doc: explain clock/latency more

Update SPA_IO_Clock/Position documentation.

Explain some IOs are currently unused in PW.

Explain meaning of latency.

spa/include/spa/node/io.h

@@ -31,14 +31,15 @@ extern "C" {
 enum spa_io_type {
 	SPA_IO_Invalid,
 	SPA_IO_Buffers,		/**< area to exchange buffers, struct spa_io_buffers */
-	SPA_IO_Range,		/**< expected byte range, struct spa_io_range */
+	SPA_IO_Range,		/**< expected byte range, struct spa_io_range (currently not used in PipeWire) */
 	SPA_IO_Clock,		/**< area to update clock information, struct spa_io_clock */
-	SPA_IO_Latency,		/**< latency reporting, struct spa_io_latency */
+	SPA_IO_Latency,		/**< latency reporting, struct spa_io_latency (currently not used in
+				  * PipeWire). \see spa_param_latency */
 	SPA_IO_Control,		/**< area for control messages, struct spa_io_sequence */
 	SPA_IO_Notify,		/**< area for notify messages, struct spa_io_sequence */
 	SPA_IO_Position,	/**< position information in the graph, struct spa_io_position */
 	SPA_IO_RateMatch,	/**< rate matching between nodes, struct spa_io_rate_match */
-	SPA_IO_Memory,		/**< memory pointer, struct spa_io_memory */
+	SPA_IO_Memory,		/**< memory pointer, struct spa_io_memory (currently not used in PipeWire) */
 };
 
 /**
@@ -108,28 +109,47 @@ struct spa_io_range {
  *
  * The clock counts the elapsed time according to the clock provider
  * since the provider was last started.
+ *
+ * Driver nodes are supposed to update the contents of \ref SPA_IO_Clock before
+ * signaling the start of a graph cycle.  These updated clock values become
+ * visible to other nodes in \ref SPA_IO_Position. Non-driver nodes do
+ * not need to update the contents of their \ref SPA_IO_Clock.
+ *
+ * The host generally gives each node a separate \ref spa_io_clock in \ref
+ * SPA_IO_Clock, so that updates made by the driver are not visible in the
+ * contents of \ref SPA_IO_Clock of other nodes. Instead, \ref SPA_IO_Position
+ * is used to look up the current graph time.
+ *
+ * A node is a driver when \ref spa_io_clock.id in \ref SPA_IO_Clock and
+ * \ref spa_io_position.clock.id in \ref SPA_IO_Position are the same.
  */
 struct spa_io_clock {
 #define SPA_IO_CLOCK_FLAG_FREEWHEEL (1u<<0)
-	uint32_t flags;			/**< clock flags */
+	uint32_t flags;			/**< Clock flags */
-	uint32_t id;			/**< unique clock id, set by application */
+	uint32_t id;			/**< Unique clock id, set by host application */
-	char name[64];			/**< clock name prefixed with API, set by node. The clock name
+	char name[64];			/**< Clock name prefixed with API, set by node when it receives
-					  *  is unique per clock and can be used to check if nodes
+					  *  \ref SPA_IO_Clock. The clock name is unique per clock and
-					  *  share the same clock. */
+					  *  can be used to check if nodes share the same clock. */
-	uint64_t nsec;			/**< time in nanoseconds against monotonic clock */
+	uint64_t nsec;			/**< Time in nanoseconds against monotonic clock
-	struct spa_fraction rate;	/**< rate for position/duration/delay/xrun */
+					  * (CLOCK_MONOTONIC). This fields reflects a real time instant
-	uint64_t position;		/**< current position */
+					  * in the past. The value may have jitter. */
-	uint64_t duration;		/**< duration of current cycle */
+	struct spa_fraction rate;	/**< Rate for position/duration/delay/xrun */
-	int64_t delay;			/**< delay between position and hardware */
+	uint64_t position;		/**< Current position, in samples @ \ref rate */
-	double rate_diff;		/**< rate difference between clock and monotonic time */
+	uint64_t duration;		/**< Duration of current cycle, in samples @ \ref rate */
-	uint64_t next_nsec;		/**< estimated next wakeup time in nanoseconds */
+	int64_t delay;			/**< Delay between position and hardware, in samples @ \ref rate */
+	double rate_diff;		/**< Rate difference between clock and monotonic time, as a ratio of
+					  *  clock speeds. */
+	uint64_t next_nsec;		/**< Estimated next wakeup time in nanoseconds.
+					  *  This time is a logical start time of the next cycle, and
+					  *  is not necessarily in the future.
+					  */
 
-	struct spa_fraction target_rate;	/**< target rate of next cycle */
+	struct spa_fraction target_rate;	/**< Target rate of next cycle */
-	uint64_t target_duration;		/**< target duration of next cycle */
+	uint64_t target_duration;		/**< Target duration of next cycle */
-	uint32_t target_seq;			/**< seq counter. must be equal at start and
+	uint32_t target_seq;			/**< Seq counter. must be equal at start and
 						  *  end of read and lower bit must be 0 */
 	uint32_t padding;
-	uint64_t xrun;			/**< estimated accumulated xrun duration */
+	uint64_t xrun;			/**< Estimated accumulated xrun duration */
 };
 
 /* the size of the video in this cycle */
@@ -144,7 +164,11 @@ struct spa_io_video_size {
 	uint32_t padding[4];
 };
 
-/** latency reporting */
+/**
+ * Latency reporting
+ *
+ * Currently not used in PipeWire. Instead, \see spa_param_latency
+ */
 struct spa_io_latency {
 	struct spa_fraction rate;	/**< rate for min/max */
 	uint64_t min;			/**< min latency */
@@ -244,8 +268,13 @@ enum spa_io_position_state {
 /**
  * The position information adds extra meaning to the raw clock times.
  *
- * It is set on all nodes and the clock id will contain the clock of the
+ * It is set on all nodes in \ref SPA_IO_Position, and the contents of \ref
- * driving node in the graph.
+ * spa_io_position.clock contain the clock updates made by the driving node in
+ * the graph in its \ref SPA_IO_Clock.  Also, \ref spa_io_position.clock.id
+ * will contain the clock id of the driving node in the graph.
+ *
+ * The position clock indicates the logical start time of the current graph
+ * cycle.
  *
  * The position information contains 1 or more segments that convert the
  * raw clock times to a stream time. They are sorted based on their

spa/include/spa/param/latency.h

@@ -16,14 +16,30 @@ extern "C" {
 
 #include <spa/param/param.h>
 
-/** properties for SPA_TYPE_OBJECT_ParamLatency */
+/**
+ * Properties for SPA_TYPE_OBJECT_ParamLatency
+ *
+ * The latency indicates:
+ *
+ * - for playback: time delay between start of a graph cycle, and the rendering of
+ *   the first sample of that cycle in audio output.
+ *
+ * - for capture: time delay between start of a graph cycle, and the first sample
+ *   of that cycle having occurred in audio input.
+ *
+ * For physical output/input, the latency is intended to correspond to the
+ * rendering/capture of physical audio.  However, hardware internal rendering delay is
+ * usually not included e.g. for ALSA.
+ *
+ * The latency values are adjusted by \ref SPA_PROP_latencyOffsetNsec if present.
+ */
 enum spa_param_latency {
 	SPA_PARAM_LATENCY_START,
 	SPA_PARAM_LATENCY_direction,		/**< direction, input/output (Id enum spa_direction) */
 	SPA_PARAM_LATENCY_minQuantum,		/**< min latency relative to quantum (Float) */
 	SPA_PARAM_LATENCY_maxQuantum,		/**< max latency relative to quantum (Float) */
-	SPA_PARAM_LATENCY_minRate,		/**< min latency (Int) relative to rate */
+	SPA_PARAM_LATENCY_minRate,		/**< min latency (Int) relative to graph rate */
-	SPA_PARAM_LATENCY_maxRate,		/**< max latency (Int) relative to rate */
+	SPA_PARAM_LATENCY_maxRate,		/**< max latency (Int) relative to graph rate */
 	SPA_PARAM_LATENCY_minNs,		/**< min latency (Long) in nanoseconds */
 	SPA_PARAM_LATENCY_maxNs,		/**< max latency (Long) in nanoseconds */
 };
@@ -41,11 +57,16 @@ struct spa_latency_info {
 
 #define SPA_LATENCY_INFO(dir,...) ((struct spa_latency_info) { .direction = (dir), ## __VA_ARGS__ })
 
-/** properties for SPA_TYPE_OBJECT_ParamProcessLatency */
+/**
+ * Properties for SPA_TYPE_OBJECT_ParamProcessLatency
+ *
+ * The processing latency indicates logical time delay between a sample in an input port,
+ * and a corresponding sample in an output port, relative to the graph time.
+ */
 enum spa_param_process_latency {
 	SPA_PARAM_PROCESS_LATENCY_START,
 	SPA_PARAM_PROCESS_LATENCY_quantum,	/**< latency relative to quantum (Float) */
-	SPA_PARAM_PROCESS_LATENCY_rate,		/**< latency (Int) relative to rate */
+	SPA_PARAM_PROCESS_LATENCY_rate,		/**< latency (Int) relative to graph rate */
 	SPA_PARAM_PROCESS_LATENCY_ns,		/**< latency (Long) in nanoseconds */
 };