Getting IEEE-1394 FireWIre interfaces to work in Windows 10 (64-bit):

studio-4 wrote on 6/5/2021, 1:45 PM

Although much of this information has already been posted, it's scattered among several camera-specific threads, so I thought I'd create a more search-friendly thread with a more general title. Most here have read the excellent studio1productions.com article on the subject here. I've gone through the studio1 steps as carefully as I could, yet still encountered a number of issues on a new Windows 10 Pro 64-bit system with all current updates (full system-specs are in my signature):

First attempt (TI-chipped interface):

I first bought a $59 StarTech IEEE1394 low-profile PCIe interface card from B+H. Note that this card has the TI-chipset, which the studio1 article doesn't recommend. I downloaded and installed the Windows 64-bit legacy driver linked on the site. Though the installation only resulted in "successful" dialog boxes from Windows after each step, the card never appears in device manager (note: I never attempted to connect a powered-on FireWIre device to the StarTech card):

1. Downloaded 1394_OHCI_LegacyDriver.msi.
2. Opened the x64_driver folder and "successfully" installed the Legacy1394.inf file.
3. Windows' device manager never recognized the StarTech interface.
4. I deleted/uninstalled the device/driver in device manager and returned the card to B+H.

Second attempt (VIA-chipped interface):

Next, I bought a generic-branded FireWire PCIe card ("Godshark") from Amazon for $16.99. I made sure this one had the VIA-chipset as the studio1 article recommends. Again, after following the studio1 instructions, Windows' device manager failed to recognize the legacy driver. Every time I boot the computer, the VIA driver is already installed. So I again attempt to uninstall the VIA driver. However, when I attempt to manually install the Windows' 64-bit legacy driver (even though the initial "installation" prompted no error messages), the VIA driver continues to re-appear in device manager and the already "installed" Legacy1394.inf driver never appears.

1. Installed VIA_chipped 1394-interface into PCIe slot 1.
2. Re-boot.
3. "VIA 1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller" appears under IEEE 1394 controllers.
4. Delete VIA driver.
5. Install Windows' 64-bit legacy driver.
6. "VIA 1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller" re-appears under IEEE 1394 controllers.

A couple of issues occurred sometime during this process:

1. POST error: "Poisoned TLP on slot 5" PCI-to-PCI bridge error (tried three different PCIe slots).
2. PCI Serial Port "Code 28" error in device manager.

Even the motherboard's BIOS got confused (which I never altered) and booted in an odd resolution (which a single re-boot "fixed"). I tried every troubleshooting task I could think of (e.g., removing devices, uninstalling drivers/reinstalling drivers, etc.). Prior to starting this whole process, I had no error messages in device manager and a clean-install of Windows 10 Pro 64-bit with only Vegas Movie Studio, FXhome Intensity, and Blackmagic Media Express installed.

Throughout this second attempt, I've had a Sony DSR11 DVCAM playback deck powered-on, playing back a miniDV tape with its FireWIre output connected to the 1394 interface's FireWIre400 port.

Lastly, I pulled the Blackmagic Intensity Pro 4K HDMI capture card from the system. Neither of Vegas' two capture tools see the device. I have downloaded and run the WinDV free capture utility and no device is found. The only other board remaining in the system is the display adapter which shipped with the computer.

Note that according to Windows' device manager, under "IEEE 1394 host controllers," the "VIA 1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller" general dialogue box continues to indicate, "This device is working properly," which it always says when the VIA driver is installed. When attempting to manually install the 64-bit legacy driver, Windows overrides my installation and re-installs the VIA driver, saying "Windows has determined this driver to be the best." There are no '!' marks or error messages under IEEE 1394 host controllers and I am unable to permanently remove the VIA host controller driver which simply reappears after every re-boot.

The persistent Windows' device manager error ('!') remains under "other devices → PCI Serial Port," and results in a "Code 28" error message. I believe this occurred during the VIA card installation attempt (though it may have happened after removing the StarTech card—I can't recall).

I know the next step is to go back to ground-zero and start all over again (i.e., pull every board, and uninstall every piece of software and driver). However, I cannot eliminate the ominous-sounding "Poisoned TLP on slot X" POST-error. This happens no matter which slot I install the VIA card into, so it's as if the VIA hardware itself is causing some kind of basic POST-issue.

Windows had also alerted me to a "PCI-to-PCI bridge" error at some point (I don't recall exactly where), which I can only guess is related to the POST-error. I'm assuming that until I resolve this, nothing else is going to move forward.

Now, this VIA card is exactly like the one pictured in the studio1 article, and when installed, device manager shows no errors whatsoever (i.e.,"this device is working properly"). Yet the POST-error only occurs when the card is in the machine, and no other Windows apps (other than device manager) is able to see the card. Perhaps try another VIA card?

Comments

studio-4 wrote on 6/8/2021, 7:11 PM

Success!

Holy crap! I can't believe I got it to work. When I attempted to install the VIA card again today, my PC lost all internet connectivity (I have it hard-wired to an Ethernet switch). After about a dozen re-boots, BIOS downloads, and system patches, everything finally worked again. Doesn't capture correctly in WinDV, and not at all in VEGAS Capture, but it works in Vegas' "capture video" applet (located under Vegas' project menu). Here's the highlights:

1. Updated HP motherboard BIOS and installed a serial-port patch from HP.
2. PCI-to-PCI bridge/serial-port error ('!') disappeared in device manager.
3. Installed Windows' 64-bit 1394 legacy driver.
4. Got "Poisoned TLP slot" error on re-boot.
5. Rebooted PC.
6. No serial-port error in device manager.
7. Put a miniDV tape into my Sony DSR11 player and hit "play."
8. Vegas "capture video" applet saw the incoming DV video and successfully captured the bitstream!

I was super-surprised that everything worked even after getting the "poisoned TLP slot" error again. But it did. Now, I'm crossing my fingers that my Blackmagic Intensity Pro 4K card will work once I reinstall it.

studio-4 wrote on 6/8/2021, 7:33 PM

However, there's a problem. The original footage was shot at 480p24 (23.976), shot at a 1/48th shutter-speed with a native 16:9-format, 24p-capable camera, a Sony DSR450. So, the source video is 23.976, progressive. The capture is recording an interlaced signal (I can see the lines, especially on movement, plus there's also some weird ghosting when the subject moves). Will see if another capture application can do this correctly.

Also, the ghosting appears to be a pulldown-error. At a 1/48th shutter-speed, some motion-blur is to be expected, but the motion appears slightly artifacted (i.e., unnatural), which may suggest an incompatible 3:2-pulldown algorithm somewhere in the chain.

studio-4 wrote on 6/8/2021, 8:38 PM

NOT!

Vegas can no longer see the DVCAM playback video: No device-errors reported in device manager.

And now . . . it doesn't work. I captured one clip using Vegas' "capture video" applet directly into Vegas and it worked. One re-boot later, and the darned VIA 1394 driver re-appeared in device manager. Again, I "searched for drivers on my PC" and re-installed the Windows' 64-bit legacy driver. Reboot. Now Vegas' ingest tool shows only a black screen while tape is playing back in my DVCAM VTR. It senses the VTR's position, and its counter "knows" when I'm playing, rewinding, etc. (though, no device-control), but NO VIDEO!

1. Re-installed the legacy driver in device manager.
2. PC immediately re-boots on its own (as it did before).
3. PC boots into a POST-error: "Poisoned TLP slot."
4. Vegas' "capture video" tool sees the device, but no image.
5. Uninstalled the legacy driver.
6. Reboot into POST-error.
7. Windows automatically replaces the legacy driver in device manager.
8. Still no video in capture window.

Now, it works???

While I was typing this, I turned to the screen and I see video in Vegas' capture video display! As I hot-swapped the FireWIre cable in and out of the VIA-card's two inputs, Vegas continually "found" the "Sony camcorder/VTR" device, but the screen remained black and captured zero frames. Odd. But it's working now (at least for the moment).

Here's the video I posted earlier with a couple of new shots from the "control room," ingested with my new FireWire PCIe card (note: there is no audio):

FayFen wrote on 6/8/2021, 11:25 PM

Try this

http://windv.mourek.cz/

studio-4 wrote on 6/8/2021, 11:37 PM

Thanks, but I already tried it and couldn't get WinDV to work.

Former user wrote on 6/9/2021, 9:14 AM

I remember problems similar to what you described when either the fire cable or the connectors on the camera were bad. Try another cable. If the connectors on the camera are going bad, not sure what you can do.

studio-4 wrote on 6/9/2021, 2:06 PM

Thanks, I did think to try that but because I had full transport-control and tape-position information in the capture-app, I assumed it was okay. Anyway it's working for moment.