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Kamy

Post subject: Digital Cable Box Serial Communication Problem

Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 7:37 am

Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 3:51 pm

Posts: 69

Hi,

I have my cable split to my pvr500 and my digital cable box. It worked fine (Pre R5D1) following the Wiki's instructions for setting up a digital cable box. http://knoppmythwiki.org/index.php?page=MotorolaDct2000

I have set it up as before (except for using the dct-channel script from mythtv-0.20.tar.bz2, this prog doesn't seem to have changed since 2003 in any event).

Now when I test the channel changing I get this

Code:

root@mythtv:/home/mythtv/tmp/mythtv/contrib/channel_changers/dct-channel# ./channel -v 10
Attempting to initialize DCT
No response to packet
No response to init_1; trying to continue
No response to packet
No response to initialize_2
Initialization failed
Attempting to initialize DCT
No response to packet
No response to init_1; trying to continue
No response to packet
No response to initialize_2
Initialization failed
Attempting to initialize DCT
No response to packet
No response to init_1; trying to continue
No response to packet
No response to initialize_2
Initialization failed
Attempting to initialize DCT
No response to packet
No response to init_1; trying to continue
No response to packet
No response to initialize_2
Initialization failed
Attempting to initialize DCT
No response to packet
No response to init_1; trying to continue
No response to packet
No response to initialize_2
Initialization failed
Communication failed after 5 tries
0
root@mythtv:/home/mythtv/tmp/mythtv/contrib/channel_changers/dct-channel#

How do I check the serial port on my mythbox to make sure it's actually communicating, and any ideas how I can check the serial port on the cable box to make sure it's okay?

Thanks,
Kamy

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Kamy

Post subject:

Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 2:35 pm

Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 3:51 pm

Posts: 69

Okay, I came across these commands:

# dmesg | grep tty
and
# setserial -g /dev/ttyS[01]

Here's the output I get from these,

Code:

root@mythtv:/# dmesg | grep tty
serial8250: ttyS0 at I/O 0x3f8 (irq = 4) is a 16550A
ttyS1: LSR safety check engaged!
ttyS1: LSR safety check engaged!
00:09: ttyS0 at I/O 0x3f8 (irq = 4) is a 16550A
ttyS1: LSR safety check engaged!
root@mythtv:/#

root@mythtv:/# setserial -g /dev/ttyS[01]
/dev/ttyS0, UART: 16550A, Port: 0x03f8, IRQ: 4
/dev/ttyS1, UART: 16550A, Port: 0x02f8, IRQ: 3
root@mythtv:/#

So it the system is seeing my serial port, but any idea what this means and is it the reason I'm not getting through to my cable box?

Code:

ttyS1: LSR safety check engaged!

I'm gonna keep poking around...

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Kamy

Post subject:

Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 8:45 pm

Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 3:51 pm

Posts: 69

Frustrating,

I found this

Quote:

dos devfs common IO
name name name major minor address
COM1 /dev/tts/0 /dev/ttyS0 4, 64; 3F8
COM2 /dev/tts/1 /dev/ttyS1 4, 65; 2F8

Sorry, the colums don't align correctly.

So, it seems likely there isn't a problem with my serial port.
/dev/ttyS0 4, 64; 3F8 is COM1 which is enabled in the bios, while I have com2 disabled (probably why I get the "ttyS1: LSR safety check engaged!" on /dev/ttyS1 (COM2).

I checked with the cable company (Cox) to see if the pushed an upgrade out to my cable box, they said they hadn't and assured me if they had they wouldn't have disabled the serial port.

I found all sorts of stuff relating to

Quote:

ttyS1: LSR safety check engaged!

but since I figured out ttsy1 is COM2, I'm pretty sure that's not the issue.

Just to make sure I sent a data file to /dev/ttyS0 and connected a voltmeter to pin four and verified positive voltage when transmitting. So, my serial port is working (and the straight through cable as well).

I guess the next step is exchanging the cable box??? Unless somebody knows how I can troubleshoot the serial connection on my cable box, (or I can google it up) that seems where this is going.

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Kamy

Post subject:

Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 9:43 pm

Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 3:51 pm

Posts: 69

Okay, I think I narrowed it down, but could still use some help.

Just found this on a linux.org serial howto.

Quote:

The transmit pin should go from several volts negative to a voltage fluctuating around zero after you start sending the bytes. If it doesn't (but the DTR went positive) then you've got the right port but it's blocked from sending. This may be due to a wrong IRQ, -clocal being set, etc. The command "stty -F /dev/ttyS1 -a" should show clocal (and not -clocal). If not, change it to clocal.

That is what I got from my voltmeter when testing the port, it didn't go from negative to fluctuating around zero, but from negative voltage to positive (between 10-12), indicating the port is blocked from sending.

So from the above quote I ran this command "stty -F /dev/ttyS1 -a" and got

Code:

root@mythtv:/# stty -F /dev/ttyS1 -a
speed 9600 baud; rows 0; columns 0; line = 0;
intr = ^C; quit = ^\; erase = ^?; kill = ^U; eof = ^D; eol = <undef>; eol2 = <undef>; start = ^Q; stop = ^S; susp = ^Z; rprnt = ^R; werase = ^W;
lnext = ^V; flush = ^O; min = 1; time = 0;
-parenb -parodd cs8 hupcl -cstopb cread clocal -crtscts
-ignbrk -brkint -ignpar -parmrk -inpck -istrip -inlcr -igncr icrnl ixon -ixoff -iuclc -ixany -imaxbel
opost -olcuc -ocrnl onlcr -onocr -onlret -ofill -ofdel nl0 cr0 tab0 bs0 vt0 ff0
isig icanon iexten echo echoe echok -echonl -noflsh -xcase -tostop -echoprt echoctl echoke

Well, it is set to clocal and I'm pretty sure all the irq's are set properly, but there is something else blocking the serial port.

If anyone has a clue as to why or what is blocking the port, I'm all ears. or even a suggestion on where else to look, but I'm burned out now and going to bed

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arriflex

Post subject:

Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 7:44 pm

Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2006 2:41 pm

Posts: 68

Kamy, did you make any progress with your serial port? I'm having trouble setting up my directv.pl properly, and I think it is due to similar serial port issues.
arriflex

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Kamy

Post subject:

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 5:00 am

Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 3:51 pm

Posts: 69

arriflex,

Nope, no joy on straightening this out. I posted all over the place and couldn't find anyone with an answer. I'm pinning my hopes on the next release of Knoppmyth to see if it's fixed but I don't know... If we can't figure out what's broke, how do you fix it?

Kamy

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bruce_s01

Post subject:

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 3:03 pm

Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 7:08 pm

Posts: 561

Location: UK

Something like this might be perfect to help you debug what is being sent.
It might be worthwhile connecting another PC running a comms package to the other end of the cable (you will probably need to some kind of DTE/DCE converter) so you can attempt to see what the MythTV box is sending.

Bruce S.

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Kamy

Post subject:

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 3:22 pm

Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 3:51 pm

Posts: 69

Well,

I did just install Ubuntu on an old laptop I have, I would imagine I can use a comms package on that to see what the Mythbox is sending? If anybody out there knows what comms app I should use and what steps I need to take to see what myth is sending out I could use some help with setting it up

I've got a straight through cable and a gender changer, but I think I would need a null modem cable for this? Would'nt you know, I just gave my null modem cable to good will about six months ago, figuring I'd never need that thing again, haven't used it in ten years

I would really like to be able to record off my digital channels again

Kamy

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ohrock

Post subject:

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:30 am

Joined: Wed Mar 08, 2006 9:36 pm

Posts: 2

Hey Kamy check my post in here:

http://mysettopbox.tv/phpBB2/viewtopic. ... 9494#79494

I think it will make your day!

Roberto "OhRock" Serrano

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Kamy

Post subject:

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:20 am

Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 3:51 pm

Posts: 69

ohrock wrote:

Hey Kamy check my post in here:

http://mysettopbox.tv/phpBB2/viewtopic. ... 9494#79494

I think it will make your day!

Roberto "OhRock" Serrano

Thanks! I'm overseas at the moment, won't be back home until next month, I'll upgrade to the latest release and reference your post when I get home.

I'm not sure that's the issue I was having but I was stumped anyway, it can't hurt.

Thanks again,

Kamy

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xtopher

Post subject:

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 6:16 am

Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 9:58 am

Posts: 78

Location: va

ohrock,

it was the problem for me, thanks. i updated the wiki

but here is the short for those lost.

For R5E50 you have to disable the "serial mouse" in /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Code:

nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf

and change

Code:

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier  "Serial Mouse"
        Driver      "mouse"
        Option      "Protocol" "Microsoft"
        Option      "Device" "/dev/ttyS0"
        Option      "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
        Option      "Emulate3Timeout" "70"
        Option      "SendCoreEvents"  "true"
EndSection

Code:

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier  "Serial Mouse"
        Driver      "mouse"
        Option      "Protocol" "Microsoft"
#       Option      "Device" "/dev/ttyS0"
        Option      "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
        Option      "Emulate3Timeout" "70"
        Option      "SendCoreEvents"  "true"
EndSection
adding the "#"

save and ?restart?

The new xorg takes over the serial port as a mouse input.

_________________
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512 DDR
160 G HD
ChainTech 7NIF2
Hauppauge 250
Hauppage 500
Motorola Digital cabel box 2000 (serial) (<-removed)

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Zeero

Post subject: need update for R5F1

Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 11:15 am

Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2007 10:06 pm

Posts: 6

I've tried following these instructions againts my R5F1 installation but it seems some things have changed since this thread was posted.
http://knoppmythwiki.org/index.php?page=MotorolaDct2000

Quote:

3. Extract the proper contrib files
tar -xvjf /usr/src/r4v4_src/mythtv-0.15/src/mythtv-0.15.1.tar.bz2 mythtv-0.15.1/contrib/dct-channel

Quote:

In R5B7 the source file is at /usr/src/mythtv/source/mythtv-0.19-fixes.tar.bz2 and the dct-channel is located within the file under contrib/channel_changers/dct-channel.tar.bz2.

I'm not finding any archived files under /usr/src (R4V4) or under /usr/src/mythtv/source (9R5B7) Have these files moved again? Do I need to download them instead and where would I get them from?

Thanks for any advice.

Zeero

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xtopher

Post subject:

Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 6:15 pm

Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 9:58 am

Posts: 78

Location: va

it has already been compiled

Look in

usr/local/bin/

i use "channel'

in set up i set remote channel changer with

Code:

usr/local/bin/channel -v

_________________
AMD 2400+
512 DDR
160 G HD
ChainTech 7NIF2
Hauppauge 250
Hauppage 500
Motorola Digital cabel box 2000 (serial) (<-removed)

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