[pulseaudio-discuss] [PATCH] mention the sound card clock and system clock difference in libpulse docs

[Tanu Kaskinen]

---
 src/pulse/def.h    | 19 +++++++++++++------
 src/pulse/stream.h |  8 ++++++--
 2 files changed, 19 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/pulse/def.h b/src/pulse/def.h
index 680bdc981..87b7dd40a 100644
--- a/src/pulse/def.h
+++ b/src/pulse/def.h
@@ -641,8 +641,8 @@ typedef enum pa_subscription_event_type {
  * pa_stream_update_timing_info() and pa_stream_get_timing_info(). The
  * total output latency a sample that is written with
  * pa_stream_write() takes to be played may be estimated by
- * sink_usec+buffer_usec+transport_usec. (where buffer_usec is defined
- * as pa_bytes_to_usec(write_index-read_index)) The output buffer
+ * sink_usec+buffer_usec+transport_usec (where buffer_usec is defined
+ * as pa_bytes_to_usec(write_index-read_index)). The output buffer
  * which buffer_usec relates to may be manipulated freely (with
  * pa_stream_write()'s seek argument, pa_stream_flush() and friends),
  * the buffers sink_usec and source_usec relate to are first-in
@@ -652,12 +652,19 @@ typedef enum pa_subscription_event_type {
  * source_usec+buffer_usec+transport_usec-sink_usec. (Take care of
  * sign issues!) When connected to a monitor source sink_usec contains
  * the latency of the owning sink. The two latency estimations
- * described here are implemented in pa_stream_get_latency(). Please
- * note that this structure can be extended as part of evolutionary
- * API updates at any time in any new release.*/
+ * described here are implemented in pa_stream_get_latency().
+ *
+ * All time values are in the sound card clock domain, unless noted
+ * otherwise. The sound card clock usually runs at a slightly different
+ * rate than the system clock.
+ *
+ * Please note that this structure can be extended as part of evolutionary
+ * API updates at any time in any new release.
+ * */
 typedef struct pa_timing_info {
     struct timeval timestamp;
-    /**< The time when this timing info structure was current */
+    /**< The system clock time when this timing info structure was
+     * current. */
 
     int synchronized_clocks;
     /**< Non-zero if the local and the remote machine have
diff --git a/src/pulse/stream.h b/src/pulse/stream.h
index 5dfdee1a0..7b9ba98b9 100644
--- a/src/pulse/stream.h
+++ b/src/pulse/stream.h
@@ -706,7 +706,9 @@ pa_operation* pa_stream_set_name(pa_stream *s, const char *name, pa_stream_succe
 
 /** Return the current playback/recording time. This is based on the
  * data in the timing info structure returned by
- * pa_stream_get_timing_info().
+ * pa_stream_get_timing_info(). The returned time is in the sound card
+ * clock domain, which usually runs at a slightly different rate than
+ * the system clock.
  *
  * This function will usually only return new data if a timing info
  * update has been received. Only if timing interpolation has been
@@ -738,7 +740,9 @@ pa_operation* pa_stream_set_name(pa_stream *s, const char *name, pa_stream_succe
 int pa_stream_get_time(pa_stream *s, pa_usec_t *r_usec);
 
 /** Determine the total stream latency. This function is based on
- * pa_stream_get_time().
+ * pa_stream_get_time(). The returned time is in the sound card clock
+ * domain, which usually runs at a slightly different rate than the
+ * system clock.
  *
  * The latency is stored in \a *r_usec. In case the stream is a
  * monitoring stream the result can be negative, i.e. the captured
-- 
2.14.2