AVB Direct Attach Hardware Path for Audio Latency Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current audio solutions for Audio Video Bridging (AVB) systems experience high latency due to the reliance on host software stacks, which exceeds the latency requirements for advanced audio features like active noise cancellation and echo cancellation.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an AVB Direct Attach (ADA) feature that provides a direct hardware path between the converged audio voice subsystem (cAVS) and the Gigabit Ethernet subsystem, bypassing the host software stacks, allowing for offloading of AVB audio streams directly between the Ethernet and audio subsystems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If host software stacks are used for AVB audio streaming, then system compatibility and ease of operation are improved, but audio streaming latency increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the audio streaming path into two distinct modes: a standard path through host software stacks for compatibility, and a direct hardware path for low-latency applications. The AVB direct attach feature creates a separate, dedicated hardware pathway that bypasses the software stack, allowing systems to select the appropriate path based on latency requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the AVB direct attach hardware path) that mediates between the need for software-based compatibility and the requirement for low-latency audio processing. This intermediary provides a direct hardware connection that acts as a shortcut for time-critical audio streams while preserving the software stack for other functions.
2Loss of time
If direct hardware path is implemented, then audio streaming latency is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the direct hardware path functionality into the existing AVB controller architecture. The AVB direct attach feature is integrated within the Gigabit Ethernet controller, combining multiple functions (AVB protocol handling, direct hardware path, and software stack interface) into a unified controller that manages both streaming paths.
3Productivity
If audio streams are offloaded from host software stacks, then processing speed is improved, but software control capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic system where audio streams can be flexibly routed between the software stack and direct hardware path based on real-time requirements. The system can adaptively select the appropriate processing mode for different audio streams, allowing high-latency tolerant streams to use the software path while time-critical streams use the direct hardware path.
Data Source
AI summary
Example methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to reduce audio streaming latency between audio and Gigabit Ethernet subsystems are disclosed herein. An example integrated circuit disclosed herein to process an audio stream associated with an endpoint device on a network includes an Ethernet subsystem to access the network and an audio subsystem to process audio data associated with the audio stream. The disclosed example integrated circuit also includes a direct hardware path between the Ethernet subsystem and the audio subsystem to exchange audio data between the Ethernet subsystem and the audio subsystem without the audio data being processed by a first software driver that is to provide access to the Ethernet subsystem or a second software driver that is to provide access to the audio subsystem.