USB Wireless device support

USB Wireless device support

[Bastien Nocera]

Hey,

I've recently bought a SteelSeries Arctis 1 wireless headset:
https://steelseries.com/gaming-headsets/arctis-1-wireless-xbox
and wanted to write a kernel driver to export a few features of the
device, and needed some help getting started.

The receiver shows up as a audio class USB device, with extra features
on a separate USB interface.[1]

The extra features that can be accessed are:
- Presence detection. I wanted to use that so PulseAudio or Pipewire
could make routing decisions based on whether the headset is available,
or probably better, implementing a "jack detection" emulation for the
main audio interface?
- A slider to change the sidetone volume
- Export the battery level

The latter is the only one I know how to do, so I'd be happy with any
pointers or examples about the first two items.

Cheers

[1]: User-space code that accesses those features:
https://github.com/Sapd/HeadsetControl/blob/master/src/devices/steelseries_arctis_1_xbox.c

Re: USB Wireless device support

[Bastien Nocera]

Hey,

On Wed, 2020-12-09 at 14:30 +0100, Bastien Nocera wrote:
> Hey,
> 
> I've recently bought a SteelSeries Arctis 1 wireless headset:
> https://steelseries.com/gaming-headsets/arctis-1-wireless-xbox
> and wanted to write a kernel driver to export a few features of the
> device, and needed some help getting started.
> 
> The receiver shows up as a audio class USB device, with extra
> features
> on a separate USB interface.[1]
> 
> The extra features that can be accessed are:
> - Presence detection. I wanted to use that so PulseAudio or Pipewire
> could make routing decisions based on whether the headset is
> available,
> or probably better, implementing a "jack detection" emulation for the
> main audio interface?
> - A slider to change the sidetone volume
> - Export the battery level
> 
> The latter is the only one I know how to do, so I'd be happy with any
> pointers or examples about the first two items.


I sent this in December and didn't get any answers, and I would
appreciate any guidance/examples if you have any into implementing
this.

I would imagine that the new features would be implemented through a
separate ALSA device with few features, which PulseAudio/Pipewire could
merge with the existing USB audio device.

Cheers

> [1]: User-space code that accesses those features:
>  
> https://github.com/Sapd/HeadsetControl/blob/master/src/devices/steelseries_arctis_1_xbox.c

Re: USB Wireless device support

[Takashi Iwai]

On Wed, 13 Jan 2021 15:36:19 +0100,
Bastien Nocera wrote:
> 
> Hey,
> 
> On Wed, 2020-12-09 at 14:30 +0100, Bastien Nocera wrote:
> > Hey,
> > 
> > I've recently bought a SteelSeries Arctis 1 wireless headset:
> > https://steelseries.com/gaming-headsets/arctis-1-wireless-xbox
> > and wanted to write a kernel driver to export a few features of the
> > device, and needed some help getting started.
> > 
> > The receiver shows up as a audio class USB device, with extra
> > features
> > on a separate USB interface.[1]
> > 
> > The extra features that can be accessed are:
> > - Presence detection. I wanted to use that so PulseAudio or Pipewire
> > could make routing decisions based on whether the headset is
> > available,
> > or probably better, implementing a "jack detection" emulation for the
> > main audio interface?
> > - A slider to change the sidetone volume
> > - Export the battery level
> > 
> > The latter is the only one I know how to do, so I'd be happy with any
> > pointers or examples about the first two items.
> 
> 
> I sent this in December and didn't get any answers, and I would
> appreciate any guidance/examples if you have any into implementing
> this.

Judging from the link, is it controlled through HID?  If so, it's
primarily done by a HID driver, and it doesn't belong to the sound
card stuff, so far.
Though....

> I would imagine that the new features would be implemented through a
> separate ALSA device with few features, which PulseAudio/Pipewire could
> merge with the existing USB audio device.

... given that it's implemented in a HID driver, the integration to
the system is a different question.  But unless it's implemented as a
sound card device, the rest will become a totally different,
e.g. another PA or PW module.


thanks,

Takashi

> 
> Cheers
> 
> > [1]: User-space code that accesses those features:
> >  
> > https://github.com/Sapd/HeadsetControl/blob/master/src/devices/steelseries_arctis_1_xbox.c
> 
> 

Re: USB Wireless device support

[Bastien Nocera]

On Wed, 2021-01-13 at 15:49 +0100, Takashi Iwai wrote:
> On Wed, 13 Jan 2021 15:36:19 +0100,
> Bastien Nocera wrote:
> > 
> > Hey,
> > 
> > On Wed, 2020-12-09 at 14:30 +0100, Bastien Nocera wrote:
> > > Hey,
> > > 
> > > I've recently bought a SteelSeries Arctis 1 wireless headset:
> > > https://steelseries.com/gaming-headsets/arctis-1-wireless-xbox
> > > and wanted to write a kernel driver to export a few features of
> > > the
> > > device, and needed some help getting started.
> > > 
> > > The receiver shows up as a audio class USB device, with extra
> > > features
> > > on a separate USB interface.[1]
> > > 
> > > The extra features that can be accessed are:
> > > - Presence detection. I wanted to use that so PulseAudio or
> > > Pipewire
> > > could make routing decisions based on whether the headset is
> > > available,
> > > or probably better, implementing a "jack detection" emulation for
> > > the
> > > main audio interface?
> > > - A slider to change the sidetone volume
> > > - Export the battery level
> > > 
> > > The latter is the only one I know how to do, so I'd be happy with
> > > any
> > > pointers or examples about the first two items.
> > 
> > 
> > I sent this in December and didn't get any answers, and I would
> > appreciate any guidance/examples if you have any into implementing
> > this.
> 
> Judging from the link, is it controlled through HID?  If so, it's
> primarily done by a HID driver, and it doesn't belong to the sound
> card stuff, so far.
> Though....
> 
> > I would imagine that the new features would be implemented through
> > a
> > separate ALSA device with few features, which PulseAudio/Pipewire
> > could
> > merge with the existing USB audio device.
> 
> ... given that it's implemented in a HID driver, the integration to
> the system is a different question.  But unless it's implemented as a
> sound card device, the rest will become a totally different,
> e.g. another PA or PW module.

I think that it might be good to have the sidetone configuration
implemented as a channel mixer, so it could be shown along with the
device volume in sound settings.

I believe there's already a device group feature in PulseAudio that
could be used to merge the sidetone level with the rest of the USB
audio mixers.

Is there an example of a mixer like that implemented in a hid or
another type of non-ALSA/sound driver?

Re: USB Wireless device support

[Takashi Iwai]

On Wed, 13 Jan 2021 16:03:39 +0100,
Bastien Nocera wrote:
> 
> On Wed, 2021-01-13 at 15:49 +0100, Takashi Iwai wrote:
> > On Wed, 13 Jan 2021 15:36:19 +0100,
> > Bastien Nocera wrote:
> > > 
> > > Hey,
> > > 
> > > On Wed, 2020-12-09 at 14:30 +0100, Bastien Nocera wrote:
> > > > Hey,
> > > > 
> > > > I've recently bought a SteelSeries Arctis 1 wireless headset:
> > > > https://steelseries.com/gaming-headsets/arctis-1-wireless-xbox
> > > > and wanted to write a kernel driver to export a few features of
> > > > the
> > > > device, and needed some help getting started.
> > > > 
> > > > The receiver shows up as a audio class USB device, with extra
> > > > features
> > > > on a separate USB interface.[1]
> > > > 
> > > > The extra features that can be accessed are:
> > > > - Presence detection. I wanted to use that so PulseAudio or
> > > > Pipewire
> > > > could make routing decisions based on whether the headset is
> > > > available,
> > > > or probably better, implementing a "jack detection" emulation for
> > > > the
> > > > main audio interface?
> > > > - A slider to change the sidetone volume
> > > > - Export the battery level
> > > > 
> > > > The latter is the only one I know how to do, so I'd be happy with
> > > > any
> > > > pointers or examples about the first two items.
> > > 
> > > 
> > > I sent this in December and didn't get any answers, and I would
> > > appreciate any guidance/examples if you have any into implementing
> > > this.
> > 
> > Judging from the link, is it controlled through HID?  If so, it's
> > primarily done by a HID driver, and it doesn't belong to the sound
> > card stuff, so far.
> > Though....
> > 
> > > I would imagine that the new features would be implemented through
> > > a
> > > separate ALSA device with few features, which PulseAudio/Pipewire
> > > could
> > > merge with the existing USB audio device.
> > 
> > ... given that it's implemented in a HID driver, the integration to
> > the system is a different question.  But unless it's implemented as a
> > sound card device, the rest will become a totally different,
> > e.g. another PA or PW module.
> 
> I think that it might be good to have the sidetone configuration
> implemented as a channel mixer, so it could be shown along with the
> device volume in sound settings.
> 
> I believe there's already a device group feature in PulseAudio that
> could be used to merge the sidetone level with the rest of the USB
> audio mixers.
> 
> Is there an example of a mixer like that implemented in a hid or
> another type of non-ALSA/sound driver?

Nothing so far, and that's the problem.  HID is managed in a
completely different layer, hence the integration needs to be done in
a higher level like PA, I suppose.  In theory we might be able to
extend UCM to handle the other external devices, though.


Takashi

Re: USB Wireless device support

[Bastien Nocera]

On Wed, 2021-01-13 at 16:08 +0100, Takashi Iwai wrote:
> <snip>
> Nothing so far, and that's the problem.  HID is managed in a
> completely different layer, hence the integration needs to be done in
> a higher level like PA, I suppose.  In theory we might be able to
> extend UCM to handle the other external devices, though.

hid-prodikeys.c seems to do some MIDI stuff...

Re: USB Wireless device support

[Takashi Iwai]

On Wed, 13 Jan 2021 16:13:40 +0100,
Bastien Nocera wrote:
> 
> On Wed, 2021-01-13 at 16:08 +0100, Takashi Iwai wrote:
> > <snip>
> > Nothing so far, and that's the problem.  HID is managed in a
> > completely different layer, hence the integration needs to be done in
> > a higher level like PA, I suppose.  In theory we might be able to
> > extend UCM to handle the other external devices, though.
> 
> hid-prodikeys.c seems to do some MIDI stuff...

It creates its own sound card.  But you want to use the mixer switch
for the existing audio interface, right?


Takashi

Re: USB Wireless device support

[Bastien Nocera]

On Wed, 2021-01-13 at 16:17 +0100, Takashi Iwai wrote:
> On Wed, 13 Jan 2021 16:13:40 +0100,
> Bastien Nocera wrote:
> > 
> > On Wed, 2021-01-13 at 16:08 +0100, Takashi Iwai wrote:
> > > <snip>
> > > Nothing so far, and that's the problem.  HID is managed in a
> > > completely different layer, hence the integration needs to be
> > > done in
> > > a higher level like PA, I suppose.  In theory we might be able to
> > > extend UCM to handle the other external devices, though.
> > 
> > hid-prodikeys.c seems to do some MIDI stuff...
> 
> It creates its own sound card.  But you want to use the mixer switch
> for the existing audio interface, right?

My idea was to create my own sound card (it's a separate USB interface
after all) exporting the sidetone mixer, and figure out how to merge it
with the USB audio interface at PulseAudio's level.

Otherwise 

Re: USB Wireless device support

[Takashi Iwai]

On Wed, 13 Jan 2021 16:41:04 +0100,
Bastien Nocera wrote:
> 
> On Wed, 2021-01-13 at 16:17 +0100, Takashi Iwai wrote:
> > On Wed, 13 Jan 2021 16:13:40 +0100,
> > Bastien Nocera wrote:
> > > 
> > > On Wed, 2021-01-13 at 16:08 +0100, Takashi Iwai wrote:
> > > > <snip>
> > > > Nothing so far, and that's the problem.  HID is managed in a
> > > > completely different layer, hence the integration needs to be
> > > > done in
> > > > a higher level like PA, I suppose.  In theory we might be able to
> > > > extend UCM to handle the other external devices, though.
> > > 
> > > hid-prodikeys.c seems to do some MIDI stuff...
> > 
> > It creates its own sound card.  But you want to use the mixer switch
> > for the existing audio interface, right?
> 
> My idea was to create my own sound card (it's a separate USB interface
> after all) exporting the sidetone mixer, and figure out how to merge it
> with the USB audio interface at PulseAudio's level.

It would work, then.  OTOH, if integrating in PA, it's not necessarily
to be ALSA mixer interface but a simple input device, too...


Takashi