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Diffstat (limited to 'kernel/Documentation/dvb/README.dvb-usb')
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diff --git a/kernel/Documentation/dvb/README.dvb-usb b/kernel/Documentation/dvb/README.dvb-usb new file mode 100644 index 000000000..8eb92264e --- /dev/null +++ b/kernel/Documentation/dvb/README.dvb-usb @@ -0,0 +1,232 @@ +Documentation for dvb-usb-framework module and its devices + +Idea behind the dvb-usb-framework +================================= + +In March 2005 I got the new Twinhan USB2.0 DVB-T device. They provided specs and a firmware. + +Quite keen I wanted to put the driver (with some quirks of course) into dibusb. +After reading some specs and doing some USB snooping, it realized, that the +dibusb-driver would be a complete mess afterwards. So I decided to do it in a +different way: With the help of a dvb-usb-framework. + +The framework provides generic functions (mostly kernel API calls), such as: + +- Transport Stream URB handling in conjunction with dvb-demux-feed-control + (bulk and isoc are supported) +- registering the device for the DVB-API +- registering an I2C-adapter if applicable +- remote-control/input-device handling +- firmware requesting and loading (currently just for the Cypress USB + controllers) +- other functions/methods which can be shared by several drivers (such as + functions for bulk-control-commands) +- TODO: a I2C-chunker. It creates device-specific chunks of register-accesses + depending on length of a register and the number of values that can be + multi-written and multi-read. + +The source code of the particular DVB USB devices does just the communication +with the device via the bus. The connection between the DVB-API-functionality +is done via callbacks, assigned in a static device-description (struct +dvb_usb_device) each device-driver has to have. + +For an example have a look in drivers/media/usb/dvb-usb/vp7045*. + +Objective is to migrate all the usb-devices (dibusb, cinergyT2, maybe the +ttusb; flexcop-usb already benefits from the generic flexcop-device) to use +the dvb-usb-lib. + +TODO: dynamic enabling and disabling of the pid-filter in regard to number of +feeds requested. + +Supported devices +======================== + +See the LinuxTV DVB Wiki at www.linuxtv.org for a complete list of +cards/drivers/firmwares: + +http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/DVB_USB + +0. History & News: + 2005-06-30 - added support for WideView WT-220U (Thanks to Steve Chang) + 2005-05-30 - added basic isochronous support to the dvb-usb-framework + added support for Conexant Hybrid reference design and Nebula DigiTV USB + 2005-04-17 - all dibusb devices ported to make use of the dvb-usb-framework + 2005-04-02 - re-enabled and improved remote control code. + 2005-03-31 - ported the Yakumo/Hama/Typhoon DVB-T USB2.0 device to dvb-usb. + 2005-03-30 - first commit of the dvb-usb-module based on the dibusb-source. First device is a new driver for the + TwinhanDTV Alpha / MagicBox II USB2.0-only DVB-T device. + + (change from dvb-dibusb to dvb-usb) + 2005-03-28 - added support for the AVerMedia AverTV DVB-T USB2.0 device (Thanks to Glen Harris and Jiun-Kuei Jung, AVerMedia) + 2005-03-14 - added support for the Typhoon/Yakumo/HAMA DVB-T mobile USB2.0 + 2005-02-11 - added support for the KWorld/ADSTech Instant DVB-T USB2.0. Thanks a lot to Joachim von Caron + 2005-02-02 - added support for the Hauppauge Win-TV Nova-T USB2 + 2005-01-31 - distorted streaming is gone for USB1.1 devices + 2005-01-13 - moved the mirrored pid_filter_table back to dvb-dibusb + - first almost working version for HanfTek UMT-010 + - found out, that Yakumo/HAMA/Typhoon are predecessors of the HanfTek UMT-010 + 2005-01-10 - refactoring completed, now everything is very delightful + - tuner quirks for some weird devices (Artec T1 AN2235 device has sometimes a + Panasonic Tuner assembled). Tunerprobing implemented. Thanks a lot to Gunnar Wittich. + 2004-12-29 - after several days of struggling around bug of no returning URBs fixed. + 2004-12-26 - refactored the dibusb-driver, splitted into separate files + - i2c-probing enabled + 2004-12-06 - possibility for demod i2c-address probing + - new usb IDs (Compro, Artec) + 2004-11-23 - merged changes from DiB3000MC_ver2.1 + - revised the debugging + - possibility to deliver the complete TS for USB2.0 + 2004-11-21 - first working version of the dib3000mc/p frontend driver. + 2004-11-12 - added additional remote control keys. Thanks to Uwe Hanke. + 2004-11-07 - added remote control support. Thanks to David Matthews. + 2004-11-05 - added support for a new devices (Grandtec/Avermedia/Artec) + - merged my changes (for dib3000mb/dibusb) to the FE_REFACTORING, because it became HEAD + - moved transfer control (pid filter, fifo control) from usb driver to frontend, it seems + better settled there (added xfer_ops-struct) + - created a common files for frontends (mc/p/mb) + 2004-09-28 - added support for a new device (Unknown, vendor ID is Hyper-Paltek) + 2004-09-20 - added support for a new device (Compro DVB-U2000), thanks + to Amaury Demol for reporting + - changed usb TS transfer method (several urbs, stopping transfer + before setting a new pid) + 2004-09-13 - added support for a new device (Artec T1 USB TVBOX), thanks + to Christian Motschke for reporting + 2004-09-05 - released the dibusb device and dib3000mb-frontend driver + + (old news for vp7041.c) + 2004-07-15 - found out, by accident, that the device has a TUA6010XS for + PLL + 2004-07-12 - figured out, that the driver should also work with the + CTS Portable (Chinese Television System) + 2004-07-08 - firmware-extraction-2.422-problem solved, driver is now working + properly with firmware extracted from 2.422 + - #if for 2.6.4 (dvb), compile issue + - changed firmware handling, see vp7041.txt sec 1.1 + 2004-07-02 - some tuner modifications, v0.1, cleanups, first public + 2004-06-28 - now using the dvb_dmx_swfilter_packets, everything + runs fine now + 2004-06-27 - able to watch and switching channels (pre-alpha) + - no section filtering yet + 2004-06-06 - first TS received, but kernel oops :/ + 2004-05-14 - firmware loader is working + 2004-05-11 - start writing the driver + +1. How to use? +1.1. Firmware + +Most of the USB drivers need to download a firmware to the device before start +working. + +Have a look at the Wikipage for the DVB-USB-drivers to find out, which firmware +you need for your device: + +http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/DVB_USB + +1.2. Compiling + +Since the driver is in the linux kernel, activating the driver in +your favorite config-environment should sufficient. I recommend +to compile the driver as module. Hotplug does the rest. + +If you use dvb-kernel enter the build-2.6 directory run 'make' and 'insmod.sh +load' afterwards. + +1.3. Loading the drivers + +Hotplug is able to load the driver, when it is needed (because you plugged +in the device). + +If you want to enable debug output, you have to load the driver manually and +from within the dvb-kernel cvs repository. + +first have a look, which debug level are available: + +modinfo dvb-usb +modinfo dvb-usb-vp7045 +etc. + +modprobe dvb-usb debug=<level> +modprobe dvb-usb-vp7045 debug=<level> +etc. + +should do the trick. + +When the driver is loaded successfully, the firmware file was in +the right place and the device is connected, the "Power"-LED should be +turned on. + +At this point you should be able to start a dvb-capable application. I'm use +(t|s)zap, mplayer and dvbscan to test the basics. VDR-xine provides the +long-term test scenario. + +2. Known problems and bugs + +- Don't remove the USB device while running an DVB application, your system + will go crazy or die most likely. + +2.1. Adding support for devices + +TODO + +2.2. USB1.1 Bandwidth limitation + +A lot of the currently supported devices are USB1.1 and thus they have a +maximum bandwidth of about 5-6 MBit/s when connected to a USB2.0 hub. +This is not enough for receiving the complete transport stream of a +DVB-T channel (which is about 16 MBit/s). Normally this is not a +problem, if you only want to watch TV (this does not apply for HDTV), +but watching a channel while recording another channel on the same +frequency simply does not work very well. This applies to all USB1.1 +DVB-T devices, not just the dvb-usb-devices) + +The bug, where the TS is distorted by a heavy usage of the device is gone +definitely. All dvb-usb-devices I was using (Twinhan, Kworld, DiBcom) are +working like charm now with VDR. Sometimes I even was able to record a channel +and watch another one. + +2.3. Comments + +Patches, comments and suggestions are very very welcome. + +3. Acknowledgements + Amaury Demol (ademol@dibcom.fr) and Francois Kanounnikoff from DiBcom for + providing specs, code and help, on which the dvb-dibusb, dib3000mb and + dib3000mc are based. + + David Matthews for identifying a new device type (Artec T1 with AN2235) + and for extending dibusb with remote control event handling. Thank you. + + Alex Woods for frequently answering question about usb and dvb + stuff, a big thank you. + + Bernd Wagner for helping with huge bug reports and discussions. + + Gunnar Wittich and Joachim von Caron for their trust for providing + root-shells on their machines to implement support for new devices. + + Allan Third and Michael Hutchinson for their help to write the Nebula + digitv-driver. + + Glen Harris for bringing up, that there is a new dibusb-device and Jiun-Kuei + Jung from AVerMedia who kindly provided a special firmware to get the device + up and running in Linux. + + Jennifer Chen, Jeff and Jack from Twinhan for kindly supporting by + writing the vp7045-driver. + + Steve Chang from WideView for providing information for new devices and + firmware files. + + Michael Paxton for submitting remote control keymaps. + + Some guys on the linux-dvb mailing list for encouraging me. + + Peter Schildmann >peter.schildmann-nospam-at-web.de< for his + user-level firmware loader, which saves a lot of time + (when writing the vp7041 driver) + + Ulf Hermenau for helping me out with traditional chinese. + + André Smoktun and Christian Frömmel for supporting me with + hardware and listening to my problems very patiently. |