Ernst du Toit wrote:

> Are you running -current for the SPDIF functionality?

I'm using current at the moment. But I've started with 1.5. I found
alternative sources for the cmpci drivers at cvsweb. I patched the kernel
and it worked. NetBSD-current has working SPDIF out-of-the-box.

> I'm on 1.5.2 using driver:
> $NetBSD: cmpci.c,v 1.3.2.1 2000/06/30 16:27:49 simonb Exp $

Too old. You could try "itohy" from somewhat 2001 but using a snapshot of
1.5ZA/B/C is probably easier.

> So either one needs -current or my 8738 is the SX or LX version that
> does not have SPDIF support. 

Are there really two different chips? I know there's a 8738 and a 8738B
but the only difference is that the second supports 6 channels, the first
*only* 4.

> From the data sheet it looks like the chips
> are pin compatible, so the manufacturer could have placed the lower spec
> chip on the board and left the connectors off.
> 
> I'll have to pull the card tonight to confirm my theory.

I don't know an alternative. FYI, I bought the card *with optical tos-link
extension* for 35 EUR (about 30 US-$).