Mailing List Archive

FireWire channel changer crapped out
I have had majoridiot's firewire channel changer working great for, like,
years. Yesterday, it quit working for no apparent reason. lspci shows the
device is there: 06:07.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments TSB43AB23
IEEE-1394a-2000 Controller (PHY/Link)

plugreport returns nothing

./firewire_tester -p -n 0 -r 5 returns "Failed to create new raw1394 handle
on port 0"

mythchanger run with the -v option says "Acquiring firewire handle... OK.
0 port(s) found. 0 STB(s) found"

Have checked the cable and rebooted both my myth box and the STB. No
help.

Anyone know how to troubleshoot this?

Steve
Re: FireWire channel changer crapped out [ In reply to ]
On Thu, Jul 23, 2020 at 11:13 AM DryHeat122 <dryheat122@gmail.com> wrote:

> I have had majoridiot's firewire channel changer working great for, like,
> years. Yesterday, it quit working for no apparent reason. lspci shows the
> device is there: 06:07.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments TSB43AB23
> IEEE-1394a-2000 Controller (PHY/Link)
>
> plugreport returns nothing
>
> ./firewire_tester -p -n 0 -r 5 returns "Failed to create new raw1394
> handle on port 0"
>
> mythchanger run with the -v option says "Acquiring firewire handle... OK.
> 0 port(s) found. 0 STB(s) found"
>
> Have checked the cable and rebooted both my myth box and the STB. No
> help.
>

I'm fortunate enough to have another Ubuntu box, so I ordered an
inexpensive PCI-E firewire card for it, which allowed me to test. On the
test box plugreport showed the set-top-box. The card came with a full-size
to mini-size firewire cable, which I connected to the other 1394 socket on
my original machine, and voila, plugreport on that machine showed the
set-top-box. So it seems that either the mini-size socket on my original
machine went bad, or the mini-to-mini cable went bad. I have no idea how
that can happen to things sitting there undisturbed, but there you have
it. So this is SOLVED.
Re: FireWire channel changer crapped out [ In reply to ]
>
> I'm fortunate enough to have another Ubuntu box, so I ordered an
> inexpensive PCI-E firewire card for it, which allowed me to test. On the
> test box plugreport showed the set-top-box. The card came with a full-size
> to mini-size firewire cable, which I connected to the other 1394 socket on
> my original machine, and voila, plugreport on that machine showed the
> set-top-box. So it seems that either the mini-size socket on my original
> machine went bad, or the mini-to-mini cable went bad. I have no idea how
> that can happen to things sitting there undisturbed, but there you have
> it. So this is SOLVED.
>

Out of curiosity, what firewire card and more specifically what chipset is
it using?

In the past I could only ever get TI-based firewire chipsets to work
reliably in Linux. All of my current STBs have abandoned firewire, but
knowing what cards work in Linux could be useful if I end up switching
providers to ones with firewire in the future. I found using the firewire
channel changing far more reliable / easier to configure across OS upgrades
than the lirc based approach I currently employ.
Re: FireWire channel changer crapped out [ In reply to ]
On 7/31/20 7:04 PM, John Hoyt wrote:
>
>  I'm fortunate enough to have another Ubuntu box, so I ordered an
> inexpensive PCI-E firewire card for it, which allowed me to test. 
> On the test box plugreport showed the set-top-box.  The card came
> with a full-size to mini-size firewire cable, which I connected to
> the other 1394 socket on my original machine, and voila,
> plugreport on that machine showed the set-top-box.  So it seems
> that either the mini-size socket on my original machine went bad,
> or the mini-to-mini cable went bad.  I have no idea how that can
> happen to things sitting there undisturbed, but there you have
> it.  So this is SOLVED.
>
> Out of curiosity, what firewire card and more specifically what
> chipset is it using?
>
> In the past I could only ever get TI-based firewire chipsets to work
> reliably in Linux.  All of my current STBs have abandoned firewire,
> but knowing what cards work in Linux could be useful if I end up
> switching providers to ones with firewire in the future.  I found
> using the firewire channel changing far more reliable / easier to
> configure across OS upgrades than the lirc based approach I currently
> employ.
>
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users@mythtv.org
> http://lists.mythtv.org/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
> http://wiki.mythtv.org/Mailing_List_etiquette
> MythTV Forums: https://forum.mythtv.org

I still use Firewire. The card in my machine is a Texas Instrument
Tsb43ab23, thats what hardinfo reports.. The bad part of using FW is
most STB's only have 1 fw port. You loose the ability to daisy chain. If
some one has been able to run two stb's with single ports,I would love
to hear about it....

Lirc is a no go for me. I have tried many times,but fail every time.
Re: FireWire channel changer crapped out [ In reply to ]
On Fri, Jul 31, 2020 at 4:44 PM Greg <gregl@nycap.rr.com> wrote:

>
> On 7/31/20 7:04 PM, John Hoyt wrote:
>
> I'm fortunate enough to have another Ubuntu box, so I ordered an
>> inexpensive PCI-E firewire card for it, which allowed me to test. On the
>> test box plugreport showed the set-top-box. The card came with a full-size
>> to mini-size firewire cable, which I connected to the other 1394 socket on
>> my original machine, and voila, plugreport on that machine showed the
>> set-top-box. So it seems that either the mini-size socket on my original
>> machine went bad, or the mini-to-mini cable went bad. I have no idea how
>> that can happen to things sitting there undisturbed, but there you have
>> it. So this is SOLVED.
>>
>
> Out of curiosity, what firewire card and more specifically what chipset is
> it using?
>
> In the past I could only ever get TI-based firewire chipsets to work
> reliably in Linux. All of my current STBs have abandoned firewire, but
> knowing what cards work in Linux could be useful if I end up switching
> providers to ones with firewire in the future. I found using the firewire
> channel changing far more reliable / easier to configure across OS upgrades
> than the lirc based approach I currently employ.
>
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing listmythtv-users@mythtv.orghttp://lists.mythtv.org/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-usershttp://wiki.mythtv.org/Mailing_List_etiquette
> MythTV Forums: https://forum.mythtv.org
>
> I still use Firewire. The card in my machine is a Texas Instrument
> Tsb43ab23, thats what hardinfo reports.. The bad part of using FW is most
> STB's only have 1 fw port. You loose the ability to daisy chain. If some
> one has been able to run two stb's with single ports,I would love to hear
> about it....
>
> Lirc is a no go for me. I have tried many times,but fail every time.
>

Mine is

06:07.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments TSB43AB23 IEEE-1394a-2000
Controller (PHY/Link)


It has always worked fine for me until this socket or cable fail.
Fortunately the mobo has two connectors and the full-size one still
worked. But for testing I got this PCI-E card on Amazon
<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F67WJ9S> for $14. It's got a VIA VT6306/7/8
chipset. It connected to the STB fine as well.
Re: FireWire channel changer crapped out [ In reply to ]
On Sat, Aug 1, 2020 at 12:19 PM DryHeat122 <dryheat122@gmail.com> wrote:

> [snip]
>>
>> All of my current STBs have abandoned firewire
>>
>> BTW the wiki
<https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Recording_Digital_Cable#Option_3:_FireWire_via_Set_Top_Box>
says "Also, as cable companies are only required by law to provide cable
boxes with FireWire output for high definition subscriptions, you may have
to pay extra to get such a box as most companies charge extra for high
definition enabled cable service." It seems the FCC has provided a waiver
<https://www.multichannel.com/news/fcc-douses-firewire-requirement-set-tops-ip-378067>
to
this rule for boxes that allow connections over IP. Can you change
channels over IP? If so, that would be better than firewire, IMO.
Re: FireWire channel changer crapped out [ In reply to ]
>
>
> BTW the wiki
> <https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Recording_Digital_Cable#Option_3:_FireWire_via_Set_Top_Box>
> says "Also, as cable companies are only required by law to provide cable
> boxes with FireWire output for high definition subscriptions, you may have
> to pay extra to get such a box as most companies charge extra for high
> definition enabled cable service." It seems the FCC has provided a waiver
> <https://www.multichannel.com/news/fcc-douses-firewire-requirement-set-tops-ip-378067> to
> this rule for boxes that allow connections over IP. Can you change
> channels over IP? If so, that would be better than firewire, IMO.
>

I wish - Verizon FiOS boxes have the capability, but my last search for an
ip solution only scraped up an old now non-function method.

In all honesty, my lirc solution is working - BUT my irblaster (mceusb) is
old and may die at home point. I always like to have the follow on
solution in house in case it fails.
Re: FireWire channel changer crapped out [ In reply to ]
On Sat, Aug 1, 2020 at 7:34 PM DryHeat122 <dryheat122@gmail.com> wrote:
> Can you change channels over IP? If so, that would be better than firewire, IMO.

Yes, IFF your cable company has licensed and
enabled that feature in the software. There is
no requirement for them to do so (and most of
the boxes that support that capability seem to
expect you to be using the STB itself as the
DOCSIS modem and gateway (most of that
generation boxes can also be a cable modem
gateway, but almost no MSOs deploy HSI that
way)).

For those in US locations that mostly set their
DRM flags for most channels as "copy-freely"
(Comcast and VZ FiOS primarily(*)) an OCUR
device is almost always your best option for
the majority of the channels with MythTV (or
the usual alternative solutions).




(*) And a random set of other providers and
locations (Charter, for example, is all over
the place regarding flagging due to their
historical acquisitions and complete inability
to actually create a unified system for their
subs, which confuses the heck out the subs,
and the CSRs, and likely the engineering
folk too, as they have all sorts of location
specific settings).
_______________________________________________
mythtv-users mailing list
mythtv-users@mythtv.org
http://lists.mythtv.org/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
http://wiki.mythtv.org/Mailing_List_etiquette
MythTV Forums: https://forum.mythtv.org
Re: FireWire channel changer crapped out [ In reply to ]
On Fri, Jul 31, 2020 at 1:29 PM DryHeat122 <dryheat122@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Thu, Jul 23, 2020 at 11:13 AM DryHeat122 <dryheat122@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I have had majoridiot's firewire channel changer working great for, like,
>> years. Yesterday, it quit working for no apparent reason. lspci shows the
>> device is there: 06:07.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments TSB43AB23
>> IEEE-1394a-2000 Controller (PHY/Link)
>>
>> plugreport returns nothing
>>
>> ./firewire_tester -p -n 0 -r 5 returns "Failed to create new raw1394
>> handle on port 0"
>>
>> mythchanger run with the -v option says "Acquiring firewire handle...
>> OK. 0 port(s) found. 0 STB(s) found"
>>
>> Have checked the cable and rebooted both my myth box and the STB. No
>> help.
>>
>
> I'm fortunate enough to have another Ubuntu box, so I ordered an
> inexpensive PCI-E firewire card for it, which allowed me to test. On the
> test box plugreport showed the set-top-box. The card came with a full-size
> to mini-size firewire cable, which I connected to the other 1394 socket on
> my original machine, and voila, plugreport on that machine showed the
> set-top-box. So it seems that either the mini-size socket on my original
> machine went bad, or the mini-to-mini cable went bad. I have no idea how
> that can happen to things sitting there undisturbed, but there you have
> it. So this is SOLVED.
>
>
Wow this is strange. As reported, yesterday I had FireWire working fine,
and changing channels as intended after switching to the other regular-size
1394 socket. Today it is broken! As before, plugreport shows only node 0
with libiec61883 unable to read anything. That is normal. Yesterday it
also showed a node 1 with the STB on it. There is nothing in syslog about
1394 or firewire. dmesg says the node was created:

[ 2.603920] firewire_core 0000:06:07.0: created device fw1: GUID
848dc771a2900000, S400

What could be going on here?!?
Re: FireWire channel changer crapped out [ In reply to ]
On 8/2/2020 1:23 PM, DryHeat122 wrote:

> Wow this is strange.  As reported, yesterday I had FireWire working
> fine, and changing channels as intended after switching to the other
> regular-size 1394 socket.  Today it is broken!  As before, plugreport
> shows only node 0 with libiec61883 unable to read anything.  That is
> normal.  Yesterday it also showed a node 1 with the STB on it.  There is
> nothing in syslog about 1394 or firewire.  dmesg says the node was created:
>
> [    2.603920] firewire_core 0000:06:07.0: created device fw1: GUID
> 848dc771a2900000, S400

I assume that you've power cycled the STB at some point during all of
this? In my years of firewire channel changing I can remember a couple
of times where rebooting the STB from a prior cable provider had caused
problems to go away.


-WD
_______________________________________________
mythtv-users mailing list
mythtv-users@mythtv.org
http://lists.mythtv.org/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
http://wiki.mythtv.org/Mailing_List_etiquette
MythTV Forums: https://forum.mythtv.org