1 Topic by Faktotum (edited by Faktotum 2024-11-23 15:20:34)

  • Registered: 2024-11-23
  • Posts: 6

Topic: RME HDSP AES32 freezes Windows 10

Hello everyone,
since I did not find much with regard to "my problem", I try to find advice using this forum. My apologies....  I own a smalll audio studio with an AES-mixer and a HP Elitedesk 800 G2 Twr Intel i5 16GB RAM with Windows 10 Professional intended for sound processing. The system is equipped with a RME HDSP AES32 card.
The card has the print-on RME HDSPe AES Z  Rev.1.0 (assumingly built 2008) and is driven by (the latest?) Windows driver V.4.4.9.0 dated 18.10.2024. It has the hardware revision 240 according to the RME-Flashing tool.
Unfortunately, I have to report about a strange and annoying behaviour: Without the RME card the system "runs" without issues for several days. With RME Card attached, the PC freezes sometimes after some minutes, sometimes after some hours. I couldn't find a reproducible approach to trigger the freezing.
Freezing means: Suddenly a high tone is on the busses and the loudspeakers and the PC just performs as if it is in slow motion. The Task Manager says that the CPU is 100% loaded. The Windows reliability monitor and the program hwmonitor didn't get me any further in the direction of an idea. Nor is it possible to close the programs neither to shut the PC down. Finally, it is only possible to cut the power ('forced shutdown'...). .
- Is there any advice, what I can try to fix that?
- Is there any other setting with regard to the card (jumpers, connections etc.) which I could have forgotten? I already switched of all power saving functions of the PC, also the advanced power saving function (e.g. with reference to the PCI-bus). No difference.
- Is there any tool to test the function and integrity of the RME card?
- Would Windows 11 make any difference?
Questions over questions.... Advice is highly appreciated.
Thanks and best regards

------- Auch in Deutsch: -------------
Hallo,
da ich im Hinblick auf "mein Problem" in diesem Forum keine treffende Lösung finden konnte, versuche ich, mit einem neuen Thread Ratschläge zu finden. Entschuldigung....  Ich besitze ein kleines Audiostudio mit einem AES-Mixer und einem HP Elitedesk 800 G2 Twr Intel i5 16GB RAM mit Windows 10 Professional für die Tonbearbeitung. Das System ist mit einer RME HDSP AES32 Karte ausgestattet.
Die Karte verfügt über den Aufdruck "RME HDSPe AES Z (...) Rev.1.0" (vermutlich Baujahr 2008 lt. Aufdruck an der Seite) und wird von (dem neuesten?) Windows-Treiber V.4.4.9.0 vom 18.10.2024 betrieben.  Sie hat die Hardware-Revision 240 gemäß Aussage des RME-Flashing-Tools.
Leider muss ich über ein merkwürdiges und ärgerliches Verhalten berichten: Ohne die RME-Karte läuft das System mehrere Tage lang ohne Probleme. Mit angeschlossener RME-Karte friert der PC manchmal nach einigen Minuten, manchmal jedoch erst nach einigen Stunden ein. Ich konnte keinen reproduzierbaren Ansatz finden, um das Einfrieren zu triggern.
Einfrieren bedeutet: Plötzlich ertönt ein hoher Ton auf den Bussen und den Lautsprechern und der PC agiert nur noch in  Zeitlupe. Der Task Manager sagt aus, dass die CPU zu 100% belastet ist. Der Windows Zuverlässigkeitsmonitor und das Programm hwmonitor haben mich in Richtung einer Idee auch nicht weiter gebracht. Es ist auch nicht möglich, die Programme zu schließen oder den PC herunterzufahren. Schließlich ist es nur noch möglich, die Stromversorgung zu unterbrechen ("hard kill"...).
- Gibt es einen Rat, was ich versuchen kann, um das Problem zu beheben oder der Lösung näher zu kommen?
- Gibt es noch andere Einstellungen bezüglich der Karte (Jumper, Anschlüsse etc.), die ich vergessen haben könnte? Ich habe bereits alle Energiesparfunktionen des PCs abgeschaltet, auch innerhalb der "Erweiterten Energiesparfunktionen" (z.B. mit Bezug auf den PCI-Bus). Kein Unterschied.
- Gibt es ein Tool, um die Funktion und Integrität der RME-Karte zu testen?
- Würde Windows 11 einen Unterschied machen?
Fragen über Fragen... Ratschläge werden dankbar entgegen genommen.
Danke und viele Grüße

  • vinark
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Re: RME HDSP AES32 freezes Windows 10

Do you have other PCIe slots free, may also be X4 X8 or X16 (bigger PCIe slots.

Vincent, Amsterdam
https://soundcloud.com/thesecretworld
BFpro fs, 2X HDSP9652 ADI-8AE, 2X HDSP9632

3 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • Registered: 2007-04-06
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Re: RME HDSP AES32 freezes Windows 10

Take out the card, clean its golden PCI contacs carefully with a rubber eraser, put it back in, check.

The effect is blocked interrupts from the card, with the driver stalling in the same buffer, and the audio software continuing to play that. Win 11 won't change that.

Your post misses a crucial information - did that ever work before or is this a new setup with the HDSP AES? If new then the motherboard might have a flaky PCI slot...and also only one...

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2024-11-23
  • Posts: 6

Re: RME HDSP AES32 freezes Windows 10

Dear @Vincent, dear @Matthias,

thanks a lot for your replies. My answer took a while, sorry. Indeed, changing the PCI-slot did not work. I tried in the neighbour x1 and x16 slots, but the card wasn't found there (did not appear in the device manager at all).
Probably, there is something wrong with the slots and/or the machine. I changed back to the slot before - with the same issue/problem.
To answer Matthias' question: It was a new setup (in a refurbished 'old' machine). Since I used the Digi32 card before, which does not work in new hardware, I bought a used AES 32. So, I even cannot tell whether that card worked before. But as I mentioned, it works - but only for minutes or (best case) hours and freezes the system then.
In a few days I am going to receive a used Lenovo ThinkCentre M920t 10SG i5-9500 16GB (DDR4) 480GB (SSD) with Windows 11. It is a little more powerful than the one before, so there will be some additional ressources. I will try to install the card there and report afterwards.
Is there anything to be advised about when (respectively before) installing the card?
I assume the 449 driver (Oct 2024) is valid for Win 11 installations as well?

Many thanks again and some delightful Pre-Christmas days to all of you...

Regards, Faktotum

5 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: RME HDSP AES32 freezes Windows 10

Just install with latest driver. Will be interesting to see if it fails again - then the card is toast.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2024-11-23
  • Posts: 6

Re: RME HDSP AES32 freezes Windows 10

Dear Matthias,

thanks. Today I cleaned the card's PCI-contacts as suggested (rubber and isopropanole) and reinserted it to the second x1-Slot.  Unfortunately, the same issue (first freeze after 16 minutes, second after 34 minutes, the third after 12 etc.). By the way, I already mentioned, that in the event when freeezing, a high tone occurs (approx. 4 - 4,5 kHz) on the outputs. This tone is always the same height. Isn't that an argument against the interrupt issue? Shouldn't be a random tone height there?
What do you mean with "is toast"? Is there a way to find out whether there is a hardware malfunction or defect? I also tried to find out whether there is a problem with the capacitors or a thermal issue. I can let run the system for two days (of course without any Mairlist , audio etc.) without problems. When starting Mairlist and playing, I have the same issue after a couple of minutes again.
Very disappointing.
By the way: According to the RME-Support page, driver_hdsp_win_449.zip is the latest driver. (see below). Certainly, I use that driver. Or did I miss the latest version somewhere accidentally?

Best wishes
Faktotum


Attchm:
WDM/ASIO driver for HDSP/HDSPe cards/systems
2024-10-17
driver_hdsp_win_449.zip

WDM, WDM-KS and ASIO. Version 4.49. Windows XP SP3 / 8/10/11, not Windows 7. Supports all HDSP and HDSPe cards/systems except HDSPe MADI FX.
Unterstütze Produkte
Digiface, HDSP 9632, HDSP 9652, HDSP AES 32 PCI, HDSP MADI, HDSPe AES, HDSPe AIO, HDSPe AIO Pro, HDSPe MADI, HDSPe RayDAT, MADIface, Multiface, RPM

7 Reply by Faktotum (edited by Faktotum 2024-12-16 17:49:31)

  • Registered: 2024-11-23
  • Posts: 6

Re: RME HDSP AES32 freezes Windows 10

Hi,

just some strange news: When looking for the root of trouble, some strange ideas arise. :-)
After the latest efforts where unsuccessful, I just clapped with the hand on the computer when playing/ being "on air" (just have a look on the short video: https://imgur.com/a/rI6MlBS ). The audio just got into a loop and the computer froze!!
Of course: There are SSD working in the computer, no mechanical parts!
Next step: I changed playback to the internal Realtek ALC221 chip: the same issue! Audio directly went into a loop (ref. video).
Isn't that a proof against a hardware defect of the RME AES 32??

Regards
Faktotum

P.S. As I mentioned, I will have the chance to compare with a different, more powerful computer. I am curious about the results.

  • vinark
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Re: RME HDSP AES32 freezes Windows 10

Yes absolutely another than rme hardware issue! A different computer should surely fix this.
Sounds like a motherboard fault, but it could be lots of things.
Hope the new PC fixes this.

Vincent, Amsterdam
https://soundcloud.com/thesecretworld
BFpro fs, 2X HDSP9652 ADI-8AE, 2X HDSP9632
  • Registered: 2024-11-23
  • Posts: 6

Re: RME HDSP AES32 freezes Windows 10

Hi @vinark,

today I installed all components on the mentioned Lenovo PC. For some hours (exactly 5,5 hours) I was a really lucky guy since I thought the issues was gone forever.
Unfortunatele, exactly at 17:31h the (new) system, now delivered with Win11 crahed again. Also on the new installatione (new hardware) exactly the same audio tone (4,5 kHz) occured when freezing.  What a mess!
Now it seems obvious to me that most probably the RME AES 32 PCI is trashy.  :-(

Regards

10 Reply by vinark (edited by vinark 2024-12-16 18:53:17)

  • vinark
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Re: RME HDSP AES32 freezes Windows 10

I had a hdsp9632 with strange issues and it took a lot of cleaning with an eraser to get it to work again reliably. But working for years again now.
Went from craching and not recognised at all to not installing to fully functional after a lot of cleaning.
Yours is easier cause PCI is much more contacts then PCIe. Working for 5 hours does not seem fully defective. But I might be wrong.

Vincent, Amsterdam
https://soundcloud.com/thesecretworld
BFpro fs, 2X HDSP9652 ADI-8AE, 2X HDSP9632
  • From: Western Washington USA
  • Registered: 2007-09-28
  • Posts: 10

Re: RME HDSP AES32 freezes Windows 10

FWIW I have a RME HDSP AES-32 in a Windows 10 PC. After a few years of working fine I was having freezing/crashing issues that got more frequent as time went on, to the point where sometimes the PC wouldn't even boot up. I'd open it up and vacuum it out (because it would get really dusty from the bedroom it's in) and after vacuuming it worked great again for a while but they time between needing to vacuum kept getting shorter. I even reseated the cards one or twice.

Eventually what seemed to resolve the issue (it's been fine for a couple years now) is that I pulled out all of the cards AND all the RAM chips and cleaned/treated the contacts with CAIG Laboratories DeoxIT ProGold (now renamed to DeoxIT Gold G-Series), which is a "conditioning solution that improves conductivity and provides long-lasting protection on gold, base metals and other precious metal contacts and connections".

My theory is that while vacuuming I was bumping the cards with the vacuum hose which was maybe just barely improving the connection well enough to work temporarily? And while reseating the cards is good and cleaning the card edges with with an eraser and/or alcohol is even better, I think using something like the DeoxIT solution is best because it may help keep out air and moisture so that the contacts can't become oxidized etc.?  (and no, I don't work for CAIG ;-)

Best of luck!

* Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H|Xeon E3-1241v3B|32GB RAM|AMD R9 390X 8GB GPU|RME AES32|Win 10 Pro 64 bit|

JohnLRice's Website

12 Reply by Faktotum (edited by Faktotum 2024-12-29 21:36:26)

  • Registered: 2024-11-23
  • Posts: 6

Re: RME HDSP AES32 freezes Windows 10

Hi all, hallo @vinark and @JohnLRice,
thanks a lot for your valuable replies and remarks.
As mentioned, cleaning did not help any further with both PCs. Luckily, I had the chance to purchase a second AES 32 PCI just some days before Christmas. I exchanged both cards and - what to say - the issue is GONE since then. The systems is online for five day now without any problems occuring.
As a consequence, I assume, that something is wrong with the other card. I do not have the instruments to examine what is wrong. Therefore, I put it fore sale on the internet. Probably someone has a chance to use it in a different setting (Linux, WinXP or whatsoever..).
Again, many thanks and all the best for the New Year to all of you.
This thread can be closed...

All the best and regards
Faktotum