[alsa-devel] [RFC PATCH 1/2] ALSA: hda - Fix "PCM" name being used on one DAC when there are two DACs

[Robert Hancock]

On Mon, Oct 20, 2014 at 8:24 AM, Raymond Yau
<superquad.vortex2 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> > > >
>> > > > >>
>> > > > >>
>> > > > >>  > >
>> > > > >>  > > >> >
>> > > > >>  > > >> > In the scenario where there is one "Line Out", one
>> > "Speaker"
>> > > > >> and one
>> > > > >>  > > >> > "Headphone", and there are only two DACs, two outputs
>> > > > >> will
>> > > > >> share a DAC.
>> > > > >>  > > >> > Currently any mixer on such a DAC will get the "PCM"
>> > > > >> name,
>> > > > >> which is
>> > > > >>  > > >> > misleading. Instead use "Headphone+LO" or "Speaker+LO"
>> > > > >> to
>> > > > better
>> > > > >>  > > >> > specify what the volume actually controls.
>> > > > >>  > > >>
>> > > > >>  > > >> Are there any examples ?
>> > > > >>  > > >>
>> > > > >>  > > >
>> > > > >>  > > > I used "hda-emu
>> > > > >>  > >
>> > codecs/canonical/alc3226-dell-precision-m2800-ccert-201404-14986 -i
>> > > > >> 1" when
>> > > > >>  > > developing the patches.
>> > > > >>  > > >
>> > > > >>  > > > I don't have any hardware available myself that exposes
>> > > > >> this
>> > > > >> behavior,
>> > > > >>  > > but I can maybe fake one with hdajackretask, if that
>> > > > >> counts...
>> > > > >>  > > >
>> > > > >>  > >
>> > > > >>  > > How about adding these names to slaves of virtual master
>> > > > >> volume/switch ?
>> > > > >>  > >
>> > > > >>  > > hdajackretask won't help if the topology of the codecs are
>> > > > different
>> > > > >>  > >
>> > > > >>  > > Seem the badness still prevent the driver to support
>> > > > >> surround
>> > 5.1
>> > > > with
>> > > > >>  > > three rear panel jacks, internal speaker and front panel
>> > headphone
>> > > > for
>> > > > >>  > > Thinkcenter A58 using alc662
>> > > > >>  > >
>> > > > >>  > >
>> > > > >>
>> > > >
>> >
>> > https://www.mail-archive.com/alsa-user@lists.sourceforge.net/msg29203.html
>> > > > >>  > >
>> > > > >>  > > Why 3stack desktops with 6 channels codecs not using
>> > > > >> "Headphone+LO"  or
>> > > > >>  > > "Speaker+LO" ?
>> > > > >>  >
>> > > > >>  > The problem is just the lack of DACs, so it cannot cover all
>> > > > >> three
>> > > > >>  > outputs, no matter how the pins are chosen.  That is, it's no
>> > > > >> 6
>> > > > >>  > channels at all but 4 channels at most.
>> > > > >>  >
>> > > > >>  >
>> > > > >>
>> > > > >> http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/desktops/thinkcentre/a-series/a58/
>> > > > >>
>> > > > >> The technical specification of a58
>> > > > >>
>> > > > >> 2 pin internal speaker connector
>> > > > >> Alc662 5.1
>> > > > >>
>> > > > >> https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=156433
>> > > > >>
>> > > > >> Seem windows support surround 5.1
>> > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Raymond, there can certainly be cases which this patch does not
>> > > > > cover
>> > -
>> > > > after all, it's mostly a band aid given the lack of topology
>> > information -
>> > > > but do you see cases where this patch actually causes a
>> > > > *regression*? If
>> > > > so, could you point me to alsa-info for the machine where this patch
>> > causes
>> > > > a regression?
>> > > > >
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> >
>> > www.realtek.com.tw/products/productsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=24&PFid=27&Level=5&Conn=4
>> > > >
>> > > > I expect those desktop with 2+2 HD Audio codec support independent
>> > headphone
>> > > >
>> > > > This mean the driver should not create "Lineout+HP" Playback volume
>> > > >
>> > > > Line out and headphone cannot share same DAC
>> > >
>> > > Do you have a pincfg representing this?  Then we can check it easily
>> > > via hda-emu.
>> > >
>> >
>> >
>> > http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/tiwai/hda-emu.git/tree/codecs/canonical/alc221--hp-prodesk-400-g1-sff-ccert-201408-15383?id=HEAD
>>
>> Both HP (0x21) and LO (0x14) can share the same DAC (0x03) over mixer
>> (0x0d).  So the statement above "Line out and headphone cannot share
>> same DAC" isn't correct.
>>
>> > Refer to user manual
>> >
>> > Multi-streaming can be enabled in the Realtek control panel to allow
>> > independent audio streams to be sent to/from the front and rear jacks
>>
>> This is the implementation detail and it's a matter of taste which
>> should be dependent and which not.  There is no bible here.
>>
>> You can forcibly do that by a fixed DAC assignment (or add some
>> badness) if you want, too...
>>
>>
>
> http://mailman.alsa-project.org/pipermail/alsa-devel/2014-February/072775.html
>
>
> Seem headphone not working properly on hp prodesk 600 g1

As I mentioned on Bugzilla, that problem ended up being due to some
kind of motherboard defect in the particular machine. On the
replacement 800 G1 machine, the headphone jack works fine. I can't
really say whether or not dual independent audio streams work, though.