UNIAUD Update: Thinkpad X250 - The Perfect ArcaOS Laptop

[Sigurd Fastenrath]

Thanks to Abwillis1 (Bugtracker 2637) Sound is now working on the Thinkpad X250 (and evtl. some more other models) including Volume Control!

AbWillis1 writes i.e.:

With unitest1, I see that the speaker playback volume is 0.
With unitest1:
unimix -id1 -val87 -cnt0
unimix -id1 -val87 -cnt1

These can be added to startup.cmd if they produce sound like they look like they should.

So, The Thinkpad X250 is one of the recommended ArcaOS Laptops now, as there is:

- ArcaOS can be installed from USB Stick (BIOS settings needed)
- there is still USB 2.0 support with this Laptop
- FullHD Resolution is working
- LAN is working
- about 2.9 GB of RAM is visible, RAM Disk is working
- Sound is working with this patched UNIAUD (attached)
- DOS and WINOS2 are working (without DOS window) with the VIOP Patch

-> so I can start my ArcaOS Channel using this Hardware then!

All the congrats and credits to abwillis1 and the ArcaOS Team for geiving help, advice and support via the Bugtracker!

@ Blondeguy: can you test it with the T450s as I do not have this hardware anymore?
I will test it with the Thinkpad 25 as well.

EDIT: I deleted the uni file as I do not know by now if it is allowed to chare it or if it is due to softwaresubscriptions regulations not allowed.

[Mike Kölling]

I can confirm for my X250, that Sound is now working.
Wiki for the X250 updated today.
Greetings form Potsdam / Germany,
Mike

[Sigurd Fastenrath]

Just to inform: I have been contacted by ArcaNoae and informed that it was more or less not a good idea from me that I uploaded the uniaud test file to the Forums. I already did delete it on my own after a few hours.

So I do not know when this patch will be published and if it will be "closed source" or not. I write this because some users already asked me wich X250 model would fit best (indeed I would guess it will work with any X250 ) and want to inform, that the sound driver may bot ne public available. Please keep this in mind once you plan to buy an X250. For more Information you better contact ArcaNoae direct.

All the best.

[Martin Iturbide]

Hi Sigurd.

But I think it will be  ok to share the link  for the people that have access to the AN bugtracker.
Here it goes: https://mantis.arcanoae.com/view.php?id=2637

Regards

[Neil Waldhauer]

I have access to the new uniaud driver.

This works on the T450s slightly better than the UniAud32.sys in ArcaOS 5.0.4. In the new driver, the volume control works, while in the release driver, sounds are always the same level.

The same is true for the T540. I've been without working volume control for Uniaud so long I've forgotten how to properly test it. It seems to work better with the new driver. Other than volume control, for both these machines, there is very little difference. Neither machine can use the built in speakers.

[Lars]

Have you run "unimix -list" to see what controls your audio device has ? Maybe you will find a switch that you need to turn on to have audio play via the built in speakers. The control names are fairly self explanatory.

[Neil Waldhauer]

Indeed I did. For the current ArcaOS uniaud driver on the T540p, this is the unimix list.

Code: [Select]

Command line mixer for UNIAUD32. Version 1.1
Detected UNIAUD version 2.02.05
Detected 1 audio adapter(s)
Control list for adapter 0

Control ID: 1
Interface: virtual mixer device
Device(client): -270333520, subdevice (substream) 0
Name: [Capture Switch]
Index: 0
Element type: boolean type
Count of values: 2
Value:
 Bounds: min: 0, max: 1, step: 0
  value 0: 1
  value 1: 1

Control ID: 2
Interface: virtual mixer device
Device(client): -270333520, subdevice (substream) 0
Name: [Capture Volume]
Index: 0
Element type: integer type
Count of values: 2
Value:
 Bounds: min: 0, max: 63, step: 0
  value 0: 40
  value 1: 40

Control ID: 3
Interface: virtual mixer device
Device(client): 3, subdevice (substream) 0
Name: [Master Playback Volume]
Index: -269297847
Element type: integer type
Count of values: 2
Value:
 Bounds: min: 0, max: 87, step: 0
  value 0: 87
  value 1: 87

And this is the list for the T540p with the new test uniaud driver:

Code: [Select]

Command line mixer for UNIAUD32. Version 1.1
Detected UNIAUD version 2.02.04
Detected 1 audio adapter(s)
Control list for adapter 0

Control ID: 1
Interface: virtual mixer device
Device(client): 0, subdevice (substream) 0
Name: [Speaker Playback Volume]
Index: 0
Element type: integer type
Count of values: 2
Value:
 Bounds: min: 0, max: 87, step: 0
  value 0: 0
  value 1: 0

Control ID: 2
Interface: virtual mixer device
Device(client): 0, subdevice (substream) 0
Name: [Speaker Playback Switch]
Index: 0
Element type: boolean type
Count of values: 2
Value:
 Bounds: min: 0, max: 1, step: 0
  value 0: 1
  value 1: 1

Control ID: 3
Interface: virtual mixer device
Device(client): 0, subdevice (substream) 0
Name: [Headphone Playback Volume]
Index: 0
Element type: integer type
Count of values: 2
Value:
 Bounds: min: 0, max: 87, step: 0
  value 0: 80
  value 1: 80

Control ID: 4
Interface: virtual mixer device
Device(client): 0, subdevice (substream) 0
Name: [Headphone Playback Switch]
Index: 0
Element type: boolean type
Count of values: 2
Value:
 Bounds: min: 0, max: 1, step: 0
  value 0: 1
  value 1: 1

Control ID: 5
Interface: virtual mixer device
Device(client): 0, subdevice (substream) 0
Name: [Internal Mic Boost Volume]
Index: 0
Element type: integer type
Count of values: 2
Value:
 Bounds: min: 0, max: 3, step: 0
  value 0: 0
  value 1: 0

Control ID: 6
Interface: virtual mixer device
Device(client): 0, subdevice (substream) 0
Name: [Mic Boost Volume]
Index: 0
Element type: integer type
Count of values: 2
Value:
 Bounds: min: 0, max: 3, step: 0
  value 0: 0
  value 1: 0

Control ID: 7
Interface: virtual mixer device
Device(client): 0, subdevice (substream) 0
Name: [Capture Switch]
Index: 0
Element type: boolean type
Count of values: 2
Value:
 Bounds: min: 0, max: 1, step: 0
  value 0: 0
  value 1: 0

Control ID: 8
Interface: virtual mixer device
Device(client): 0, subdevice (substream) 0
Name: [Capture Volume]
Index: 0
Element type: integer type
Count of values: 2
Value:
 Bounds: min: 0, max: 63, step: 0
  value 0: 23
  value 1: 23

Control ID: 9
Interface: virtual mixer device
Device(client): 0, subdevice (substream) 0
Name: [Master Playback Volume]
Index: 0
Element type: integer type
Count of values: 1
Value:
 Bounds: min: 0, max: 87, step: 0
  value 0: 16

Control ID: 10
Interface: virtual mixer device
Device(client): 0, subdevice (substream) 0
Name: [Master Playback Switch]
Index: 0
Element type: boolean type
Count of values: 1
Value:
 Bounds: min: 0, max: 1, step: 0
  value 0: 1

Even if I adjust values to turn on Speaker and turn up Speaker Volume, and unplug the headphone output jack, I still get nothing on the speakers. But I do get good sound from the headphone jack that is plugged into a powered speaker.

[Pete]

Hi Neil

Try "upping" the volume on Control ID 9 - 16 is probably too low a value. I presume you have already "upped" the volume on Control ID 1?


Regards

Pete


Control ID: 9
Interface: virtual mixer device
Device(client): 0, subdevice (substream) 0
Name: [Master Playback Volume]
Index: 0
Element type: integer type
Count of values: 1
Value:
 Bounds: min: 0, max: 87, step: 0
  value 0: 16

[Neil Waldhauer]

Through the Arca Noae beta tester program, I have access to an even newer Uniaud that fixes the speaker problem. I have no idea why Arca Noae is not releasing this driver.

The speaker is off by default. On my Thinkpad X250 (Elbopeep), I use the following to turn on the speaker.

Code: [Select]

unimix -id1 -cnt1 -val87
unimix -id1 =cnt0 -val87

After that, the output is to speaker. If I plug in headphones or external speaker, then output goes to headphones or external speaker.

[Pete]

Hi Neil

If the code posted above is correct, no typo, you may want to turn on the other speaker - unless the current statement works which would be interesting to know.

   unimix -id1 =cnt0 -val87   should be  unimix -id1 -cnt0 -val87


What is it about laptops? - they always seem to need speakers turned on during startup. I guess it could be the manufacturers way of saving battery power...


Regards

Pete

[ivan]

Hi all,

Out of curiosity does anyone know where I can find the valid switches for uniaud?  I would like to see if I can get sound working on my Ryzen computer that has both audio and HDMI outputs.  When I try to use unimix it gives an error about device 0 and that's it.

[Pete]

Hi ivan

Do you mean the below?

Regards

Pete



2.2 Device Driver Load Options
--------------------------------

The following options are supported in CONFIG.SYS:

DEVICE=x:\MMOS2\UNIAUD32.SYS /V /C:CARDNAME
  - /A:n - Use audio adapter n where the first adapter is 0. (Really skip n adapters).
  - /V - Verbose
  - /C:DRIVER - Force audio hardware to *only* use the specified driver.
        Where DRIVER is:
      - SBLIVE      : Sound Blaster Live!
      - CS4281      : Cirrus Logic CS4281
      - ALS4000     : Avance Logic ALS4000
      - CMEDIA      : C-Media CMI8738, CMI8338
      - ICH         : Intel ICHx, NFORCE1/2/3
      - CS46XX      : Cirrus Logic CS4280, CS46XX
      - VIA82XX     : VIA VT82C686A/B/C, VT8233A/C, VT8235
      - ESS1938     : ESS Solo-1 (ESS 1938)
      - MAESTRO     : ESS Maestro1/2/2E, TerraTec DMX
      - MAESTRO3    : ESS Maestro3/Allegro/Canyon3D-2
      - YAMAHA      : Yamaha YMF 724/724F/740/740C/744/754
      - ENSONIQ     : Ensoniq AudioPCI ES1371/73, Creative Labs SB PCI64/128
      - ALI5451     : ALI 5451
      - TRIDENT     : Trident 4D Wave, SI7018
Default: Fully automatic operation. Use of switch is not recommended.

DEVICE=x:\MMOS2\UNIAUD16.SYS /V /C /M /L
  - /V - Verbose
  - /C - Enable CD output
  - /M - Enable Microphone output
  - /L - Enable Line-In output
Default: /C ((verbose messages; CD output enabled)

[ivan]

Thanks Pete,  that will give me something to play with.