alsa-tools/usx2yloader/README

    USX2YLOADER - Second Phase Firmware loader for Tascam USX2Y USB soundcards
	    2003-09-15 Karsten Wiese <annabellesgarden@yahoo.de>


GENERAL
=======

Usx2yloader is a helper program to load the 2nd Phase firmware binaries
onto the Tascam USX2Y USB soundcards.
It has proven to work so far for the US122, US224 and US428.
The snd-usb-usx2y module requires this program.


USX2Y initialisation outlined
=============================

A.  Phase 1
A.1.  USx2y is plugged to the PC and powered on.
      This makes the kernel see a new USB-device with the Vendor/Product
      ID 0x1604/0x8000 (US428), 0x1604/0x8004 (US224) or 0x1604/0x8006 
      (US122).
      The kernel reacts by starting the usb-hotplug script.
A.2.  The usb-hotplug script starts the executable fxload,
      which transfers the EZUSB firmware to the USx2y.
A.3.  The USx2y disconnects itself from the USB-Bus and ... (see Phase 2).

B.  Phase 2
B.1.  The USx2y reintroduces itself as USB-device with the Vendor/Product
      ID 0x1604/0x8001 (US428), 0x1604/0x8005 (US224) or 0x1604/0x8007
      (US122)
      The kernel reacts by loading the module snd-usb-usx2y, if it is not
      already loaded.
B.2   The module snd-usb-usx2y "takes" the USx2y as its device and sets up
      a "hardware dependent interface".
      (The module doesn't create any pcm nor midi devices now.)
B.3   Subsequently the kernel starts the usb-hotplug script, which launches
      usx2yloader.
B.4   usx2yloader transfers the 2nd Phase firmware binary to the USx2y by means
      of the "hardware dependent interface". When this transfer finishes,
      the snd-usb-usx2y module creates the pcm- and midi-devices.
      Initialisation is complete.


USAGE
=====

When usx2yloader is invoked without options, it will probe all existing
soundcards until a valid USX2Y-driver is found.  If a valid USX2Y-driver is
found, usx2yloader reads the board type from the driver.  The corresponding
firmware binaries are then read and transferred to the driver.
Finally, usx2yloader initializes the PCM, MIDI and the mixer devices on the
driver for making the soundcard full functional.

Instead of auto-probing, you can specify the card number or the hwdep
device name or the usb device name via -c, -D or -u options, respectively.

	% usx2yloader -c 1
	% usx2yloader -D hw:0
	% usx2yloader -u /proc/bus/usb/001/003

For loading everything automatically in response to a hotplug event
there are the hotplug script files
 - tascam_fw.usermap
 - tascam_fw
 - tascam_fpga
and the Firmwarefiles.
You also need fxload and hotplug to be installed.


FIRMWAREFILES
=============

The firmware binaries are installed on /usr/share/alsa/firmware/usx2yloader
(or /usr/local/share/alsa/firmware/usx2yloader, depending to the
prefix option of configure).  There will be *.conf files, which
define the dsp image files for each different card type.


COPYRIGHT
=========

Copyright (c) 2003 Karsten Wiese <annabellesgarden@yahoo.de>
Distributable under GPL.

The firmware files included in alsa-firmware package are copyright
by Tascam / TEAC Corporation.