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diff --git a/doc/pulseaudio.dox b/doc/pulseaudio.dox new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2ac19a9 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/pulseaudio.dox @@ -0,0 +1,69 @@ +/** \page page_pulseaudio PulseAudio Compatibility + +# Internals - Mapping Between ALSA and Streams + +This explains the mapping between alsa cards and streams and session manager +objects. + +## ALSA Cards + +An ALSA card is exposed as a PipeWire device. + +## Streams + +Each ALSA PCM is opened and a node is created for each PCM stream. + + +# Session Manager + +## ALSA UCM + +The mapping of the PipeWire object hierarchy to the ALSA object hierarchy is the following: + +One PipeWire device is created for every ALSA card. + +- For each UCM verb, a node is created for the associated PCM devices. +- For each UCM verb, an endpoint is created. + +In a first step: For each available combination of UCM device and modifier, +a stream is created. Streams are marked with compatible other streams. + +Streams with the same modifier and mutually exclusive devices are grouped +into one stream and the UCM devices are exposed on the endpoint as destinations. + +## ALSA Fallback + +Each PCM stream (node) becomes an endpoint. The endpoint references the +ALSA device ID. + +Each endpoint has one stream (for now) called HiFi Playback / HiFi Capture. + +More streams can be created depending on the format of the node. + +## ALSA Pulse UCM + +Using the ALSA backend of PulseAudio we can create the following streams. + +## ALSA Pulse Fallback + +The pulse ALSA backend will use the mixer controls and some probing to +create the following nodes and endpoints. + + +# PulseAudio + +PulseAudio uses the session manager API to construct cards with profiles +and sink/source with ports. + +If an endpoint references a device, a card object is created for the device. + +Each endpoint becomes a sink/source. + +Each Stream in the endpoint becomes a profile on the PulseAudio card. Because +only one profile is selected on the device, only one stream is visible on +the endpoint. This clashes with the notion that multiple streams can be +active at the same time but is a PulseAudio limitation. + +Each Endpoint destination becomes a port on the sink/source. + +*/ |