Problems with firewire and EyeTV 200!

Question

Problems with firewire and EyeTV 200!

I have just bought an EyeTV 200. I have tried it for 3 days now, and I keep losing the signal all the time. I have done some research, and this is what I have written to Elgato Support so far:

I think I am closing in on the problem. I just watched TV through my EyeTV 200, and I had Console.app open. Right away, when I started using my LaCie d2 Triple Interface fw800 harddrive, I lost the signal, and Console.app started jumping. This message appeard every second, until I un-plugged the EyeTV 200:

Aug 25 12:02:23 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x38bf000 done, status e00002d6

Aug 25 12:02:23 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x38bf000 done, status e00002d6
Aug 25 12:02:24 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x38bf000 done, status e00002d6
Aug 25 12:02:24 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x38bf000 done, status e00002d6
Aug 25 12:02:25 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x38bf000 done, status e00002d6
Aug 25 12:02:26 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x38bf000 done, status e00002d6

8/25/2005 3:01 am

Right before posting the last message, EyeTV 200 crashed my Power Mac G5. Everything froze when I tried to connect it with the fw-cable. I did a forced restart, checked my harddrive for errors (no errors found). When I connected the EyeTV 200 to my Power Mac G5 again, after the restart, it worked. What can be causing these problems? Does the EyeTV 200 need more power than from firewire?

This is the info found in System Profiler, about the EyeTV 200, connected to one of my fw400-ports:

eyetv 200:
Manufacturer: 0xC6C
Model: 0x1
GUID: 0xC6C050020CB00
Maximum Speed: Up to 400 Mb/sec
Connection Speed: Up to 400 Mb/sec
Sub-units:
eyetv 200 Unit:
Unit Software Version: 0x10001
Unit Spec ID: 0xA02D

8/25/2005 2:50 am

There seems to be a problem with firewire. I have one LaCie fw800 harddrive connected to my PowerMac G5, and I have the EyeTV connected to the fw400 port on my Power Mac G5. Something is wrong. Is it the EyeTV 200 that is causing the fw-problems. I have never had problems with firewire before I connected the EyeTV. This is an excerpt from my system.log:

Aug 25 11:12:47 g5powwa kernel[0]: /SourceCache/AppleFWOHCI/AppleFWOHCI-244.4.0/AppleFWOHCI.cpp 3435: ERROR: FireWire (OHCI) Apple ID 42 built-in: handleUnrecoverableErrorInt

Aug 25 11:13:25 g5powwa kernel[0]: Command for device 0x50c2600 that's gone away
Aug 25 11:13:25 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x4bcf680 done, status e00002d7
Aug 25 11:13:51 g5powwa kernel[0]: FireWire (OHCI) Apple ID 42 built-in: 179 bus resets in last minute.
Aug 25 11:15:26 g5powwa kernel[0]: Command for device 0x4c42f00 that's gone away
Aug 25 11:15:26 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x4bf5380 done, status e00002d7
Aug 25 11:15:26 g5powwa kernel[0]: Command for device 0x4c42f00 that's gone away
Aug 25 11:15:26 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x4bf5380 done, status e00002d7
Aug 25 11:15:26 g5powwa kernel[0]: Command for device 0x4c42f00 that's gone away
Aug 25 11:15:26 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x4bf5380 done, status e00002d7

8/24/2005 3:42 pm

Are you still working on fixing the "no signal" issues? I get "no signal" pretty often. The signal light is orange, and I get no signal. I have to re-plug the fw-cable to get contact again. This is very frustrating! When I upgraded from EyeTV 1.8 to 1.8.2, should I have trashed my old preferences, or does that not have anything to do with my "no signal" problems? This is really frustrating. I can not rely on the EyeTV 200 for recording TV-shows 😟. Please help me. I have checked all the cables, and everything is ok with the cables. The fw-cable is connected directly to my Power Mac G5.

Any ideas?

Posted on Aug 25, 2005 4:33 AM

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Answer 1

ds store

Level 7

30,705 points

Aug 25, 2005 7:41 AM in response to Thomas Berglund

No Idea, I have three EyeTv's myself and two LaCie drives and not a problem.

I suspect if your losing the signal, you might either have a defective EyeTv or cable. Worse would be a defective wire port on the PowerMac.

Try using different port combinations, with/without the LaCie etc, if it is indeed the EyeTv, simply ask for a exchange.

Try hooking up a component VCR or DVD player to the AV inputs of the EyeTV and selecting the AV input option to see if it's not your cable who's responsible. (disconnect it of course)

Cable can be nasty, joe neighbor steals cable and doen't properly ground sending electricity into the lines. Then there's the local cb radio hound who blasts the lines too.

Another suggestion is to check to see how much space on the boot drive, EyeTv's buffer preferences and stuff like that. Even try reinstalling and applying the EyeTv firmware update.

Take this up with El Gato technical support, you will get a lot farther than asking for help here. Well at least you should. 😀

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Answer 2

Aug 25, 2005 7:56 AM in response to ds store

Thank you very much for your reply.

Another suggestion is to check to see how much space on the boot drive, EyeTv's buffer preferences and stuff like that. Even try reinstalling and applying the EyeTv firmware update.

What firmware update? Where can I get it?

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Answer 3

Aug 25, 2005 10:52 AM in response to Thomas Berglund

I have now managed to reproduce the problem. I can do it whenever I want to. This is how:

1. Connect EyeTV 200 to my Power Mac G5
2. Open Disk Utility, and start verifying my connected 250GB LaCie harddrive (fw800)
3. Then EyeTV stops, and says "No signal", and the following messages appear in Console.app (system.log) until I un-plug the EyeTV 200 again:

Aug 25 18:48:18 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x301dc80 done, status e00002d6

Aug 25 18:48:19 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x301dc80 done, status e00002d6
(these comes every second, until I un-plug the EyeTV 200 again)

Is something wrong with the firewire ports in my Power Mac G5, or is it the EyeTV? How can I test if my firewire ports are ok or not?

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Answer 4

ds store

Level 7

30,705 points

Aug 25, 2005 10:53 AM in response to Thomas Berglund

My mistake, thier firmware integrated in the EyeTV software. So when you download the update it asks you to disconnect and reconnect the EyeTV.

I'm not on 1.8.2, but 1.8.1 and this 1.8.2 update is pretty recent, so perhaps the bugs are not worked out of it yet.

Contact EyeTV support at the Elgato site, it's your best option to get things worked out and thanks for the warning. :P

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Answer 5

Aug 25, 2005 11:09 AM in response to ds store

I have already contacted EyeTV support at the Elgato site. I have reported all the problems to them, as you can see in my first post 😉

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Answer 6

Aug 25, 2005 2:53 PM in response to Thomas Berglund

After I showed a friend of mine, these messages:

Aug 25 22:31:15 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x4947100 done, status e00002d6

Aug 25 22:31:15 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x4947100 done, status e00002d6
Aug 25 22:31:16 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x4947080 done, status e00002d6
Aug 25 22:31:17 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x4947080 done, status e00002d6

... he said right away. "This reminds me of a gridlock problem". I think he's right! It seems like when firewire800 is in use, firewire 400 is blocked.

unit 0x4947080 (EyeTV 200, on fw400) is done, and is waiting for unit e00002d (LaCie 250GB, on fw800) to get done. The EyeTV 200 does not start until I stop the LaCie drive from working.

I am now using fw400 for both EyeTV 200 and the LaCie drive, and now everything works flawlessly!

Does anybody know why fw800 is blocking for fw400-devices?

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Answer 7

Aug 25, 2005 10:52 PM in response to Thomas Berglund

This sounds more like an OS X issue to me. Maybe you should contact apple support. It might be a buggy firewire driver.

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Answer 8

ds store

Level 7

30,705 points

Aug 26, 2005 4:43 AM in response to Thomas Berglund

I'm running 2 EyeTV 500's, each on a Firewire 400 port and a EyeTV 200 on a USB port, have my external LaCie d2 on Firewire 800 coping a 20GB folder to it from my boot drive. No problems, I plugged the 800 external in after the EyeTV's were already plugged in, with launching the EyeTV software after that.

My boot drive is a 2 internal SATA 74 GB Raptors in a RAID O, this is where the EyeTV archive is. My LiveTV buffer Size is set at 10MB and the "Keep Live TV Buffer in RAM" is checked on. My "Extend scheduled recording time by" is set to "0" on both.

My video card is a Nvidia 6800 GT. My machine is a rev A. Version 1.81. of EyeTV software.

All I can suggest is try visiting LaCie and downloading the latest driver update.

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Answer 9

ds store

Level 7

30,705 points

Aug 26, 2005 6:49 AM in response to Thomas Berglund

Did some further tests by booting off the Firewire 800 external LaCie and running the three EyeTv's as usual. No problems detected.

Hope that helps narrow your problem down.

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Answer 10

Aug 26, 2005 7:04 AM in response to ds store

Thank you very much for helping out! 🙂

All I can suggest is try visiting LaCie and downloading the latest driver update.

Actually, I have not yet updated to the latest LaCie firmware. I was on vacation when it was released. Thanks for the heads up!

I will install it now, and let you know what happens.

LaCie Update Tool v1.3.3 for Mac OS X (June 27, 2005)

LaCie Update Tool v1.3.3 is now Mac OS X Tiger (10.4) compatible and adds the latest firmware support for d2 and Design by F.A. Porsche drives with FireWire 400 and 800 and/or USB 2.0 interface.

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Answer 11

Aug 26, 2005 7:11 AM in response to ds store

Awww... man!

The firmware on my LaCie drive already is at v1.0.7 😟

What do you suggest I do? Contact LaCie or AppleCare?

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Answer 12

Aug 26, 2005 8:01 AM in response to Thomas Berglund

An update...

It works great with both the EyeTV 200 and the LaCie drive connected with fw400.

I have tried connecting my EyeTV 200 first, and then my LaCie with fw800 again. I start Disk Utility, and try to verify the LaCie drive. EyeTV loses its signal, and these messages pops up in system.log:

Aug 26 15:58:19 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x4a30f80 done, status e00002d6

Aug 26 15:58:19 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x4a30f80 done, status e00002d6
Aug 26 15:58:20 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x4a30f80 done, status e00002d6
Aug 26 15:58:21 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x4a30f80 done, status e00002d6
Aug 26 15:58:21 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x4a30f80 done, status e00002d6

I disconnect the EyeTV 200, and these messages appear for some seconds, and they stop, and everything is back to normal:

Aug 26 15:58:24 g5powwa kernel[0]: Command for device 0x32b3800 that's gone away

Aug 26 15:58:24 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x4a30f80 done, status e00002d7
Aug 26 15:58:24 g5powwa kernel[0]: Command for device 0x32b3800 that's gone away
Aug 26 15:58:24 g5powwa kernel[0]: Write for 0x4a30f80 done, status e00002d7
Aug 26 15:58:24 g5powwa kernel[0]: Command for device 0x32b3800 that's gone away

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Answer 13

ds store

Level 7

30,705 points

Aug 26, 2005 1:31 PM in response to Thomas Berglund

Hmmm I would suggest giving a copy of the system logs to Elgato, I can't seem to duplicate your problem as I don't have quite the same setup.

I have no problem using my Firewire 800 and EyeTv's.

But my system logs did record a error when I quit EyeTV

Aug 26 15:16:17 mac-g5 kernel[0]: USBF: 7674.845 AppleUSBOHCI[0x5b42800]::DoIOTransfer - error 0xe00002eb queueing request
Aug 26 15:16:18 mac-g5 kernel[0]: USBF: 7675.696 AppleUSBOHCI[0x5b42800]::DoIOTransfer - error 0xe00002eb queueing request
Aug 26 15:20:15 mac-g5 kernel[0]: USBF: 7912.598 AppleUSBOHCI[0x5b42800]::DoIOTransfer - error 0xe00002eb queueing request

And Elgato has been improving their software in the last two versions, my bet is to contact Elgato, they must have a LaCie drive around and can test the problem better.

Good luck. 😀

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Answer 14

Aug 26, 2005 2:10 PM in response to ds store

I have sent them everything I have posted here. I started sending them reports about the problems before I posted them here 🙂

Thank you very much for your input and help, ds_store (lol, funny nickname) 😀

I will report back here again, when the problem is fixed.

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Answer 15

Aug 27, 2005 4:19 AM in response to Thomas Berglund

Elgato has now finally answered...

Thank you for contacting Elgato Systems.

In the past, a few EyeTV 200 users have had problems if FireWire 800 devices (like hard drives) are hooked to their system. This usually appears with G5 towers.

If you hook that drive up using FW 400 or USB 2.0, the problem will probably go away.

We're looking into reasons why this may be happening, and hopefully we can come up with a fix in the future

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