internal card reader support

internal card reader support

[Felix Dorner]

Hi,


My notebook (hp nx9105) has an integrated 5in1 card-reader. I would 
really like to use this with linux.
Since I do not think it is supported yet, I d like to know if it might 
be possible to write a module or so for this.
I am just an average C programmer, but always wanted to dive into kernel 
developement. My knowledge on computer architecture is also no more than 
basic, so this might be something to really learn a lot...
So I start at zero knowledge now. First of course I need to find out if  
what I want to do is possible at all.
This means now to identify the hardware inside and see if I can get 
documents for that.

First I just start with:

#lspci
[...]
0000:02:04.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments: Unknown device ac54 (rev 01)
0000:02:04.1 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments: Unknown device ac54 (rev 01)
0000:02:04.2 System peripheral: Texas Instruments: Unknown device 8201 
(rev 01)
[...]

This is all that I have. Now I am already confused. My box has one 
PCMCIA slot. Which is now the PCMCIA and which is the CardReader? What 
about the third device? Might this be the integrated infrared controller?

Can you give me any hints/tips where to start best, what to read first?

I know this seems to be very difficult, but I have quite some free time 
that I don't want to spend playing bzflag all night long, so I think 
this is a great way to learn something.

Thanks for your advice,
Felix

Re: internal card reader support

[Dave Jones]

On Wed, Dec 08, 2004 at 06:01:24PM +0000, Felix Dorner wrote:
 > Hi,
 > 
 > 
 > My notebook (hp nx9105) has an integrated 5in1 card-reader. I would 
 > really like to use this with linux.
 > Since I do not think it is supported yet, I d like to know if it might 
 > be possible to write a module or so for this.
 > I am just an average C programmer, but always wanted to dive into kernel 
 > developement. My knowledge on computer architecture is also no more than 
 > basic, so this might be something to really learn a lot...
 > So I start at zero knowledge now. First of course I need to find out if  
 > what I want to do is possible at all.

All of these devices that I've seen use the usb-storage module.
You might need to futz with the scsi_mod module max_luns argument to make it
see all the slots though.

		Dave

Re: internal card reader support

[Jurgen Kramer]

On Wed, 2004-12-08 at 18:01 +0000, Felix Dorner wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> 
> My notebook (hp nx9105) has an integrated 5in1 card-reader. I would 
> really like to use this with linux.
> Since I do not think it is supported yet, I d like to know if it might 
> be possible to write a module or so for this.
> I am just an average C programmer, but always wanted to dive into kernel 
> developement. My knowledge on computer architecture is also no more than 
> basic, so this might be something to really learn a lot...
> So I start at zero knowledge now. First of course I need to find out if  
> what I want to do is possible at all.
> This means now to identify the hardware inside and see if I can get 
> documents for that.
> 
> First I just start with:
> 
> #lspci
> [...]
> 0000:02:04.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments: Unknown device ac54 (rev 01)
> 0000:02:04.1 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments: Unknown device ac54 (rev 01)
> 0000:02:04.2 System peripheral: Texas Instruments: Unknown device 8201 
> (rev 01)
> [...]

Looks like the card reader is part of the PC Card chip. I have a similar
setup om my laptop. I never managed to get it working. But maybe things
changed and newer PC Card brigdes have a card reader which act as a USB
device. I have a Ricoh controller on my laptop:

00:09.0 CardBus bridge: Ricoh Co Ltfd RL5c476 II (rev 88)
00:09.1 CardBus bridge: Ricoh Co Ltfd RL5c476 II (rev 88)
00:09.2 System peripheral: Ricoh Co Ltd: Unknown device 0576 (SD Card
reader?)

> This is all that I have. Now I am already confused. My box has one 
> PCMCIA slot. Which is now the PCMCIA and which is the CardReader? What 
> about the third device? Might this be the integrated infrared controller?
> 
> Can you give me any hints/tips where to start best, what to read first?
> 
> I know this seems to be very difficult, but I have quite some free time 
> that I don't want to spend playing bzflag all night long, so I think 
> this is a great way to learn something.
> 
Jurgen

Re: internal card reader support

[David Vrabel]

Felix Dorner wrote:
> 
> 0000:02:04.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments: Unknown device ac54 (rev 
> 01)
> 0000:02:04.1 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments: Unknown device ac54 (rev 
> 01)
> 0000:02:04.2 System peripheral: Texas Instruments: Unknown device 8201 
> (rev 01)

This is a TI PCI1620.  You can get data sheets etc. from TI's website. 
Not sure how much good that will do you though as it appears to require 
firmware -- the 3rd function is a firmware loader interface.

David Vrabel

Re: internal card reader support

[Pavel Machek]

Hi!

>  > My notebook (hp nx9105) has an integrated 5in1 card-reader. I would 
>  > really like to use this with linux.
>  > Since I do not think it is supported yet, I d like to know if it might 
>  > be possible to write a module or so for this.
>  > I am just an average C programmer, but always wanted to dive into kernel 
>  > developement. My knowledge on computer architecture is also no more than 
>  > basic, so this might be something to really learn a lot...
>  > So I start at zero knowledge now. First of course I need to find out if  
>  > what I want to do is possible at all.
> 
> All of these devices that I've seen use the usb-storage module.
> You might need to futz with the scsi_mod module max_luns argument to make it
> see all the slots though.

Unfortunately, that's not the case. At least hp nx5000 has something
custom for reading MMC/SD cards, definitely not usb reader. There's
partial docs somewhere, you just need to bitbang it over PCI.
								Pavel
-- 
People were complaining that M$ turns users into beta-testers...
...jr ghea gurz vagb qrirybcref, naq gurl frrz gb yvxr vg gung jnl!

Re: internal card reader support

[Felix Dorner]

David Vrabel wrote:

> Felix Dorner wrote:
>
>>
>> 0000:02:04.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments: Unknown device ac54 
>> (rev 01)
>> 0000:02:04.1 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments: Unknown device ac54 
>> (rev 01)
>> 0000:02:04.2 System peripheral: Texas Instruments: Unknown device 
>> 8201 (rev 01)
>
>
> This is a TI PCI1620.  You can get data sheets etc. from TI's website. 
> Not sure how much good that will do you though as it appears to 
> require firmware -- the 3rd function is a firmware loader interface.
>
> David Vrabel

First thanks for that. And i am courious: You get that just from the 
lspci output? Do you know this chip?

Where can I dive deeply into PCI Bus technology? We just played with 
small microcontrollers connected to three pushbuttons at University...

Felix

Re: internal card reader support

[David Vrabel]

Felix Dorner wrote:
> David Vrabel wrote:
> 
>> Felix Dorner wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> 0000:02:04.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments: Unknown device ac54 
>>> (rev 01)
>>> 0000:02:04.1 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments: Unknown device ac54 
>>> (rev 01)
>>> 0000:02:04.2 System peripheral: Texas Instruments: Unknown device 
>>> 8201 (rev 01)
>>
>> This is a TI PCI1620.  [...]
> 
> First thanks for that. And i am courious: You get that just from the 
> lspci output? Do you know this chip?

I'm familiar with another chip in the same family (one with only 
PCMCIA/CardBus support so I can't help you with the flash card parts) so 
I just did a quick scan of TI's website.  The ac54 is the device ID for 
the part which you find in datasheets and the like.

David Vrabel

Re: internal card reader support

[Bill Davidsen]

Felix Dorner wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> 
> My notebook (hp nx9105) has an integrated 5in1 card-reader. I would 
> really like to use this with linux.
> Since I do not think it is supported yet, I d like to know if it might 
> be possible to write a module or so for this.
> I am just an average C programmer, but always wanted to dive into kernel 
> developement. My knowledge on computer architecture is also no more than 
> basic, so this might be something to really learn a lot...
> So I start at zero knowledge now. First of course I need to find out if  
> what I want to do is possible at all.
> This means now to identify the hardware inside and see if I can get 
> documents for that.
> 
> First I just start with:
> 
> #lspci
> [...]
> 0000:02:04.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments: Unknown device ac54 (rev 
> 01)
> 0000:02:04.1 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments: Unknown device ac54 (rev 
> 01)
> 0000:02:04.2 System peripheral: Texas Instruments: Unknown device 8201 
> (rev 01)
> [...]
> 
> This is all that I have. Now I am already confused. My box has one 
> PCMCIA slot. Which is now the PCMCIA and which is the CardReader? What 
> about the third device? Might this be the integrated infrared controller?
> 
> Can you give me any hints/tips where to start best, what to read first?
> 
> I know this seems to be very difficult, but I have quite some free time 
> that I don't want to spend playing bzflag all night long, so I think 
> this is a great way to learn something.

The first question is if this shows up as USB (therefore SCSI), or IDE. 
I had an old desktop with PCMCIA and it all used the IDE driver. I'm 
interested, I'd love to use the slot on my Acer!

-- 
    -bill davidsen (davidsen@tmr.com)
"The secret to procrastination is to put things off until the
  last possible moment - but no longer"  -me