Driver for SoundMAX AD1980 Audio Chipset

Mikey

Have searched everywhere for a Linux driver, but no joy. This is the on-board audio for the ASUS P4PE motherboard. If anybody knows of a driver that will work please let me know. Until then I'll have a quiet Gentoo Linux.
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Mikey

oniq · Guru Joined: 02 Sep 2002 Posts: 597 Location: Connecticut

Have you tried the VIA 82C686 soundcard support in the kernel?
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Mikey · Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2003 11:17 am Post subject:

Selecting that option created via82cxxx_audio.o and ac97_codec.o. Modprobe via82cxxx_audio.o results in a "no such device" error. Modprobe ac97_codec.o returns no errors so I assume it is loading. I don't know how to test it.

I have no /dev/dsp device. I have no /dev/audio. There is nothing in /dev/sound. Aren't I supposed to have some kind of low level link to the hardware? I ran MAKEDEV, but nothing appeared to happen. Help Please.
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Mikey

oniq · Guru Joined: 02 Sep 2002 Posts: 597 Location: Connecticut

Do you have a drivers CD that came with your motherboard, I've read a little about the P4PE and some people say they have Linux sound drivers on the CD. I think others have had luck with i810 audio.
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Mikey · Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2003 1:36 pm Post subject:

Yeah, I looked at the CD. I'm using the supplied Linux driver for the Broadcom networking chipset. Without that I'd be dead in the water. Did not find any Linux drivers for the SoundMAX chipset on the CD, ASUS web site, or SoundMAX web site. Searched using Google, also, but found nothing.

As I said before, the one file seemed to load with modprobe. I just need to know what to do about stuff in /dev.

My needs are simple. Stereo speakers only. Don't care about 6-channel sound.
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Mikey

oniq · Guru Joined: 02 Sep 2002 Posts: 597 Location: Connecticut

When you modprobe ac97_codec.o, does anything appear in your dmesg?
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Mikey · Posted: Sat Jan 04, 2003 1:26 am Post subject:

Okay, I did the modprobe ac97_codec and then the dmesg and this is what I got.

oniq · Guru Joined: 02 Sep 2002 Posts: 597 Location: Connecticut

Doesn't look like it did anything, must be the wrong driver. Have you tried the Intel ICH support? Give that a try.. I'm trying the best I can without experience with this motherboard.

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heijs · Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2003 2:01 pm Post subject:

There is a thread on the Linux-Kernel archive about this:
http://www.uwsg.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0212.0/0357.html

This guy uses the ALSA 0.9.6pre6 drivers and says they are working quite nice

Hope to have helped you out.

Mikey · Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2003 5:56 pm Post subject:

heijs · Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2003 7:08 pm Post subject:

Euhm... 0.9.6pre6 should be 0.9.0pre6 by the way

I think most information is in the alsa-driver ebuild...

After reading that and http://www.alsa-project.org/
you should emerge alsa-tools and play around with the settings :wink:

Mikey · Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2003 9:01 pm Post subject:

The ALSA guide still states to pick your module for your sound hardware. Since the hardware matrix does not list my chipset, I have no idea which module to pick.

You state that I should emerge alsa-tools and play. That assumes I can find something on how to use them.

At this point I'm inclined to wait until something becomes more widely available for this hardware.
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Mikey

heijs · Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2003 11:43 am Post subject:

Perhaps this might be interesting?
http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-doc/doc-php/template.php3?company=Analog+Devices&card=AD1886&chip=AD1886&module=intel8x0

Mikey · Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2003 3:44 pm Post subject:

Looks like a nice step-by-step procedure assuming these steps for the AD1886 chipset will also work for the AD1980. I guess it won't hurt to try. I give it a shot tonight when I get home from work.

Assuming I still have a working desktop. :lol:

I emerged KDE 3.1r6 last night. This morning it was still compiling.
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Mikey

Mikey · Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2003 3:39 am Post subject:

Performed the Gentoo ALSA setup using the snd-intel8x0 driver. Everything seemed to go okay, didn't notice any errors. But I have no noise. Ran alsamixer and pegged everything at 100%. Still nothing. (Didn't try the headphone option.)

alsamixer is identifying the chip correctly as AD1980. Still no sound. UNCLE!!!!

Only line I can find in the dmesg output is the very last line:

heijs · Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2003 9:43 am Post subject:

Did you use aplay to play a wav file?

More documentation on alsa:
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/alsa-guide.xml

Mikey · Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2003 10:50 am Post subject:

Yeah, just like the guide shows. Tried several of them. Rebooted, too, although I didn't think that would work. Old Windows habit don't you know. Listened for startup sounds that KDE makes and heard nothing.

Sound works just fine under Windows XP so I know it's not a hardware problem.

I remember when I first put Gentoo 1.2 on my old computer (SB Live! card) I had to turn up the volume on something after I got the driver loaded. I think I used KMix. I'm still bothered that all KMix will give me now is an empty window. I don't see any controls at all. What's up with that?
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Mikey

joem · Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2003 10:20 pm Post subject: hmm

I have had the exact same problem. I have used alsa..tried using kernel modules..and compiled support directly into the kernel. If you find a soulution to this problem please post it..it would be very helpful.

Zugot · n00b Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 23

kf0yn · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 25 Jan 2003 Posts: 84

I discovered that I got sound with the ALSA drivers and the AD1980 by cranking up the "Surround" mixer control.