sdk/fidl/fuchsia.media/audio_capturer.fidl

// Copyright 2017 The Fuchsia Authors. All rights reserved.
// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
// found in the LICENSE file.

library fuchsia.media;

using fuchsia.media.audio;

// AudioCapturer
//
// An AudioCapturer is an interface returned from an fuchsia.media.Audio's
// CreateAudioCapturer method, which may be used by clients to capture audio
// from either the current default audio input device, or the current default
// audio output device depending on the flags passed during creation.
//
// TODO(mpuryear): Routing policy needs to become more capable than this.
// Clients will need to be able to request sets of inputs/outputs/renderers,
// make changes to theses sets, have their requests vetted by policy (do they
// have the permission to capture this private stream, do they have the
// permission to capture at this frame rate, etc...).  Eventually, this
// functionality will need to be expressed at the AudioPolicy level, not here.
//
// ** Format support **
//
// See (Get|Set)StreamType below. By default, the captured stream type will be
// initially determined by the currently configured stream type of the source
// that the AudioCapturer was bound to at creation time. Users may either fetch
// this type using GetStreamType, or they may choose to have the media
// resampled or converted to a type of their choosing by calling SetStreamType.
// Note: the stream type may only be set while the system is not running,
// meaning that there are no pending capture regions (specified using CaptureAt)
// and that the system is not currently running in 'async' capture mode.
//
// ** Buffers and memory management **
//
// Audio data is captured into a shared memory buffer (a VMO) supplied by the
// user to the AudioCapturer during the AddPayloadBuffer call.  Please note the
// following requirements related to the management of the payload buffer.
//
// ++ The payload buffer must be supplied before any capture operation may
//    start.  Any attempt to start capture (via either CaptureAt or
//    StartAsyncCapture) before a payload buffer has been established is an
//    error.
// ++ The payload buffer may not be changed while there are any capture
//    operations pending.
// ++ The stream type may not be changed after the payload buffer has been set.
// ++ The payload buffer must be an integral number of audio frame sizes (in
//    bytes)
// ++ When running in 'async' mode (see below), the payload buffer must be at
//    least as large as twice the frames_per_packet size specified during
//    StartAsyncCapture.
// ++ The handle to the payload buffer supplied by the user must be readable,
//    writable, and mappable.
// ++ Users should always treat the payload buffer as read-only.
//
// ** Synchronous vs. Asynchronous capture mode **
//
// The AudioCapturer interface can be used in one of two mutually exclusive
// modes: Synchronous and Asynchronous.  A description of each mode and their
// tradeoffs is given below.
//
// (TODO(mpuryear): can we come up with better names than these?  Both are
// really async modes under the hood).
//
// ** Synchronous mode **
//
// By default, AudioCapturer instances are running in 'sync' mode.  They will
// only capture data when a user supplies at least one region to capture into
// using the CaptureAt method.  Regions supplied in this way will be filled in
// the order that they are received and returned to the client as StreamPackets
// via the return value of the CaptureAt method.  If an AudioCapturer instance
// has data to capture, but no place to put it (because there are no more
// pending regions to fill), the next payload generated will indicate that their
// has been an overflow by setting the Discontinuity flag on the next produced
// StreamPacket.  Synchronous mode may not be used in conjunction with
// Asynchronous mode.  It is an error to attempt to call StartAsyncCapture while
// the system still regions supplied by CaptureAt waiting to be filled.
//
// If a user has supplied regions to be filled by the AudioCapturer instance in
// the past, but wishes to reclaim those regions, they may do so using the
// DiscardAllPackets method.  Calling the DiscardAllPackets method will cause
// all pending regions to be returned, but with NO_TIMESTAMP as their
// StreamPacket's PTS.  See "Timing and Overflows", below, for a discussion of
// timestamps and discontinuity flags. After a DiscardAllPackets operation,
// an OnEndOfStream event will be produced.  While an AudioCapturer will never
// overwrite any region of the payload buffer after a completed region is
// returned, it may overwrite the unfilled portions of a partially filled
// buffer which has been returned as a result of a DiscardAllPackets operation.
//
// TODO(mpuryear): Add a new method to replace `DiscardAllPackets`, which will
// be removed from `StreamSource`.
//
// ** Asynchronous mode **
//
// While running in 'async' mode, clients do not need to explicitly supply
// shared buffer regions to be filled by the AudioCapturer instance. Instead, a
// client enters into 'async' mode by calling StartAsyncCapture and supplying a
// callback interface and the number of frames to capture per-callback. Once
// running in async mode, the AudioCapturer instance will identify which
// payload buffer regions to capture into, capture the specified number of
// frames, then deliver those frames as StreamPackets using the OnPacketCapture
// FIDL event. Users may stop capturing and return the AudioCapturer instance to
// 'sync' mode using the StopAsyncCapture method.
//
// It is considered an error to attempt any of the following operations.
//
// ++ To attempt to enter 'async' capture mode when no payload buffer has been
//    established.
// ++ To specify a number of frames to capture per payload which does not permit
//    at least two contiguous capture payloads to exist in the established
//    shared payload buffer simultaneously.
// ++ To send a region to capture into using the CaptureAt method while the
//    AudioCapturer instance is running in 'async' mode.
// ++ To attempt to call DiscardAllPackets while the AudioCapturer instance is
//    running in 'async' mode.
// ++ To attempt to re-start 'async' mode capturing without having first
//    stopped.
// ++ To attempt any operation except for SetGain while in the process of
//    stopping.
//
// ** Synchronizing with a StopAsyncCapture operation **
//
// Stopping asynchronous capture mode and returning to synchronous capture mode
// is an operation which takes time.  Aside from SetGain, users may not call any
// other methods on the AudioCapturer interface after calling StopAsyncCapture
// (including calling StopAsyncCapture again) until after the stop operation has
// completed.  Because of this, it is important for users to be able to
// synchronize with the stop operation.  Two mechanisms are provided for doing
// so.
//
// The first is to use the StopAsyncCaptureWithCallback method.  When the user's
// callback has been called, they can be certain that stop operation is complete
// and that the AudioCapturer instance has returned to synchronous operation
// mode.
//
// TODO(mpuryear): Fix obsolete docs.
// The second way to determine that a stop operation has completed is to use the
// flags on the packets which get delivered via the user-supplied
// AudioCapturerCallback interface after calling StopAsyncCapture.  When
// asked to stop, any partially filled packet will be returned to the user, and
// the final packet returned will always have the end-of-stream flag (kFlagsEos)
// set on it to indicate that this is the final frame in the sequence.  If
// there is no partially filled packet to return, the AudioCapturer will
// synthesize an empty packet with no timestamp, and offset/length set to zero,
// in order to deliver a packet with the end-of-stream flag set on it.  Once
// users have seen the end-of-stream flag after calling stop, the AudioCapturer
// has finished the stop operation and returned to synchronous operating mode.
//
// ** Timing and Overflows **
//
// All media packets produced by an AudioCapturer instance will have their PTS
// field filled out with the capture time of the audio expressed as a timestamp
// given by the CLOCK_MONOTONIC timeline.  Note: this timestamp is actually a
// capture timestamp, not a presentation timestamp (it is more of a CTS than a
// PTS) and is meant to represent the underlying system's best estimate of the
// capture time of the first frame of audio, including all outboard and hardware
// introduced buffering delay.  As a result, all timestamps produced by an
// AudioCapturer should be expected to be in the past relative to 'now' on the
// CLOCK_MONOTONIC timeline.
//
// TODO(mpuryear): Specify the way in which timestamps relative to a different
// clock (such as an audio domain clock) may be delivered to a client.
//
// The one exception to the "everything has an explicit timestamp" rule is when
// discarding submitted regions while operating in synchronous mode. Discarded
// packets have no data in them, but FIDL demands that all pending
// method-return-value callbacks be executed.  Because of this, the regions will
// be returned to the user, but their timestamps will be set to
// kNoTimestamp, and their payload sizes will be set to zero.  Any
// partially filled payload will have a valid timestamp, but a payload size
// smaller than originally requested.  The final discarded payload (if there
// were any to discard) will be followed by an OnEndOfStream event.
//
// Two StreamPackets delivered by an AudioCapturer instance are 'continuous' if
// the first frame of audio contained in the second packet was capture exactly
// one nominal frame time after the final frame of audio in the first packet.
// If this relationship does not hold, the second StreamPacket will have the
// 'kFlagDiscontinuous' flag set in it's flags field.
//
// Even though explicit timestamps are provided on every StreamPacket produced,
// users who have very precise timing requirements are encouraged to always
// reason about time by counting frames delivered since the last discontinuity
// instead of simply using the raw capture timestamps.  This is because the
// explicit timestamps written on continuous packets may have a small amount of
// rounding error based on whether or not the units of the capture timeline
// (CLOCK_MONOTONIC) are divisible by the chosen audio frame rate.
//
// Users should always expect the first StreamPacket produced by an
// AudioCapturer to have the discontinuous flag set on it (as there is no
// previous packet to be continuous with). Similarly, the first StreamPacket
// after a DiscardAllPackets or a Stop/Start cycle will always be
// discontinuous. After that, there are only two reasons that a StreamPacket
// will ever be discontinuous:
//
// 1) The user is operating an synchronous mode and does not supply regions to
//    be filled quickly enough.  If the next continuous frame of data has not
//    been captured by the time it needs to be purged from the source buffers,
//    an overflow has occurred and the AudioCapturer will flag the next captured
//    region as discontinuous.
// 2) The user is operating in asynchronous mode and some internal error
//    prevents the AudioCapturer instance from capturing the next frame of audio
//    in a continuous fashion.  This might be high system load or a hardware
//    error, but in general it is something which should never normally happen.
//    In practice, however, if it does, the next produced packet will be flagged
//    as being discontinuous.
//
// ** Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Trade-offs **
//
// The choice of operating in synchronous vs. asynchronous mode is up to the
// user, and depending on the user's requirements, there are some advantages and
// disadvantages to each choice.
//
// Synchronous mode requires only a single Zircon channel under the hood and can
// achieve some small savings because of this.  In addition, the user has
// complete control over the buffer management.  Users specify exactly where
// audio will be captured to and in what order.  Because of this, if users do
// not need to always be capturing, it is simple to stop and restart the capture
// later (just by ceasing to supply packets, then resuming later on).  Payloads
// do not need to be uniform in size either, clients may specify payloads of
// whatever granularity is appropriate.
//
// The primary downside of operating in synchronous mode is that two messages
// will need to be sent for every packet to be captured.  One to inform the
// AudioCapturer of the instance to capture into, and one to inform the user
// that the packet has been captured.  This may end up increasing overhead and
// potentially complicating client designs.
//
// Asynchronous mode has the advantage requiring only 1/2 of the messages,
// however, when operating in 'async' mode, AudioCapturer instances have no way
// of knowing if a user is processing the StreamPackets being sent in a timely
// fashion, and no way of automatically detecting an overflow condition.  Users
// of 'async' mode should be careful to use a buffer large enough to ensure that
// they will be able to process their data before an AudioCapturer will be
// forced to overwrite it.
//
// ** Future Directions (aka TODOs) **
//
// ++ Consider adding a 'zero message' capture mode where the AudioCapturer
//    simply supplies a linear transformation and some buffer parameters (max
//    audio hold time) each time that it is started in 'async' mode, or each
//    time an internal overflow occurs in 'async' mode.  Based on this
//    information, client should know where the capture write pointer is at all
//    times as a function of the transformation removing the need to send any
//    buffer position messages.  This would reduce the operational overhead just
//    about as low as it could go, and could allow for the lowest possible
//    latency for capture clients.  OTOH - it might be better to achieve this
//    simply by allowing clients to be granted direct, exclusive access to the
//    driver level of capture if no resampling, reformatting, or sharing is
//    needed.
// ++ Consider providing some mechanism by which users may specify the exact
//    time at which they want to capture data.
// ++ Allow for more complex routing/mixing/AEC scenarios and place this under
//    the control of the policy manager.
// ++ Define and enforce access permissions and downsampling requirements for
//    sensitive content.  Enforce using the policy manager.
// ++ Consider allowing the mixer to produce compressed audio.
//

[FragileBase]
protocol AudioCapturer {
    compose StreamBufferSet;
    compose StreamSource;

    // Sets the stream type of the stream to be delivered.  Causes the source
    // material to be reformatted/resampled if needed in order to produce the
    // requested stream type. Note that the stream type may not be changed
    // after the payload buffer has been established.
    SetPcmStreamType(AudioStreamType stream_type);

    // Explicitly specify a region of the shared payload buffer for the audio
    // input to capture into.
    CaptureAt(uint32 payload_buffer_id, uint32 payload_offset,
              uint32 frames) -> (StreamPacket captured_packet);

    // Place the AudioCapturer into 'async' capture mode and begin to produce
    // packets of exactly 'frames_per_packet' number of frames each. The
    // OnPacketProduced event (of StreamSink) will be used to inform the client
    // of produced packets.
    StartAsyncCapture(uint32 frames_per_packet);

    // Stop capturing in 'async' capture mode and (optionally) deliver a
    // callback that may be used by the client if explicit synchronization
    // is needed.
    StopAsyncCapture() -> ();
    StopAsyncCaptureNoReply();

    // Binds to the gain control for this AudioCapturer.
    BindGainControl(request<fuchsia.media.audio.GainControl> gain_control_request);

    //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
    // StreamBufferSet methods
    // See stream.fidl.

    //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
    // StreamSource methods
    // See stream.fidl.

    //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
    // Methods to be deprecated
    // These methods will go away.

    // Gets the currently configured stream type. Note: for an AudioCapturer
    // which was just created and has not yet had its stream type explicitly
    // set, this will retrieve the stream type -- at the time the AudioCapturer
    // was created -- of the source (input or looped-back output) to which the
    // AudioCapturer is bound.
    //
    // TODO(mpuryear): Get rid of this. Eventually, AudioCapturers will be
    // bindable to a set of inputs/outputs/renderers, so the concept of a
    // "native" stream type will go away. Mechanisms will need to be put in
    // place to allow users to enumerate the configuration of these bind-able
    // endpoints (and perhaps to exercise control over them), but it will be
    // the user of the AudioCapturer's job to specify the format they want.
    GetStreamType() -> (StreamType stream_type);
};