[PlanetCCRMA] Were's the weak link?

[linuxmedia4 at netscape.net]

Hi,

I installed the Indigo IO card on my FC5/CCRMA system. I've done 
everything I could think (or was suggested) to optimize my system to 
allow for smooth, uninterrupted recording, including buying a 7200rpm 
drive, tunning my hard disk, trying different 'Frames/Period' and 
'Periods/Buffer' settings in qjackctl. I read several articles about 
IRQs but haven't changed anything in relation to IRQs because I was 
under the impression that FC5/CCRMA has a program that reorders the IRQs 
so the sound card is favored. But any input on IRQs (or anything) is 
welcome.

I'm running ecasound and jackd (both with realtime priorities). When 
recording or in playback, sometimes I hear disruptions, but they don't 
always end up in the actual recording. But there are *always* a few 
noticeable pops, clicks or the (rare) loss of data in the actual 
recorded audio files.

Can anyone spot where the "weak link" is in my system. I put in this 
post (what I believe) is the most relevant information...

My system...
Dell Precision M50 laptop
2 GHz Processor
1 Gig Ram
2.6.16-1.2080.16.rrt.rhfc5.ccrma
7200rpm hard drive

'cat /proc/interrupts' shows:

   0: 3945911  XT-PIC [........N/  0]  pit
   1:    2898  XT-PIC [........./  6]  i8042
   2:       0  XT-PIC [........N/  0]  cascade
   5:   16931  XT-PIC [........./  0]  Intel 82801CA-ICH3 Modem, Intel 
82801CA-ICH3
   7:       4  XT-PIC [..P....../  0]  parport0
   8:       1  XT-PIC [........./  0]  rtc
   9:       2  XT-PIC [........./  0]  acpi
  11:    8900  XT-PIC [........./  0]  yenta, yenta, yenta, pcmcia2.0, 
Indigo IO, uhci_hcd:usb1, uhci_hcd:usb2, ohci1394
  12:   78714  XT-PIC [........./  6]  i8042
  14:   74419  XT-PIC [........./  1]  ide0
NMI:       0
LOC:       0
ERR:       0
MIS:       0

'/sbin/hdparm /dev/hda' shows...

  multcount    = 16 (on)
  IO_support   =  3 (32-bit w/sync)
  unmaskirq    =  0 (off)
  using_dma    =  1 (on)
  keepsettings =  0 (off)
  readonly     =  0 (off)
  readahead    = 256 (on)
  geometry     = 16383/255/63, sectors = 117210240, start = 0

(3 reads of) 'hdparm -Tt /dev/hda'...

/dev/hda:
  Timing cached reads:   1368 MB in  2.00 seconds = 683.60 MB/sec
  Timing buffered disk reads:  112 MB in  3.03 seconds =  36.93 MB/sec
/dev/hda:
  Timing cached reads:   1368 MB in  2.00 seconds = 682.87 MB/sec
  Timing buffered disk reads:  120 MB in  3.02 seconds =  39.68 MB/sec
/dev/hda:
  Timing cached reads:   1368 MB in  2.00 seconds = 683.64 MB/sec
  Timing buffered disk reads:  120 MB in  3.02 seconds =  39.75 MB/sec

Thanks,
Rocco