Re: [Openvortex-dev] Vortex 2 "SQ2500 Gold" Impressions. (SPDIFHack Info Too)

[Zach Borgerding]

----- Original Message -----
From: Manuel Jander <address@hidden>
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2003 00:11:00 -0400
To: Zach Borgerding <address@hidden>
Subject: Re: [Openvortex-dev] Vortex 2 "SQ2500 Gold" Impressions. (SPDIFHack 
Info Too)

> Hi Zach,
> 
> Thats very useful. I can tell based on your info that the OEM Aureal
> Vortex 2 (Digital Research ?), which has a 20pin header, has the pin 81
> (SPDIF) located on the header pin 10. I couldn't find out where pin 70
> goes on my OEM card.
> 
> SMD Capacitors only in very rare case have a value printed on them, but
> labels like 103 are very common to resistors. 103 would be 10Kohm. A
> rather high value for power supply (too low current). Does your
> "special" card have a RCA SPDIF or a optical transmitter module ?

I'm pretty positive it is a ceramic chip capacitor like this:

http://kemet.com/kemet/web/homepage/kechome.nsf/vabypagename/ceramic

I just wasn't that familiar with them because I'm new to circuits this small 
(relatively new EE student).  From looking at reference diagrams for these 
small circuits, they seem to be pretty common on things like soundcards.

> The AU8830 and AU8810 have direct SPDIF output. No encoding is
> necessary, only some buffers (74HC04 or similar) to protect the Aureal
> chip, and provide more current.

That's the impression that I'm getting.  I'm cross-comparing this generic card 
(I think Chaintech makes it, actually) to my Montego II.  My Montego II is only 
a basic OEM card, so this makes things harder.  However, I have a plan to load 
up a Windows machine with Turtle Beach's custom drivers.  I'm going to (try) to 
make a RCA SPDIF bracket and test it with these drivers.  I have a good idea of 
which pins on the au8830 are the important pins for SPDIF input.  I think that 
Turtle Beach's daughterboards were merely as complicated as they were for the 
sake of the TOSLINK/Coaxial conversions.  Their special drivers seem to make 
use of the special custom features.  Does anyone know of any other manufacturer 
that made an AU88xx card with SPDIF input?

> About the codec, do you get the SDAC Detected message on "dmesg" ? Are
> you able to et playback on all 4 channels ?

I didn't check dmesg.  I was getting playback on all four channels.  I was also 
able to control the front and the rear individually.  The second channel was 
labled "surround", if I am not mistaken.  I plan on trying the card again on a 
different mobo soon.  This will be my test rig with Windows install (something 
I haven't had for a few years).

> 
> Best Regards
> 
> Manuel

I'm looking into investing in a stack of OEM cards that were pulled from some 
machines.  These can be some real test subjects that I don't mind "sacrificing 
for the cause".


Zach
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