Very Computer

/dev/sndstat on this system shows:
________________

Config options: 35e02

Installed drivers:
Type 1: OPL-2/OPL-3 FM
Type 2: SoundBlaster
Type 6: SoundBlaster16
Type 7: SB16 MIDI
Type 10: MS Sound System

Card config:
(MS Sound System at 0x530 irq 10 drq 3)
SoundBlaster at 0x220 irq 5 drq 1
(SoundBlaster16 at 0x220 irq 5 drq 6)
(SB16 MIDI at 0x330 irq 5 drq 0)
OPL-2/OPL-3 FM at 0x388 irq 0 drq 0

PCM devices:
0: SoundBlaster Pro 3.1

Synth devices:
0: Yamaha OPL-3

Midi devices:
0: SoundBlaster

MIDI Timers:
0: System Timer

1 mixer(s) installed
________________

The obvious question is, Where is the 16-bit DMA channel in order to
be SB16-compatible?  I've tried forcing particular sound
configurations with LILO boot options (e.g., sound=0x622051,0x138800,
sound=0x622056,0x138800, sound=0x222051,0x622056,0x138800, I even
tried sound=0xa22051,0x138800 to attempt MS Sound System), all of
which result in /dev/sndstat showing no useful entries as available.
I've tried talking to tech.sup at Hyperdata, who have been simply
stunning in their lack of informativeness.

If it matters, I am able to, e.g., "cat /dev/audio > /some/file" and
thereafter record sounds around me with the builtin mike, and can also
"cat /some/file > /dev/audio" and get the playback of those sounds.

Would anyone else with an ESS 688 have an idea what's going on here?
Is the ESS restricted to 8-bit compatibility?  If the sound driver
authors are listening, are there plans for ESS-specific enhancements?

The system is:
486DX4/100, 20Mb/810Mb, ESS 688 normally seen at 0x220,IRQ5,DMA1,
CDROM at 0x300 for which there is not yet a Linux driver.
(DOS/Windows definitely sees the sound device at 0x220/5/1.)
Built from the InfoMagic March 1995 set, upgraded to kernel 1.2.11 +
modules 1.2.8 + PCMCIA 2.6.3.

Karl> My laptop (Hyperdata Expor CD100) has an ESS 688 sound system, [
Karl> ... ] It seems that it is "plain" (8-bit) SB-compatible, but the
Karl> obvious acid test is to try to run Doom,

Linux Doom only works with 16 bit cards...

Karl> in which case sndserver complains, "Could not play signed 16
Karl> data,"

Indeed.

Karl> The obvious question is, Where is the 16-bit DMA channel in order to
Karl> be SB16-compatible?

As Hannu writes in README.cards in the latest Voxware release, _there
are no SB16 compatible cards at all_. There are Sb compatible cards, and
16 bit cards, and some are both, that is both SB compatible and 16 bits,
but none is SB16 compatible, and advertising plays on the sutble
difference to make people think otherwise.

Karl> Would anyone else with an ESS 688 have an idea what's going on
Karl> here?  Is the ESS restricted to 8-bit compatibility?

It depends. If it is restricted to 8 bits, you can find on the usual FTP
sites an hack (with an obvious name) that allows running Linux Doom on 8
bit cards, by truncating 16 bit sound to 8 bit sound (perfectly
acceptable quality, BTW).

But I seem to remember that the ESS is the system used in the Echo
card,s and in that case it is supported by the latest (3.0) version of
voxware. Get a recent kernel, e.g. 1.3.17, and compile it.

I might try 1.3.17 anyhow, just to see what's up.  But I'd been
concerned with its stability.

Hannu
--
Hannu Savolainen
Methods Analyst, Carelcomp Base Industry, Espoo, Finland.