USB-UIRT Forum

i'm using my UIRT to communicate with girder. when the plugin is enabled in girder, i get noise in the audio when playing movies (avis) through zoom player and WMP. disabling the plugin cures the problem. the CPU is not pegged (stays around 60%). the problem occurs when girder is idle (no buttons being pressed).

i've got girder plugin version 2.6.9, api driver 2.6.92 and firmware 5.9

i've tried lowering the session priority of girder and raising the priority of my player, but that didn't help.

can anyone offer advice to correct this?

Can you tell us,

What sound card does your system have?

Also, how is that connected to speakers (analog, SP-Dif, etc.).

Thanks,

Jon

i've got a turtle beach catalina outputting via SPDIF. The pops occur if i listen to analog sound, though, as well...

the catalina is essentially an Envy24 card/chipset.

Hmmm, strange. There are two things that come to mind:

1. Could be a power interference issue. The way to test this is to move the USB-UIRT to a *powered* USB hub (switched to externally-powered mode). This would move the USB-UIRT to a separate power supply.

2. Could be an PC interrupt issue. This would be dependent on the USB chipset driver for your PC's USB port and the USB bios on your PC as well.

-Jon

doesn't the plugin essentially sit there and wait when there's no communication from the USB-UIRT? i get noise even when the UIRTs not receiving... not just when there's communication going on. my understanding is that the uirt isn't polled...

That is correct. HOWEVER, USB protocol by nature means that there is still USB low-level activity (usually handled by the USB Host chip in the PC and the USB Host chipset driver). Any active USB device will be actively polled per USB protocol at approximately a 10mS rate. That is because USB devices cannot 'interrupt' a PC when they need attention, but must rather be polled by the USB low-level protocol.


-Jon

ok. i've tried a powered usb hub (yes - set to self-powered).

the sound card is on its own IRQ.

i've confirmed that i'm at latest drivers for the sound card and the latest mobo bios.

i've also determined that it's an audio-specific issue - if i play MP3s i get the same clicking and popping (but only when the usb-uirt driver is enabled in girder).

strange. and frustrating.

Please post me the version of FTD2XX.sys file (go to Windows\System32\Drivers in File Explorer and right-click on this file and report back the version #).

Thanks,

Jon

i've got version 1.6.3.1

Well,

I searched my past support archives and found another user with an issue similar to yours (crackle on a Soundblaster card). He eventually found a posting by Microsoft about an issue with Highpoint controllers and audio pop/crackle and in his case he had one of these controllers. After changing the controller the problem went away. Interestingly, though, he didn't see the audio problem until he began using a USB-UIRT...

-Jon

Hi Jon -
Like ih8gates I'm having an audio problem that ties back to Girder and the USB-UIRT plugin. I found ih8gates' post over on the girder forum and followed it to your forum where I found that his problem was like mine, and the solution was the same: unload the USB-UIRT plugin in Girder and my audio worked fine.

The slight difference with my problem is that the audio doesn't crackle, it's just not there. If I hit pause, play, pause, play a number of times eventually the audio will begin playing.

I have a Chaintech 710 card (Envy 24 chipset as well). I'm running SPDIF out of the card.

I'm absolutely reliant on girder and the usb-uirt for my setup. Both programs have been a life-saver and the idea of having to give up either would be terrible.

Any thoughts? Any further info I can provide that might help?

Thanks,

Pat

Posting a second time as I wasn't logged in the first time. Sorry about that.

Hi Jon -
Like ih8gates I'm having an audio problem that ties back to Girder and the USB-UIRT plugin. I found ih8gates' post over on the girder forum and followed it to your forum where I found that his problem was like mine, and the solution was the same: unload the USB-UIRT plugin in Girder and my audio worked fine.

The slight difference with my problem is that the audio doesn't crackle, it's just not there. If I hit pause, play, pause, play a number of times eventually the audio will begin playing.

I have a Chaintech 710 card (Envy 24 chipset as well). I'm running SPDIF out of the card.

I'm absolutely reliant on girder and the usb-uirt for my setup. Both programs have been a life-saver and the idea of having to give up either would be terrible.

Any thoughts? Any further info I can provide that might help?

Thanks,

Pat

very interesting...

Very interesting indeed!

I would suggest trying the same -- try isolating the USB-UIRT from the PC's power supply by putting it on a powered USB hub (switched to externally-powered mode).

-Jon