Thread: HQCT Driver.

Originally Posted by djwlindenaar

Hi guys,
I'm currently planning(selecting hardware) to build my own mp3/tuner pc using linux, and have settled on the hqct. When i get to the point where i can start testing the tuner, i'll give you some feedback.

In the meantime; hurray for the linux driver development!

Daniel

Horray! I haven't touched the driver in over a month. There are several speed optimizations I can make. Let me know when you start testing my driver. I didn't want to break the working driver until I have more beta testers.

Cheers

I've received some input via email in regards to the HQCT Linux Driver. The majority of the feedback is positive with some negative views.

It seems the biggest question is how to get the driver installed. Please read the README. If you fail to understand it or if it doesn't work then please make a post on this thread so others can benefit. The next biggest problem is that there isn't any fully developed software that uses my driver. Remember, this is just the driver... I did the hard work, I'm waiting for others to integrate the driver into their frontends etc...

I AM actively working on the radio. I haven't touched it in 2 months because I am satisfied with it. If you find a bug, lack of documentation, or have a feature request, then let me know. I should be able to help you in a day or two.

It seems users want at least _some_ method of accessing all the radio features. If you would like a command line program that performs all the operations, then let me know. Something like: "hqctctl --volume 5" "hqctctl --scan up" "hqctctl --freq 85.6" etc... Let me know if you want something like this.

In my experience with Linux in the last 8 years or so, the projects that people *use* are typically the ones that get you 99% of the way there. For better, or for worse.

The writers of Samba didn't just write the server, they also wrote the client apps as well. They leave it up to the distros to figure out how to automount in a sane way.

Same thing here: Writing a driver is an awesome task. Writing client apps to someone else's bare driver would be equally as challenging, if not harder. If the driver writer also includes a sample cli app to utilize the basic functions of the driver in a relatively easy manner, a more casual developer can come along and run with it much further.

I say, if you can, write the cli app to do the very basic things and distribute it along with the driver.

Keep up the excellent work! The community is much stronger because of projects like these.

Originally Posted by Geese

In my experience with Linux in the last 8 years or so, the projects that people *use* are typically the ones that get you 99% of the way there. For better, or for worse.

The writers of Samba didn't just write the server, they also wrote the client apps as well. They leave it up to the distros to figure out how to automount in a sane way.

Same thing here: Writing a driver is an awesome task. Writing client apps to someone else's bare driver would be equally as challenging, if not harder. If the driver writer also includes a sample cli app to utilize the basic functions of the driver in a relatively easy manner, a more casual developer can come along and run with it much further.

I say, if you can, write the cli app to do the very basic things and distribute it along with the driver.

Keep up the excellent work! The community is much stronger because of projects like these.

Ok. I suppose a CLI app is in order. I need to fix a couple of bugs and add RDS support anyways. It is worth noting that the driver comes with an example program. And the api is rather simple. Just 40 get/set functions basically. Also, every function is fully documented in the source. I guess I might as well throw the driver, documentation, and cli on a website.

And finally, i got my hqct in the mail! Just some soldering to get the usb going and then i'll try to test some stuff...

TheLlama, Do you have a new version somewhere? or is the one you posted here up-to-date?

greetz Daniel

Originally Posted by djwlindenaar

And finally, i got my hqct in the mail! Just some soldering to get the usb going and then i'll try to test some stuff...

TheLlama, Do you have a new version somewhere? or is the one you posted here up-to-date?

greetz Daniel

The version on this thread is the current version. I have a testing version that hasn't been released yet. This version will allow certain functions to return sooner than the current release. I also have some possible security bugs that could allow people to inject code with a particular hqct_set_XXX() function. This isn't an issue for a Carputer, but is still something I need to fix.

RDS Support should be out before the end of the year. I'm graduating next month and will finally have time to finish this project. You will be my first betatester (besides some guy I never heard back from).

Originally Posted by intuitionsys

When you have the website up let me know and I'll try to code the HQCT control into Silverwolf blind and I can submit the updates on the regular Silverwolf 2 website (when it's back up - hopefully by tomorrow ) for owners of the real hardware. You can use my server to put up your site if you want. Lemme know...

Sounds good. I don't know if you've looked at the api, but it is just a bunch of hqct_set() hqct_get() and hqct_tune() functions.

I'd be interested in this test version. Besides testing, i'd like to contribute to the driver, if you'd like me to.

I just tested the posted version and it works like a charm... There's quite a bit to implement, but i'm happy to hear that you're working in that.

(besides some guy I never heard back from)

well you did hear back from me, didn't you? and even before i actually started testing... :-p

Originally Posted by djwlindenaar

I'd be interested in this test version. Besides testing, i'd like to contribute to the driver, if you'd like me to.

I just tested the posted version and it works like a charm... There's quite a bit to implement, but i'm happy to hear that you're working in that.



well you did hear back from me, didn't you? and even before i actually started testing... :-p

Yeah, I need to add alot of get/set function for the philips chip. You can set these manually by writing the data out (there are two TEF functions to do this). I will add get/set functions for manipulating this in a more user-friendly way.

The only _real_ work to be done is implementing the RDS feature. This shouldn't be too bad. You can start adding TEF functions if you want. Essentially, you set the values with bitmasking.