What sound chips has my desktop?

stf92 · 01-17-2011, 11:35 PM

Kernel 2.6.21.5, Slackware 12.0

Hi:
I would like to know what chips/chipsets related to sound I have in my machine.

(a) When I run alsamixer, it says

Quote:

Card: SiS SI7018
Chip: C-Media Electronics CMI9738, Silicon Laboratory Si3036,8 rev 1

But this is very confusing. Who is the sound chip manufacturer? Silicon Integrated Systems (SIS) or C-Media?

Also, from 'lspci -vv':

Code:

00:01.4 Multimedia audio controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS PCI Audio Accelerator (rev 02)
        Subsystem: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS PCI Audio Accelerator
        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 (500ns min, 6000ns max)
        Interrupt: pin B routed to IRQ 11
        Region 0: I/O ports at da00 [size=256]
        Region 1: Memory at f3fff000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 2
                Flags: PMEClk- DSI+ D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=55mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2+,D3hot+,D3cold+)
                Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-

This is the only reference to audio in lspci output run as root. I could open my machine (a desktop) case and examine the numbers of all the chips I encounter there, but this would be a rather cumbersome operation. I ought to get this information by use of the console alone, I think. Any suggestion will be welcome.

cin_ · 01-18-2011, 02:06 AM

If your audio works then you could try your latest boot log and see what was loaded that is making the audio work...

Code:

# dmesg | grep -i chipset
agpgart-intel 0000:00:00.0: Intel 945GME Chipset
cpufreq-nforce2: No nForce2 chipset.
#

stf92 · 01-18-2011, 02:22 AM

Hi:
Thanks for your reply.

Code:

root@darkstar:~# dmesg |grep -i chipset
SIS5513: chipset revision 208
agpgart: Detected SiS 630 chipset
root@darkstar:~#

Yes, my audio works. But, as you can see, dmesg doesn't show neither the 7018 nor the 9738.

cin_ · 01-18-2011, 02:38 AM

The 7018 is a chip within the set of chips...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SiS_630/730

The 9738 seems to be the driver'codec that ALSA is using... Why? It could be because the SiS driver'codec requires payment and the C-Media is free and usable? This is a shot in the dark as to 'why'.

Mine says...
Card: HDA Intel
Chip: Realtek ALC272
...And I believe Realtek and Intel are distinct?

druuna · 01-18-2011, 02:43 AM

Hi,

Too my knowledge the specific chip is made by C-Media Electronics and SiS uses that chip to make the sound card. Drivers etc are SiS related.

What does lsmod | grep snd show you?

Hope this helps.

stf92 · 01-18-2011, 02:57 AM

And is the sound card a chip? As to lsmod the output is this:

Code:

root@darkstar:~# lsmod|grep snd
snd_seq_dummy           6788  0
snd_seq_oss            32896  0
snd_seq_midi_event     10112  1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq                50640  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_pcm_oss            42784  0
snd_mixer_oss          18048  1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_trident            39460  1
gameport               15112  2 snd_trident
snd_ac97_codec         98980  1 snd_trident
ac97_bus                6016  1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_pcm                72068  3 snd_pcm_oss,snd_trident,snd_ac97_codec
snd_timer              22532  2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd_page_alloc         11528  2 snd_trident,snd_pcm
snd_util_mem            7552  1 snd_trident
snd_mpu401_uart        10496  1 snd_trident
snd_rawmidi            22560  1 snd_mpu401_uart
snd_seq_device         10508  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_trident,snd_rawmidi
snd                    47204  13 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_trident,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_mpu401_uart,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_device
soundcore               9824  1 snd
root@darkstar:~#

Does it say something to you?

cin_ · 01-18-2011, 03:11 AM

Code:

...
snd_ac97_codec         98980  1 snd_trident
ac97_bus                6016  1 snd_ac97_codec
...
snd                    47204  13 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_trident,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_mpu401_uart,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_device
soundcore               9824  1 snd

Trident is the licensing of the SiS7018...
AC97 looks like it could be shorthand for CMI9738...
But still, that nagging 'why'

What are you using the info for?

druuna · 01-18-2011, 03:22 AM

Hi,

Looking at the lsmod output, snd_trident is the main driver in use and as already stated by cin trident license SiS7018.

Quote:

And is the sound card a chip?

A card is never a chip. Chips are part of the card.

Have a look at the output of the following: cat /proc/asound/cards and cat /proc/asound/pcm. The output of the first command shows the card that is being used, the output of the second command shows the chip that is being used.

Hope this helps.

cin_ · 01-18-2011, 03:44 AM

druuna,
Is it correct to think that cat'ing the processes associated with sound would only tell you what interfacing software is running, or being used; even if the hardware was different or incompatible?

It seems like a great way to investigate sound errors but you would have to look elsewhere to find out about the hardware... ?

stf92 · 01-18-2011, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cin_

Trident is the licensing of the SiS7018...
AC97 looks like it could be shorthand for CMI9738...
But still, that nagging 'why'

What are you using the info for?

I've been reading an article about SiS630, which is one of the devices detected by lspci, and it is a single-chip chipset which includes AC'97 codec. Perhaps this implies that the sis7018 is a subchip of the sis630.

I have a problem with ALSA. Each time I run a audio player, say aplay, the volume goes to 100%. And I must run alsamixer to lower it. It's no use to do 'alsactl store'. Furthermore, setting the volume to zero with amixer is ignored. As it's been a long time I have been investigating this problem, I thought I should begin from the beginning and see what is the hardware (integrated circuits) I have in my motherboard and skim through the data sheets.

==========================================
@druuna: Thank you for your reply.

Code:

root@darkstar:~# cat proc/asound/cards
cat: proc/asound/cards: No such file or directory
root@darkstar:~# cat /proc/asound/cards
 0 [SI7018         ]: SI7018 - SiS SI7018
                      SiS SI7018 PCI Audio at 0xda00, irq 11
root@darkstar:~# cat proc/asound/pcm
cat: proc/asound/pcm: No such file or directory
root@darkstar:~# cat /proc/asound/pcm
00-01: trident_dx_nx IEC958 : Trident 4DWave IEC958 : playback 1
00-00: trident_dx_nx : Trident 4DWave : playback 32 : capture 1
root@darkstar:~#

So perhaps, the integrated circuit (IC) is SiS630 which would include SI7018 which, in turn, would include IEC958. But where is CMI9738. For alsamixer mentions it, as stated in post #1.

druuna · 01-18-2011, 06:05 AM

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by cin_

druuna,
Is it correct to think that cat'ing the processes associated with sound would only tell you what interfacing software is running, or being used; even if the hardware was different or incompatible?

It seems like a great way to investigate sound errors but you would have to look elsewhere to find out about the hardware... ?

Answer to both questions: Yes.

I'm not sure if the drivers et al are loaded when they are incompatible with the hardware, I do assume errors will show up in the log files.

Most distro's enable all the available modules in the kernel and during boot the correct one is (hopefully) loaded. I have seen this go "wrong" (with network cards), the loaded module worked, but a better one was skipped. No show-stopper, but something to keep in mind.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stf92

So perhaps, the integrated circuit (IC) is SiS630 which would include SI7018 which, in turn, would include IEC958. But where is CMI9738. For alsamixer mentions it, as stated in post #1.

I also noticed that difference.

I took another look at one of your previous threads (ALSA: amixer: it does not behave as it should?) and am wondering if alsa et al was installed/configured the correct way.

Not much to go on, but hope this helps anyway.....

stf92 · 01-18-2011, 06:20 AM

In /usr/share/alsa I have alsa.conf and smixer.conf. They're basically chinese for me. I suppose I'll have to wait until I have a full understanding of ALSA to solve this problem. Regards.

cin_ · 01-18-2011, 06:23 AM

Maybe it's a configurable from the audio player.
Try debugging it with something really lightweight to see if change still occurs...

Code:

# alsamixer -g
*SET MASTER TO 17
# # mpg123 Beethoven.Pathetique.Adagio.1.mp3 
High Performance MPEG 1.0/2.0/2.5 Audio Player for Layers 1, 2 and 3
	version 1.12.1; written and copyright by Michael Hipp and others
	free software (LGPL/GPL) without any warranty but with best wishes

Playing MPEG stream 17 of 17: Beethoven.Pathetique.Adagio.1.mp3 ...
Title:   BEETHOVEN/Pno Sonata op13 (b)   Artist: Emil Gilels, piano
Comment: Karadar's Mp3 are FREE!!        Album:  http://www.karadar.it
Year:    2002                            Genre:  Classical
MPEG 1.0 layer III, 128 kbit/s, 44100 Hz joint-stereo
^Z
[2]+  Stopped                 mpg321 Beethoven.Pathetique.Adagio.1.mp3
# alsamixer -g
*STILL AT 17
#

stf92 · 01-18-2011, 07:13 AM

It's a pity. In alsamixer 1.0.14, the one I have, -g sets color to black and white (checked by the manual). Also, I presume that in the third line of your code I must omit the '#'.

cin_ · 01-18-2011, 07:35 AM

Yeah, sorry, I use the hash to distinguish my command input from output.
I use the -g because I like the black and white version. ...Also encouraging you into the man page if you didn't recognise the parameter...

Did you try mpg123? Did it reset your volume to 100?