and 3.8.2, with
exactly the same results.

How would I debug this further?

Thanks,
-- 
Jean Delvare

Re: TerraTec Cinergy T PCIe Dual not working

[Oliver Schinagl]

I have the same card, and have not much problems. I have some reception 
issues, but I don't think it's to blame on the card (yet). I do use 
tvheadend however.

In anycase, can you use w_scan or dvb-scan?

On 06-03-13 14:27, Jean Delvare wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I have a TerraTec Cinergy T PCIe Dual card and I can't get it to work.
> I had been using it several months ago, with some success, although the
> stability wasn't ideal. Then I moved it to another machine to check if
> it was any better on Windows (and indeed it was better.) Now I put it
> back in my system and I can't get it to work at all.
>
> I have the following relevant kernel log messages:
>
> [    0.362783] pci 0000:0b:00.0: [14f1:8852] type 00 class 0x040000
> [    0.362809] pci 0000:0b:00.0: reg 10: [mem 0xfbc00000-0xfbdfffff 64bit]
> [    0.362940] pci 0000:0b:00.0: supports D1 D2
> [    0.362942] pci 0000:0b:00.0: PME# supported from D0 D1 D2 D3hot
> [    0.362967] pci 0000:0b:00.0: disabling ASPM on pre-1.1 PCIe device.  You can enable it with 'pcie_aspm=force'
> [    6.313259] cx23885 driver version 0.0.3 loaded
> [    6.313898] CORE cx23885[0]: subsystem: 153b:117e, board: TerraTec Cinergy T PCIe Dual [card=34,autodetected]
> [    6.498999] cx25840 11-0044: cx23885 A/V decoder found @ 0x88 (cx23885[0])
> [    7.114399] cx25840 11-0044: loaded v4l-cx23885-avcore-01.fw firmware (16382 bytes)
> [    7.150641] cx23885_dvb_register() allocating 1 frontend(s)
> [    7.150704] cx23885[0]: cx23885 based dvb card
> [    7.178681] drxk: status = 0x639160d9
> [    7.180049] drxk: detected a drx-3916k, spin A3, xtal 20.250 MHz
> [    7.245259] DRXK driver version 0.9.4300
> [    7.268760] drxk: frontend initialized.
> [    7.961207] mt2063_attach: Attaching MT2063
> [    7.961271] DVB: registering new adapter (cx23885[0])
> [    7.961332] DVB: registering adapter 0 frontend 0 (DRXK DVB-T)...
> [    7.961877] cx23885_dvb_register() allocating 1 frontend(s)
> [    7.961881] cx23885[0]: cx23885 based dvb card
> [    7.974320] drxk: status = 0x639130d9
> [    7.975838] drxk: detected a drx-3913k, spin A3, xtal 20.250 MHz
> [    8.040888] DRXK driver version 0.9.4300
> [    8.064459] drxk: frontend initialized.
> [    8.064467] mt2063_attach: Attaching MT2063
> [    8.064475] DVB: registering new adapter (cx23885[0])
> [    8.064482] DVB: registering adapter 1 frontend 0 (DRXK DVB-C DVB-T)...
> [    8.065919] cx23885_dev_checkrevision() Hardware revision = 0xa5
> [    8.066004] cx23885[0]/0: found at 0000:0b:00.0, rev: 4, irq: 28, latency: 0, mmio: 0xfbc00000
> [   27.281490] mt2063: detected a mt2063 B3
> [   27.319390] mt2063: detected a mt2063 B3
>
> I don't see anything wrong here, all the components are apparently
> found and identified properly. However I can't get the card to actually
> work, neither in me-tv nor in VLC.
>
> Me-tv (version 1.3.6) tells me:
> 03/06/13 14:20:10: Device: 'DRXK DVB-T' (DVB-T) at "/dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0"
> 03/06/13 14:20:11: Device: 'DRXK DVB-C DVB-T' (DVB-C) at "/dev/dvb/adapter1/frontend0"
> 03/06/13 14:20:11: Frontend::tune_to(490000000)
> 03/06/13 14:20:11: Waiting for signal lock ...
> And then "Failed to lock channel".
>
> VLC (version 2.0.5) tells me:
> main stream error: cannot pre fill buffer
>
> I tried with kernels 3.4.30, 3.5.7, 3.6.0, 3.6.11, 3.7.10 and 3.8.2, with
> exactly the same results.
>
> How would I debug this further?
>
> Thanks,

Re: TerraTec Cinergy T PCIe Dual not working

[Jean Delvare]

Hi Oliver,

Thanks for your fast reply.

On Wed, 06 Mar 2013 14:58:05 +0100, Oliver Schinagl wrote:
> I have the same card, and have not much problems. I have some reception 
> issues, but I don't think it's to blame on the card (yet). I do use 
> tvheadend however.
> 
> In anycase, can you use w_scan or dvb-scan?

I have neither but I have "scan" from package "dvb" which does work.
This gave me the idea to re-run scan with different frequency files and
different antennas.

It turns out that my problem is the antenna. I was using the antenna I
have been using with my previous card, which is an internal DVB-T
antenna with amplification (external power supply.) I get zero signal
with that. But using the Terratec-provided cheap "stick" antenna, I get
signal again, with reasonable quality (although not as stable as with
the old card and the powered antenna.) I also get signal (but not all
channels) with my original antenna _unpowered_ (thus signal not
amplified.)

I admit I don't quite understand. I would understand that a bad,
unpowered antenna causes no signal to be sensed. But how is it possible
that a supposedly better, powered antenna causes that kind of issue?

Oliver, out of curiosity, what antenna are you using? The
Terratec-provided one, or another one?

-- 
Jean Delvare

Re: TerraTec Cinergy T PCIe Dual not working

[Oliver Schinagl]

On 03/06/13 16:03, Jean Delvare wrote:
> Hi Oliver,
>
> Thanks for your fast reply.
>
> On Wed, 06 Mar 2013 14:58:05 +0100, Oliver Schinagl wrote:
>> I have the same card, and have not much problems. I have some reception
>> issues, but I don't think it's to blame on the card (yet). I do use
>> tvheadend however.
>>
>> In anycase, can you use w_scan or dvb-scan?
>
> I have neither but I have "scan" from package "dvb" which does work.
> This gave me the idea to re-run scan with different frequency files and
> different antennas.
>
> It turns out that my problem is the antenna. I was using the antenna I
> have been using with my previous card, which is an internal DVB-T
> antenna with amplification (external power supply.) I get zero signal
> with that. But using the Terratec-provided cheap "stick" antenna, I get
> signal again, with reasonable quality (although not as stable as with
> the old card and the powered antenna.) I also get signal (but not all
> channels) with my original antenna _unpowered_ (thus signal not
> amplified.)
>
> I admit I don't quite understand. I would understand that a bad,
> unpowered antenna causes no signal to be sensed. But how is it possible
> that a supposedly better, powered antenna causes that kind of issue?
>
> Oliver, out of curiosity, what antenna are you using? The
> Terratec-provided one, or another one?
>
Right now, I use 11cm stripped coax :) But that's because I live 600 
meters from the broadcasting tower. This actually gives me the best 
reception. The mini antenna that came with the thing worked quite well, 
but the wire was a bit short.

Besides that I did use a powered antenna for a while, without the power 
connected, because it actually dampens the signal. That worked quite 
well for a while. Using it powered, with an external power source, 
actually made it much worse.

Re: TerraTec Cinergy T PCIe Dual not working

[Jean Delvare]

Hi Oliver,

On Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:07:01 +0100, Oliver Schinagl wrote:
> On 03/06/13 16:03, Jean Delvare wrote:
> > It turns out that my problem is the antenna. I was using the antenna I
> > have been using with my previous card, which is an internal DVB-T
> > antenna with amplification (external power supply.) I get zero signal
> > with that. But using the Terratec-provided cheap "stick" antenna, I get
> > signal again, with reasonable quality (although not as stable as with
> > the old card and the powered antenna.) I also get signal (but not all
> > channels) with my original antenna _unpowered_ (thus signal not
> > amplified.)
> >
> > I admit I don't quite understand. I would understand that a bad,
> > unpowered antenna causes no signal to be sensed. But how is it possible
> > that a supposedly better, powered antenna causes that kind of issue?
> >
> > Oliver, out of curiosity, what antenna are you using? The
> > Terratec-provided one, or another one?
>
> Right now, I use 11cm stripped coax :) But that's because I live 600 
> meters from the broadcasting tower. This actually gives me the best 
> reception. The mini antenna that came with the thing worked quite well, 
> but the wire was a bit short.
> 
> Besides that I did use a powered antenna for a while, without the power 
> connected, because it actually dampens the signal. That worked quite 
> well for a while. Using it powered, with an external power source, 
> actually made it much worse.

My experience matches yours exactly. Thanks for confirming. I wonder if
this is a limitation of the Linux drivers (not adjusting the tuner
sensibility to the signal strength) or a hardware characteristic.

-- 
Jean Delvare