[alsa-devel] [PATCH v10 7/7] ALSA: Docs: Add documentation for Jack kcontrols

Jie Yang yang.jie at intel.com
Mon Apr 27 15:21:02 CEST 2015


Add documentation describing Jack kcontrols and how to use them
with HD-Audio and ASoC.

Signed-off-by: Jie Yang <yang.jie at intel.com>
---
 Documentation/sound/alsa/Jack-Controls.txt | 43 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 43 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 Documentation/sound/alsa/Jack-Controls.txt

diff --git a/Documentation/sound/alsa/Jack-Controls.txt b/Documentation/sound/alsa/Jack-Controls.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fe1c5e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/sound/alsa/Jack-Controls.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+Why we need Jack kcontrols
+==========================
+
+ALSA uses kcontrols to export audio controls(switch, volume, Mux, ...)
+to user space. This means userspace applications like pulseaudio can
+switch off headphones and switch on speakers when no headphones are
+pluged in.
+
+The old ALSA jack code only created input devices for each registered
+jack. These jack input devices are not readable by userspace devices
+that run as non root.
+
+The new jack code creates embedded jack kcontrols for each jack that
+can be read by any process.
+
+This can be combined with UCM to allow userspace to route audio more
+intelligently based on jack insertion or removal events.
+
+Jack Kcontrol Internals
+=======================
+
+Each jack will have a kcontrol list, so that we can create a kcontrol
+and attach it to the jack, at jack creation stage. We can also add a
+kcontrol to an existing jack, at anytime when required.
+
+Those kcontrols will be freed automatically when the Jack is freed.
+
+How to use jack kcontrols
+=========================
+
+In order to keep compatibility, snd_jack_new() has been modified by
+adding two params :-
+
+ - @initial_kctl: if true, create a kcontrol and add it to the jack
+	list.
+ - @phantom_jack: Don't create a input device for phantom jacks.
+
+HDA jacks can set phantom_jack to true in order to create a phantom
+jack and set initial_kctl to true to create an initial kcontrol with
+the correct id.
+
+ASoC jacks should set initial_kctl as false. The pin name will be
+assigned as the jack kcontrol name.
-- 
1.9.1



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