Re: [PATCH] ASoC: dapm - Add API calls to query valid DAPM paths.

[Liam Girdwood <lrg@ti.com>]

On 07/07/11 17:38, Mark Brown wrote:
> On Thu, Jul 07, 2011 at 05:18:47PM +0100, Liam Girdwood wrote:
> 
>> The reason for using a separate walk here was because this code is
>> taken from my old auto-router and it was to avoid the extra logic
>> introduced by the auto-router. The auto-router did need to check for
>> loops and always select the shortest path when > 1 path was viable
>> (interesting as WM9713 has both loops and multiple paths). Let me see
>> how cleanly I can merge it into the current walk.
> 
> Alternatively could we replace the current walk?  It's O(n^2) or so in
> the number of widgets so it's not the greatest treasure ever.  So long
> as we only have one walk and it works I'm happy.
> 
>>> It does also occur to me that perhaps what we want to do here is allow
>>> widgets to find out about paths when they're being activated anyway?
> 
>> For dynamic PCM, we need to also work out which DAIs are active based
>> on the graph. Hence for playback we can supply the DAC/AIF and find
>> out all the connected output AIF/Speakers/Pins/etc. This is required
>> at the start of open() in order that we can call the other PCM ops for
>> each DAI, codec and platform.
> 
> Right, that's not really what I'm saying though - I'm saying that
> widgets in general could be interested in this information.  For
> example, some charge pumps can save additional power with some input
> signal paths (which is currently handled but this would make that code
> more general).

Ok, but I'm not stopping this sort of functionality from being added
later. Right now this is not a priority (for me anyway).

> 
>>>> + * snd_soc_dapm_get_connected_widgets_type - query audio path and it's widgets.
>>>> + * @dapm: the dapm context.
>>>> + * @stream_name: stream name.
>>>> + * @list: list of active widgets for this stream.
>>>> + * @stream: stream direction.
>>>> + * @type: Initial widget type.
>>>> + *
>>>> + * Queries DAPM graph as to whether an valid audio stream path exists for
>>>> + * the DAPM stream and initial widget type specified. This takes into account
>>>> + * current mixer and mux kcontrol settings. Creates list of valid widgets.
>>>
>>> Why would someone want to query by type?  That seems surprising.  Name
>>> and/or direction yes but type seems hard to find a use for.
> 
>> We query by type so that we can qualify the root widget for a shared
>> common stream name. i.e. Dynamic DSP needs to find the AIF rather than
>> a DAC for stream X.
> 
> It does?  Hrm.  Perhaps it would make life simpler if we just mandated
> the use of explicit AIF widgets?

But we may also want to know what was after a DAC. I'm thinking back
from the conference discussions where we could use this information to
selectively enable/disable kcontrols. However, this is not going to be
used at the moment either so I'll stick by the AIF widgets.

Liam