Geniatech DVB-S Digistar

X3M SPC1000 Ver 3.4 (CX24123, CX24109, CX23883) - most likely rebranded "Digistar 3"

A DVB-S PCI card produced by Geniatech.

Reportedly works well under Linux although experience is that live playback is unwatchable on an AMD64 distro. Works fine with Kubuntu 8.04 (32bit).

Overview/Features

Discuss the features and facets of the device here ... this means you

Components Used

Card is fitted with Conextant CX23882 Broadcast Decoder, CX24123 QPSK Demodulator, and a CX24109 Satellite Tuner module.

Uses the cx88 module.

Identification

Output from lspci -vnn

 01:06.0 Multimedia video controller [0400]: Conexant CX23880/1/2/3 PCI Video and Audio Decoder 14f1:8800] (rev 05)
       Subsystem: Conexant Unknown device [14f1:0084]
       Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 20, IRQ 18
       Memory at fa000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
       Capabilities: [44] Vital Product Data
       Capabilities: [4c] Power Management version 2
 
 01:06.2 Multimedia controller [0480]: Conexant CX23880/1/2/3 PCI Video and Audio Decoder [MPEG Port] [14f1:8802] (rev 05)
       Subsystem: Conexant Unknown device [14f1:0084]
       Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 18
       Memory at f9000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
       Capabilities: [4c] Power Management version 2

Output from lspci -vvn

 01:06.0 0400: 14f1:8800 (rev 05)
 Subsystem: 14f1:0084
 Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
 Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
 Latency: 20 (5000ns min, 13750ns max), Cache Line Size: 64 bytes
 Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 18
 Region 0: Memory at fa000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
 Capabilities: [44] Vital Product Data
 Capabilities: [4c] Power Management version 2
 Flags: PMEClk- DSI+ D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
 Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
 
 01:06.2 0480: 14f1:8802 (rev 05)
 Subsystem: 14f1:0084
 Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
 Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
 Latency: 64 (1500ns min, 22000ns max), Cache Line Size: 64 bytes
 Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 18
 Region 0: Memory at f9000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
 Capabilities: [4c] Power Management version 2
 Flags: PMEClk- DSI+ D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
 Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-

Other Images

use the included code to insert other images if necessary ...

• 

  X3M SPC1000 (rebranded "Digistar 3") remote

• Filename

  description

• Filename

  description

• ...

Making it Work

Firmware

None required.

Drivers

Fully supported by current kernels.

Sample kernel output

relevant dmesg output

 [   48.398015] cx88/0: cx2388x v4l2 driver version 0.0.6 loaded
 [   48.398469] cx88[0]: subsystem: 14f1:0084, board: Geniatech DVB-S [card=52,autodetected]
 [   48.398432] ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:01:06.0[A] -> Link [APC3] -> GSI 18 (level, low) -> IRQ 18
 [   48.398472] cx88[0]: TV tuner type 4, Radio tuner type -1
 [   48.424438] cx88/2: cx2388x MPEG-TS Driver Manager version 0.0.6 loaded
 [   48.547719] cx88[0]/0: found at 0000:01:06.0, rev: 5, irq: 18, latency: 20, mmio: 0xfa000000
 [   48.547784] cx88[0]/0: registered device video0 [v4l2]
 [   48.547819] cx88[0]/0: registered device vbi0
 [   48.576829] cx88[0]/2: cx2388x 8802 Driver Manager
 [   48.576849] ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:01:06.2[A] -> Link [APC3] -> GSI 18 (level, low) -> IRQ 18
 [   48.576856] PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:01:06.2 to 64
 [   48.576861] cx88[0]/2: found at 0000:01:06.2, rev: 5, irq: 18, latency: 64, mmio: 0xf9000000
 [   49.963588] cx88/2: cx2388x dvb driver version 0.0.6 loaded
 [   49.963593] cx88/2: registering cx8802 driver, type: dvb access: shared
 [   49.963597] cx88[0]/2: subsystem: 14f1:0084, board: Geniatech DVB-S [card=52]
 [   49.963601] cx88[0]/2: cx2388x based DVB/ATSC card
 [   49.994816] CX24123: detected CX24123
 [   49.994851] DVB: registering new adapter (cx88[0])
 [   49.994855] DVB: registering frontend 1 (Conexant CX24123/CX24109)...

i2cdetect and i2cdump

 # i2cdetect -l | grep -i cx
 i2c-1	i2c       	cx88[0]                         	I2C adapter
 i2c-2	i2c       	CX24123 tuner I2C bus           	I2C adapter

 # i2cdetect -y 2
 Error: Can't use SMBus Quick Write command on this bus (ISA bus?)

 # i2cdetect -r -y 2
 Error: Can't use SMBus Read Byte command on this bus (ISA bus?)

 # i2cdetect -y 1
      0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  a  b  c  d  e  f
 00:          -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 
 10: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 
 20: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 
 30: -- -- -- 33 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 
 40: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 
 50: 50 -- -- -- -- 55 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 
 60: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 
 70: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --                         

 # i2cdump -y 1 0x33 b
      0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  a  b  c  d  e  f    0123456789abcdef
 00: fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc    ????????????????
 10: fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc    ????????????????
 20: fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc    ????????????????
 30: fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc    ????????????????
 40: fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc    ????????????????
 50: fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc    ????????????????
 60: fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc    ????????????????
 70: fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc    ????????????????
 80: fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc    ????????????????
 90: fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc    ????????????????
 a0: fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc    ????????????????
 b0: fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc    ????????????????
 c0: fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc    ????????????????
 d0: fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc    ????????????????
 e0: fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc    ????????????????
 f0: fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc    ????????????????

If You dump 0x33 while a key on the remote is pressed, you will get other output off course.

 # i2cdump -y 1 0x50 b
      0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  a  b  c  d  e  f    0123456789abcdef
 00: 04 ff ff ff f1 14 84 00 ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff    ?...???.........
 10: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff    ................
 20: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff    ................
 30: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff    ................
 40: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff    ................
 50: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff    ................
 60: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff    ................
 70: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff    ................
 80: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff    ................
 90: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff    ................
 a0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff    ................
 b0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff    ................
 c0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff    ................
 d0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff    ................
 e0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff    ................
 f0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff    ................

 # i2cdump -y 1 0x55 b
      0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  a  b  c  d  e  f    0123456789abcdef
 00: d1 1e 20 07 10 04 31 00 37 b3 a3 00 20 7f 03 fe    ?? ???1.7??. ???
 10: 01 00 00 00 9f 00 00 f0 05 5b 01 85 c0 00 0d 00    ?...?..??[???.?.
 20: 41 15 10 01 00 00 00 51 01 d0 b0 73 00 00 00 f7    A???...Q???s...?
 30: 00 00 8c 00 2f 03 02 3a 83 1e 00 02 00 10 00 0b    ..?./??:??.?.?.?
 40: 00 41 00 40 4c 00 05 66 fe 00 09 15 24 34 44 56    .A.@L.?f?.??$4DV
 50: 64 07 11 00 00 05 c1 ff 18 00 7e 3c 20 20 20 08    d??..??.?.~<   ?
 60: 10 00 30 80 00 00 09 82 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00    ?.0?..??........
 70: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00    ................
 80: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00    ................
 90: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00    ................
 a0: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00    ................
 b0: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 08 00 00 00 00 00    ..........?.....
 c0: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00    ................
 d0: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00    ................
 e0: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00    ................
 f0: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00    ................

Remote Control Support

There is no support for the remote control in the vanilla Linux kernel (2.6.29.1).

But there is a patch by Marek Kidawski, tested by Blake Zero on the linux-dvb mailing list.

External Links

Manufacturers Site[1]