Topic: Apple/Fireface problem: Chipset identification on Mac Computers

FireWire connection problems with Apple computers:

1. TI chipsets (older iMacs, Macbook, Macbook Pro): no problems

2. LSI PCIe chipsets (newer and current iMacs, Macbook, Macbook Pro):

- FW643 (FW800, PCI ID 5901) and FW533 (FW400, PCI ID 5903) Revision 6: connection problems, stop after playback starts - solved with a FW repeater (e. g. Lindy cable, external Lacie FW HD)

- FW643 (FW800, PCI ID 5901) and FW533 (FW400, PCI ID 5903) Revision 7: no problems

Revision 7 Chipsets are also identified as: FW643E and FW533E.

The included chipset can be identified (partially) while pressing CMD + S during the boot signal ("Firewire (OHCI) Lucent ID 5901 built-in now active, ...") or via the console (see below).

best regards
Knut

Re: Apple/Fireface problem: Chipset identification on Mac Computers

Hi,

Finder / Go / Utilities /
open Console.app
under LOG DATABASE QUERIES left column
select "All Messages"
do a search in Filter on 'firewire'

on my MBP (early 2008) it shows
2009-03-28 10.07.12 kernel FireWire (OHCI) TI ID 8025 built-in now active,
GUID 002332fffe066f0a; max speed s800.

so not necessary to reboot to find firewire chipset but works too :-)

regards S-EH

Re: Apple/Fireface problem: Chipset identification on Mac Computers

Here's how to identify the revision of the LSI/Agere chipset:

In Terminal type:  ioreg -lxw0
(lower case "L" and digit Zero)

find in FRWR:


FRWR@0  <class IOPCIDevice, id 0x1000001d8, registered, matched, active, busy 0 (695 ms), retain 9>
    | |   |     | {
    | |   |     |   "assigned-addresses" = <1000048200000000000010d30000000000100000>
    | |   |     |   "IOInterruptSpecifiers" = (<1300000007000000>,<1900000000000100>)
    | |   |     |   "fwswappedbib" = <01000000>
    | |   |     |   "class-code" = <10000c00>
    | |   |     |   "IODeviceMemory" = (({"address"=0xffffffffd3100000,"length"=0x1000}))
    | |   |     |   "fwtune" = <00000008e3e3040000000808e3e3144100004008200b40bf0000700810000000>
    | |   |     |   "pci-aspm-supported" = Yes
    | |   |     |   "IOPowerManagement" = {"ChildrenPowerState"=0x2,"CurrentPowerState"=0x2}
    | |   |     |   "subsystem-vendor-id" = <c1110000>
    | |   |     |   "built-in" = <00>
    | |   |     |   "acpi-device" = "IOACPIPlatformDevice is not serializable"
    | |   |     |   "IOPCIMSIMode" = Yes
    | |   |     |   "IOInterruptControllers" = ("io-apic-0","IOPCIMessagedInterruptController")
    | |   |     |   "name" = "pci11c1,5901"
    | |   |     |   "IOChildIndex" = 0x1
    | |   |     |   "device-id" = <01590000>
    | |   |     |   "vendor-id" = <c1110000>
    | |   |     |   "IOPCIExpressASPMDefault" = 0x0
    | |   |     |   "fws0" = <01000000>
    | |   |     |   "compatible" = <706369313163312c3539303000706369313163312c3539303100706369636c6173732c30633030313000>
    | |   |     |   "acpi-pmcap-offset" = 0x44
    | |   |     |   "IOPCIExpressLinkCapabilities" = 0x73c11
    | |   |     |   "IOPCIResourced" = Yes
    | |   |     |   "acpi-path" = "IOACPIPlane:/_SB/PCI0@0/RP05@160000/FRWR@0"
    | |   |     |   "subsystem-id" = <00590000>
    | |   |     |   "revision-id" = <07000000>
    | |   |     |   "IOPCIExpressLinkStatus" = 0x1011
    | |   |     |   "IOName" = "pci11c1,5901"
    | |   |     |   "fwports" = <01000000>
    | |   |     |   "reg" = <0000040000000000000000000000000000000000100004020000000000000000000000


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME