From alsa-user-owner@alsa.jcu.cz  Wed May 27 11:49:15 1998
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Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 10:48:08 +0100 (BST)
From: Stephen Oxley <so101@york.ac.uk>
To: alsa-user@alsa.jcu.cz
cc: Stephen Oxley <so101@york.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Better SB16 ViBRA16X PnP support?
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On Tue, 26 May 1998, Jaroslav Kysela wrote:
>
> I looked to oss-free, but there isn't specific initialization for SB 16
> Vibra soundcards (except MIDI UART).. Can you write me your setup ('cat
> /proc/dma' and 'cat /proc/interrupts') for OSS-free?
>

I have the option of using both OSS-free and OSS-linux on my system at the
moment so it is no hassle to include output from both. 

Very recently full duplex support was added for my soundcard (vibra16x),
under OSS-linux (http://www.4front-tech.com/linux-x86.html) and this works
fine, but can only be used for 20 minutes at a time until registered (20
dollars). 

Okay time for lots of data...(More friendly text at the bottom)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Output from "OSS-free"

from /proc/dma
 0: SoundBlaster8
 4: cascade

from /proc/interrupts 
 0:   13074506   timer
 1:      12574   keyboard
 2:          0   cascade
 3:          6 + serial
 4:     183877 + serial
 7:    2659984   soundblaster
10:     782276   WD8013
13:          1   math error
14:     287162 + ide0

from /dev/sndstat
#OSS/Free3.8s9-980302 (Fri Mar 27 16:37:50 GMT 1998 steve,
Linux starfury 2.0.33 #2 Mon Mar 23 13:03:05 GMT 1998 i586)
Load type: Driver loaded as a module.
Kernel: Linux crystal 2.0.33 #5 Fri Mar 27 16:39:25 GMT 1998 i486
Config options: 2000002

Installed drivers: 
Type 1: OPL-2/OPL-3 FM
Type 26: MPU-401 (UART)
Type 2: Sound Blaster
Type 29: Sound Blaster PnP
Type 7: SB MPU-401

Card config: 
Sound Blaster at 0x220 irq 7 drq 0,1
SB MPU-401 at 0x330 irq 7 drq 0
OPL-2/OPL-3 FM at 0x388 drq 0

Audio devices:
0: Sound Blaster 16 (4.16)

Synth devices:
0: Yamaha OPL-3

Midi devices:
0: Sound Blaster 16

Timers:
0: System clock

Mixers:
0: Sound Blaster
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Output from "OSS-linux"

from /proc/dma
 0: SoundBlaster8
 1: SoundBlaster16
 4: cascade

from /proc/interrupts 
 0:   13098981   timer
 1:      14440   keyboard
 2:          0   cascade
 3:          6 + serial
 4:     187892 + serial
 7:    2668811   soundblaster
10:     786828   WD8013
13:          1   math error
14:     300192 + ide0

from /dev/sndstat
OSS/Linux 3.9c (C) 4Front Technologies 1997

License serial number: E00000008
This product is licensed for evaluation purposes only.
License will expire after: 08/1998

*** Activity time of this evaluation run is limited to 20 minutes ***
Kernel: Linux crystal 2.0.33 #5 Fri Mar 27 16:39:25 GMT 1998 i486

Card config: 
Generic PnP support
SoundBlaster PnP at 0x220 irq 7 drq 0,1
OPL-2/OPL-3 FM at 0x388
SB MPU-401 at 0x330 irq 7

Audio devices:
0: Creative ViBRA16X PnP (4.16) (DUPLEX)
1: SB secondary device (DUPLEX)

Synth devices:
0: Yamaha OPL-3

Midi devices:
0: Sound Blaster 16

Timers:
0: System clock

Mixers:
0: Sound Blaster


> > Both of these 8bit channels can be allocated to dma 0,1 or 3 and that is
> > where the configuration problems start. Alsa can only recognise one of
> > these channels and presumably thinks that it can only play 8bit sound
> > through it. 
> 
> Yes, it's true.. I'm sorry, but I don't have any SB16 Vibra specific
> documentation, so any help is needed!!! Aren't this soundcard backwards
> compatible, so second 16-bit DMA channel should be used without problems?
> 

As far as I know there arn't any problems with the earlier Vibra series,
it is with the latest card the Vibra16X and its two 8 bit DMA channels. I
did try and hack the ALSA code to allow any choice of dma for both
channels (0,1 or 3), but things started to get complicated and I wasn't
sure it was even going to work so I gave up.

Also I'm not really sure how the older sound blaster cards do full duplex,
but my card seems to be able to record and play in 16bit 44100 cd quality
sound at the same time (to the best of my aural judgement). Is this
possible with older cards with one 8bit DMA channel and one 16bit DMA
channel, or does some filtering and conversion have to be performed? 

Thanx for your time

steve.


