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

Naked hardware #18: Astrometa AMDVB-T2 v2

Astrometa AMDVB-T2 v2 teardown

Astrometa AMDVB-T2 v2

That device appeared to market very recently, maybe on September or August 2014. It is clearly successor of older Astrometa HD-901T2 stick, basically having only new version of demodulator chip. Demodulator is changed from Panasonic MN88472 to MN88473. Also PCB is revised marginally. Even USB ID same old 15f4:0131 :-(

Linux support was added to kernel 3.13, as support for old device version was added at that time. Linux driver supports only DVB-T. DVB-T2 and DVB-C are not supported as there is no driver for MN88473 demodulator which provides those DTV standards.

I am not explaining hardware internals very detailed now, as I did quite careful review for old device version, which is very similar. Look old review here.

Key components:
Realtek RTL2832P
Panasonic MN88473
Rafael Micro R828D

PCB upper side

Astrometa AMDVB-T2 v2 PCB

All important chips are assembled that side of the PCB. Chips counted from antenna connector are R828D (RF tuner), MN88473 (demodulator), RTL2832P (USB-bridge + DVB-T demodulator).

Rafael Micro R828D

Rafael Micro R828D

RF tuner.

16.000 MHz crystal

16.000 MHz Xtal

That 16 MHz crystal provides clock for R828D. Located near R828D, same side of PCB.

Panasonic MN88473

Panasonic MN88473

DVB-T/T2/C DTV demodulator. I think it is direct successor of MN88472. 25 MHz clock is coming from crystal located other side of the PCB.

Realtek RTL2832P

Realtek RTL2832P

That chip is DTV USB-bridge, integrated DVB-T demodulator and having TS interface to connect external demodulator. On that case external demodulator is MN88473.

28.8 MHz clock is feed from the crystal, which is located another side of the PCB.

IR receiver needed by RTL2832P is assembled another side of PCB too.

2Kbit I2C serial eeprom is also other side of PCB. RTL2832P USB ID is stored there.

PCB bottom side

Astrometa AMDVB-T2 v2 PCB

Visible parts are, two crystals, eeprom and IR receiver.

PCB printings:
234T2_1405

T24C02A eeprom

T24C02A eeprom

Serial (I2C) eeprom, package marking "T24C02A". It is 2 Kbit eeprom. That chip contains device specific configuration, like USB ID. RTL2832P chip reads USB ID from this chip during power on and enumerates to USB bus using ID stored there.

25.000 MHz crystal

25.000 MHz Xtal

That crystal provides clock for Panasonic MN88473 chip located on the other-side of PCB.

28.800 MHz crystal

28.800 MHz Xtal

That crystal provides clock for Realtek RTL2832P chip located on the other-side of PCB.

USB interface

IDLE current drain without a driver: 94 mA

lsusb -vvd 15f4:0131 Bus 008 Device 005: ID 15f4:0131 HanfTek Device Descriptor: bLength 18 bDescriptorType 1 bcdUSB 2.00 bDeviceClass 0 (Defined at Interface level) bDeviceSubClass 0 bDeviceProtocol 0 bMaxPacketSize0 64 idVendor 0x15f4 HanfTek idProduct 0x0131 bcdDevice 1.00 iManufacturer 1 astrometa iProduct 2 amdvbt2 iSerial 0 bNumConfigurations 1 Configuration Descriptor: bLength 9 bDescriptorType 2 wTotalLength 34 bNumInterfaces 2 bConfigurationValue 1 iConfiguration 4 USB2.0-Bulk&Iso bmAttributes 0x80 (Bus Powered) MaxPower 500mA Interface Descriptor: bLength 9 bDescriptorType 4 bInterfaceNumber 0 bAlternateSetting 0 bNumEndpoints 1 bInterfaceClass 255 Vendor Specific Class bInterfaceSubClass 255 Vendor Specific Subclass bInterfaceProtocol 255 Vendor Specific Protocol iInterface 5 Bulk-In, Interface 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 Interface Descriptor: bLength 9 bDescriptorType 4 bInterfaceNumber 1 bAlternateSetting 0 bNumEndpoints 0 bInterfaceClass 255 Vendor Specific Class bInterfaceSubClass 255 Vendor Specific Subclass bInterfaceProtocol 255 Vendor Specific Protocol iInterface 5 Bulk-In, Interface 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 2 Device Status: 0x0000 (Bus Powered)

Pictures