t61 bios 2.30, new Conexant audio chip

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[New functions or enhancements]
- Added support for the new Conexant audio chip.

Does this mean newer revisions of the motherboard are being made ?

http://support.lenovo.com/en_GR/downloa ... MIGR-67988

[RealBlackStuff]

Unlikely, they stopped producing them altogether in late 2008, AFAIK.
Unless some really important, undocumented, improvement shows up, apply/stick with the appropriate Middleton BIOS.

[TTY]

[New functions or enhancements]
- Added support for the new Conexant audio chip.

It could be that this refers to the V.90 modem on the communications daughter card. The modem does use Conexant drivers.

There was or is an issue with substantial power consumption under Vista during hibernation on the T61. The high power consumption is caused by the HD audio controller. I'm not sure whether that refers to the audio chip from Analog Devices or to the Conexant chip on the communications daughter card. If it refers to the latter, the BIOS update might address the problem. In such case, it seems advisable to update the BIOS.

[Kamika007z]

Strange thought: Do you think this may help with DPC latency issues that the T61 series has been plagued with?

Has anyone installed it? I would love to, but I am running Middleton's 2.29, which I had personally requested on the notebookreview.com forums a while back when 2.29 just came out. I doubt he'd update it again, let alone even check the new posts.

If anyone knows or noticed an improved DPC latency with 2.30, please let us know!

Thanks!!

[TuuS]

I did read up on this some time ago, but it was of no interest to me since this update was only regarding the modem. If I'm not mistaken, I think it's to improve or enable use of voice over dialup connections. This was an exciting idea over a decade ago, but I can't imagine anyone really caring about it now.

[Kamika007z]

Reading a bit further about this... it looks like once you update the BIOS to 2.30, you will need to update the sound card driver.

http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloa ... D=DS003543

•[Important] Supported both for Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Vista.
•(New) Added the support for AD1984A of audio CODEC. The supported BIOS is needed.
Supported model: ThinkPad T61 (attached AD1984A audio CODEC)
Supported BIOS : 2.30(7LETD0WW) or later

I'm still wondering if there is any improvement in audio crackle/DPC latencies...

Has anyone tried this? I'm stuck on middleton's 2.29 BIOS and can't really upgrade due to my wifi card...

[eyeland]

I'm still wondering if there is any improvement in audio crackle/DPC latencies...

When do you get crackles and such? Which Daw? When using onboard soundcard or also with external?

(MOD correction)

[TuuS]

When do you get crackles and such? Which Daw? When using onboard soundcard or also with external?

Not sure how you managed it, but you seemed to have quoted my name with something I didn't say. As for this bios update, it's only change is to the 56k modem which in the past 5 years I have never used even once, so I'm certainly not going to have witnessed such problems with it, nor am I going to install this bios and lose my SATA2, dual ida mode, enhanced slic, and get that dammmm whitelist back. The middleton bios is still the way to go.

(MOD correction: TuuS --> Kamika007z in post above yours)

[Radioguy]

Middleton's probably off on some tropical island sipping a daiquiri while blissfully unaware of our new desperate need.

[eyeland]

I'm still wondering if there is any improvement in audio crackle/DPC latencies...

This is how it should have been, must have been a bug or or something that it was posted as your quote? wierd
Anyways, the question to Kami still pertains

[TuuS]

Middleton's probably off on some tropical island sipping a daiquiri while blissfully unaware of our new desperate need.

Actually I spoke to middleton several months ago, and since I've been using his bios on every board I provide to members of the community I offered to distribute his contact info with a request to send him a dollar or two for his work. He politely declined my offer, which speaks volumes to his motives that have been questions because of the topic he posted his bios updates in being about paying for the work, but those who criticize don't notice it wasn't middleton that posted the topic, it was another member and although at first middleton was accepting donations, he is no longer seeking any. I also know that he is aware of the bios update but has no plans on redoing his work because this update is insignificant since it only effects the modem which works fine with his bios. I don't have all the specifics about the update as I've lost all interest in dial-up technology, but I believe it's only to apply new support for voice over dialup usage so you can send and receive voice phone calls while using dialup on the same line. A couple decades ago that would have been revolutionary, but today it's just... Yawn... *eyes glaze over* yeah, what were we talking about again? lol

Anyway, at the time I talked to him he had no intention of ongoing updates, but if something did come up that needed updating, I'm sure he would either help us, or share his work with another engineer to continue in his footsteps, since much of his work was also based on other work of other modders. If I'm not mistaken, he was just the final piece of the puzzle, removing the sata2 cap, the other mods were completed by others and incorporated by him.

By the way, if you're reading this Mr Middleton, come to the usa sometime and I'll buy you a drink,

Cheers

TuuS

[Radioguy]

But he has the daiquiri...

It's needless to say, or should be, but he should be canonized by The Church of Latter-Day ThinkPads. Sadly, the Lenovo Community hasn't shone their "Community Spotlight" on him, but it's deserved.

[TuuS]

I think Middleton's been well recognized by the thinkpad community, and ironically I don't even think he uses thinkpads, just stepped up when he saw the need. He definitely won't be forgotten.

[Kamika007z]

I'm still wondering if there is any improvement in audio crackle/DPC latencies...

This is how it should have been, must have been a bug or or something that it was posted as your quote? wierd
Anyways, the question to Kami still pertains

Sorry for the really really late response. I get the high DPS latency spikes when the onboard sound car is used.

[Kamika007z]

I think Middleton's been well recognized by the thinkpad community, and ironically I don't even think he uses thinkpads, just stepped up when he saw the need. He definitely won't be forgotten.

I too have gotten in touch with Middleton and he expressed that he has no desire on modifying any future BIOSes. He also mentioned that he has forgotten how he went about modifying the T61p's BIOS to enable SATA II speeds.

So 2.29 is our best bet and I'm willing to bet that version 2.30 is nothing but a modem update and nothing more.

My deepest thanks goes out to Middleton for doing what we all thought at one point was not possible. Thank you sir!

[Amigaman]

Did anyone see this: http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/documents/ht001310

Proably just an erroneous page on Lenovo's website (wouldn't be the first time), even though it links to the 2.30 BIOS as a "critical" update (although the README of the BIOS update itself says nothing as all others have already said).

Also I can't find any Intel specification update document from 2012 onwards that has anything pertinent in it...

[RealBlackStuff]

Consider it the usual Lenovo blunder.
Same-old, same-old:

Code: Select all

CHANGES IN THIS RELEASE
  Version 2.30-1.08

[Important updates]
  Nothing.

[New functions or enhancements]
- Added support for the new Conexant audio chip.

[Problem fixes]
  Nothing.