Configuring SMI problem

I tried to configure SMI due to bad latency tests and receiving the following error when I startup linuxcnc. I have the latest version of linuxcnc running.

This is my rtapi.conf file where I added the code referenced in this document.
wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?FixingSMIIssues


# List of realtime kernel modules to be loaded
if [ "3" = "3" ] ; then \
MODULES="adeos rtai_hal rtai_ksched rtai_fifos rtai_shm rtai_sem rtai_math rtai_smi"
RTAI=3
MODPATH_adeos=
MODPATH_rtai_hal=/usr/realtime-$(uname -r)/modules/rtai_hal.ko
MODPATH_rtai_ksched=/usr/realtime-$(uname -r)/modules/rtai_ksched.ko
MODPATH_rtai_fifos=/usr/realtime-$(uname -r)/modules/rtai_fifos.ko
MODPATH_rtai_shm=
MODPATH_rtai_sem=/usr/realtime-$(uname -r)/modules/rtai_sem.ko
MODPATH_rtai_math=/usr/realtime-$(uname -r)/modules/rtai_math.ko
MODPATH_rtai_smi=/usr/realtime-$(uname -r)/modules/rtai_smi.ko

This is the error I get when I start linuxcnc. I have checked to make sure rtai_smi.ko is in the proper directory and it is. Any ideas why I'm getting the error? Linuxcnc will load fine with the references to rtai_smi removed. My old PC just died and I had purchased a optiplex 740 as a replacement only to find out yesterday this PC has realtime delay errors and a pretty terrible latency in the 7000000 range so I was going to try the smi fix.

Print file information:
RUN_IN_PLACE=no
LINUXCNC_DIR=
LINUXCNC_BIN_DIR=/usr/bin
LINUXCNC_TCL_DIR=/usr/lib/tcltk/linuxcnc
LINUXCNC_SCRIPT_DIR=
LINUXCNC_RTLIB_DIR=/usr/realtime-2.6.32-122-rtai/modules/linuxcnc
LINUXCNC_CONFIG_DIR=
LINUXCNC_LANG_DIR=/usr/share/linuxcnc/tcl/msgs
INIVAR=inivar
HALCMD=halcmd
LINUXCNC_EMCSH=/usr/bin/wish8.5
LINUXCNC - 2.5.2
Machine configuration directory is '/home/davenc/linuxcnc/configs/my-mill'
Machine configuration file is 'my-mill.ini'
INIFILE=/home/davenc/linuxcnc/configs/my-mill/my-mill.ini
PARAMETER_FILE=emc.var
TASK=milltask
HALUI=halui
DISPLAY=axis
Starting LinuxCNC...
Starting LinuxCNC server program: linuxcncsvr
Loading Real Time OS, RTAPI, and HAL_LIB modules
Realtime system did not load
Shutting down and cleaning up LinuxCNC...
Killing task linuxcncsvr, PID=2853
Removing HAL_LIB, RTAPI, and Real Time OS modules
Removing NML shared memory segments
Cleanup done

Debug file information:
Can not find -sec MOT -var MOT -num 1
Can not find -sec IO -var IO -num 1
Can not find -sec LINUXCNC -var NML_FILE -num 1
Can not find -sec EMC -var NML_FILE -num 1
insmod: error inserting '/usr/realtime-2.6.32-122-rtai/modules/rtai_smi.ko': -1 No such device
2853
PID TTY STAT TIME COMMAND
Stopping realtime threads
Unloading hal components
ERROR: Module hal_lib does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module rtapi does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module rtai_smi does not exist in /proc/modules

Kernel message information:
[ 9318.866484] I-pipe: Domain RTAI registered.
[ 9318.866492] RTAI[hal]: <3.8.1> mounted over IPIPE-NOTHREADS 2.6-03.
[ 9318.866494] RTAI[hal]: compiled with gcc version 4.4.3 (Ubuntu 4.4.3-4ubuntu5) .
[ 9318.866542] RTAI[hal]: mounted (IPIPE-NOTHREADS, IMMEDIATE (INTERNAL IRQs DISPATCHED), ISOL_CPUS_MASK: 0).
[ 9318.866543] PIPELINE layers:
[ 9318.866546] fc0d5e20 9ac15d93 RTAI 200
[ 9318.866548] c085cb20 0 Linux 100
[ 9318.883722] RTAI[malloc]: global heap size = 2097152 bytes, <BSD>.
[ 9318.883959] RTAI[sched]: IMMEDIATE, MP, USER/KERNEL SPACE: <with RTAI OWN KTASKs>, kstacks pool size = 524288 bytes.
[ 9318.883963] RTAI[sched]: hard timer type/freq = APIC/12526056(Hz); default timing: periodic; linear timed lists.
[ 9318.883966] RTAI[sched]: Linux timer freq = 250 (Hz), TimeBase freq = 2605535000 hz.
[ 9318.883968] RTAI[sched]: timer setup = 999 ns, resched latency = 2944 ns.
[ 9318.884134] RTAI[usi]: enabled.
[ 9318.921770] RTAI[math]: loaded.
[ 9318.924231] RTAI: Intel chipset not found.
[ 9319.191601] RTAI[math]: unloaded.
[ 9319.206715] SCHED releases registered named ALIEN RTGLBH
[ 9319.237356] RTAI[malloc]: unloaded.
[ 9319.336037] RTAI[sched]: unloaded (forced hard/soft/hard transitions: traps 0, syscalls 0).
[ 9319.339061] I-pipe: Domain RTAI unregistered.
[ 9319.339110] RTAI[hal]: unmounted.

Hi

The SMI fix is not something you can just try. You either have an Intel chipset which requires it or you don't.

In your case the error log states you do not have an Intel chipset

[ 9318.924231] RTAI: Intel chipset not found.

So it is probably not a case that insmod could not find the module, but rather that the module unloaded itself as soon as it did not find a compatible chipset.
The errors from insmod are notoriously obtuse.

Have a look at my FAQs on latency, all the links to other wikis etc are in them too.

www.linuxcnc.org/index.php/english/forum...-the-latency-problem
www.linuxcnc.org/index.php/english/forum...me-latency-solutions

If you computer is really producing a 7M max jitter on the base thread, it is unlikely you are going to find something that will reduce it to a workable figure, but work through everything and see how you go

regards

Have you tried 8.04 as well as 10.04?
Often 8.04 will work better than 10.04 on some hardware.

Rick G

If this is what you have, it has an AMD processor, dual, triple or quad core so should be better with the SMP kernel in 10.04 in theory, but load the 8.04 CD and try it.

www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/o...ustomer_brochure.pdf

I don't know much about Dell, they bombed in the UK, due to a peculiar direct selling setup they had and a reputation for unreliability.

The video options are potential problems too, integrated nvidia chipset.

Given the about information I think I'm just going to purchase one of the atom 525 mother boards and build a small PC from scratch. Hopefully I'll get longer life out of a new PC and not have to mess with it again for a number of years.

Thanks for the help.

Every Linuxcnc machine we have at the shop here is run by a Dell.

Rick G

Rick,
The pc that died on me was a Dell optiplex 240 and it worked perfectly. Unfortunately the 740 is on the list of known computers that don't work, had I taken the time to investigate before I purchased it a year ago I wouldn't be where I am today. From what I can tell it's this particular model that has problems. My symptoms are identical to the symptoms in the linux doc, even had the mouse and keyboard lockup.