Re: [Discuss-gnuradio] Audio source cannot use 2 outputs (Stereo) in windows

[Gary.Simpkins]

Hi Marcus and any windows experts

Trying to get portaudio working in GNURadio (win10). can you answer 
these simple questions.

Using  gnuradio-config-info  --enabled-components, I get the following.

python-support;testing-support;volk;doxygen;sphinx;gnuradio-runtime;gr-ctrlport;gr-blocks;gnuradio-companion;gr-fec;gr-fft;gr-filter;gr-analog;gr-digital;gr-dtv;gr-atsc;gr-audio;* 
portaudio;* 
windows;gr-channels;gr-noaa;gr-pager;gr-qtgui;gr-trellis;gr-uhd;gr-utils;gr-video-sdl;gr-vocoder;gr-fcd;gr-wavelet;gr-wxgui;gr-zeromq.

 Is the * infront of portaudio significant?  Is it a wild card? do you 
now what this means? (I know this is windows and not UNIX)

gnuradio-config-info  --userprefsdir  responds with

C:\Users\Gary\AppData\Roaming\.gnuradio

In this directory is a config.conf file.  It was empty, so I added

[audio]

audio_module = portaudio

I saved and restarted the PC, but GNUradio is not using portaudio. So it 
looks like it is not being used.

Regards

Gary



On 04/05/2019 14:39, Müller, Marcus (CEL) wrote:
> Hey Gary,
> please keep things on the list! Good news:
> That's the exact opposite of what I wanted to convey! *Use* GNU Radio's
> existing portaudio interface; chances are that your GNU Radio
> installation supports that (which is why I asked how you've installed
> it).
> https://www.gnuradio.org/doc/doxygen/page_audio.html tells us how to do
> that:
> you just need to find your GNU Radio configuration (for me as Unix user
> it's in ~/.gnuradio/config.conf, but yours is probably somewhere else;
> running `gnuradio-config-info --userprefsdir` should give you an idea
> where to look). Add, if not already in there, the following:
>
> [audio]
> audio_module = portaudio
>
> Done! That tells GNU Radio to not just try the first best guess of what
> audio system you want to use (that being windows API under windows),
> but to specifically use portaudio – and that should have the features
> you're looking for.
>
> Still, the windows source not working as it should is a pain. We should
> fix that.
>
> Best regards,
> Marcus
>
> On Sat, 2019-05-04 at 08:05 +0100, address@hidden wrote:
> > Many thanks for the explanation. Looks like I can go no further. I do
> > not have the skills to develope the audio source.
> >
> > Gary
> >
> > Sent from my Huawei Mobile
> >
> >
> > -------- Original Message --------
> > Subject: Re: [Discuss-gnuradio] Audio source cannot use 2 outputs
> > (Stereo) in
> > windows
> > From: "M黮ler, Marcus (CEL)"
> > To: address@hidden,address@hidden
> > CC:
> >
> >
> > > Hi Gary!
> > >
> > > > I have double checked and all the windows audio devices I have
> > > > used
> > > > for the audio source are 2 channels.
> > > I never doubted that – all I wanted to point out that the I think
> > > it
> > > was Windows that told the GNU Radio windows audio source it saw
> > > only
> > > one channel, and consequently the windows audio source only enabled
> > > one
> > > output port.
> > >
> > > I was wrong, it turns out! When you look at gr-
> > > audio/liob/windows/windows_source.cc, you'll find the number of
> > > output
> > > streams of the block to be hardcoded to be between 1 and 1, so...
> > > 1:
> > >
> > >
> > > windows_source::windows_source(int sampling_freq,
> > > const std::string
> > > device_name)
> > > : sync_block("audio_windows_source",
> > > io_signature::make(0, 0, 0),
> > > io_signature::make(1, 1,
> > > sizeof(float))),
> > >
> > > The last line does that.
> > > So, that's a um, underdeveloped feature in the windows audio
> > > source.
> > >
> > > > They work fine with WSJT-X, or MAP65.
> > > >
> > > > The stereo channels I wish to use are the I and Q outputs from
> > > my
> > > > SDRPLay Duo using virtual cables
> > > >
> > > > (I have tried the speaker outputs from the PC with GNURadio audio
> > > > source
> > > > and get the same problem)
> > > >
> > > > Does the audio source work with two channels on linux?
> > > Yes, (haven't tried today, but it /used/ to work), but it sadly
> > > shares
> > > nearly no code with the windows audio source. That's due to fact
> > > that
> > > Linux' ALSA and Windows' sound API and OS X's Core Audio are pretty
> > > different.
> > >
> > > I do have an idea, though, which *might* be a solution to your
> > > problem,
> > > but: untested; don't expect wonders.
> > >
> > > Has your GNU Radio build portaudio enabled? As said, it's not
> > > tested,
> > > but unlike the windows audio source, the portaudio source at least
> > > from
> > > the state of the source code (far as I can tell) enables as many
> > > maximum output streams as your card has.
> > > > I am using the latest version of GNURadio 3.7.13.4 on a 64bit win
> > > 10
> > > > PC.
> > > Built from source, or where did you happen across it?
> > >
> > > > I am really stuck here. Nothing I try allows the second output to
> > > be
> > > > enabled.
> > > Sorry to hear that! We'll try to get you unstuck :)
> > >
> > > Best regards,
> > > Marcus