dvb-fe-tool is a tool to inspect and change the tuning parameters directly at the Digital TV frontend. If called without any parameter, it will show the device capabilities.
The following options are valid:
-3, --dvbv3 Use DVBv3 only
-a, --adapter=ADAPTER Digital TV adapter to use. Default: 0.
-A, --acoustical beeps if signal quality is good. Also enables femon mode. Please notice that console beep should be enabled on your wm.
-d, --set-delsys=PARAMS Sets delivery system to the one specified at PARAMS. use help to show all supported delivery systems.
-f, --frontend=FRONTEND Digital TV frontend to use. Default: 0.
-g, --get Gets frontend parameters.
-m, --femon Monitors the frontend locking status and the available statistics for a frontend that it is already being streaming via some other application. This opens the frontend on read-only mode.
-v, --verbose Enables debug messages.
-?, --help Outputs the usage help.
--usage Gives a short usage message.
-V, --version Prints program version.
$ dvb-fe-tool Device DRXK DVB-C DVB-T (/dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0) capabilities: CAN_FEC_1_2 CAN_FEC_2_3 CAN_FEC_3_4 CAN_FEC_5_6 CAN_FEC_7_8 CAN_FEC_AUTO CAN_GUARD_INTERVAL_AUTO CAN_HIERARCHY_AUTO CAN_INVERSION_AUTO CAN_MUTE_TS CAN_QAM_16 CAN_QAM_32 CAN_QAM_64 CAN_QAM_128 CAN_QAM_256 CAN_RECOVER CAN_TRANSMISSION_MODE_AUTO DVB API Version 5.10, Current v5 delivery system: DVBC/ANNEX_A Supported delivery systems: [DVBC/ANNEX_A] DVBC/ANNEX_C DVBT
This feature allows one to use those legacy applications.
$ dvb-fe-tool -d dvbc/annex_c Changing delivery system to: DVBC/ANNEX_C
The tool can also be used to get the current settings. In this case, it will open the frontend at read-only mode, allowing it to be called while some other digital TV application is running.
$ dvb-fe-tool -g FREQUENCY = 573000000 MODULATION = QAM/256 INVERSION = AUTO SYMBOL_RATE = 5217000 INNER_FEC = NONE DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBC/ANNEX_A
The dvb-fe-tool can also be used to monitor a DVB frontend statistics without touching on the device, using the --femon (or -m) parameter. The typical usage is to be able to read the statistics while some other DVB program or application is in use.
On this mode, it will keep printing the frontend statistics on every second, until the program is aborted with CTRL-C:
For example, while dvbv5-zap is tuning some channel, it will produce:
$ dvb-fe-tool --femon
Lock (0x1f) Quality= Good Signal= 100.00% C/N= 36.40dB UCB= 370 postBER= 28.0x10^-6 PER= 0
Lock (0x1f) Quality= Good Signal= 100.00% C/N= 36.80dB UCB= 370 postBER= 25.3x10^-6 PER= 0
Lock (0x1f) Quality= Good Signal= 100.00% C/N= 36.30dB UCB= 370 postBER= 25.7x10^-6 PER= 0
Lock (0x1f) Quality= Good Signal= 100.00% C/N= 36.30dB UCB= 370 postBER= 28.4x10^-6 PER= 0
Lock (0x1f) Quality= Good Signal= 100.00% C/N= 36.50dB UCB= 370 postBER= 26.5x10^-6 PER= 0
Lock (0x1f) Quality= Good Signal= 100.00% C/N= 36.50dB UCB= 370 postBER= 26.9x10^-6 PER= 0
Lock (0x1f) Quality= Good Signal= 100.00% C/N= 36.20dB UCB= 370 postBER= 28.6x10^-6 PER= 0
Lock (0x1f) Quality= Good Signal= 100.00% C/N= 36.70dB UCB= 370 postBER= 26.7x10^-6 PER= 0
Lock (0x1f) Quality= Good Signal= 100.00% C/N= 36.80dB UCB= 370 postBER= 23.3x10^-6 PER= 0
Lock (0x1f) Quality= Good Signal= 100.00% C/N= 36.50dB UCB= 370 postBER= 26.7x10^-6 PER= 0
If the standard error device is the console, the messages will be colored according with the signal quality.
The presented statistics types and unities will depend on the ones that the hardware you're using support. So, it may vary from hardware to hardware.
On this mode, it also supports to output an audible signal if the quality is good, using the '-A' parameter.
Please notice that, on modern Linux systems, the system audio should be enabled at your window manager and the audio theme should be set to produce an audio when BELL (character) is sent to the terminal.
License GPLv2: GNU GPL version 2 <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.