[mythtv-users] Motherboard or PCI card with Agere FW323 (rev 61) chipset

[Jarod Wilson]

On 07/26/2009 10:18 AM, Phusion wrote:
> On Sat, Jul 25, 2009 at 11:02 PM, Jarod Wilson<jarod at wilsonet.com>  wrote:
>> On 07/25/2009 10:50 PM, Phusion wrote:
>>> Does anyone know of some motherboard or preferrably PCI/PCI-X firewire
>>> cards that use the Agere FW323 (rev 61) chipset? I see that the Syba
>>> SD-LUC-4F uses the Agere FW323 chipset, but am not sure what revision
>>> it uses. I would like to get a card for a Motorola DCT6200. Let me
>>> know.
>> Why do you need a specific revision? All Agere FW323 I've seen work equally
>> well, its a very solid chipset. Its really only certain revisions of the
>> JMicron JMB38x, the nForce 2 FireWire controller and a certain ALi chipset
>> you need to be wary of these days, issues w/just about everything else has
>> been resolved. There are some quirky TI chipsets and Via VT630x behave
>> somewhat poorly in ohci 1.0 mode (but also fixed), but I've never seen an
>> Agere FW323 that didn't Just Work.
>>
>> /me, who hacks on the linux kernel firewire drivers and has a MASSIVE stable
>> of firewire controllers, disks, hubs, etc., in the office...
>>
>
> I ask about the Agere FW323 chipset and revision level due to reading
> the following pages regarding using it with Motorola DCT-6200 boxes.
>
> http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/User:Mrsdonovan#Tips_from_the_HD_Front_Lines
> http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/FireWire#List_of_Firewire_Cards
>
> I assume if I got the Syba SD-LUC-4F which uses the Agere FW323
> chipset it would most likely work with a Motorola DCT-6200 based on
> user reports.

 From what I've seen, more often than not, the problem is with the cable 
box, not the firewire controller, but the Agere FW323 cards do tend to 
be pretty rock-solid -- its the same chip Apple used in all their FW400 
systems for a long time. Get it and be happy. If it doesn't work, I 
blame your cable box. :)

For the record, my Motorola QIP-6200 cable box is actually hooked to a 
JMicron JMB381 controller onboard my Dell Studio Hybrid right now, and 
it works peachy. I believe its the second (non-buggy) revision of the 
JMB381, but there's no distinctive markings or device ID differences 
between the two. Before the DSH, I had a Mac Mini (which has an onboard 
Agere FW323) hooked to it, also worked just fine.

-- 
Jarod Wilson
jarod at wilsonet.com