• Registered: 2011-03-04
  • Posts: 80

Topic: Fireface 800 - Firewire card - potential conflict w. nVidia?

Hi,

I have experienced lately BSODs on several occasions, but for last 2 days repetitively - this time immediately after boot-up sequence, with or without RME fired on.  It almost became impossible to boot up without getting crash after 10 first seconds. I opened the desktop and realized the bluray-writer (optical drive) seemed to intereact (like seeking the second before the BSOD). I disconnected it and got no more crashes.

Since I removed my second optical drive about a month ago as it was not crashing WIndows, but freezed the system when I was just trying to open the tray, I had removed it, but realized afterward it worked perfectly on another PC !!...

So, I wonder if replacing my bluray writer will solve the issue or not.

I have been reading posts here and there about potential IRQ conflicts (didn't know they were still existing in 2011 with modern systems and Win 7...), and heard and read 3 things:

- one that states that RME (or the FW card ??) may be conflicting with (optical drive) ?
- that the conflict may be between FW card (I have one recommended here and on Avid, a SiiG model with TI chipset on PCIe)
- one that says that FW card on PCIe should be replaced by a PCI one (??)
- then, I get Avid recommending a nVidia graphic card, but I have read that RME FF800 do not like nVidia ?? (I now have a ATI 5450).

Anyone has comments or insights?

If I run to change graphic card (for nVidia), will I get problems with FF800 ? (Have no other reason to replace graphic card...)
If I replace my optical drive, may end up with same problem

Thanks,
Rob

  • From: New Milford , CT USA
  • Registered: 2007-05-01
  • Posts: 347

Re: Fireface 800 - Firewire card - potential conflict w. nVidia?

Hi Rob,
We need more details on your system such as motherboard model.
Also exactly which Nvidia card and what driver version.

Thanks Chris

Chris Ludwig | ADK Pro Audio
www.adkproaudio.com
https://www.facebook.com/adkmg

ChrisADK's Website

3 Reply by lanstrad (edited by lanstrad 2011-05-04 21:36:41)

  • Registered: 2011-03-04
  • Posts: 80

Re: Fireface 800 - Firewire card - potential conflict w. nVidia?

Quad-Core i7 2.86ghz
ASUS P7P55-D
Win 7 x64
8GB ram
SONAR 8.5 (32 and 64 bit) and SONAR X1 (64bit) and Pro Tools 9
RME Fireface 800 (audio interface, Firewire)
MOTU MIDI Express 128
ATI HD Radeon 5450 1GB

If I had to go with an nVidia card, Avid recommends (I would opt for the less expensive...)

NVIDIA Quadro FX 1800
NVIDIA Quadro FX 580
NVIDIA Quadro NVS 290

  • Registered: 2008-01-01
  • Posts: 3,025

Re: Fireface 800 - Firewire card - potential conflict w. nVidia?

All the things you listed sound like shots in the blue. Yes there can be conflicts between NVidia drivers and the Fireface, but that's something to worry about later.

Why exactly do you plan to exchange the graphic-card when your Bluray player causes Blue Screens? And if you suspect the ATI card/driver to interact badly with your drive: What happens when you exchange the ATI driver with the "Standard VGA driver" via Device-Manager?

What kind of IRQ conflict to you suspect? You can have a look at all your IRQs via START -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Information -> Hardware Resources -> IRQs.

  • Registered: 2008-01-01
  • Posts: 3,025

Re: Fireface 800 - Firewire card - potential conflict w. nVidia?

I just checked your mainboard's specs: You should check if it makes any difference whether your Bluray is connected to one of the Jmicron based ports or not.

  • Registered: 2011-03-04
  • Posts: 80

Re: Fireface 800 - Firewire card - potential conflict w. nVidia?

Timur wrote:

Why exactly do you plan to exchange the graphic-card when your Bluray player causes Blue Screens? And if you suspect the ATI card/driver to interact badly with your drive: What happens when you exchange the ATI driver with the "Standard VGA driver" via Device-Manager?

As I wrote, if I think of what though to be a faulty optical drive but it worked on another system, I wonder *why* or *if* this optical drive should be pointed. That's one. Secondly, if the problem is that IRQ conflicts can't be solved (IRQ forced) under Win 7 and that one of these devices (graphic card or drive) cannot be switched, the last thing I want to touch is certainly my FW card.  Also,. pls remember that the last BSOD I had were not even during doing sessions: FF800 was off.   

Another option might simply be to buy an external (USB) BD-RW drive ... Either way means approx an equal expense.

  • Registered: 2008-01-01
  • Posts: 3,025

Re: Fireface 800 - Firewire card - potential conflict w. nVidia?

The drive uses the IRQ of the SATA controller. Check which of the many SATA ports on your board it is connected to and check whether it is one of the Jmicron ports or not.

The graphic-card uses the IRQ of the PCIe slot, another card will use the same IRQ when put into the same slot.

Check through the things I listed and report back.

  • Registered: 2011-03-04
  • Posts: 80

Re: Fireface 800 - Firewire card - potential conflict w. nVidia?

Under ''Conflicts/Sharing'' in the path you provided, I can see that IRQ 18 is shared by 4 devices:

- PCI Express Root Port 7 - 3B4E
- JMicron JMB36X Controller
- Texas Instruments 1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller   (that one is the FW card I use for FF800)
- PCI Express Root Port 3 - 3B46

When I look under IRQs though, now I see status ''OK'' everywhere.  ATI Radeon is taking IRQ 4294967284   (wow.... we're far from the one or two digits IRQs ...)

Sorry if this is basic, but how would I see if drive uses the JMicron controller ? (Currently it is unplugged though...) Haven't re-plugged it yet. From what I have above, would you suggest that since the FW card *and* JMicron are sharing IRQ 18, then *if* the drive is connected on the JMicron that could be the cause of the BSOD (either randomly as before or as last 2 days, repeatedly) ?

Thanks very much for your help Timur, much appreciated.

  • Registered: 2008-01-01
  • Posts: 3,025

Re: Fireface 800 - Firewire card - potential conflict w. nVidia?

The JMicron controller ports are the ones on the lower side of your board (grey, black, dark blue). The Intel controller ports are on the side (light blue). I advice to turn off the whole JMicron controller via BIOS unless you absolutely need the one PATA port it provides.

It says "OK" because modern hardware running via ACPI is "supposed" to work with shared IRQs and every IRQ higher than 15 is a "software" IRQ set up by Windows anyway.

  • From: New Milford , CT USA
  • Registered: 2007-05-01
  • Posts: 347

Re: Fireface 800 - Firewire card - potential conflict w. nVidia?

Hi Rob,
Timur is  correct the JMIcron controller will not work correctly with any DVD/Bluray. Thoseport are meant mostly for ESATA type connections.
If you want to use them for a drives then set them to AHCI in the BIOS and install the latest JMIcron controller driver.
ftp://driver.jmicron.com.tw/SATA_Contro … _eSATA.zip
If you don't need those ports then it would be best to turn them off.
The DVD/Bluray drive will work best on the Intel controller. The drive should work fine in IDE, AHCI or RAID mode on the Intel chip.

Also all the Nvidia cards you listed are over priced. Quadro cards are pointless for audio production, media playback. They are only useful if you are trying to deal with 10 bit color in Adobe Premiere or something. Nvidia makes faster GPUs on the Geforce series for allot less than the Quadro.
If you are also doing some Graphics editing using Adobe or Vegas which I assume you are sense your wanting to use the higher end video cards then I'd recommend the Geforce 570 or 580 series cards.

If just need this for audio and for Blu-ray playback then a Geforce 9500 or the 420 would be more than enough.
Your ATI card should also be fine.

Thanks Chris

Chris Ludwig | ADK Pro Audio
www.adkproaudio.com
https://www.facebook.com/adkmg

ChrisADK's Website

  • Registered: 2011-03-04
  • Posts: 80

Re: Fireface 800 - Firewire card - potential conflict w. nVidia?

Chris,
Thanks also to you for these clarifications. I have not yet reconnected the drive, but checked that it was *not* on the JMicron connectors (as described above, the drive appears to be connected on one of those ''light blue'' (Intel) connectors... (the box is in an area difficult to access without having first secured an appointment with a chiropractor :-)... So in the bunch of cables attached together, I just can see that SATA cables are all going in direction of these Intel connectors (assuming those light blue are ''all'' Intel).

I saw just one ''weird'' cable connecting to a grey (JMicron ?) connector... (could not figure which device in that position) - I have 4 internal HDD + the BD-RW connected to SATA connectors in this machine, but could not figure if that ''weird'' cable was one of the 4 HDD... That's for tonight ;-)

Thanks,
Rob

  • Registered: 2011-03-04
  • Posts: 80

Re: Fireface 800 - Firewire card - potential conflict w. nVidia?

Timur wrote:

The JMicron controller ports are the ones on the lower side of your board (grey, black, dark blue). The Intel controller ports are on the side (light blue). I advice to turn off the whole JMicron controller via BIOS unless you absolutely need the one SATA port it provides.

It says "OK" because modern hardware running via ACPI is "supposed" to work with shared IRQs and every IRQ higher than 15 is a "software" IRQ set up by Windows anyway.

Finally found that the optical drive is definitely on an Intel (light blue) connector.  However, one of the 4 HDD *is* connected to the JMicron port (grey).  I will reconnect it on an Intel (one is free, very hard to attain, but I'll do it).  This being said, since the optical is disconnected, I have had not even a single blue-screen... What conclusions should I have? Could the fact to have a HDD on the JMicron port be responsible for creating problem with the BD-RW drive even though this one is connected on an Intel port ?

Thanks,
Rob

  • Registered: 2008-01-01
  • Posts: 3,025

Re: Fireface 800 - Firewire card - potential conflict w. nVidia?

Anything Blue Screen is pointing to hardware/driver level conflicts and can be categorized "odd". There is no "right" way of doing these things, only trial and error.

I'd try both: Connect the HD + BD to the Intel only, if that doesn't help connect both to the JMicron. Try turning the JMicon off in BIOS and see what that does. If all doesn't help I would even try to switch the HD and BD on both controllers.

Also check Intel's and JMicron's site for driver updates. Furthermore you can try to switch the vendor specific driver with Microsoft's "Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller", which usually is offered as compatible alternative via Driver Update in Device-Manager (and works good).

  • Registered: 2011-03-04
  • Posts: 80

Re: Fireface 800 - Firewire card - potential conflict w. nVidia?

Well... Tried to connect the HDD that was on the JMicron port on an Intel one and... no longer boot. (BootMngr Missing...).  Once this HDD back in the JMicron I was again able to boot.  Now need to find another SATA cable (if I don't want to go through all this undo/do through all internal and external cabling again with ticket to chiropractor...) then try the BD-RW in the other JMicron, as you suggested.  Since everything is stable now (but without an optical / writing drive), I am seriously thinking of getting one external on USB...

Thanks,
Rob

  • Registered: 2008-01-01
  • Posts: 3,025

Re: Fireface 800 - Firewire card - potential conflict w. nVidia?

Windows wont boot because you changed the controller (number). You can try to run the boot repair from the Windows Installation DVD. But if the BD is the main culprit it doesn't sound like a bad idea to get rid of it (internally at least).