[PD] Can't get PD/RME9652 even close to working

[Nick Rothwell]

Hi Miller,

OK, had some sleep, trying again...

> Well, "pd -rme" and "./configure  --enable-rme" are both to use Ritch's
> driver.  But "rme96xx" Is Guenter Geiger's newer, OSS driver for RME.
> Therefore you don't have to flag ./configure and the correct invocation is
> indeed "pd -inchannels 8 -outchannels 8"..

Since this seems to contradict other comments on this list, I just
want to be absolutely sure I understand what's going on...

(i) Fetch and build the standard PD (I'm on 0.33 patch 2), no RME
    options;

(ii) Fetch, build and install the rme96xx module (I `insmod' it after
soundcore in /etc/rc.d/rc.local).

(iii) run PD with no driver options.

My understanding is that this will run PD using OSS, but with
multichannel support via the rme96xx driver. Am I right so far?

I think this bit is the key (and I quote):

	OSS: issuing first ADC 'read' ... Pd: system call timed out
	...done.

This suggests some problem communicating with the card, or some
problem with the OSS stuff in the kernel.

> I'm grasping at straws here, but are you sure the es1371 module was
> loaded _after_ the rme96xx one?  Otherwise Pd is trying to open your
> es1371.  Perhaps there's some reason it can't do 8 channels that
> way.

I've taken the es1371 card out of the machine, to make sure, and the
Red Hat configuration tool correctly removed the module from the boot
sequence.

> Even if not, what does just "pd" do? 

"pd" gets 2 input and 2 output channels. "pd -inchannel 8 -outchannel
8" gets 8 ins and 8 outs (using /dev/dsp). But in both cases I get the
"system call timed out" and the GUI doesn't respond to anything,
suggesting a stuck thread.

I've got a couple of thoughts. One is to do a debug trace through PD
and see where the problem is. (The PD thread seems wedged in
oss_send_dacs.) The other is to check the hardware: I tried using the
Hammerfall under Windows 98 (same hardware, dual-boot) and had
problems locking my digital mixer to ADAT sync from the card, so I
want to be absolutely sure that the card works under Win98 first. (The
mixer locks fine to the OasysPCI card on my Pismo, so the problem is
at the PCI end.)

The rmectrl program reports a load of stuff which looks kosher, but I
don't know how much this can be trusted...

-- 

            Nick Rothwell                  Cassiel.com Limited
            nick at cassiel.com                   www.cassiel.com
            systems - composition - installation - performance