Saorview on linux

Yeah I just got an identical dongle working with the new XBMCBuntu yesterday. Took me a while to figure out but you just need to put the firmware file from here into /lib/firmware (on Debian derived systems at least) and plug the stick in then check dmesg and you should see it get recognised.

If all goes well you should get a dvb section in /dev.

lsusb output:

Bus 001 Device 003: ID 15a4:9016 Afatech Technologies, Inc. AF9015 DVB-T USB2.0 stick

dmesg:

[   10.952267] dvb-usb: found a 'Afatech AF9015 DVB-T USB2.0 stick' in cold state, will try to load a firmware
[   12.431478] dvb-usb: downloading firmware from file 'dvb-usb-af9015.fw'
[   12.500543] dvb-usb: found a 'Afatech AF9015 DVB-T USB2.0 stick' in warm state.
[   12.500684] dvb-usb: will pass the complete MPEG2 transport stream to the software demuxer.
[   13.413146] input: IR-receiver inside an USB DVB receiver as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:04.1/usb1/1-6/rc/rc0/input6
[   13.413348] rc0: IR-receiver inside an USB DVB receiver as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:04.1/usb1/1-6/rc/rc0
[   13.413360] dvb-usb: schedule remote query interval to 500 msecs.
[   13.413371] dvb-usb: Afatech AF9015 DVB-T USB2.0 stick successfully initialized and connected.
[   13.425382] usbcore: registered new interface driver dvb_usb_af9015

Device seems to work fine. Having problems with my MythTv backend related to SQL but thats another story entirely. Im pretty happy with XBMCbuntu Eden too. Full Ubuntu install in the background but no gnome. It uses lightdm and a small LXDE install so you can exit XBMC and login to a normal desktop for the web browser.

Have set it up on a Revo R3600 and have installed Transmission,torrentwatch-x,samba and webmin among other things. It's going to replace my old P4 server for downloads since it idles ~25W while the old P4 uses ~95W even when underclocked to 1.5Ghz. Have it automatically logging in the XBMC front end while all this stuff runs away in the background. Plan is to also use it to watch live TV and schedule recordings using the mythbox xbmc plugin. Might get rid of Sky if it works properly.

Btw, if you are not in a rush these can be had for about 5euro from HK. You may also want one of these adaptors unless you are very close to the transmitter. Also worth pointing out that the included antenna (magnetic base) won't work without a solid ground plane. I'm about 1km from the transmitter here and it won't work without being stuck to some solid metal. Currently have it stuck to an old Iron frying pan behind the TV

Also of note is the fact that the IR receiver was picked up. Not sure how easy that is to get working but there is probably an option in MythTV somewhere.

Hope this helps!

On a fresh install the first dmesg gave me the same info as above:

[ 6915.484688] dvb-usb: found a 'Afatech AF9015 DVB-T USB2.0 stick' in cold state, will try to load a firmware
[ 6915.509271] dvb-usb: downloading firmware from file 'dvb-usb-af9015.fw'
[ 6915.578334] dvb-usb: found a 'Afatech AF9015 DVB-T USB2.0 stick' in warm state.
[ 6915.578470] dvb-usb: will pass the complete MPEG2 transport stream to the software demuxer.
[ 6915.579741] DVB: registering new adapter (Afatech AF9015 DVB-T USB2.0 stick)
[ 6915.619311] af9013: firmware version:4.95.0.0
[ 6915.623439] DVB: registering adapter 0 frontend 0 (Afatech AF9013 DVB-T)...
[ 6915.642185] tda18218: [COLOR="Red"]NXP TDA18218HN[/COLOR] successfully identified.
[ 6915.643949] Registered IR keymap rc-empty
[ 6915.644571] input: IR-receiver inside an USB DVB receiver as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:04.1/usb1/1-6/rc/rc0/input7
[ 6915.644760] rc0: IR-receiver inside an USB DVB receiver as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:04.1/usb1/1-6/rc/rc0
[ 6915.644772] dvb-usb: schedule remote query interval to 500 msecs.
[ 6915.644785] dvb-usb: Afatech AF9015 DVB-T USB2.0 stick successfully initialized and connected.
[ 6915.655791] usbcore: registered new interface driver dvb_usb_af9015

So looks like the same chipset as yours. I bought that off the link the original BA thread ages ago, it's one of the 5 euro ones. I would imagine all the ones in similar packing would be the same chipset tbh.

PrzemoF wrote: »

Noiw I have to find an extension cable to connect that 3.5 mm antenna soocket to a normal antenna..

Perhaps one of these?

Redisle wrote: »

You may also want one of these adaptors unless you are very close to the transmitter.

I also noticed it for sale here for €2

http://www.satboxes.com/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=76

Bluefrog wrote: »

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. Just to say that I have just installed one of these devices on my Raspberry Pi B+ and it is still receiving all channels both T.V. and radio. I just thought I would post this as getting my head around what is now required for successful viewing of Saorview with such a setup was pretty time consuming to say the least with up-to-date info next to impossible to come by.

Curious, are you simply receiving and viewing on the same device or have you a tvheadend/some sort of distribution over lan/wlan of saorview to your tv (xbmc or the like)?

I have, on and off, been trying a tvheadend/Ri Pi B model/vlc setup and have yet to get to a stage where i'd be happy to ditch sky. Lots of busted streams. I'll keep trying as time permits as others appear to have had success with almost identical setups and i'll crack it one day

AnCatDubh wrote: »

I have, on and off, been trying a tvheadend/Ri Pi B model/vlc setup and have yet to get to a stage where i'd be happy to ditch sky.

You'd easily get a good Freesat+ box (same functionality as Sky+) for less than a year's worth of basic Sky.

The Humax Foxsat-HDR with modified firmware (Raydon) can stream video on your LAN, and SD recordings can be archived off to other devices. The newer YouView box is no good as the whole hard disk is encrypted and the firmware locked down.

AnCatDubh wrote: »

Curious, are you simply receiving and viewing on the same device or have you a tvheadend/some sort of distribution over lan/wlan of saorview to your tv (xbmc or the like)?

I have, on and off, been trying a tvheadend/Ri Pi B model/vlc setup and have yet to get to a stage where i'd be happy to ditch sky. Lots of busted streams. I'll keep trying as time permits as others appear to have had success with almost identical setups and i'll crack it one day

Everything is running off the one Pi B+ - Raspbmc on the frontend, TVHeadend grabbing the broadcasts from the stick. If I had done a little more research I might have given the Banana Pi a bit more of a look with the extra processing muscle and RAM but the B+ holds it's own OK - skins seem to have a big effect on performance - I settled on Transparency! as the font size was workable on my old tv that only has composite input. I have over-clocked the PI to high performance too. Have a webcam running off the pi too (using motion) which activates only when I'm out (to watch what the dogs are up to) - I use Tasker on Android & SSH to work that. It's an old HP USB webcam, had used it on Ubuntu and Mint before so I figured it would be Debian friendly.

I should say too that finding the right firmware for the stick was a bit of a trial and error process. Seems there are various releases bearing the same file names and I found only an older one would work for me. I can give that to anyone who needs it.
I've changed the SSH ports and passwords and opened up both the IPTABLES on the Pi and port forwarding on my router so I can SSH back in from outside the home network.

I won't go into the streaming content side of things here beyond that the NotFilmOn XBMC plugin is not bad for UK TV.

Finally the Pi is also doing some cron scheduled tweeting for me using the Python Tweepy library for lostandfoundpets.ie - it does the tweets reminding people that the Twitter account is semi-automated so they should use the main site to get the word out on listings as quickly as possible.

If anyone wants a look at any of the config files, give me a holler

The /boot/config.txt file looks like this:

arm_freq=900
core_freq=375
force_turbo=1
disable_overscan=1
gpu_mem_512=128
gpu_mem_256=112
start_file=start_x.elf
fixup_file=fixup_x.dat
hdmi_ignore_cec_init=1
max_usb_current=1 #this one boosts power for the USB connected devices (stick and camera)
sdtv_mode=2
sdtv_aspect=3

it's geared towards a composite connection with the T.V. with an aspect ratio of 16:9 for the screen and PAL obviously.

The adjustment to IPTABLES (firewall) to allow SSH from outside local network. I've commented the last few lines that are the ones I added to open the ports - the 'XXXX' and 'YYYY' indicates your chosen port for each service.

/etc/network/if-up.d/secure-rmc

#!/bin/bash

dec_to_bin() {
  local remainder=''
  local string=''
  local number=$1
  while [ 1 ]
  do
    let "remainder = $number % 2"
    let "result = ($number / 2)"
    number=$result
    string=$remainder$string
    if [ "$result" == 0 ]
      then
      break
    fi
  done
  echo $string
}

bin_to_dec() {
  local toprocess=$1
  local result=0
  while [ 1 ]
  do
    let "result = ($result*2)+${toprocess:0:1}"
    toprocess=${toprocess:1}
    if [ "$toprocess" == "" ]
    then
      break
    fi
  done
  echo $result
}

ip_octet_to_bin() {
  local oct=`dec_to_bin $1`
  while [ ${#oct} -lt 8 ] ; do
    oct=0$oct
  done
  echo $oct
}

ip_to_bin() {
  local ip=$1
  local first=`echo $ip | cut -d. -f1 | awk '{print $1}'`
  local second=`echo $ip | cut -d. -f2 | awk '{print $1}'`
  local third=`echo $ip | cut -d. -f3 | awk '{print $1}'` 
  local fourth=`echo $ip | cut -d. -f4 | awk '{print $1}'`

  first=`ip_octet_to_bin $first`
  second=`ip_octet_to_bin $second`
  third=`ip_octet_to_bin $third`
  fourth=`ip_octet_to_bin $fourth`

  echo $first$second$third$fourth
}

bin_to_ip() {
  local first=${1:0:8}
  local second=${1:8:8}
  local third=${1:16:8}
  local fourth=${1:24:8}
 
  first=`bin_to_dec $first`
  second=`bin_to_dec $second`
  third=`bin_to_dec $third`
  fourth=`bin_to_dec $fourth`
  
  echo $first.$second.$third.$fourth
}

bit_and() {
  local in1=$1
  local in2=$2
  local out=''

  while [ 1 ] ; do
    local toadd=0
    if [ "${in1:0:1}" == 1 ] ; then
      if [ "${in2:0:1}" == 1 ] ; then
        toadd=1
      fi
    fi
    out=$out$toadd
    in1=${in1:1}
    in2=${in2:1}
    if [ ${#in1} == 0 ] ; then
      break
    fi
  done

  echo $out;
}


get_subnet() {
  local ip=`/sbin/ifconfig $1  | grep 'inet addr:'| grep -v '127.0.0.1' | cut -d: -f2 | awk '{ print $1}'`
  local mask=`/sbin/ifconfig $1 | grep 'inet addr:'| grep -v '127.0.0.1' | cut -d: -f4 | awk '{ print $1}'`

  ip=`ip_to_bin $ip`
  if [ ${#ip} -eq 0 ]; then
  logger -t secure-rmc "$1 has no IP"
  exit 1
  fi
  mask=`ip_to_bin $mask`

  local subnet=`bit_and $ip $mask`

  local counter=0
  local todo=$mask
  while [ 1 ] ; do
    if [ "${todo:0:1}" == 1 ] ; then
       let "counter = $counter + 1"
    fi
    todo=${todo:1}
    if [ "${#todo}" == 0 ] ; then
      break
    fi
  done

  subnet=`bin_to_ip $subnet`
 
  subnet=$subnet/$counter

  echo $subnet
}

logger -t iptables "Configuring ip tables for interface $IFACE"
if [ "$IFACE" != "lo" ]; then
    NETMASK=$(get_subnet $IFACE)
    if [ ${#NETMASK} -eq 0 ]; then
	logger -t secure-rmc "netmask not found"
	exit 1
   fi
    iptables -A INPUT -s $NETMASK -i $IFACE -j ACCEPT
    iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport XXXX -j ACCEPT # for external SSH
    iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport YYYY -j ACCEPT # for motion mjpeg stream
    iptables -A INPUT -i $IFACE -j DROP
fi

And finally the stuff that lets me run the motion daemon on demand over SSH for the webcam.

/etc/default/motion

# set to 'yes' to enable the motion daemon
start_motion_daemon=no

/etc/motion/motion.conf

daemon=on
output_normal=off #as I don't want it to save files when it detects motion
webcam_port=YYYY
webcam_localhost=off
webcam_maxrate=1
height=480
width=640