Naked hardware #14: DVB-T2 USB TV Stick HD-901T2

Teardown HD-901T2 DVB-T2

DVB-T/T2/C FM+DAB+SDR

That is relatively young device as it appeared to market around 2 months ago, beginning of September 2013. It is sold without any real brand, though model number HD-901T2 is mentioned by some sellers. USB interface advertises manufacturer string "astrometadvbt2" and product "dvbt2". From manufacturer string we could guess it is AstroMeta Co. - or not. Own USB ID, 15f4:0131, is assigned to that device by device vendor.

That DTV stick is basically almost same than RTL2832U + R820T reference design, but there is one big difference - external DVB-T/T2/C demodulator. It is also a little bit bizarre as it advertises unofficial SDR (provided by RTL2832P).

Looks like device is build upon some new Realtek reference design, whilst it may different somehow. Windows drivers are near Realtek drivers, but those are still customized (?) for that device. Drivers that are coming with the device, are in a quite bad shape as even standard BDA interface didn't work. Own Windows application is only application which could be used currently.

Initial Linux support is about to go in Kernel 3.13, or in a bad luck 3.14 as Kernel merge window is very near to open. Kernel driver has only DVB-T support at the moment, due to missing external DVB-T/T2/C demodulator driver.

Key components:
Realtek RTL2832P
Panasonic MN88472
Rafael Micro R828D

Hardware internals

RTL2832P, MN88472, R828D

All relevant components, RTL2832P, MN88472 and R828D, could be found from that side of PCB. Visible crystal near R828D is 16.000 MHz, clock source for R828D. Other side of PCB has 28.800 MHz crystal for RTL2832P and 20.500 MHz crystal for MN88472.

PCB printings:
FSC_USB_DVB-T2-C

Realtek RTL2832P

Realtek RTL2832P

RTL2832P is same chip than RTL2832U, but it has extra TS (transport stream) interface to connect external demodulator. Shortly, RTL2832U is USB interface and DVB-T demodulator in one package. For more information about that chip see my old blog posts of RTL2832U.

Panasonic MN88472

Panasonic MN88472

MN88472 is DVB-T/T2/C demodulator. It is very first time when that chip is seen on PCTV device. Earlier DVB-T2 capable demodulators used for PCTV devices are Sony CXD2820 and Silicon Labs Si2168.

There is own 20.500 MHz crystal, which offers clock source for demodulator. TS bus (between RTL2832P and MN88472) is hardly visible. It is not clear whether it is connected using serial or parallel bus, though serial mode could be good guess, as there is no 8+ wires clearly visible needed for parallel mode.

I2C control bus is connected to RTL2832P I2C adapter.

Rafael Micro R828D

Rafael Micro R828D

R828D is Low-IF hybrid silicon RF tuner. That tuner is very similar than R820T tuner used earlier for some RTL2832U devices. R828D is flagship model, whilst R820T is reduced to DTV terrestrial only reception. There is own 16.000 MHz crystal, which is a little bit odd as older RTL2832U + R820T designs used shared clock source from RTL2832U.

Tuner IF bus is connected to both MN88472 and RTL2832P. Control bus, I2C, is wired to RTL2832P I2C adapter only (RTL2832P I2C adapter is property of integrated RTL2832 demodulator).

PCB backside

Only chip visible is 24C08 8k serial eeprom. It contains USB configuration information, e.g. device USB ID and manufacturer strings. It is connected to RTL2832P via I2C.

Black 3-leg component is IR-receiver. It is connected also to RTL2832P, which offers RAW mode remote controller signals.

Crystal "Y2", 22.500 MHz, for MN88472.
Crystal "Y3", 28.800 MHz, for RTL2832P.

USB interface

IDLE current drain without a driver: 103 mA

lsusb -vvd 15f4:0131 Bus 002 Device 004: 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 astrometadvbt2 iProduct 2 dvbt2 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

Naked hardware #13: Logitec LDT-1S310U/J

Logitec LDT-1S310U/J teardown!

It is Mirics MSi3101 reference design and nothing more. 

Logitec LDT-1S310U/J

Key components:

Mirics MSi2500
Mirics MSi001

General info

First  of all, check my earlier post about Mirics MSi3101 Linux driver as that device is similar from the hardware point of view. Device is sold as a 1seg ISDB-T TV tuner for Japan market. 1seg aka One Seg is mobile digital television standard used in few countries like Japan and Brazil. Only thing that makes this device as 1seg receiver is bundled software. As a SDR based DTV solution it is possible to use same hardware for receiving other standards just using another software.

Device has no eeprom, which means USB ID is the one defined by chipset itself 1df7:2500 (chipset default ID). That means it is compatible with all software released for Mirics MSi3101.

Initial Linux support for that device has gone to the Kernel 3.12 as a staging quality.

Hardware internals

PCB top side

All relevant components, MSi2500 and MSi001, could be found from that side of PCB. 24.000 MHz crystal is also visible. It offers reference clock for both chips.

PCB is rather tiny, only 37 x 17 mm. MSi2500 is integrated USB interface ADC. MSi001 is silicon RF tuner. I am not going to chip details now as I have done it earlier, just look my older blog posts about MSi3101 for more detailed information.

Antenna connector looks like typical MCX but it is not. Type of that connector is unknown for me but, fortunately package contains antenna pigtail cable having standard F female on the other end. There is also two small antennas bundled. Other antenna is quite unusual small telescope without a cable and another is typical mini-magnet type, coming along with almost every of these DTV sticks.

PCB has some printings:
LWE 88 94V-0
10510

PCB bottom side is almost empty

PCB bottom side 

Nothing to say.

PCB printings:
ISDBT2036 Ver 1.0

Connected antennas

MSi001 antenna inputs

VHF (pins 9, 10), BAND3 (pins 3, 4) and BAND45 (pins 6, 7) antennas are connected. AM (pins 37, 38 & 39, 40) and LBAND (pins 24, 25) inputs are not connected. That limits actual frequency range to 50 - 960MHz.

It is possible to connect those unconnected inputs but it is not very trivial as chip is very small. Likely microscope soldering station is needed.

USB interface

IDLE current drain without a driver: 32mA

lsusb -vvd 1df7:2500 Bus 002 Device 003: ID 1df7:2500 Device Descriptor: bLength 18 bDescriptorType 1 bcdUSB 2.00 bDeviceClass 255 Vendor Specific Class bDeviceSubClass 255 Vendor Specific Subclass bDeviceProtocol 255 Vendor Specific Protocol bMaxPacketSize0 64 idVendor 0x1df7 idProduct 0x2500 bcdDevice 2.00 iManufacturer 0 iProduct 0 iSerial 0 bNumConfigurations 1 Configuration Descriptor: bLength 9 bDescriptorType 2 wTotalLength 66 bNumInterfaces 1 bConfigurationValue 1 iConfiguration 0 bmAttributes 0x80 (Bus Powered) MaxPower 400mA Interface Descriptor: bLength 9 bDescriptorType 4 bInterfaceNumber 0 bAlternateSetting 0 bNumEndpoints 0 bInterfaceClass 255 Vendor Specific Class bInterfaceSubClass 255 Vendor Specific Subclass bInterfaceProtocol 255 Vendor Specific Protocol iInterface 0 Interface Descriptor: bLength 9 bDescriptorType 4 bInterfaceNumber 0 bAlternateSetting 1 bNumEndpoints 1 bInterfaceClass 255 Vendor Specific Class bInterfaceSubClass 255 Vendor Specific Subclass bInterfaceProtocol 255 Vendor Specific Protocol iInterface 0 Endpoint Descriptor: bLength 7 bDescriptorType 5 bEndpointAddress 0x81 EP 1 IN bmAttributes 1 Transfer Type Isochronous Synch Type None Usage Type Data wMaxPacketSize 0x1400 3x 1024 bytes bInterval 1 Interface Descriptor: bLength 9 bDescriptorType 4 bInterfaceNumber 0 bAlternateSetting 2 bNumEndpoints 1 bInterfaceClass 255 Vendor Specific Class bInterfaceSubClass 255 Vendor Specific Subclass bInterfaceProtocol 255 Vendor Specific Protocol iInterface 0 Endpoint Descriptor: bLength 7 bDescriptorType 5 bEndpointAddress 0x81 EP 1 IN bmAttributes 1 Transfer Type Isochronous Synch Type None Usage Type Data wMaxPacketSize 0x0400 1x 1024 bytes bInterval 1 Interface Descriptor: bLength 9 bDescriptorType 4 bInterfaceNumber 0 bAlternateSetting 3 bNumEndpoints 1 bInterfaceClass 255 Vendor Specific Class bInterfaceSubClass 255 Vendor Specific Subclass bInterfaceProtocol 255 Vendor Specific Protocol 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 Device Qualifier (for other device speed): bLength 10 bDescriptorType 6 bcdUSB 2.00 bDeviceClass 255 Vendor Specific Class bDeviceSubClass 255 Vendor Specific Subclass bDeviceProtocol 255 Vendor Specific Protocol bMaxPacketSize0 64 bNumConfigurations 1 Device Status: 0x0000 (Bus Powered)

Pictures