[mythtv-users] Fun with FireWire

[Marc Randolph]

On Thu, Jul 10, 2008 at 11:33 AM, Dan Ritter <dsr-myth at tao.merseine.nu> wrote:
> On Thu, Jul 10, 2008 at 09:08:27AM -0500, Kevin Kuphal wrote:
>> On Thu, Jul 10, 2008 at 8:49 AM, Dan Ritter <dsr-myth at tao.merseine.nu> wrote:
>> > On Thu, Jul 10, 2008 at 06:40:11AM -0700, Steve Heistand wrote:
>> > >
>> > > > When I try to record, though, the results appear to be erratic.
>> > >
>> > > could you expand some on "erratic"?
>> >
>> > Missing recording files. System lock-up in one case.
>>
>> Sounds like a firewire chipset issue.  System lockups are usually driver or
>> hardware issues, not software.  What board/chipset are you using.  I think
>> there are some past threads about certain chipsets that people have found
>> that "just work"
>
> This is:
>
> 00:0b.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): NEC Corporation uPD72874 IEEE1394
> OHCI 1.1 3-port PHY-Link Ctrlr (rev 01)
>
> Which NewEgg and the box it came in advertised as being an Agere
> chipset, which doesn't seem to be the case unless NEC is making
> Agere clones.

Extremely unlikely that it is a clone, using whatever definition of
clone you'd like.
The NEC uPD72874 is in a 120-pin TQFP package (which isn't the most
common IC package).
LSI (which bought Agere) has a 2-port device, the FW322, in that same
package, but their three port device (the FW323) is in a 128-pin TQFP
(a much more common package).

Both brands are listed on
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/FireWire and look to be generally
good.  Perhaps try a different PCI slot?

   Marc