[mythtv-users] DVB card disappearing UB 20.04LTS

[Stephen Worthington]

On Mon, 6 Dec 2021 18:19:14 +0000, you wrote:

>Hi All
>
>Recently had this issue pop up after upgrading to UB20.04 and v31. 
>Appears the USB driver or hardware for the tuner disappears. Strangely I 
>have also replaced the Nova T card as the old one was doing a similar 
>thing just before the upgrade. The old one had run 247 with no issue for 
>many years.
>
>Is there a more friendly way of "resetting" the kernel after this so I 
>don't have to reboot a couple of times a week? the reboot process is 
>painfully slow after this and often doesnt actually come back until 
>reset button!
>
>Dec  5 20:17:47 myth-be kernel: [587366.627827] usb 4-1: USB disconnect, 
>device number 2
>Dec  5 20:17:47 myth-be systemd[1]: Starting Refresh fwupd metadata and 
>update motd...
>Dec  5 20:17:47 myth-be acpid: input device has been disconnected, fd 13
>Dec  5 20:17:47 myth-be /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[2174]: (II) 
>config/udev: removing device Hauppauge Nova-TD-500 (84xxx)
>Dec  5 20:17:47 myth-be /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[2174]: (**) Option 
>"fd" "27"
>Dec  5 20:17:47 myth-be dbus-daemon[1282]: [system] Activating via 
>systemd: service name='org.freedesktop.fwupd' unit='fwupd.service' 
>requested by ':1.372' (uid=62803 pid=60317 comm="/usr/bin/fwupdmgr 
>refresh " label="unconfined")
>Dec  5 20:17:47 myth-be systemd[1]: Starting Firmware update daemon...
>Dec  5 20:17:47 myth-be /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[2174]: (II) 
>UnloadModule: "libinput"
>Dec  5 20:17:47 myth-be /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[2174]: (II) 
>systemd-logind: not releasing fd for 13:73, still in use
>Dec  5 20:17:47 myth-be /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[2174]: (II) 
>config/udev: removing device Hauppauge Nova-TD-500 (84xxx)
>Dec  5 20:17:47 myth-be /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[2174]: (**) Option 
>"fd" "27"
>Dec  5 20:17:47 myth-be /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[2174]: (II) event9  
>- Hauppauge Nova-TD-500 (84xxx): device removed
>Dec  5 20:17:47 myth-be /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[2174]: (II) 
>UnloadModule: "libinput"
>Dec  5 20:17:47 myth-be /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[2174]: (II) 
>systemd-logind: releasing fd for 13:73
>Dec  5 20:17:47 myth-be /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[2174]: (EE) 
>systemd-logind: failed to release device: Device not taken
>
>
>Anyone had similar / any known issues with that card and 20.04?
>
>
>Please help :(
>
>
>regards
>
>
>Alan

My Mother's MythTV box has two Hauppauge Nova TD-500 cards, and they
are still working well, with no problems such as you are experiencing.
Her PC was updated in July last year with a new motherboard/CPU/RAM
and since the new motherboard only has PCIe slots, the TD-500 cards
were moved to an external dual PCI extender plugged into one of the
internal PCIe x1 slots.  They work just as well in the extender as
they did internally in the old 2009 motherboard PCI slots.  Her PC is
running Ubuntu 20.04 and MythTV v31+fixes.

There is no way that I know of to reset a PCI card without rebooting.
When hardware starts doing strange things the first thing I usually do
is to power the PC off for long enough for the power to decay
completely to zero on the motherboard (all the capacitors discharged).
This takes a while, so I would recommend leaving it off for at least
60 seconds.  Then boot up again.  This ensures that all the hardware
is cold booted, rather than having remnants of its old state still
present.

When you replaced the TD-500 card, did you put it in the same PCI slot
as the old one?  If so, then the slot becomes the suspect here.  If
you have a different PCI slot available, try moving it.  When you have
the PC shut down to do that, get out your non-static spray that you
use to clean the fans and give the PCI and PCIe sockets a good spray
to get rid of as much dust and dirt as possible.  That may be all that
is needed, but you can also get contact cleaner spray from your local
electronics hobby shop or good hardware stores and use that as well,
on both the sockets and the edge connectors of the cards.  If you use
it on the cards, make sure to use proper anti-static handling when
doing it - have the cards on a grounded surface, and ground yourself
by touching that surface.  If you have a proper anti-static mat and
wrist strap, use them, or a stainless steel sink bench will also work
(they are usually required by law to be earthed for electrical safety
reasons).  Failing a good anti-static surface, the case of the PC is
OK too.  With the covers off the PC, make sure its power supply is off
and plug the PC into the mains again, with the mains switch off.  This
grounds the PC so any bare metal on the case should be grounded.  So
it is safe to put down cards on the case metal when you are working on
them.  Touch the case metal to ground yourself before touching the
cards, or use a wrist strap connected to the case (they are cheap from
good electronics stores).  At any time a card is out of the PC, it
should be in its anti-static bag unless you are working on it.

One more thing to check is the aerial cable into the TD-500 card.  If
there is stress on the cable, it can move the card in its socket,
which could cause momentary disconnection of pins.  So make sure the
cable is not stressed and is not getting bumped.  And that the card is
screwed down into the socket properly.

Ultimately, if the problems continue, then you will likely have to
replace the TD-500 card with something more modern.  Electronics does
fail eventually, and if someone has not handled a card with proper
anti-static procedures earlier in its life, then the sort of problem
you are describing is what can happen when the damage shows up.