[linux-dvb] Re: Hauppauge Nova-T End of Life (Was 3.3v DVB-T Cards)

[Andrew de Quincey <adq_dvb@lidskialf.net>]

On Monday 07 Jun 2004 02:42, Robert Schlabbach wrote:
> From: "Andrew de Quincey" <adq_dvb@lidskialf.net>
>
> > As I said previously, the tda10045 based DVB-T cards definitely work
> > in the PCI slots in your picture. Additionally, the cards _have_ the
> > two chunks missing - why would TT specifically make the card physically
> > compatable with these slots, if it wasn't a universal card?
>
> Why are you even giving credit to the cr*p some store feeds to their
> customers? The Nova-T PCI is supposed to be End-of-Life, and they offer a
> Nova-T USB instead? How about they just LIE to their customers to sell
> whatever they have catching dust in stock...?

Yup. Well, I have to make sure of this sort of thing; these cards are critical 
to us. Hopefully Hauppague will mail me back to confirm. BTW: I couldn't seem 
to find a retailer in the UK which had them in stock - hopefully just a 
temporary situation.

> As to 3.3V compatibility, just look at the SAA7146A datasheet - it is
> actually a *3.3V* part with 5V I/O tolerance. And this is the only PCI
> device on the card. The only thing I could imagine depending on 5V supply
> would be the antenna supply voltage (and the LNB voltage on DVB-S cards) -
> but that is rarely used anyway, so it probably wouldn't matter if it didn't
> work.
>
> Aside from that, what is the actual difference between 3.3V and 5V PCI
> slots? Is it only that the slot isn't 5V I/O tolerant anymore, or are the
> 5V _supply_ pins no longer connected either? If the 5V _supply_ pins are
> still there on a 3.3V PCI slot, I see no reason at all why _any_ SAA7146A
> card shouldn't work in it (unless there are earlier revisions of the
> SAA7146A which weren't 3.3V parts).

Some early cards do not have both chunks missing in the right places. Hence 
they physically will not fit in the PCI slots in question, no matter whether 
they're electrically compatable. Of course, you could always hack bits off 
the cards, but I'd rather avoid that :)