OmniVision USB monitor webcam works but its microphone does not
I have a Dell SP2208WFP monitor with built-in webcam and microphone that both work fine under Windows XP. Under Ubuntu 9.04, the webcam works (I can see my video in Ekiga softphone), but the webcam microphone does not.
The webcam microphone is always switched off in the Volume Control. When I turn it on, nothing happens and as soon as I reopen the Volume Control window, the webcam mic shows as switched off again.
alsamixer shows the Capture level for the webcam mic at 75 level, which is normal. I can increase or decrease the capture level, but it does not seem to have any effect on the mic.
When I try recording something using the webcam mic, I get errors:
val@ubuntu:~$ arecord -f cd -D hw:1,0 -d 20 test.wav
Recording WAVE 'test.wav' : Signed 16 bit Little Endian, Rate 44100 Hz, Stereo
arecord: set_params:939: Broken configuration for this PCM: no configurations available
When I try using this microphone is my input device in Skype 2.0.0.72, I get "Problem with Audio Capture".
Here is some additional information about my system configuration:
val@ubuntu:~$ cat /proc/asound/cards
0 [Audigy2 ]: Audigy2 - Audigy 2 [SB0350b]
1 [SP2208WFP ]: USB-Audio - Monitor Webcam (SP2208WFP)
val@ubuntu:~$ cat /proc/asound/
Mic-OmniVision Technologies, Inc.538-
Capture:
Status: Stop
Interface 3
Altset 1
Format: 0x2
Channels: 2
Endpoint: 4 IN (SYNC)
Rates: 48000, 44100, 32000, 24000, 22050, 16000, 12000, 11025, 8000
val@ubuntu:~$ arecord --list-devices
**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Audigy2 [Audigy 2 [SB0350b]], device 0: emu10k1 [ADC Capture/Standard PCM Playback]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Audigy2 [Audigy 2 [SB0350b]], device 1: emu10k1 mic [Mic Capture]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Audigy2 [Audigy 2 [SB0350b]], device 2: emu10k1 efx [Multichannel Capture/PT Playback]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Audigy2 [Audigy 2 [SB0350b]], device 4: p16v [p16v]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: SP2208WFP [Monitor Webcam (SP2208WFP)], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
val@ubuntu:~$ lsusb --verbose (I have included only the relevant parts of output!)
...
Bus 001 Device 007: ID 05a9:2643 OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
Device Descriptor:
bLength 18
bDescriptorType 1
bcdUSB 2.00
bDeviceClass 239 Miscellaneous Device
bDeviceSubClass 2 ?
bDeviceProtocol 1 Interface Association
bMaxPacketSize0 64
idVendor 0x05a9 OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
idProduct 0x2643
bcdDevice 1.00
iManufacturer 1 Mic-OmniVision Technologies, Inc.538-
iProduct 2 Monitor Webcam (SP2208WFP)
iSerial 0
bNumConfigura
...
Configuration Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 2
wTotalLength 1051
bNumInterfaces 4
bConfigurat
iConfiguration 0
bmAttributes 0x80
(Bus Powered)
MaxPower 500mA
Interface Association:
bLength 8
bDescript
bFirstInt
bInterfac
bFunction
bFunction
bFunction
iFunction 0
Interface Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescript
bInterfac
bAlternat
bNumEndpoints 0
bInterfac
bInterfac
bInterfac
iInterface 0
AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
bLength 9
bcdADC 1.00
AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
bLength 12
bTerminalID 1
bNrChannels 2
iTerminal 0
AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
bLength 9
bTerminalID 2
bSourceID 3
iTerminal 0
AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
bLength 13
bUnitID 3
bSourceID 1
Mute
Volume
Automatic Gain
Loudness
iFeature 0
I have googled extensively in search of a solution to this problem and found quite a few conversations on this subject, however none of the proposed solutions helped me. Here is a partial list of resources and suggestions I tried without success so far:
ALSA module configuration:
http://
Setting up uvcvideo drivers:
http://
Tweaking up alsa-base.conf settings:
http://
[Alsa-user] microphone setup on Dell Monitor Webcam (SP2208WFP) (same problem, no solution):
http://<email address hidden>
Configuring USB microphones on Linux:
http://
Now, here is a part from /var/log/syslog that looks highly suspicious since line three below directly refers to card1, which is my webcam usb microphone capture card:
Jul 19 11:46:03 ubuntu pulseaudio[5003]: alsa-util.c: Cannot find fallback mixer control "PCM" or mixer control is no combination of switch/volume.
Jul 19 11:46:03 ubuntu pulseaudio[5003]: alsa-util.c: Cannot find fallback mixer control "Mic" or mixer control is no combination of switch/volume.
Jul 19 11:46:04 ubuntu pulseaudio[5003]: alsa-util.c: Failed to set hardware parameters on plug:hw:1: Invalid argument
Any ideas what hardware parameters might be causing the problem? It does very much look like something is either missing or incorrect in my system configuration!
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