Naked hardware #19: PCTV microStick (79e)

PCTV microStick (79e) teardown

PCTV microStick (79e)

Cheap plain DVB-T USB receiver from the PCTV Systems. USB ID assigned is 2013:0262. This device got mainline Linux support during kernel 3.17 development period. Linux drivers providing support are af9035 / af9033 / it913x.

Device is build upon very common IT9135 reference design. I will keep that blog post short as I have teardowned multiple devices earlier having same IT9135 chip, just check those in order to find out some more detailed information.

That same stick is also sold as Hauppauge WinTV MiniStick and its USB ID is 2040:f900. Hauppauge branded version arrived much more earlier - its USB ID was added to Linux driver during kernel 3.14 development time. Actually, PCTV 79e device I got has mistakenly programmed Hauppauge USB ID, but the ones sold now should have PCTV ID. 

Key components:
ITE IT9135

PCB upper side

PCB upper side

IR receiver, IT9135 BX and 12.000 MHz crystal. 

PCB model number is DK-5259. Letters DK usually refers to Dexatek Technology, which is common OEM vendor of TV sticks.

PCB printings:
DK-5259 V1.0

ITE IT9135

ITE IT9135FN BX

That chip, IT9135, is heart of that device. BX means it is second revision of that chip, first one was marked as AX. It is chip which integerates whole TV receiver. Clock is feed from the 12.000 MHz crystal seen right bottom of that picture.

PCB bottom side

PCB bottom side

There is only eeprom on that side of PCB.

24C02

24C02

2Kbit I2C serial eeprom for storing USB ID. Chip markings are 402RT K409.

USB interface

IDLE current drain without a driver: 48 mA

Note: Hauppauge USB ID mistakenly used.

lsusb -vvd 2040:f900 Bus 002 Device 003: ID 2040:f900 Hauppauge Device Descriptor: bLength 18 bDescriptorType 1 bcdUSB 2.00 bDeviceClass 0 (Defined at Interface level) bDeviceSubClass 0 bDeviceProtocol 0 bMaxPacketSize0 64 idVendor 0x2040 Hauppauge idProduct 0xf900 bcdDevice 2.00 iManufacturer 1 Hauppauge iProduct 2 WinTV-Ministick 2 iSerial 3 000DFE8C4C2B bNumConfigurations 1 Configuration Descriptor: bLength 9 bDescriptorType 2 wTotalLength 46 bNumInterfaces 1 bConfigurationValue 1 iConfiguration 0 bmAttributes 0x80 (Bus Powered) MaxPower 500mA Interface Descriptor: bLength 9 bDescriptorType 4 bInterfaceNumber 0 bAlternateSetting 0 bNumEndpoints 4 bInterfaceClass 255 Vendor Specific Class bInterfaceSubClass 0 bInterfaceProtocol 0 iInterface 0 Endpoint Descriptor: bLength 7 bDescriptorType 5 bEndpointAddress 0x81 EP 1 IN bmAttributes 2 Transfer Type Bulk Synch Type None Usage Type Data wMaxPacketSize 0x0200 1x 512 bytes bInterval 0 Endpoint Descriptor: bLength 7 bDescriptorType 5 bEndpointAddress 0x02 EP 2 OUT bmAttributes 2 Transfer Type Bulk Synch Type None Usage Type Data wMaxPacketSize 0x0200 1x 512 bytes bInterval 0 Endpoint Descriptor: bLength 7 bDescriptorType 5 bEndpointAddress 0x84 EP 4 IN bmAttributes 2 Transfer Type Bulk Synch Type None Usage Type Data wMaxPacketSize 0x0200 1x 512 bytes bInterval 0 Endpoint Descriptor: bLength 7 bDescriptorType 5 bEndpointAddress 0x85 EP 5 IN bmAttributes 2 Transfer Type Bulk Synch Type None Usage Type Data wMaxPacketSize 0x0200 1x 512 bytes bInterval 0 Device Qualifier (for other device speed): bLength 10 bDescriptorType 6 bcdUSB 2.00 bDeviceClass 0 (Defined at Interface level) bDeviceSubClass 0 bDeviceProtocol 0 bMaxPacketSize0 64 bNumConfigurations 1 Device Status: 0x0000 (Bus Powered)

Pictures