[Openchrome-users] via epia boards sound quality

[Andrey Liakhovets]

We (our firm) faced the same problem on EPIA SP8000 (fanless).

I am almost sure this is a software issue because:
-- when we used ALT Linux Master 2.4 with kernel 2.4.26 on ~ 10 EPIAs
 we had no problem with sound;
 (see ftp://ftp.altlinux.org/pub/distributions/ALTLinux/Master/2.4
 ftp://ftp.altlinux.org/pub/distributions/ALTLinux/updates/Master/2.4 )
-- when we later used Thinstation 2.1 with kernel 2.4.28 on the same
 EPIAs, we had this sound problem (sorry, I don't have url now).
 As a rule, the "bad sound" appeared after some working time (1 day or so)
-- when we began to use ALT Linux Sisyphus (development branch) with
 kernel 2.6.12 and then 2.6.14, this sound problem disappeared:
 since then, for about 6 months already, there have been no problems on about 20
 EPIAs SP8000, including those on which there were sound problems in the past.
 (see ftp://ftp.altlinux.org/pub/distributions/ALTLinux/Sisyphus
 http://www.altlinux.org/index.php?module=sisyphus ).

Best regards,
Andrey Liakhovets

Warren Wilder wrote:
> Ivor Hewitt schreef:
> 
>> Warren Wilder wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> On my SP13000 board, I occasionely have to deal with very bad quality
>>> audio. This is a problem that only disappears after shutting down
>>> the machine and waiting a while before rebooting. Clearly a hardware
>>> issue. Is this common? I don't experience it often myself, but I
>>> wonder...
>>>
>> What sort of "bad quality"? Just rebooting doesn't fix it without 
>> "waiting" a while?
>>
>> Any temperature problems with the machine or chips on the board? Do 
>> you have an IR thermometer?
>>
>>> I am using the normal 'green' line-out output socket by the way. Not
>>> yet the s/pdif or RCA jack.
>>>
>> Never encountered anything like that.
>> Are there any other boards in the machine?
>>
>>
> 
> A soft reboot doesn't fix it, where the motherboard still receives
> current during the rebooting process. It has to be a real powerdown. I
> wait a small while after a shutdown so I know the capacitors will have
> drained as well and I will have a clean boot.
> I have noticed with other (older generic pc) systems that a very quick
> press of the power button generally acts as a reset button flick, so
> thats why I wait a while. To let all the current leave the board.
> It helps, so I do that.
> 
> At first I blamed the speakers, but after I immediately switched it with
> a proven quality set, the sound was just as bad.
> 
> About the quality, it sounds 'far off', the volume is really low, while
> it also sounds like the speakers are blown. If you have ever blown a
> pair of speakers, you know the sound. Songs are still distinguishable,
> but they are no pleasure in any way. High tunes are completely missing.
> 
> The cpu is not overheating. That would make the system unstable. It is
> purely the sound output.
> I don't have such a thermometer, but I trust the internal sensor of the
> cpu to be correct. Besides, the board is not in a case yet and it isn't
> burning my fingers off.  I don't know about the heat of the other chips,
> so good call. You never know. I'll invest in one of these IR
> thermometers. Not too expensive.
> 
>> Are there any other boards in the machine?
> 
> I haven't inserted a PCI card into the one slot, no, if that's what you
> mean.
> For the moment, I am still leaning towards putting the blame on the
> speaker set I previously had connected. Perhaps it fed current into the
> board. It is a cheap and dodgy set. Time will tell.
> 
> Anyway, am I really the only one who has experienced this? I hope so :-)
> 
> Warren