Re: [gentoo-user] Curiosity...

[Volker Armin Hemmann]

On Saturday 29 January 2011 18:04:07 meino.cramer@×××.de wrote:
> Volker Armin Hemmann <volkerarmin@××××××××××.com> [11-01-29 17:56]:
> > On Saturday 29 January 2011 17:34:18 meino.cramer@×××.de wrote:
> > > Volker Armin Hemmann <volkerarmin@××××××××××.com> [11-01-29 16:39]:
> > > > On Saturday 29 January 2011 15:18:10 meino.cramer@×××.de wrote:
> > > > > Hi,
> > > > >
> > > > > when listing my hardware with lshw I find some stuff build
> > > > > into my ASUS Crosshair IV Formula, which I seem not to use
> > > > > and I like to know, for what it is good for:
> > > > >
> > > > > These are excerpts from the output of lshw:
> > > > >         *-serial UNCLAIMED
> > > > >
> > > > >              description: SMBus
> > > > >              product: SBx00 SMBus Controller
> > > > >              vendor: ATI Technologies Inc
> > > > >              physical id: 14
> > > > >              bus info: pci@0000:00:14.0
> > > > >              version: 41
> > > > >              width: 32 bits
> > > > >              clock: 66MHz
> > > > >              configuration: latency=0
> > > >
> > > > sensors, and spd-eprom are accessed this way.
> > > >
> > > > > and
> > > > >
> > > > >         *-isa
> > > > >
> > > > >              description: ISA bridge
> > > > >              product: SB700/SB800 LPC host
> > > > >              controller
> > > > >              vendor: ATI Technologies Inc
> > > > >              physical id: 14.3
> > > > >              bus info: pci@0000:00:14.3
> > > > >              version: 40
> > > > >              width: 32 bits
> > > > >              clock: 66MHz
> > > > >              capabilities: isa bus_master
> > > > >              configuration: latency=0
> > > >
> > > > today's incarnation is called 'lpc'. Your sensor chip is
> > > > probably
> > > > accessed through this. Also connectiopn sensor/superio-chipset.
> > > >
> > > > > and
> > > > >
> > > > >            *-multimedia
> > > > >
> > > > >                 description: Audio device
> > > > >                 product: GF108 High
> > > > >                 Definition Audio
> > > > >                 Controller
> > > > >                 vendor: nVidia Corporation
> > > > >                 physical id: 0.1
> > > > >                 bus info: pci@0000:08:00.1
> > > > >                 version: a1
> > > > >                 width: 32 bits
> > > > >                 clock: 33MHz
> > > > >                 capabilities: pm msi
> > > > >                 pciexpress
> > > > >                 bus_master cap_list
> > > > >                 configuration: driver=HDA
> > > > >                 Intel
> > > > >                 latency=0
> > > > >                 resources: irq:25
> > > > >                 memory:fe97c000-fe97ffff
> > > > >
> > > > > (I have a MSI GT430 (nvidia) card and onboard audio:
> > > > >         *-multimedia
> > > > >
> > > > >              description: Audio device
> > > > >              product: SBx00 Azalia (Intel HDA)
> > > > >              vendor: ATI Technologies Inc
> > > > >              physical id: 14.2
> > > > >              bus info: pci@0000:00:14.2
> > > > >              version: 40
> > > > >              width: 64 bits
> > > > >              clock: 33MHz
> > > > >              capabilities: pm bus_master
> > > > >              cap_list
> > > > >              configuration: driver=HDA Intel
> > > > >              latency=64
> > > > >              resources: irq:16
> > > > >              memory:fcaf8000-fcafbfff
> > > > >
> > > > > ).
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > lspci -k of those device/chips/whatever does say for the
> > > > > nvidia
> > > > > audio:
> > > > >
> > > > > 08:00.1 Audio device: nVidia Corporation GF108 High
> > > > > Definition Audio Controller (rev a1) Subsystem: Micro-Star
> > > > > International Co., Ltd. Device 2304
> > > > >
> > > > > 	Kernel driver in use: HDA Intel
> > > > > 	Kernel modules: snd-hda-intel
> > > > >
> > > > > but...for what reason there is an audio device in my
> > > > > graphics card?
> > > > > Sounds to me like a bicycle with onboard toaster... ;)
> > > >
> > > > hdmi.
> > > > Because hdmi is able to transport sound. Also look up the DRM
> > > > mess.
> > > >
> > > > > for the smbus thingy as for the ISA-bridge there no
> > > > > additional info. For what reason there is an ISA bridge on
> > > > > a board which skipped floppy controller and IDE???
> > > >
> > > > yes.
> > > >
> > > > > How can I make what use of it?
> > > >
> > > > you probably already do.
> > >
> > > How do you define "probably" ? :)
> >
> > well, your board is able to boot. So the bios is able to access spdrom
> > to read the memory settings. This is done via smbus.
> > If you use sensors, you are probably using isa/lipc bus to access the
> > chip. And even if you don't. Do you have a ps/2 keyboard? The keyboard
> > controller sits in the same superio chip as the sensors.
>
> Ah! I see...but I would think, that the driver for the kbd and/or the
> access to the sensors would led to a "Kernel driver in use:"- or
> "Kernel modules:"-entry when using lspci -k, where the SMBUS-thingy
> is listed. But nothing...
>
> ?

for the kernel the keyboard controller is a different entity ;)
the kernel sees the 'old' keyboard driver - a logical equivalent to the old 
intel 8042. And that is not a pci device.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_controller_(computing)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_8042