[pvrusb2] Some install guidance on WinTV PVR2 USB

Wed Mar 20 12:21:36 CDT 2013

Thank you very much for the great reply. I just got done redoing the office floor and now I can't find the derned thing. One more question that I had was... I misplaced the power supply awhile back. I know it is 6 volts DC, but it doesn't indicate the polarity. I am going to assume that the center is + and the outside is -, since that is the way their new stuff is. Is that correct? I suppose I ruined it by trying it both ways, although no smoke, or any indication I smoked it. 

--- On Tue, 3/19/13, Mike Isely <isely at isely.net> wrote:

> From: Mike Isely <isely at isely.net>
> Subject: Re: [pvrusb2] Some install guidance on WinTV PVR2 USB
> To: "Communications nexus for pvrusb2 driver" <pvrusb2 at isely.net>
> Date: Tuesday, March 19, 2013, 7:30 PM
> 
> Lorne:
> 
> These days the in-kernel pvrusb2 driver should work great
> without any 
> special setup beyond perhaps ensuring you have the firmware
> files 
> installed somewhere visible to udev.  Kernel 3.4.33 is
> reasonably new 
> and should "just work".  I imagine most distribution
> kernels probably 
> compile this driver for you, either into the kernel package
> itself or 
> maybe as a "media" package add-on.  If you searched
> /lib/modules 
> recursively, you should be able to find "pvrusb2.ko" in
> there.
> 
> Things I would check for:
> 
> 1. Ensure the pvrusb2 device's power brick is plugged in and
> the unit is 
> actually getting power.  If that isn't happening, then
> *nothing* else 
> will work.
> 
> 2. Even if the firmware files are not installed, the pvrusb2
> driver 
> should still attempt to attach to the hardware and you
> should see 
> corresponding messages in the kernel log (i.e. dmesg) -
> leading up to 
> the point where it gives up for lack of available
> firmware.  So if 
> you're not seeing any messages, then the lack of firmware is
> likely not 
> the issue.
> 
> 3. Even if the pvrusb2 driver itself were completely borked
> or otherwise 
> missing, you should still be able to see the hardware show
> up to the 
> kernel via either running the "usbview" tool or just "cat 
> /proc/bus/usb/devices".  If you can't see anything
> there that suggests 
> the presence of the pvrusb2 hardware, then the driver
> situation won't 
> matter at all.  (This would suggest the device is not
> getting power or 
> there is a communication issue between the PC and the
> device.)
> 
> If there is a suspicion about, say, a bad USB hub or USB
> cable, then I 
> would (obviously) try swapping around those parts.
> 
> If you have another PC (or laptop nearby), you can also try
> plugging the 
> device in there - if only to see if you get a reaction from
> the 
> operating system, e.g. if it were Windows you might be
> prompted to 
> install drivers or if it were Linux you could notice the
> appearance of 
> the hardware in your dmesg output.  Such a thing would
> at least tell you 
> that the hardware is not dead.  If none of that
> produces a reaction, 
> then I'd probably re-examine step #1 above a lot more
> closely.  If you 
> have a voltmeter nearby then for example I'd check that
> you're getting 6 
> volts at the DC plug end...
> 
> I have one laptop here that - with particular (older) kernel
> versions - 
> has trouble recognizing the presence of the old (first
> generation) 29xxx 
> model series.  It's a really bizarre thing, requiring a
> specific 
> combination of computer, kernel version, and a 29xxx
> model.  I've never 
> been able to track down why this is, except to suspect that
> the FX2 boot 
> firmware in that model series has a quirk that is upsetting
> the USB 
> stack for a particular type of USB host controller combined
> with a 
> particular kernel version.
> 
> Hope that helps...
> 
>   -Mike
> 
> 
> On Mon, 18 Mar 2013, Lorne Shantz wrote:
> 
> > I had a it running a few years back until a system
> rebuild. I gave up because I couldn't remember how I had it
> working and just went with a PCI card. Well now I'm using a
> newer MB, that does not have any PCI slots. I really need to
> get this running.
> > 
> > 
> > Kernel image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.4.33-2.24-desktop
> > 
> > Initrd image: /boot/initrd-3.4.33-2.24-desktop
> > 
> > Root device: /dev/sdb1 (mounted on / as ext4)
> > 
> > Resume device:
> /dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD20EADS-32S2B0_WD-WCAVY3847719-part3
> > 
> > (/dev/sdb3)
> > 
> > modprobe: Module hid_generic not found.
> > 
> > WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module
> 'hid-generic' found.
> > 
> > Kernel Modules: thermal_sys thermal processor fan
> pata_marvell ata_piix
> > 
> > ata_generic scsi_transport_sas libsas isci scsi_dh
> scsi_dh_hp_sw scsi_dh_rdac
> > 
> > scsi_dh_emc scsi_dh_alua xhci-hcd hid-logitech-dj
> > 
> > Firmware: isci/isci_firmware.bin
> isci/isci_firmware.bin
> > 
> > Features: acpi plymouth block usb resume.userspace
> resume.kernel
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > The pvrusb2.ko file is in
> /lib/modules/3.4.33-2.24-desktop/kernel/drivers/media/video/pvrusb2/pvrusb2.ko
> > 
> > 
> > I have compiled the kernel as I believe you have
> instructed.
> > 
> > 
> > dmesg shows:
> > 
> > [ 315.904957] Linux video capture interface: v2.00
> > 
> > [ 315.955716] usbcore: registered new interface driver
> em28xx
> > 
> > 
> > No video0 or video1.
> > 
> > 
> > I'm not sure that the above is even the WinTV PVR2 USB
> device. I guess I could remove it and reboot, however, if
> memory serves,
> > 
> > back a couple of years ago I did have it running, it
> would pop up a message that was more clear when it was
> detected.
> > 
> > 
> > Later.... I removed the device and rebooted. Nothing
> indicating video. I plugged it back in, and still nothing.
> > 
> > 
> > The only thing I can figure, is somehow the driver is
> not compiled correctly. 
> > _______________________________________________
> > pvrusb2 mailing list
> > pvrusb2 at isely.net
> > http://www.isely.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/pvrusb2
> > 
> 
> -- 
> 
> Mike Isely
> isely @ isely (dot) net
> PGP: 03 54 43 4D 75 E5 CC 92 71 16 01 E2 B5 F5 C1 E8
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