cx24116 firmware doesn't load - firmware corrupt

[Nick Latheron]

Firmware appears to be present in /lib/firmware/ but doesn't load from Mythbuntu Control Centre on Mythbuntu 9.04 AMD64 RC

Matches expired question #62162

dmesg reports

"cx24116_firmware_ondemand: Waiting for firmware upload"

Trying to run TBS 8920 PCI DVB-S/S2 card.

Any help appreciated

Nick Latheron

[Douglas Mackay (o-launchpad-mackayd-co-uk)]

The firmware version supplied with 9.04 doesn't work for me either (Mythbuntu 9.04 AMD64). However reverting to previous firmware works.

9.04 firmware: dvb-fe-cx24116.fw - MD5 Checksum 9950fe612d47217e6068f7141de225b0 doesn't work

Firmware installed using :-
wget ftp://167.206.143.11/outgoing/Oxford/88x_2_119_25023_WHQL.zip
unzip -jo 88x_2_119_25023_WHQL.zip Driver88/hcw88bda.sys
dd if=hcw88bda.sys of=/lib/firmware/dvb-fe-cx24116.fw skip=81768 bs=1 count=32522

MD5 Checksum 417cafd3b10e207e1dba9a03ad63e405 does work

This is using a Nova HD S2 card (detected as Hauppauge WinTV-HVR4000(Lite) DVB-S/S2 [card=69,autodetected], frontend(s): 1)

[Nick Latheron (nick-latherons)]

Douglas Mackay wrote:
> The firmware version supplied with 9.04 doesn't work for me either
> (Mythbuntu 9.04 AMD64). However reverting to previous firmware works.
>
> 9.04 firmware: dvb-fe-cx24116.fw - MD5 Checksum
> 9950fe612d47217e6068f7141de225b0 doesn't work
>
> Firmware installed using :-
> wget ftp://167.206.143.11/outgoing/Oxford/88x_2_119_25023_WHQL.zip
> unzip -jo 88x_2_119_25023_WHQL.zip Driver88/hcw88bda.sys
> dd if=hcw88bda.sys of=/lib/firmware/dvb-fe-cx24116.fw skip=81768 bs=1 count=32522
>
> MD5 Checksum 417cafd3b10e207e1dba9a03ad63e405 does work
>
> This is using a Nova HD S2 card (detected as Hauppauge WinTV-
> HVR4000(Lite) DVB-S/S2 [card=69,autodetected], frontend(s): 1)
>
>
the version you mention works for TBS and Hauppauge cards however at the
moment I have two pictures one above the other on the screen!

Regards

Nick

[Douglas Mackay (o-launchpad-mackayd-co-uk)]

Have you tested the card outwith mythtv?

You'll need to stop the mythtv-backend and then use szap or tzap (dvb-s/dvb-t) :- there's a guide here http://parker1.co.uk/mythtv_dvb.php using tzap for dvb-t (it looks like the transponder/transmitter details are now held in /usr/share/dvb/)

[Douglas Mackay (o-launchpad-mackayd-co-uk)]

I've done some testing with the firmware listed on http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Hauppauge_WinTV-HVR-4000

Card info :-
dmesg | grep cx88
[ 6.975375] cx88/2: cx2388x MPEG-TS Driver Manager version 0.0.6 loaded
[ 6.975920] cx88[0]: subsystem: 0070:6906, board: Hauppauge WinTV-HVR4000(Lite) DVB-S/S2 [card=69,autodetected], frontend(s): 1
[ 6.975921] cx88[0]: TV tuner type -1, Radio tuner type -1
[ 6.996030] cx88/0: cx2388x v4l2 driver version 0.0.6 loaded
[ 7.423804] cx88[0]: hauppauge eeprom: model=69100
[ 7.423862] input: cx88 IR (Hauppauge WinTV-HVR400 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:0a.0/0000:01:06.2/input/input6
[ 7.448061] cx88[0]/2: cx2388x 8802 Driver Manager
[ 7.448074] cx88-mpeg driver manager 0000:01:06.2: PCI INT A -> Link[APC2] -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
[ 7.448082] cx88[0]/2: found at 0000:01:06.2, rev: 5, irq: 17, latency: 32, mmio: 0xe5000000
[ 7.448091] cx8802_probe() allocating 1 frontend(s)
[ 7.448122] cx8800 0000:01:06.0: PCI INT A -> Link[APC2] -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
[ 7.448126] cx88[0]/0: found at 0000:01:06.0, rev: 5, irq: 17, latency: 32, mmio: 0xe3000000
[ 7.448173] cx88[0]/0: registered device video0 [v4l2]
[ 7.448201] cx88[0]/0: registered device vbi0
[ 7.448552] cx88_audio 0000:01:06.1: PCI INT A -> Link[APC2] -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
[ 7.448568] cx88[0]/1: CX88x/0: ALSA support for cx2388x boards
[ 7.464837] cx88/2: cx2388x dvb driver version 0.0.6 loaded
[ 7.464839] cx88/2: registering cx8802 driver, type: dvb access: shared
[ 7.464840] cx88[0]/2: subsystem: 0070:6906, board: Hauppauge WinTV-HVR4000(Lite) DVB-S/S2 [card=69]
[ 7.464842] cx88[0]/2: cx2388x based DVB/ATSC card
[ 7.481171] DVB: registering new adapter (cx88[0])

Firmware v1.20.79.0 : md5 checksum 417cafd3b10e207e1dba9a03ad63e405)
Status: Working
wget ftp://167.206.143.11/outgoing/Oxford/88x_2_119_25023_WHQL.zip
unzip -jo 88x_2_119_25023_WHQL.zip Driver88/hcw88bda.sys
sudo dd if=hcw88bda.sys of=/lib/firmware/dvb-fe-cx24116.fw skip=81768 bs=1 count=32522

dmesg | grep cx24116
[ 38.046245] cx24116_firmware_ondemand: Waiting for firmware upload (dvb-fe-cx24116.fw)...
[ 38.046248] i2c-adapter i2c-1: firmware: requesting dvb-fe-cx24116.fw
[ 38.076318] cx24116_firmware_ondemand: Waiting for firmware upload(2)...
[ 43.453157] cx24116_load_firmware: FW version 1.20.79.0
[ 43.453164] cx24116_firmware_ondemand: Firmware upload complete

Firmware v1.22.82.0: md5checksum b728b5d635393a4081e87d30d87a7632
Status: Working
wget http://www.hauppauge.de/software/mce/88x_2_122_26109_WHQL.zip
unzip -jo 88x_2_122_26109_WHQL.zip Driver88/hcw88bda.sys
sudo dd if=hcw88bda.sys of=/lib/firmware/dvb-fe-cx24116.fw skip=75504 bs=1 count=32501

dmesg | grep cx24116
[ 38.087265] cx24116_firmware_ondemand: Waiting for firmware upload (dvb-fe-cx24116.fw)...
[ 38.087268] i2c-adapter i2c-3: firmware: requesting dvb-fe-cx24116.fw
[ 38.446735] cx24116_firmware_ondemand: Waiting for firmware upload(2)...
[ 43.785103] cx24116_load_firmware: FW version 1.22.82.0
[ 43.785111] cx24116_firmware_ondemand: Firmware upload complete

Firmware v1.23.86.1: md5sum dd8dfdfca6b72462d9db8032...

[Nick Latheron (nick-latherons)]

Using the fix suggested by Douglas the HVR 4000 is recording from DVB-S/DVB-S2 but live TV showed two identical screens one above the other on live view until I changed the default views.

Still can't see the DVB-T tuner on this card.

Is there a fix for this yet and the correct drivers for the card on a standard 9.04 installation.

Nick

[Nick Latheron (nick-latherons)]

by the way, I'm using FW version 1.20.79.0

[Nick Latheron (nick-latherons)]

Is there any further news on this. I'm not using the mythbuntu box at the moment as I'm busy sorting other things out. Planning a fresh install but would like to know if the firmware is loading correctly after the latest updates.

[David Santamaría Rogado (howl)]

Nick Latheron you should have db-t also working if the firmware is loaded correctly. I think your problem is related to the use of an application compilant with dvb 3.x and not with the new dvb 4.x that supports multiple frontends. To workaround this you can do:
sudo mkdir /dev/dvb/adapter1
sudo ln -s /dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend1 /dev/dvb/adapter1/frontend0
sudo ln -s /dev/dvb/adapter0/net1 /dev/dvb/adapter1/net0
sudo ln -s /dev/dvb/adapter0/dvr1 /dev/dvb/adapter1/dvr0
sudo ln -s /dev/dvb/adapter0/demux1 /dev/dvb/adapter1/demux0

take a look if you have more dvb adapters and see if 0 is your hvr.

About the main issue, the firmware v1.23.86.1 that can be obtained by:
wget http://tevii.com/Tevii_linuxdriver_0815.rar
sudo apt-get install unrar-free
unrar x Tevii_linuxdriver_0815.rar
sudo cp tevii_linuxdriver_0815/fw/dvb-fe-cx24116.fw /lib/firmware/dvb-fe-cx24116-1.23.86.1.fw
sudo ln -s /lib/firmware/dvb-fe-cx24116-1.23.86.1.fw /lib/firmware/dvb-fe-cx24116.fw

Works well with hvr-4000 and it's taken from the TeVii S460 Linux driver so is presumably to work also with it. The update of the firmware will make some dvb card to work out of the box.

[David Santamaría Rogado (howl)]

In the new karmic release the dvb firmwares have been promoted to a new package linux-firmware-nonfree

[Nick Latheron (nick-latherons)]

David Santamaría Rogado wrote:
> In the new karmic release the dvb firmwares have been promoted to a new
> package linux-firmware-nonfree
>
> ** Package changed: linux-firmware (Ubuntu) => linux-firmware-nonfree
> (Ubuntu)
>
>
Just found that after downloading TBS firmware from their website (the
driver software was corrupt anyway) will see if this works later today.

Nick

[Nick Latheron (nick-latherons)]

Running a TBS 8920 and Hauppauge Nova T 500.

DVB-S recognised by 9.10 on MythTV but not tuning.

Nova T 500 showing as DVB-S!

One day this will work

[David Santamaría Rogado (howl)]

The Nova T 500 as DVB-S is purely a MythTV bug, is solved at least in development releases.

For the DVB-S check that your anthena is well oriented.

[MarcRandolph (mrand)]

I believe David is referring to the fix at revision 21960. After that
upgrade is rolled out and you've installed it, please report back with
any success or failures.

Thank you!

[Nick Latheron (nick-latherons)]

MarcRandolph wrote:
> I believe David is referring to the fix at revision 21960. After that
> upgrade is rolled out and you've installed it, please report back with
> any success or failures.
>
> Thank you!
>
>
Trying to decide whether to stick with the TBS 8920 and Nova T 500 or
swap the TBS with my HVR 4000 which is in a windows box. If there was a
way to run Freeview and Freesat at the same time on the HVR 4000 that
would be better for me.

[Andrew Stevens (andrew-stevens)]

Just updated my myth server (ubuntu 9.10) kernel. Boom... package still has old broken firmware in it which of course merrily over-wrote the working version copied into place after the last kernel update. (see comment #8 for the standard recipe).

This urgently needs to be fixed in the ubuntu kernel packages. Are the Kernel packagers even aware of the issue?
The firmware file you're distro-ing is not 'a bit flaky' or 'imperfect'. Its is 100% non-functional dead broken. If you have several cards the firmware reload loop approximates a denial-of-service attack.

Please package a a working firmware!

[Nick Latheron (nick-latherons)]

I have given up for the moment. I need to know that updates aren't going to stuff up my installation.

Loathe as I am to install Windows 7 at least I would get to watch and record TV.

Please fix this I have a TBS 8920 and an HVR4000 so twice the problem.

[David Santamaría Rogado (howl)]

Corrected duplicate bug, What could this be a duplicate of bug posted 5 hoirs ago. The other one is the duplicate and that's why the conversation is here.

[Andy Whitcroft (apw)]

It seems you can get the firmware with the incantation below (instruction from http://james-lloyd.com/xbmc-live/):

  wget http://www.wintvcd.co.uk/drivers/88x_2_124_27191_1_WHQL.zip
  unzip -jo 88x_2_124_27191_1_WHQL.zip Driver88/hcw88bda.sys
  sudo dd if=hcw88bda.sys of=/lib/firmware/dvb-fe-cx24116-1.26.90.0.fw skip=105768 bs=1 count=32674

Need to see what licence this is available under. Use at your own risk.

[Chase Douglas (chasedouglas)]

I'm going to work on getting the right firmware into the linux-firmware-nonfree package (if you are interested, the process is open: just 'apt-get source linux-firmware-nonfree', update it with new firmware, build the new source package, upload it somewhere, and send a message to <email address hidden>). However, I need some consensus as to what version of the firmware I should put into the package. I'm going to poke around on the mythtv-users mailing list, but if anyone here knows what the best firmware is please comment.

Thanks

[Douglas Mackay (o-launchpad-mackayd-co-uk)]

I've been using v1.23.86.1 (md5sum: dd8dfdfca6b72462d9db8032f78631c8) in Karmic for the past few months without issue.

In Jaunty v1.20.79.0, v1.22.82.0 & v1.23.86.1 seemed to work but I only used v1.20.79.0 for a prolonged period of time.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package linux-firmware-nonfree - 1.7

---------------
linux-firmware-nonfree (1.7) lucid; urgency=low

  * Updated dvb-fe-cx24116.fw to 1.26.90.0, fixes previous corrupt file
    -LP: #363682
 -- Chase Douglas <email address hidden> Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:57:03 -0500

[Chase Douglas (chasedouglas)]

SRU justification for linux-firmware for Jaunty (applies to linux-firmware-nonfree for karmic, but I believe it's not necessary because the -nonfree package resides in multiverse):

Impact: The current package ships with corrupt firmware for Hauppauge HVR-4000 tuner cards. The firmware does not pose a physical device hazard, but usage of the device is prevented by the corrupt firmware. When the correct firmware is used the device works properly

Addressed: The latest linux-firmware-nonfree package (which was split from linux-firmware in Karmic) for Lucid version 1.7 replaces the incorrect firmware with the correct firmware, verified by md5sum against the firmware listed in [1]. However, this firmware is incompatible with the kernel shipping in Jaunty and Karmic. Thus, a previous version of the firmware has been used, verified again by md5sum against the firmware listed in [1].

Minimal Patch: Change is not diff'able. The dvb-fe-cx24116.fw file was replaced with a fixed version.

Reproduction: Load the v4l-dvb drivers on a machine with affected hardware. Drivers will fail to load the firmware because it is corrupted. Device will fail to work properly.

Regression Potential: Minimal because this change merely replaces one broken firmware file with another. Worst-case scenario is people still fail to use their devices due to incorrect firmware.

[1] http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Hauppauge_WinTV-HVR-4000.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Accepted linux-firmware-nonfree into karmic-proposed, the package will build now and be available in a few hours. Please test and give feedback here. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation how to enable and use -proposed. Thank you in advance!

[Douglas Mackay (o-launchpad-mackayd-co-uk)]

The version in karmic-proposed (v1.22.82.0 md5sum b728b5d635393a4081e87d30d87a7632) is working fine.

[MarcRandolph (mrand)]

Thank you Douglas. Nick Latheron, or anyone else, could you please check the version in karmic-proposed? Thank you!

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package linux-firmware-nonfree - 1.2.2

---------------
linux-firmware-nonfree (1.2.2) karmic-proposed; urgency=low

  * Fixed dvb-fe-cx24116 firmware
    -LP: #363682
 -- Chase Douglas <email address hidden> Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:34:13 -0500

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Accepted linux-firmware into jaunty-proposed, the package will build now and be available in a few hours. Please test and give feedback here. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation how to enable and use -proposed. Thank you in advance!

[MarcRandolph (mrand)]

This should be available since at least 10.04 beta 2.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Anyone who can test the proposed package? If not, the proposed update will be removed again. Thanks!

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

This update has been in jaunty-proposed for half a year or longer, without any testing feedback. I removed the jaunty-proposed package again.