[LAD] Hardware audio decoder driver design

[Clemens Ladisch]

Nikita V. Youshchenko wrote:
> Soon I will work on a linux kernel driver for a custom audio decoder device
> that is being developed by a company I work for.

Kernel sound programming would be discussed on the alsa-devel list.

> If not going into details, that devices reads A52-encoded stream
> from system memory, and writes raw pcm stream to system memory.
> 
> Simplest thing to do is - implement a character device, where user-space
> will write encoded stream, and from where user-space will read decoded
> stream.
> 
> However, perhaps a better architecture (e.g. in-kernel intergation with an
> audio sink) is possible?

One of the implicit assumptions of ALSA sound devices is that they run
in real time, and at a constant bit rate.  As far as I can tell, your
device would be 'just' a DSP, so a character device would be appropriate.


Regards,
Clemens