Following the instructions on https://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Bug_Report I tried to report a bug to The Linux-Media Mailing List (LMML) but I wonder how.
This is the bug description:
The Panasonic MN88473 driver that is from the staging directory, according to dmesg, only tunes a few cable frequencies of the very many available here. It may be related to the AGC settings of the device as set by the driver or it maybe by firmware.
The device is for sale on dx.com.
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo lsusb -s 1:4 -v
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 15f4:0131 HanfTek
Device Descriptor:
bLength 18
bDescriptorType 1
bcdUSB 2.00
bDeviceClass 0 (Defined at Interface level)
bDeviceSubClass 0
bDeviceProtocol 0
bMaxPacketSize0 64
idVendor 0x15f4 HanfTek
idProduct 0x0131
bcdDevice 1.00
iManufacturer 1 astrometadvbt2
iProduct 2 dvbt2
iSerial 0
bNumConfigurations 1
Configuration Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 2
wTotalLength 34
bNumInterfaces 2
bConfigurationValue 1
iConfiguration 4 USB2.0-Bulk&Iso
bmAttributes 0x80
(Bus Powered)
MaxPower 500mA
Interface Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 4
bInterfaceNumber 0
bAlternateSetting 0
bNumEndpoints 1
bInterfaceClass 255 Vendor Specific Class
bInterfaceSubClass 255 Vendor Specific Subclass
bInterfaceProtocol 255 Vendor Specific Protocol
iInterface 5 Bulk-In, Interface
Endpoint Descriptor:
bLength 7
bDescriptorType 5
bEndpointAddress 0x81 EP 1 IN
bmAttributes 2
Transfer Type Bulk
Synch Type None
Usage Type Data
wMaxPacketSize 0x0200 1x 512 bytes
bInterval 0
Interface Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 4
bInterfaceNumber 1
bAlternateSetting 0
bNumEndpoints 0
bInterfaceClass 255 Vendor Specific Class
bInterfaceSubClass 255 Vendor Specific Subclass
bInterfaceProtocol 255 Vendor Specific Protocol
iInterface 5 Bulk-In, Interface
Device Qualifier (for other device speed):
bLength 10
bDescriptorType 6
bcdUSB 2.00
bDeviceClass 0 (Defined at Interface level)
bDeviceSubClass 0
bDeviceProtocol 0
bMaxPacketSize0 64
bNumConfigurations 2
Device Status: 0x0000
(Bus Powered)
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ dmesg
[ 1199.457655] usb 1-1.5: new high-speed USB device number 4 using dwc_otg
[ 1199.567817] usb 1-1.5: New USB device found, idVendor=15f4, idProduct=0131
[ 1199.567836] usb 1-1.5: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
[ 1199.567849] usb 1-1.5: Product: dvbt2
[ 1199.567861] usb 1-1.5: Manufacturer: astrometadvbt2
[ 1199.632702] usb 1-1.5: dvb_usb_v2: found a 'Astrometa DVB-T2' in warm state
[ 1199.703205] usb 1-1.5: dvb_usb_v2: will pass the complete MPEG2 transport stream to the software demuxer
[ 1199.703266] DVB: registering new adapter (Astrometa DVB-T2)
[ 1199.721539] i2c i2c-3: Added multiplexed i2c bus 4
[ 1199.721561] rtl2832 3-0010: Realtek RTL2832 successfully attached
[ 1199.736686] mn88473: module is from the staging directory, the quality is unknown, you have been warned.
[ 1199.741719] mn88473 3-0018: Panasonic MN88473 successfully attached
[ 1199.741761] usb 1-1.5: DVB: registering adapter 0 frontend 0 (Realtek RTL2832 (DVB-T))...
[ 1199.742036] usb 1-1.5: DVB: registering adapter 0 frontend 1 (Panasonic MN88473)...
[ 1199.757566] r820t 4-003a: creating new instance
[ 1199.769360] r820t 4-003a: Rafael Micro r820t successfully identified
[ 1199.769388] r820t 4-003a: attaching existing instance
[ 1199.776365] r820t 4-003a: Rafael Micro r820t successfully identified
[ 1199.792918] Registered IR keymap rc-empty
[ 1199.793441] input: Astrometa DVB-T2 as /devices/platform/soc/3f980000.usb/usb1/1-1/1-1.5/rc/rc0/input0
[ 1199.793476] rc0: Astrometa DVB-T2 as /devices/platform/soc/3f980000.usb/usb1/1-1/1-1.5/rc/rc0
[ 1199.799886] IR NEC protocol handler initialized
[ 1199.805689] IR RC6 protocol handler initialized
[ 1199.806842] IR RC5(x/sz) protocol handler initialized
[ 1199.808838] IR JVC protocol handler initialized
[ 1199.813249] IR Sony protocol handler initialized
[ 1199.814851] IR SANYO protocol handler initialized
[ 1199.817045] IR Sharp protocol handler initialized
[ 1199.824079] IR MCE Keyboard/mouse protocol handler initialized
[ 1199.824084] lirc_dev: IR Remote Control driver registered, major 243
[ 1199.826717] input: MCE IR Keyboard/Mouse (dvb_usb_rtl28xxu) as /devices/virtual/input/input1
[ 1199.829071] usb 1-1.5: dvb_usb_v2: schedule remote query interval to 200 msecs
[ 1199.829317] rc rc0: lirc_dev: driver ir-lirc-codec (dvb_usb_rtl28xxu) registered at minor = 0
[ 1199.829331] IR LIRC bridge handler initialized
[ 1199.831187] IR XMP protocol handler initialized
[ 1199.840137] usb 1-1.5: dvb_usb_v2: 'Astrometa DVB-T2' successfully initialized and connected
[ 1199.840545] usbcore: registered new interface driver dvb_usb_rtl28xxu
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ uname -a
Linux raspberrypi 4.4.26-v7+ #915 SMP Thu Oct 20 17:08:44 BST 2016 armv7l GNU/Linux
using the built in kernel drivers and running on a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B.
I start creating the initial_data_v5.conf file:
w_scan -fc -x -c ES -C UTF-8 > ~/initial_v3.conf
dvb-format-convert -I CHANNEL -O DVBV5 ~/initial_v3.conf ~/initial_data_v5.conf
dvbv5-scan -a0 -f1 ~/initial_data_v5.conf
This file contains 23 different frequencies:
FREQUENCY = 434000000 FREQUENCY = 442000000 FREQUENCY = 450000000 FREQUENCY = 458000000 FREQUENCY = 466000000 FREQUENCY = 474000000 FREQUENCY = 482000000 FREQUENCY = 490000000 FREQUENCY = 498000000 FREQUENCY = 506000000 FREQUENCY = 514000000 FREQUENCY = 522000000 FREQUENCY = 530000000 FREQUENCY = 706000000 FREQUENCY = 714000000 FREQUENCY = 754000000 FREQUENCY = 762000000 FREQUENCY = 770000000 FREQUENCY = 778000000 FREQUENCY = 786000000 FREQUENCY = 818000000 FREQUENCY = 826000000 FREQUENCY = 834000000
When I use this initial_data_v5.conf file with dvbv5-scan channels are found on only these frequencies:
FREQUENCY = 434000000 FREQUENCY = 442000000 FREQUENCY = 450000000 FREQUENCY = 458000000 FREQUENCY = 466000000 FREQUENCY = 474000000 FREQUENCY = 482000000 FREQUENCY = 490000000 FREQUENCY = 498000000 FREQUENCY = 506000000 FREQUENCY = 514000000 FREQUENCY = 522000000 FREQUENCY = 530000000
Note that these are the lowest frequencies, most likely the ones with highest signal level which BTW is always reported as 0.00%... I don't see how to work around this issue and it makes the device unusable for me as I need to tune to a channel with a frequency of 818 MHz.
A different and less important bug is that the first few times that w_scan is run is doesn't work. In dmesg appears:
[ 109.542806] mn88473 3-0018: downloading firmware from file 'dvb-demod-mn88473-01.fw' [ 109.855867] mn88473 3-0018: firmware download failed=-32
This is a minor issue as there is a workaround which is to power down and up again and run w_scan a few times until dmesg reports:
[ 570.135982] mn88473 3-0018: downloading firmware from file 'dvb-demod-mn88473-01.fw' [ 570.654308] mn88473 3-0018: firmware parity check succeeded=0x20 [ 596.466012] mn88473 3-0018: firmware already running