Status of VIA Envy24 audio controller

[Laurent Courty]

Le mardi 18 juillet 2006 16:32, Laurent C. a écrit :
> 2006/7/18, Konstantin Dimitrov :
>
> i use Envy24PT (VT1720) datasheet to add Envy24HT-S (VT1721) support, so
> i'm
>
> > expecting Envy24MT(VT1720T) also to be very similar (in term of
> > registers) to Envy24PT (VT1720), my only concern is that VT1720T has
> > different chip package than VT1720, so maybe different pin assignment,
> > maybe the pins are also identical, but without datasheet, nothing can be
> > 100% sure, so i can be almost sure that VT1720T is almost identical to
> > VT1720.
>
> I've just sent a datasheet request to VIA.
>
>
> if VT1720T and VT1720 have identical pin assignment the only thing you need
>
> > to do is to find the wiring between the VT1720T and WM8716 chip using
> > ohmmeter (to be more specific the wiring between 3 control pins of WM8716
> > and some of the 16 GPIO pins of Envy24 chip, so no more than 3*16=48
> > checks are required).
> >
> > I don't understand exactly what do you call "reference design", but the
> >
> > > Chaintech and Onkyo board doesn't look very similar to me.
> >
> > i'm using "reference design" for all cards that use one of the designs
> > listed here:
> >
> >
> >
> > http://xkodi.svobodno.com/envy24/envy24_ref_e2proms/envy24_ref_e2proms.ht
> >ml
> >
> > all boards with reference design use the same VIA reference driver under
> > Windows. the driver "speaks" only with Envy24 chip and with audio codec
> > chip ( via Envy24 chip ) and doesn't care about other components on the
> > board like resistors, capacitators, etc. so they may look very different,
> > but all boards, for example, like Chaintech AV710 (number 7 in the list),
> > that use Envy24 + WM8728, have the same wiring between Envy24 and WM8728,
> > because VIA reference driver needs to know that wiring to be able to work
> > with them. Same apply for FreeBSD driver, so when we know wiring for
> > reference design number 7 (AV710) all cards that use that design, for
> > example, like OOAOO SQ710II will run with the same driver code.
> >
> > Chaintech and Onkyo board are with different reference design - Chaintech
> > board is number 7 in the list and Onkyo board is number 5 and that is why
> > the wiring of SE-90 is unknown, i know only wiring for reference design
> > number 7 (AV710) and for some non-reference boards like Terratec Aureon
> > Space, but Chaintech and Onkyo board use almost identical Envy24 chips,
> > so almost no additional Envy24 related code will be required, only code
> > for the new audio codec (WM8716) and the new wiring (between the Envy24
> > chip and WM8716), which should be easy.
>
> Thanks, I understand better now.
>
>
> For now, I do not have a SE-90. I will not spend 110€ in an audio card if
>
> > > there aren't good chance for it to be supported by my OS of choice.
> > > On the other hand, if you tell me that this card could to be supported
> > > "for
> > > almost sure", I could buy it.
> >
> > to summarize:
> > it is almost sure that VT1720T is almost identical to VT1720 and if so,
> > the only needed thing is the wiring between VT1720T and WM8716 used on
> > SE-90 board, but i say "almost", so there is always chance that VT1720T
> > has different pin assignment ...
> >
> > SE-90 is very expensive, it is your decision ...
>
> Thanks, let see the VIA's answer.

Hi list,

I haven't received any answer to my "web page" request. But at the beginning 
of October, a quote from Theo De Raadt give me some motivation. So I sent an 
email to two VIA people.
I've got an answer last Monday : "The datasheet is only available under 
signing NDA with VIA."
From my point of view, signing a NDA is not in the "FLOSS way". And most 
important, what can I, as a simple user, do with a datasheet which I can't 
give to the developper ?
If some one have an idea, I'll be grateful.
I should have my SE90 in a few days.

Laurent