Troubles getting PCTV Triplestick 292e working with TVHeadend

Chris Koster

Hi,

As the title says I'm having trouble to get the PCTV Triplestick 292e working with TVHeadend. I know it should be working with linux kernerl 3.16 (source: http://blog.palosaari.fi/2014/04/naked-hardware-15-pctv-triplestick-292e.html)

My setup is ubuntu 14.04 server. I have updated the linux kernel to 3.17 and copied the following firmare files:

wget https://github.com/OpenELEC/dvb-firmware/blob/master/firmware/dvb-demod-si2168-02.fw -O /lib/firmware/dvb-demod-si2168-02.fw
wget https://github.com/OpenELEC/dvb-firmware/blob/master/firmware/dvb-demod-si2168-a30-01.fw -O /lib/firmware/dvb-demod-si2168-a30-01.fw

wget https://github.com/OpenELEC/dvb-firmware/blob/master/firmware/dvb-demod-si2168-b40-01.fw -O /lib/firmware/dvb-demod-si2168-b40-01.fw

TVH recognises the stick but I can't play any channels. I'm using the latest (unstable) version of TVH. I can watch TV with my other DVB-C USB device.

I get the folling output on dmesg:

13.005323] si2168 9-0064: si2168: found a 'Silicon Labs Si2168' in warm state [ 13.057119] usb 2-1.3: DVB: adapter 0 frontend 0 frequency 0 out of range (110000000..862000000) [ 13.060787] si2168 9-0064: si2168: found a 'Silicon Labs Si2168' in cold state [ 13.060833] si2168 9-0064: si2168: downloading firmware from file 'dvb-demod-si2168-b40-01.fw' [ 16.974650] si2168 9-0064: si2168: found a 'Silicon Labs Si2168' in warm state [ 1096.255543] si2168 9-0064: si2168: found a 'Silicon Labs Si2168' in cold state [ 1096.255616] si2168 9-0064: si2168: downloading firmware from file 'dvb-demod-si2168-b40-01.fw' [ 1100.281976] si2168 9-0064: si2168: found a 'Silicon Labs Si2168' in warm state [ 1101.225151] si2168 9-0064: si2168: found a 'Silicon Labs Si2168' in cold state [ 1101.225210] si2168 9-0064: si2168: downloading firmware from file 'dvb-demod-si2168-b40-01.fw' [ 1105.191779] si2168 9-0064: si2168: found a 'Silicon Labs Si2168' in warm state

I have the following log lines in TVH debug log:

2014-10-28 18:00:49.000 mpegts: 794 in Ziggo2 - tuning on Silicon Labs Si2168 : DVB-C #0 2014-10-28 18:00:49.001 subscription: 0002: "epggrab" subscribing to mux, weight: 3, adapter: "Silicon Labs Si2168 : DVB-C #0", network: "Ziggo2", mux: "794", hostname: "", username: "", client: "" 2014-10-28 18:00:53.017 linuxdvb: Unable to provide signal strength value. 2014-10-28 18:00:53.017 linuxdvb: Unable to provide BER value. 2014-10-28 18:00:53.017 linuxdvb: Unhandled SNR scale: 0 2014-10-28 18:00:53.017 linuxdvb: Unable to provide SNR value. 2014-10-28 18:00:53.017 linuxdvb: Unable to provide UNC value. 2014-10-28 18:01:14.000 subscription: 0002: "epggrab" unsubscribing 2014-10-28 18:01:25.000 mpegts: 546 in Ziggo2 - tuning on Silicon Labs Si2168 : DVB-C #0 2014-10-28 18:01:25.000 subscription: 0003: "epggrab" subscribing to mux, weight: 3, adapter: "Silicon Labs Si2168 : DVB-C #0", network: "Ziggo2", mux: "546", hostname: "", username: "", client: "" 2014-10-28 18:01:41.553 HTTP: 192.168.0.101: /stream/channel/08451c943a8e88dc27878beac46688cf -- 401 2014-10-28 18:01:49.741 subscription: 0004: "HTTP" subscribing on "NPO 2 HD", weight: 100, adapter: "Silicon Labs Si2168 : DVB-C #0", network: "Ziggo2", mux: "546", provider: "Ziggo", service: "NPO 2 HD", hostname="192.168.0.101", username="chris", client="VLC/2.1.4 LibVLC/2.1.4" 2014-10-28 18:01:50.000 subscription: 0003: "epggrab" unsubscribing 2014-10-28 18:01:57.000 mpegts: 546 in Ziggo2 - tuning on Silicon Labs Si2168 : DVB-C #0 2014-10-28 18:01:57.000 subscription: 0005: "epggrab" subscribing to mux, weight: 3, adapter: "Silicon Labs Si2168 : DVB-C #0", network: "Ziggo2", mux: "546", hostname: "", username: "", client: "" 2014-10-28 18:01:59.000 webui: Couldn't start streaming /stream/channel/08451c943a8e88dc27878beac46688cf, No input detected 2014-10-28 18:01:59.001 subscription: 0004: No transponder available for subscription "HTTP" to channel "NPO 2 HD" 2014-10-28 18:01:59.001 subscription: 0004: "HTTP" unsubscribing from "NPO 2 HD", hostname="192.168.0.101", username="chris", client="VLC/2.1.4 LibVLC/2.1.4" 2014-10-28 18:01:59.110 subscription: 0006: "HTTP" subscribing on "NPO 2 HD", weight: 100, adapter: "Silicon Labs Si2168 : DVB-C #0", network: "Ziggo2", mux: "546", provider: "Ziggo", service: "NPO 2 HD", hostname="192.168.0.101", username="chris", client="VLC/2.1.4 LibVLC/2.1.4" 2014-10-28 18:02:09.000 subscription: 0006: No transponder available for subscription "HTTP" to channel "NPO 2 HD" 2014-10-28 18:02:09.001 webui: Couldn't start streaming /stream/channel/08451c943a8e88dc27878beac46688cf, No input detected 2014-10-28 18:02:09.001 subscription: 0006: "HTTP" unsubscribing from "NPO 2 HD", hostname="192.168.0.101", username="chris", client="VLC/2.1.4 LibVLC/2.1.4" 2014-10-28 18:02:09.052 HTTP: 192.168.0.101: /stream/channel/08451c943a8e88dc27878beac46688cf -- 401

This is what lsusb outputs:

Bus 002 Device 003: ID 2013:025f PCTV Systems

Any help is much appreciated. I think the device is recognised but driver or firmware not correct.

ProfYaffle

Maybe I've missed it in your (comprehensive) logs above, but does it only fail when streaming (from VLC, yes)? Can you record from it or otherwise access it in tvheadend? The epggrab connections seem to work, after all.

I presume you've associated the device with the network properly and that you have all the mux and service information already discovered from your other DVB-C device, and that the PCTV stick is enabled. The epggrab wouldn't work if the tuner wasn't there... the other thought would be to restart tvh to eliminate timing issues between device initialisation and tvh startup, but that can't be the case if EPG scanning is working.

Chris Koster

Hi Professor :p

Thanks for your reply. It fails also with some other frontend than VLC. I have tried XBMC also and it gives me the same errors. I haven't tried recording yet, will do in a moment.

You are right about the association with the network. I configured network, muxes, services and channels with my working DVB-C device. Theoretically these settings shouldn't be the problem. The stick is enabled in the config.

To be honest my thought is that it's not so much a TVHeadend problem but more a linux/ubuntu problem. I think the USB device is recognised and (maybe not correctly) initialised. This because TVHeadend can also see the device. My guess would be I am missing a driver or firmware or have installed an incorrect firmware or driver. It seems like the stick is recognised but can not be used for tuning. Hence the following lines in the log:

2014-10-28 18:00:53.017 linuxdvb: Unable to provide signal strength value. 2014-10-28 18:00:53.017 linuxdvb: Unable to provide BER value. 2014-10-28 18:00:53.017 linuxdvb: Unhandled SNR scale: 0 2014-10-28 18:00:53.017 linuxdvb: Unable to provide SNR value. 2014-10-28 18:00:53.017 linuxdvb: Unable to provide UNC value.

Well I will try record a channel with TVH and see if that works. Thanks for the input.

ProfYaffle

Those are tvh errors, though, so it's not 100% conclusive - merely suspicious...

User 'chris' has the right permissions to allow streaming, I presume?

Chris Koster

Yup, checked and Chris has all permissions

Pete roberts

A bit late but basically with 3.16 you just need to get the 02.fw and b40-01.fw firmware.

I have just tried to install my working 292e on another machine and downloaded this firmware from the initial links - the 292e was recognised but didn't work.

So I went back to my original installation method - download the b40 from Antti's 292e blog and the 02 from github.com.

Then mv the files to /lib/firmware and the 292e should be up and running.

With tvheadend you should be getting dvb-t and dvb-t2.

Antti's blog is here http://blog.palosaari.fi/2014/04/naked-hardware-15-pctv-triplestick-292e.html

Chris Koster

Thanks Pete, I also got the stick working (DVB-C) with Antii's firmware. I like the stick it seems faster then my Technisat Cablestar.

Andy Furniss

Pete roberts wrote:

> I have just tried to install my working 292e on another machine and downloaded this firmware from the initial links - the 292e was recognised but didn't work.
>

> So I went back to my original installation method - download the b40 from Antti's 292e blog and the 02 from github.com.

FWIW the links at the start of this thread don't work with wget you get the web page eg. -

wget https://github.com/OpenELEC/dvb-firmware/blob/master/firmware/dvb-demod-si2168-02.fw -O /lib/firmware/dvb-demod-si2168-02.fw

Should be

.. https://github.com/OpenELEC/dvb-firmware/blob/master/firmware/dvb-demod-si2168-02.fw?raw=true ...

the ...b40-01.fw and ...02.fw from there are the same file and md5sum is the same as the one I got from the blog (months ago).

Klaus D.

I was also fighting the last days to get the 292e stick to work with my raspberry pi & tvheadend (3.9 from the unstable repository).

One thing I noticed is that the stick does not register two devices (DVB-T/T2 and DVB-C), but only one and there is no way in TVH to force the stick into a specific DVB mode. Per default the stick is in DVB-T/T2 mode. Thus, if you are searching or trying to play back DVB-C channels you will not have much luck.

I found a workaround:

1. Start "w_scan -tc" and stop it immediately with Ctrl-C. This will set the stick in DVB-C mode and leaves it there.
Alternativesly, you can execute "dvb-fe-tool --adapter=0 --frontend=0 --set-delsys=DVBC/ANNEX_A".
2. Restart TVH with "service tvheadend restart"

3. Now go to http://<yourserver>:9981 and check that the stick is enabled and so on

From now on DVB-C playback should work. I wished, TVH would have a dropdown to change between DVB-C or T/T2...

Another thing I realized. There are two different versions of "dvb-demod-si2168-b40-01.fw". The latest version 4.0.11 was not working for me (w_scan did not find anything). So I used 4.0.4, which just works.

dvb-demod-si2168-b40-01.fw:

http://palosaari.fi/linux/v4l-dvb/firmware/Si2168/Si2168-B40/

So far everything is working fine and stable. But for whatever reason I do not find all MUXes with w_scan that I do receive with another DVB-C receiver (they are not encrypted!). This is really bothering me, because some of my favorite channels are missing now :-/ I have a Sundtek Pro III on the way to me, so I will be able to compare soon ...

Best wishes,
Klaus

Pete roberts

Hi Klaus

I'm not sure about dvb-c but I am currently using:

Raspberry Pi 2

OpenELEC

TVheadend PVR Addon

292e

The stick is recognised and the TVHeadend scan is made via SSH from a remote pc - this picks up most services straight away and a bit of tinkering soon gets the others.

I find the HD picture is acceptable but not that great - If I want quality HD I use my main pc and VLC/292e with a one line terminal command for each channel rather than a scan.

Hope this helps.

Pete

Klaus D.

Pete roberts wrote:

> this picks up most services straight away and a bit of tinkering soon gets the others.

Could you explain what "a bit of tinkering" concretely means?

> pc and VLC/292e with a one line terminal command for each channel rather than a scan.

Which one line command line argument?

Klaus

Pete roberts

I'm not sure that it applies to you but I had to set up the dvb-t scan and mapping and then set up a secondary scan for dvb-t2.

The basic instructions are here

http://wiki.openelec.tv/index.php/Configuring_Tvheadend

VLC should play anything without a scan if you know the right language - I googled around and found only fragments - ie no complete instruction manual.

To get a SD Mux I entered the following in Terminal using Linux (where the frequency is the local one to me)

vlc dvb-t:// :dvb-frequency=706000000 :dvb-bandwidth=8

VLC then plays a service from this mux - all other channels are listed in Programme under the Playback tab and you just click on these to change channel.

To get HD I simply entered

vlc dvb-t2:// :dvb-frequency=737800000 :dvb-bandwidth=32

Pete

Klaus D.

Thank you for your help, but the 292e stick does not register a DVB-C and a DVB-T device. By default the stick behaves as a DVB-T device and that is what tvheadend is showing. If I apply the workaround above then the device behaves as DVB-C, but tvheadend does not know it as DVB-T device anymore. I especially bought this stick so that I do not need to separate sticks...

What would be nice is that TVH knows what the plugged device is capable of (DVB-C/T) and switches to one of these modes depending on the channel I select to watch ...

Chris Koster

If you use the latest unstable build from TVH this is actually possible. TVH shows this device is both an DVB-T as a DVB-C receiver and you can set it as DVB-C. Works like a charm. Installing unstable builds might not be ideal but I haven't encountered any problems last couple of months.

Klaus D.

I am using HTS Tvheadend 3.9.2675~ge4f034a, but I do not see where TVH show this device as DVB-C and DVB-T. Where should this be?

edit:

I just compiled the latest git version to be sure that my version was not too old. Still the same.

So, you are saying that you hava a 292e stick and tvheadend is showing you two devices? Can you post a screenshot, please?

Klaus D.

Short update:

I bought an 15db antenna amplifier and now my PCTV triplestick 292e finds all DVB-C muxes and services. so, one problem solved.

Last problem left (as mentioned before): I don't see this stick as DVB-C and DVB-T in tvheadend.

Chris Koster

You can see (and set) it on the configuration > DVB Inputs > TV Adapters.

http://img.positivum.nl/HTS_Tvheadend_3.9.2675ge4f034atrusty_2015-04-13_15-15-48.png

Klaus D.

Thank you for the screenshot. Seeing is believing :-)

Can you describe a little bit your setup?

I am using the latest official raspbian,
the firmware files for my 292e stick as described above,
and at the weekend I compiled the latest v4l (media_build).

Further I compiled the latest TVH from the repository.

But no matter what I do, I only see DVB-T or if I use the tricks described above then I see DVB-C, but not together as in your screenshot. Do you have -by any chance- an idea what I could be doing wrong? Or how does your setup differ from mine? Which firmware files are you using?

Pete roberts

I think the problem is that OpenELEC has all the drivers for the 292e as one guy set it up to work on that OS - I doubt whether Raspbian would have the same.

You can easily copy an image for OpenELEC onto an SD card for the Raspberry Pi and then install the TVHeadend addon - then when you SSH into that config page you should get the dvb-c option.

Klaus D.

Hi Pete,

why do you think that it is an OpenElec thing? As far as I understood Chris is using Ubuntu, not OpenElec.

And according to this:

https://tvheadend.org/issues/2711

TvHeadEnd is supposed to find all frontends, so the distribution (raspbian, openelec) shoudn't matter. So either there is a bug in TvHeadEnd or I am doing something wrong. And Chris' screenshot convinced me that there must be something wrong with my setup.

If it is a driver issue then this driver must be somewhere so I can compile it. But I did not find any updated drivers. Even at https://github.com/OpenELEC i didn't find anything new after a first (quick) look.

If you have more information, let me know.

Else: My issue is still open. Any ideas? :-)