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Post by mickmagnus on Sept 26, 2019 13:43:38 GMT -5
I replaced USB controller chip and the unit is now fully functional via USB. No re-flashing was necessary. Hopefully this thread will help someone else in the future.
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Post by creimes on Sept 26, 2019 14:13:11 GMT -5
I replaced USB controller chip and the unit is now fully functional via USB. No re-flashing was necessary. Hopefully this thread will help someone else in the future. Great news, so glad it worked out. Chad |
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Post by Percussionista on Feb 23, 2020 11:46:51 GMT -5
I have Windows 10 1909, not 1809, and I've noticed in recent weeks that my DC-1 is not always included in the list of output devices. It might go for a few days then I have to "fiddle" to get it back. What works most of the time is pulling the USB cable from the computer, wait a little bit, and put it back. But sometimes even that doesn't work. Rebooting usually doesn't help, except for rebooting followed by pulling the USB cable and putting it back.
This OS was installed on 8/29/2019, and the driver is listed as "USB2.0 High-Speed True HD Audio", also installed on 8/29/2019, and claims to be a Microsoft driver. Looking further at the "advanced" info, it will allow a sample rate/bit depth as high as 32 bits and 192khz. Originally I did have the Emo driver installed but it looks like this one has taken over.
In the device manager there are four entries for this driver back on 8/29/2019, the first three seem normal, the last one however, although listed as "Information", says "Device USB\blahblahblah requires further installation." Curious. I checked the Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller events in the log and it says the same thing about needing further installation.
The monitor is actually a 4K TV, so the PC runs an HDMI cable to the TV. I could use the optical audio out from the TV into the DC-1, which I have connected, and that works, including for OTA broadcasts to the TV. Still, I am wondering what is happening with the USB into the DC-1.
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KeithL
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Post by KeithL on Feb 24, 2020 11:16:16 GMT -5
I just want to throw a few bits of general advice out there....
1)
If the USB input on the DC-1 dies it will almost always die completely... so, if it is recognized sometimes, then that's probably not what's happening...
2) With any recent versions of Windows 10, which include the Windows UAC2 driver, you want to be using the Windows driver, and NOT the old Emotiva driver.
You will probably not even be able to install the old Emo driver and, if you do, it may not work.
(It's even possible that updating a computer that had the old Emo driver installed on it may kill the driver... )
I would STRONGLY recommend removing the driver and allowing Windows to reinstall the one it wants to...
Go into Device Manager, WITH THE DAC CONNECTED, and REMOVE the driver...
Disconnect the DAC (physically unplug it). Reboot the computer. Plug the DAC back in. Windows should install the driver it wants.
3) Issues where the USB port works intermittently are usually due to a USB cable. The DC-1 is quite fussy about USB cables... It will often not work with cables over two meters in length (although I've had good luck with Amazon Basics three meter cables)....
It will sometimes just not work with certain cables.... It will often not work with any sort of hub between it and the computer.... (I wouldn't bet that it will work with any specific USB re-clocker either.)
So, if in doubt, try it with a good quality one meter cable and see if that fixes it....
4) There are known issues with some computer hardware with hibernation... For example, with some Mac Minis, it will work just fine, but will not be recognized after the computer wakes up from hibernation...
5) The C-Media chip is a very popular USB interface chip which is used by many devices... Unfortunately, the drivers are configured differently, and may conflict with each other... This is especially true if you have installed the C-Media driver instead of using the built-in Windows driver. (When you install the C-Media driver, it will ask you to connect the device, and set itself for that particular device, at which point it may not work with others).
(For example, there were known conflicts if you installed the same old C-Media driver for the DC-1, and for the USB input on the XMC-1.)
I have Windows 10 1909, not 1809, and I've noticed in recent weeks that my DC-1 is not always included in the list of output devices. It might go for a few days then I have to "fiddle" to get it back. What works most of the time is pulling the USB cable from the computer, wait a little bit, and put it back. But sometimes even that doesn't work. Rebooting usually doesn't help, except for rebooting followed by pulling the USB cable and putting it back. This OS was installed on 8/29/2019, and the driver is listed as "USB2.0 High-Speed True HD Audio", also installed on 8/29/2019, and claims to be a Microsoft driver. Looking further at the "advanced" info, it will allow a sample rate/bit depth as high as 32 bits and 192khz. Originally I did have the Emo driver installed but it looks like this one has taken over. In the device manager there are four entries for this driver back on 8/29/2019, the first three seem normal, the last one however, although listed as "Information", says "Device USB\blahblahblah requires further installation." Curious. I checked the Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller events in the log and it says the same thing about needing further installation. The monitor is actually a 4K TV, so the PC runs an HDMI cable to the TV. I could use the optical audio out from the TV into the DC-1, which I have connected, and that works, including for OTA broadcasts to the TV. Still, I am wondering what is happening with the USB into the DC-1.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2020 11:44:33 GMT -5
Regarding Keith's point (3) about USB cable length, I've been using a Bluerigger 32-foot USB powered extension cable for 5 years to connect a DC-1 at one end of my converted garage mancave to a laptop at the other end, 28 feet away. No problems so far. I can't say there are no performance limitations since I don't track that, but with the Emo driver and Windows 7, it works great and sounds great.
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Post by Percussionista on Feb 24, 2020 12:23:47 GMT -5
It appears it is using the Windows driver, but must have done it automatically during one of the Windows updates. However, I can of course follow your instructions to remove it, and have Windows put back what it wants just in case. I don't know if the old driver could still be out there somewhere or how to find it and remove it, just in case. I'm probably not going to be able to do this, though I can certainly try a new USB cable. The distance with the desk low is for sure more than 1 meter, and when high I'd have to measure if still possible within 2 meters. (It's a sit-stand desk). Hmmm... well, I do often put the PC to sleep rather than shutdown and reboot, but this doesn't necessarily cause the problem. However, I've tried rebooting to solve the problem and it doesn't (necessarily) work either. I still have to pull the cable and put it back. Perhaps my best triage at this point is to try a different cable, or maybe a different USB port on the computer (or both). |
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KeithL
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Post by KeithL on Feb 24, 2020 12:44:54 GMT -5
Annoyingly, with USB, unplugging the USB cable is recognized as a different event than switching off the connected device, so some computers respond differently to it.
(And physically disconnecting the cable seems to be more reliably recognized.)
Drivers can get downright odd... And, from what I've heard, the internal Windows drivers aren't always perfect either... (But our old drivers may not work at all, or may conflict, and will never be preferred.)
The driver may not be identified as "DC-1" in Device Manager... The easiest way to confirm you have the right one is to unplug the DC-1 while watching Device Manager....
You'll actually see the proper device disappear and reappear again in the list when you disconnect and reconnect it. (You can only see the driver in Device Manager when the device is connected.)
Just right click on that device and "remove driver".
You don't have to physically remove the driver... that doesn't matter.
Just reboot the computer, with the DC-1 DISCONNECTED, to make sure it re-initializes without any driver.
Then, when you reattach the DC-1 afterwards, Windows should load the "best" or "proper" driver.
The DC-1 is extremely fussy about cables... and it just doesn't like some for no apparent reason...
Also, yes, sometimes certain USB ports work better than others. Often, if you have USB ports on both the front and rear of a desktop PC, one or the other run through an internal hub, and one or the other may work better. We've also seen cable issues where the speed negotiations were flaky.... so sometimes the DC-1 would only show up as supporting "48k" and other times as its (proper) 192k.
It appears it is using the Windows driver, but must have done it automatically during one of the Windows updates. However, I can of course follow your instructions to remove it, and have Windows put back what it wants just in case. I don't know if the old driver could still be out there somewhere or how to find it and remove it, just in case. I'm probably not going to be able to do this, though I can certainly try a new USB cable. The distance with the desk low is for sure more than 1 meter, and when high I'd have to measure if still possible within 2 meters. (It's a sit-stand desk). Hmmm... well, I do often put the PC to sleep rather than shutdown and reboot, but this doesn't necessarily cause the problem. However, I've tried rebooting to solve the problem and it doesn't (necessarily) work either. I still have to pull the cable and put it back. Perhaps my best triage at this point is to try a different cable, or maybe a different USB port on the computer (or both). |
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KeithL
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Post by KeithL on Feb 24, 2020 12:49:27 GMT -5
That's good to know... and the BlueRigger cable seems to be quite economical.
Powered cables are a whole different animal... and should work up to almost any length. However, we haven't tested any of them here, so YMMV. You still NEED the Emo drivers with Windows 7 and they work well with it...
With Windows 8 you would need drivers...
With Windows 10 the break point is the "Creators' Editions"... although most machines have been updated past that point by now. (Any computer with Windows 10 that has "Paint 3D" instead of "Paint" should be new enough to have the built-in UAC2 drivers.)
Regarding Keith's point (3) about USB cable length, I've been using a Bluerigger 32-foot USB powered extension cable for 5 years to connect a DC-1 at one end of my converted garage mancave to a laptop at the other end, 28 feet away. No problems so far. I can't say there are no performance limitations since I don't track that, but with the Emo driver and Windows 7, it works great and sounds great. |
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Post by mickmagnus on Mar 3, 2020 21:09:04 GMT -5
Update to this, I replaced the usb chip last year, September 2019, and it has failed again. Very disappointing. Must be something wrong with it causing it take out the usb chip.
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Post by garbulky on Mar 4, 2020 16:49:25 GMT -5
Update to this, I replaced the usb chip last year, September 2019, and it has failed again. Very disappointing. Must be something wrong with it causing it take out the usb chip. That is quite sad. Something you can do is use a USB to optical/coax converter. That way you can use the other digital outputs for your usb connection. They are quite cheap. Here is a cheap example ($20) www.amazon.com/Signstek-Coaxial-Converter-Convert-Analogue/dp/B00FEDHHKE/If you want a more expensive one (over $100) that would be a used Schiit Eitr or you could email them and see if they have any old stock. |
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Post by mickmagnus on Mar 4, 2020 18:50:59 GMT -5
I suspected that maybe the memory chip beside the USB chip was to blame. Luckily I ordered it when I bought the USB chip back in September. I replace the memory chip and flashed with the firmware provided here and it is functioning once again!
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