AVerMedia AVerTV HD Express A918R

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A DVB-T 34/54mm Express Card from AVerMedia.

It is currently not supported under Linux (Dec 2012).

Does not work out of the box, but can be correctly detected after source files update and compilation.

Remaining problem: couldn't get any working frequency/transponder.


AverTV A918R 350x196.png

Overview/Features

DVB-T tuner for 34/54mm express card slots that supports the following :

  • Fit with 34mm & 54mm Slot
  • H.264 / MPEG-2 HDTV Ready
  • Real-time iPod / PSP Format Recording
  • MHEG-5 & Digital Subtitle
  • Teletext / TimeShift / EPG (Electronic Program Guide)
  • PIP / POP Function
  • Scheduled Recording
  • Wake Up Recording from Stand By / Hibernate Mode
  • 75 Ω TV Antenna
  • see http://avertv.avermedia.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?Id=518

Package Included

  • AVerTV Express Card 34mm
  • plastic extension for 54mm slot compatibility
  • Quick Installation Guide
  • Installation CD (windows)
  • TV Antenna
  • RF Cable
  • remote control

Components

Firmware

  • dvb-usb-af9035-02.fw [LINK=12.13.15.0 OFDM=5.17.9.1] / from palosaari.fi

Modules

  • dvb_usb | dvb_usb_af9035 | af9033 | tda18218 | rc_core

Identification

dmesg

 usb 2-1.3: new high-speed USB device number 10 using ehci_hcd
 usb 2-1.3: New USB device found, idVendor=07ca, idProduct=0918
 usb 2-1.3: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
 usb 2-1.3: Product: A918R
 usb 2-1.3: Manufacturer: AVerMedia TECHNOLOGIES, Inc
 usb 2-1.3: SerialNumber: 0000000000000
 usb 2-1.3: dvb_usb_v2: found a 'AVerMedia AverTV (A918R)' in cold state
 usb 2-1.3: dvb_usb_v2: downloading firmware from file 'dvb-usb-af9035-02.fw'
 usb 2-1.3: dvb_usb_af9035: firmware version=12.13.15.0
 usb 2-1.3: dvb_usb_v2: found a 'AVerMedia AverTV (A918R)' in warm state
 usb 2-1.3: dvb_usb_v2: will pass the complete MPEG2 transport stream to the software demuxer
 DVB: registering new adapter (AVerMedia AverTV (A918R))
 i2c i2c-7: af9033: firmware version: LINK=12.13.15.0 OFDM=5.17.9.1
 usb 2-1.3: DVB: registering adapter 0 frontend 0 (Afatech AF9033 (DVB-T))...
 i2c i2c-7: tda18218: NXP TDA18218HN successfully identified
 Registered IR keymap rc-empty
 input: AVerMedia AverTV (A918R) as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-1/2-1.3/rc/rc5/input17
 rc5: AVerMedia AverTV (A918R) as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-1/2-1.3/rc/rc5
 usb 2-1.3: dvb_usb_v2: schedule remote query interval to 500 msecs
 usb 2-1.3: dvb_usb_v2: 'AVerMedia AverTV (A918R)' successfully initialized and connected

usb-devices

T:  Bus=02 Lev=02 Prnt=02 Port=02 Cnt=01 Dev#=  5 Spd=480 MxCh= 0
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=07ca ProdID=0918 Rev=02.01
S:  Manufacturer=AVerMedia TECHNOLOGIES, Inc
S:  Product=A918R
S:  SerialNumber=0000000000000
C:  #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=80 MxPwr=500mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 5 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=dvb_usb_af9035

Investigations

Patch proposal

  • Necessary patch for dvb_usb_af9035 module compatibility with AverTV A918R card:
--- /drivers/media/dvb-core/dvb-usb-ids.h   
+++ /drivers/media/dvb-core/dvb-usb-ids.h   
  @@ -233,6 +233,7 @@
  #define USB_PID_AVERMEDIA_A835                         0xa835
  #define USB_PID_AVERMEDIA_B835                         0xb835
 +#define USB_PID_AVERMEDIA_A918R                        0x0918
  #define USB_PID_AVERMEDIA_1867                         0x1867
  #define USB_PID_AVERMEDIA_A867                         0xa867
 --- /drivers/media/usb/dvb-usb-v2/af9035.c      
 +++ /drivers/media/usb/dvb-usb-v2/af9035.c      
 @@ -1125,6 +1125,8 @@
         { DVB_USB_DEVICE(USB_VID_AVERMEDIA, USB_PID_AVERMEDIA_B835,
               &af9035_props, "AVerMedia AVerTV Volar HD/PRO (A835)", NULL) },
 +       { DVB_USB_DEVICE(USB_VID_AVERMEDIA, USB_PID_AVERMEDIA_A918R,
 +             &af9035_props, "AVerMedia AverTV (A918R)", NULL) },
         { DVB_USB_DEVICE(USB_VID_AVERMEDIA, USB_PID_AVERMEDIA_1867,
               &af9035_props, "AVerMedia HD Volar (A867)", NULL) },

Workaround

As long as 'modinfo dvb_usb_af9035 | grep v07CAp0918' is empty, compilation of af9035.c and dvb-usb-ids.h with patch above is necessary:

'modinfo dvb_usb_af9035' should report:

 filename:       /lib/modules/3.7.0-7-generic/kernel/drivers/media/usb/dvb-usb-v2/dvb-usb-af9035.ko
 firmware:       dvb-usb-af9035-02.fw
 license:        GPL
 description:    Afatech AF9035 driver
 author:         Antti Palosaari <crope@iki.fi>
 srcversion:     0B85164B0034E1BBA0A766D
 alias:          usb:v07CAp0918d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*in*
 alias:          usb:v07CAp0825d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*in*
 alias:          usb:v07CApA867d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*in*
 alias:          usb:v07CAp1867d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*in*
 alias:          usb:v07CApB835d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*in*
 alias:          usb:v07CApA835d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*in*
 alias:          usb:v0CCDp0093d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*in*
 alias:          usb:v15A4p1003d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*in*
 alias:          usb:v15A4p1002d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*in*
 alias:          usb:v15A4p1001d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*in*
 alias:          usb:v15A4p1000d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*in*
 alias:          usb:v15A4p9035d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*in*
 depends:        dvb_usb_v2,rc-core
 vermagic:       3.7.0-7-generic SMP mod_unload modversions 686 
 parm:           adapter_nr:DVB adapter numbers (array of short)

Remaining problem: couldn't get any working frequency/transponder.

Scanning problem

  • Test condition: kernel : 3.5.0-21 & 3.7.0-7 | firmware: dvb-usb-af9035-02.fw_12.5.13.0 | good signal strength (external antenna)
 # w_scan -ft -t3 -F -c FR
 w_scan version 20120605 (compiled for DVB API 5.5)
 using settings for FRANCE
 DVB aerial
 DVB-T FR
 scan type TERRESTRIAL, channellist 5
 Info: using DVB adapter auto detection.
  /dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0 -> TERRESTRIAL "Afatech AF9033 (DVB-T)": good :-)
 Using TERRESTRIAL frontend (adapter /dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0)
 -_-_-_-_ Getting frontend capabilities-_-_-_-_ 
 Using DVB API 5.6
 frontend 'Afatech AF9033 (DVB-T)' supports
 INVERSION_AUTO
 QAM_AUTO
 TRANSMISSION_MODE_AUTO
 GUARD_INTERVAL_AUTO
 HIERARCHY_AUTO
 FEC_AUTO
 FREQ (174.00MHz ... 862.00MHz)
 -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ 
 Scanning 8MHz frequencies...
 474000: (time: 00:00) 
 .../...
 858498: (time: 10:13) 
   ERROR: Sorry - i couldn't get any working frequency/transponder
 Nothing to scan!!
  • tzap test with A918R
 tzap -r TEST
 using '/dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0' and '/dev/dvb/adapter0/demux0'
 reading channels from file '~/.tzap/channels.conf'
 tuning to 586167000 Hz
 video pid 0x0200, audio pid 0x028a
 status 00 | signal 0000 | snr 0000 | ber 00000000 | unc 00000000 |
 status 00 | signal ffff | snr 0000 | ber 00000000 | unc 00000000 |
 status 00 | signal ffff | snr 0000 | ber 00000000 | unc 00000000 |
 status 00 | signal ffff | snr 0000 | ber 00000000 | unc 00000000 |
 status 00 | signal ffff | snr 0000 | ber 00000000 | unc 00000000 |
 status 00 | signal 0000 | snr 0000 | ber 00000000 | unc 00000000 |
 status 00 | signal ffff | snr 0000 | ber 00000000 | unc 00000000 |
 status 00 | signal ffff | snr 0000 | ber 00000000 | unc 00000000 |
 status 00 | signal ffff | snr 0000 | ber 00000000 | unc 00000000 |
  • same tzap test made with same antenna and with AverTV_Super_007 (for comparison)
 tzap -r TEST
 using '/dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0' and '/dev/dvb/adapter0/demux0'
 reading channels from file '~/.tzap/channels.conf'
 tuning to 586167000 Hz
 video pid 0x0200, audio pid 0x028a
 status 00 | signal bdbd | snr 3535 | ber 0001fffe | unc 0000000c | 
 status 1f | signal bebe | snr fefe | ber 00000000 | unc ffffffff | FE_HAS_LOCK
 status 1f | signal bdbd | snr ffff | ber 00000000 | unc 00000000 | FE_HAS_LOCK
 status 1f | signal bebe | snr ffff | ber 00000000 | unc 00000000 | FE_HAS_LOCK
 status 1f | signal bdbd | snr ffff | ber 00000000 | unc 00000000 | FE_HAS_LOCK
 status 1f | signal bdbd | snr ffff | ber 00000000 | unc 00000000 | FE_HAS_LOCK
 status 1f | signal bebe | snr ffff | ber 00000000 | unc 00000000 | FE_HAS_LOCK

A918R tuning is then not working as expected.

Comments

1] still some doubt on exact dvb-usb-af9035-02.fw firmware to be used (several LINK/OFDM versions tested)

2] AVerTV_Volar_HD_PRO_A835 using same components is reported to work including tuning/scanning;

3] function "static int af9035_tuner_attach(struct dvb_usb_adapter *adap)" of af9035.c does not include any gpio settings for tda18218: problem or not ? to be clarified.

Then still some hope, but no solution identified by now.