[alsa-devel] [RFC] [PATCH] ASoC: OMAP: full duplex mode fix

[Peter Ujfalusi]

Hello,

On Tuesday 04 August 2009 23:46:09 ext Janusz Krzysztofik wrote:

> I have temporarily modified those omap_mcbsp_pollwrite/_pollread() to do
> nothing but reporting, put them into omap_mcbsp_dai_trigger() as before and
> additionally into a newly created and registered omap_mcbsp_dai_prepare(),
> called before omap_start_dma(), and got the following result:
>
> For both playback start while capturing and capture start while playing,
> XSYNC_ERR/RSYNC_ERR is clear
> and XRDY/RRDY is ready,

This means that XRDY/RRDY is set (1)?

> respectively, both
> before and after omap_start_dma(). No DMA transfer is actually started, so
> the operation fails with i/o error.

In case of playback start while capture: What is the state of the XEMPTY bit 
(SPCR2:2)? Is it 0? It should.

>
> My interpretation based on my SPRU592 and SPRU674 understanding:
>
> While starting the first stream, omap_mcbsp_start(), called by
> omap_mcbsp_dai_trigger(), instructs McBSP to start shifting bits in both
> directions, no matter which one has just been requested. After that, the
> direction, for which a corresponding DMA transfer has just been started
> from omap_pcm_trigger() with omap_start_dma(), starts doing its job, while
> the opposite direction, after shifting in one word in case of capture,
> issues a DMA event that is missed and waits for an I/O to occur.
>
> Then, when omap_pcm_trigger() starts DMA for the opposite direction, the
> DMA controller, configured for synchronized transfer, waits for a
> corresponding DMA event before it performs its first I/O operation. That
> event already occurred far before and will not occur again, so the transfer
> will not start without any intervention. This time, omap_mcbsp_start() is
> not called again for an already started hardware action (correct), so there
> is no chance for the transfer to start that way.

I think the reason is quite simple: on OMAP1 the DMA request is edge sensitive 
(compared to OMAP2 and OMAP3 where it is level based). This means:
When you start the capture, both RX and TX is started. Since the playback is not 
running, no data will be written to the DXR register, McBSP asserts the DMA 
request line, but since there is no DMA configured for playback it  stays high 
(and McBSP will shift out 0). Now if you start the playback (using DMA) the DMA 
engine waits for a pulse on the request line, which will not occur, the request 
line is asserted, so the DMA will not start pushing any data to the McBSP DXR 
register.
Now if you force write to the DXR register, than it de-asserts the DMA request 
line, when the DXR -> XSR copy has been done, McBSP asserts the DMA request 
line, which will kick the DMA engine to push data to DXR register and the 
playback will start.

>
> With my patch, performing an I/O operation by calling
> omap_mcbsp_pollwrite/_pollread() forces McBSP to issue next DMA event, that
> initiates the transfer.

The danger with the pollwrite/pollread is:
If the stream is not mono, than you kind of ensure a certain channel shift 
(channel switch in case of stereo stream).

>
> While starting both streams (semi)simultaneously, it may happen that the
> DMA event for the opposite direction will occur after the DMA has just been
> started for that direction as well and will not be missed, so both streams
> will run correctly.

Yep, this is kind of a race condition (in a good way): Most likely both DMA has 
been started before the McBSP ports asserted their DMA request lines, so the DMA 
engine will push or read the data correctly.

>
> Does it make sense, or am I missing something?
>
> If my analysis is correct, the best solution I can see would be starting
> McBSP transfer for one direction only, not both, so the opposite direction
> can be started when needed. That requires deeper and wider OMAP knowledge
> and a change in omap_mcbsp_start() API though. I am not in a position to
> deal with this myself, I'm afraid.

I agree, this would be the best solution for the problem.

>
> Thanks,
> Janusz
>
> PS: Not CCing arch/arm/plat-omap/mcbsp.c author as his email address is
> probably out-of-date.

-- 
Péter