1 Topic by bleeder (edited by bleeder 2008-03-16 05:37:06)

  • Registered: 2007-05-10
  • Posts: 29

Topic: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

I've set up this new laptop and just testing with audio in foobar2000 and other apps. Works pretty good, but for some reason the system hangs after some random amount of playing.

-Using the SIIG FW800 expresscard, with default windows drivers (unibrain didn't work).

-Windows XP SP2 with updates and some tweaks from tested nLite build. Pretty minimal, but stable.

-Processor sched on Background services

-set power scheme to Max Performance. Maybe I should try disabling speed/throttling in BIOS?

-installed a couple thinkpad utilities; power manager, hard drive active protection system

-installed AntiVir antivirus and very light Kerio personal firewall 2.1.5

-video driver is default forceware 156.85, using Quadro FX 570M

Any ideas?

I also noticed in device manager that the PCMCIA adapter is Ricoh R/RL/5C476(II) or compatible cardbus controller. I think I've seen on this forum to stay away from Ricoh? But PCMCIA != express card... Though I couldn't get it to recognize my Startech.com FW800 PCMCIA card yet.

edit: Well disabling speed step in the bios may have done it. I'll confirm after playing for a day

edit: Ok it didn't do anything. Playback was fine for ~10 min before system hangs. Got my hopes up sad

edit: also wanted to note this is not a BSOD. The screen freezes, and the audio becomes locked so it makes alot of noise from the speakers.

  • Registered: 2007-05-10
  • Posts: 29

Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

Ran memtest for 6 hours and orthos prime on blend for an hour. Not sure what else to test!

What can I do?

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,551

Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

Please try this: http://www.rme-audio.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1704


Regards,
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2007-05-10
  • Posts: 29

Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

Thanks Daniel. It looks like a good troubleshooting tool. I'll be trying it later in the week.

  • Wurli
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  • Registered: 2007-10-12
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Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

Hi,

i have a T61P, too. I'm using it without problems with C3 and C4 @ 128 Samples Buffer Size.
I've done a complete reinstall (XP Pro SP2) without any of lenovo utilities. With internal AND Cardbus Firewire-Card (Lacie) no problems.
Disabled Wirelass-Lan?

Steffen

  • Registered: 2007-05-10
  • Posts: 29

Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

Hmm, maybe disabling wireless has fixed it...? Is that just a common conflict or something I should have known to do?

I'll try it for awhile to see if I get any more lockups. Thanks for that tip!

  • Registered: 2007-05-10
  • Posts: 29

Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

Nvm the above post... Worked beautifully for ~20 minutes at 64 samples, but then locked up. Going to try that DPC latency checker now.

  • Registered: 2007-05-10
  • Posts: 29

Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

Here's a pic of my screen when the system has frozen. This was after less than 10 minutes of playback.

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aV1seljA

Looks like the DPC checker showed no sign of any problem.

Next thing I think I'll try is installing plain XP SP2 without updates and minimal drivers. Any other ideas?

  • Wurli
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Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

Please disable the Intel Gigabit-Network Controller. This solved my problems.

Steffen

  • Registered: 2007-05-10
  • Posts: 29

Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

Lol, I sure hope that's not the problem. I use raid 5 on a network attached storage device... No LAN is pretty crippling, but I will try.

11 Reply by bleeder (edited by bleeder 2008-03-21 00:21:00)

  • Registered: 2007-05-10
  • Posts: 29

Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

Tried disabling LAN, still got lockups.

Then I thought: What about the trackpoint/trackpad? On testing it looks like using either for a few seconds locks the system up during playback (note I've been using a USB mouse so it wasn't apparant). I couldn't simply select "disable" in device manager for it, (only device that has the option missing for it...) so I just disabled in BIOS.

Hoping this is the simple solution I needed! Looks good so far smile

EDIT:

AHHH. I should stop posting. Wasn't the solution sad

12 Reply by bleeder (edited by bleeder 2008-03-22 07:47:25)

  • Registered: 2007-05-10
  • Posts: 29

Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

I still haven't figured it out. I tried a fresh install of XP SP2 without updates and only FF driver, video driver, and sata driver. Made no difference.

Could it be the expresscard? What could be causing it to lock up? The audio gets stuck on a few samples and it makes alot of noise with the entire system freezing up. It happens randomly after less than 1 min of playback or after up to 20 mins. A few times the audio would lock up and for a few instants I could still move the mouse before the system froze up. If I stopped playback in that instant I could prevent the system from locking up.

Have any ideas on what the problem is?

13 Reply by MC

  • MC
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  • Registered: 2007-04-06
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Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

Please send me a private mail.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

14 Reply by bleeder (edited by bleeder 2008-03-23 04:23:39)

  • Registered: 2007-05-10
  • Posts: 29

Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

I made a youtube video of reproducing the crash:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_YQJHyBImQ

See all I do is move the trackpoint and this is the kind of lock-up I am talking about.

As I mentioned before I can disable the trackpoint but the system will lock up like this regardless. I can leave a playlist playing and maybe in 15 minutes I will be away from the computer when I hear it lock up.

Matthias, I've sent you an email.

  • Wurli
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Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

Problem solved???

Steffen

  • Registered: 2007-05-10
  • Posts: 29

Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

No, not solved. Don't know what else to do right now.

a) Return laptop to Lenovo (RMA)?
-the PCMCIA slot does not work (my forum posts about this:)
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?p=403067
http://forums.lenovo.com/lnv/board/mess … ad.id=3745

-maybe something else is wrong with the hardware causing this trouble with the fireface

b) Try another expresscard?
-I could buy another brand and see if it is stable
-I could RMA the notebook and try PCMCIA cards as well

c) Something quick to try, swap out my 4GB of corsair ram and put the original 1GB stick back in


Always something goes wrong, but hopefully I can use the fireface on this laptop in the end.

  • From: Irvine, CA
  • Registered: 2008-01-24
  • Posts: 13

Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

bleeder wrote:

No, not solved. Don't know what else to do right now.

I feel your pain.  I tried so hard to get a T60p to function as a low latency audio system but it just wasn't in the cards, at least not with a Fireface UC.

Now I have a W701ds and I'm watching DPC Latency Checker give me a red spike every two minutes while at the same time contemplating an ExpressCard / Digiface setup for the lowest possible latency system possible with RME products.  But, alas, I'm scared to try again.

It's like being in love with an abusive spouse.  You can't stop trying, but you almost always get beat up eventually.

I wish computers worked.

18 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

Note that 'right now' had been 3 years ago. No real sense in replying to an outdated thread like this one.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • From: Irvine, CA
  • Registered: 2008-01-24
  • Posts: 13

Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

I disagree.  Trying to get various computer systems, operating systems, sound cards, MIDI patchbays to work with one another is a quest that doesn't have a time limitation.  I'm *still* trying to perfect things on my "RME Reference PC Intel - Professional (1/2003)" (whose link is now dead at http://www.rme-audio.com/english/techin … ro03.htm).  Maybe my fate is worse than others who buy systems that some, by way of miracle, "just work" but I have yet to find such a system for myself.

For instance, that system is based around a PCI 9256 card which has been perfect from the moment I put it in the computer.  But MIDI jittery/latency/whatever using USB patchbays (Midiman 8x8) has always been a big thorn in my side.  As technology moved on, more vendors released more USB patchbays with varying technologies.  And then as technology moved on again, those vendors stopped supporting them.  Or the operating system moved from a 32-bit to a 64-bit architecture, leaving certain devices useless on the more modern system.  Trying to find just the right one in these varying cases is an exercise in patience.

Continually learning all the nuances of these varied technologies and learning from what people tried in the past is critical.

I wish computers worked.

20 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

http://www.rme-audio.de/old/english/tec … _index.htm

Have fun :-)

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • From: Irvine, CA
  • Registered: 2008-01-24
  • Posts: 13

Re: FF800 with Thinkpad T61p - Performance ok, but system hangs randomly

MC wrote:

http://www.rme-audio.de/old/english/tec … _index.htm

Have fun :-)

Thank you!  I love how one of the design considerations of the 2003 Reference PC is:

"No taking-into-account of upgrade possibilities"

Exactly my point!  DeadHorse

I wish computers worked.