Compaq Multimedia Services
for OpenVMS Alpha
Programmer's Guide


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B.2.4.6 FullVideo Supreme State Information

The FullVideo Supreme option module does not deal with state information through the ICGetState and ICSetState functions. It does not store or make available any state information but always returns zero bytes for both get and set operations.

B.2.5 FullVideo Supreme Video Field Mode Support

The video interfaces videoGetFieldMode and videoSetFieldMode provide better control over frame and field modes, and in field mode, identify which field is the target of operation. The FullVideo Supreme option module supports the following modes:
Mode NTSC PAL/SECAM
FRAME Yes No
EVEN_ONLY Yes Yes
ODD_ONLY No No
BOTH Yes Yes

Note

If alternate odd and even fields are captured in a dithered format, the quality of the resulting frame will not be as good as the quality from a captured frame. Dithered images captured from the FullVideo Supreme option modules in even and odd field modes will look grainy. It is possible to capture the images in YUV format and then dither them by calling the ICDecompress function to convert the YUV format to dithered format.

B.2.5.1 Field Mode Dominance Adjustment --- FullVideo Supreme Option Module

Revision B of the FullVideo Supreme option module allows adjustment of video capture field dominance. By default, this option module uses odd dominance for video capture. It uses odd dominance for video playback, but the dominance cannot be adjusted.

The FullVideo Supreme option module that supports this can be determined by examining the part number on the module itself:

Revision A 54-23296-04.A01
Revision B 54-23296-04.B01

B.3 Volume Support

This section describes the volume settings for the Microsoft Sound Board driver and for the Compaq Ensoniq AudioPCI device.

B.3.1 Microsoft Sound Board Driver Volume Settings

The Microsoft Sound Board driver provides 6 bits of volume levels on the output side, and either 4 or 5 bits of volume levels are provided on the input side. The high-order bits passed to the waveInSetVolume and waveOutSetVolume functions are selected; low-order bits are ignored.

For output volumes, these bits are converted into 64 different dB attenuation levels (--94.5 to 0.0, in 1.5 dB steps). For input volumes, 5 bits are used for the microphone input port, and 4 bits are used for all other input ports. For the microphone input port volume, the high-order bit is used to select a +20.0 dB gain that will be applied to the microphone input port only, and the next 4 bits select one of 16 dB gain levels (0.0 to +22.5, in 1.5 dB steps). For all other input ports, the high-order 4 bits are used to select one of 16 dB gain levels (0.0 to +22.5, in 1.5 dB steps).

Note

One of three audio CODEC chips can be used on the Microsoft Sound Board (MSB) and MSB-compatible sound boards: Analog Devices (AD) 1848 J-grade, AD1848 K-grade, or the Crystal Semiconductor 4248.

With the AD1848 K-grade CODEC chip, a click may be heard when opening the Microsoft Sound Board (MSB) device. This is a characteristic of the AD1848 K-grade chip and cannot be corrected with software. The sound cards shipped with the AlphaStation 200 and AlphaStation 250 systems contain this chip. CODEC chips used on MSB-compatible boards that do not have this characteristic are the AD1848 J-grade and the Crystal chip.

An audio CODEC chip is square, approximately 24 millimeters long on each side, and has 68 pins. The type of chip used on a sound card can be identified as follows:

  • AD audio CODEC chips
    AD chips usually contain the Analog Devices logo, followed by a line that reads AD1848JP, AD1848KP, or AD1848. J-grade chips may contain the AD1848JP identification; however, this has not been confirmed. Other codes may indicate K-grade chips.
    Another way to identify the chip is to look at the date code, which is two lines beneath the chip identification code. The date code is in the form YYWW, where YY represents the year and WW represents the week (01 to 52). The K-grade chip went into production during 1993; therefore, the date code contains the code 93nn or higher.
  • Crystal Semiconductor 4248
    This chip contains a line that reads CS4248 or CS4231.
    The production version of the Compaq-manufactured audio card included with the AlphaStation 200 uses the Crystal Semiconductor chip, although prototypes of this card use the AD1848 chip.
  • The Oak Mozart sound card uses the AD1848 K-grade chip.

You may experience a problem with noise on the MSB and other systems using Microsoft window sound systems when a microphone is plugged in. An MSB card using an AD1848 K-grade chip that has a microphone connected passes audio from the microphone to the audio output, but the audio can be distorted. This can happen with the machine in any state, as long as it is powered on. On the AlphaStation 200 and AlphaStation 250 systems with the internal speaker connected, the distorted sound will come through the speaker.

B.3.2 Compaq Ensoniq AudioPCI Audio Device

This section describes the Compaq Ensoniq AudioPCI device in terms of the following:

B.3.2.1 Audio Chip Inputs, Outputs, and Features

The Compaq Ensoniq AudioPCI device is based upon two chips, the Ensoniq ES1373 chip, and an industry standard Audio Codec 97 [AC97] Version 2.1 chip. Note that Ensoniq has been bought by Creative Labs. The ES1373 chip is not compatible with, or related to, the ESS technology ES1888 chip used in the Compaq Personal Workstation AU series. Information on the AC97 Codec Standard is available on the World Wide Web, at the Intel web site.

The ES1373 processes all audio in the digital realm; the AC97 processes all audio in the analog realm. Audio data originating from digitally stored data (wave files) passes through the computer bus to the ES1373 chip, is converted to 48K pcm data, and is then passed through an on-board 48K synchronous connection to the AC97. All device external inputs and outputs connect to the AC97. Digital data being recorded passes as 48K pcm data from the AC97 to the ES1373, is converted apropriately, and is then passed through the computer bus to main memory.

The AC97 Version 2.1 standard requires that each compliant AC97 Version 2.1 codec provides certain analog inputs and outputs, and leaves certain other inputs and outputs as optional. Depending upon the particular chip in use, the following inputs and outputs may or may not be available on a particular audio module.

Viewed at a high level, the AC97 implements the AC97 Mixer functionality. The AC97 Mixer provides a number of stereo and mono inputs (including PCM_out from the ES1373), and two primary stereo outputs, LINE_OUT and PCM_IN. The path to LINE_OUT provides mutes and gains on each signal, mixes all input signals, applies a final MASTER VOLUME gain or mute, and then passes the signal to LINE_OUT. The path to PCM_IN selects one of the inputs or the mixer output, applies a MASTER INPUT VOLUME gain, and then passes the PCM_IN record signal to the ES1373.

B.3.2.2 Compaq Ensoniq AudioPCI Module Inputs and Outputs

The following are the device module input and output ports:

Note that some Ensoniq AudioPCI module boards previously shipped by Compaq, or shipped directly from Ensoniq or Creative Labs, may contain more or less ports than listed above. The Compaq part number officially supported is 159579.

B.3.2.3 Multimedia Services API Inputs and Outputs

The following sections describe the input and output ports selectable through the Multimedia Services API.

B.3.2.3.1 Multimedia Services Input Ports

The following ports are available for recording. The current Ensoniq AudioPCI module does not provide connections for every port. Each port is listed with its Multimedia Services port identifier suffix, as listed in the mmsystem.h file.

The following port enables a certain component of the AC97 mixer:

The following additional ports enable or disable the AC97 Mixer inputs. When enabled, the gain volume is set to its default AC97 value. When disabled, the input is muted.

B.3.2.3.2 Multimedia Services Output Ports

Only one Multimedia Services output port is currently supported: Stereo Line Out (LINE_OUT).

B.3.2.4 Compaq Ensoniq AudioPCI Volume Setting

On the output side, waveOutSetVolume controls the Master Volume setting, which is applied to the LINE_OUT signal just before it exits the AC97 Codec. On the input side, waveInSetVolume controls the Master Input Volume just before the signal is converted back to the digital domain, and passed back to the ES1373 chip.

The AC97 Codec provides 6-bits, or optionally 5-bits, of volume levels on the output side, and 4-bits of volume levels on the input side. The high order bits passed to waveInSetVolume and waveOutSetVolume are selected; low-order bits are ignored.

Multimedia Services provides no volume controls for the AC97 Mixer Input Ports. If the port is enabled, the gain setting is set to its AC97 Codec default value, which is usually 0db. If the port is disabled, the port is muted.

Multimedia Services treats the Microphone 20db gain as an input port. If this port is enabled, then a 20db gain is applied to Microphone signal prior to its being sent to the Record side, and prior to its being sent to the AC97 Mixer (on the output side). If the port is disabled, then no gain is applied (0db).

B.4 Software JPEG CODEC

This section describes the compressor and decompressor details for the Software JPEG CODEC (Compressor and Decompressor).

B.4.1 Overview of Software JPEG CODEC Details

A Software JPEG CODEC is provided with Multimedia Services. Currently, the Software JPEG library is loaded on the client side of Multimedia Services (see Figure 1-1). Multiple clients can run simultaneously.

By default, the Software JPEG CODEC is available in the list of compressors and decompressors in the SYS$SYSTEM:SYSTEM.INI file. It is loaded into Multimedia Services for OpenVMS each time the Multimedia server is started.

To disable Software JPEG CODEC support in Multimedia Services, edit the SYS$SYSTEM:SYSTEM.INI file, and remove the following line:


vidc.sjpg=mmov$softjpeg 

This line is usually the last line in the SYSTEM.INI file. If Multimedia Services for OpenVMS is running, you must first shut it down and restart it for this change to take effect.

B.4.2 Software JPEG CODEC JPEGINFOHEADER Data Structure Fields

The Software JPEG Compressor option supports compression to both the JPEG_DIB and MJPG_DIB formats. The Software JPEG Decompressor allows decompression of JPEG to X image 8 bit and 24 bit, and supports both JPEG_DIB and MJPG_DIB formats. Table B-9 lists the following variations.

Table B-9 Software JPEG CODEC JPEGINFOHEADER Data Structure Fields
Field Value
JPEGProcess JPEG_PROCESS_BASELINE.
JPEGColorSpaceID JPEG_Y, JPEG_YCbCr, and JPEG_RGB.
JPEGBitsPerSample 8
JPEGHSubSampling 2. This value must be 1 for JPEG_Y.
JPEGVSubSampling 1
BICOMP_DECXIMAGEDIB Supported for Software JPEG Decompressor.

B.4.3 Software JPEG CODEC Restrictions

The following are restrictions associated with the Software JPEG CODEC:

B.4.4 Supported Software JPEG CODEC Formats

The Software JPEG CODEC supports several video formats, as described in Table B_10 and Table B-11. The tables describe the compression, the bitcount, and the JPEG colorspace ID (for input and output) as used in the BITMAPINFOHEADER data structure.

Chapter 7 contains details of the fields in the BITMAPINFOHEADER data structure.

Note

The following applies to Table B-10. For 32-bit BI_BITFIELDS formats, these formats only support 8-bit masks in RGB or BGR order with 8 bits of padding.

Table B-10 Software JPEG Compression Formats Supported
Input     Output  
biCompression biBit-
Count
biCompression biBit-
Count
JPEGColorSpace
BICOMP_DECXIMAGEDIB 24 JPEG_DIB 24 JPEG_YCbCr
BI_BITFIELDS 32 JPEG_DIB 24 JPEG_YCbCr
BICOMP_DECYUVDIB 16 JPEG_DIB 24 JPEG_YCbCr
BICOMP_DECXIMAGEDIB 24 JPEG_DIB 8 JPEG_Y
BI_BITFIELDS 32 JPEG_DIB 8 JPEG_Y
BICOMP_DECYUVDIB 16 JPEG_DIB 8 JPEG_Y
BICOMP_DECXIMAGEDIB 24 MJPG_DIB 24 JPEG_YCbCr
BI_BITFIELDS 32 MJPG_DIB 24 JPEG_YCbCr
BICOMP_DECYUVDIB 16 MJPG_DIB 24 JPEG_YCbCr

Note

The following applies to Table B-11. For 32-bit BI_BITFIELDS input and output, these formats only support 8-bit masks in RGB or BGR order with 8 bits of padding.

Table B-11 Software JPEG Decompression Formats Supported
Input     Output  
biCompression biBit-
Count
JPEGColorSpaceID biCompression biBit-
Count
JPEG_DIB 24 JPEG_YCbCr BICOMP_DECXIMAGEDIB 8
JPEG_DIB 24 JPEG_YCbCr BICOMP_DECXIMAGEDIB 24
JPEG_DIB 24 JPEG_YCbCr BICOMP_DECYUVDIB 16
JPEG_DIB 24 JPEG_YCbCr BI_BITFIELDS 32
JPEG_DIB 8 JPEG_Y BICOMP_DECXIMAGEDIB 8
JPEG_DIB 8 JPEG_Y BICOMP_DECXIMAGEDIB 24
JPEG_DIB 8 JPEG_Y BICOMP_DECYUVDIB 16
JPEG_DIB 8 JPEG_Y BI_BITFIELDS 32
MJPG_DIB 24 JPEG_YCbCr BICOMP_DECXIMAGEDIB 8
MJPG_DIB 24 JPEG_YCbCr BICOMP_DECXIMAGEDIB 24
MJPG_DIB 24 JPEG_YCbCr BICOMP_DECYUVDIB 16
MJPG_DIB 24 JPEG_YCbCr BI_BITFIELDS 32
BICOMP_DECXIMAGEDIB 24 -- -- BICOMP_DECXIMAGEDIB 8
BI_BITFIELDS 32 -- -- BICOMP_DECXIMAGEDIB 8
BICOMP_DECYUVDIB 16 -- -- BI_BITFIELDS 32
BICOMP_DECYUVDIB 16 -- -- BICOMP_DECXIMAGEDIB 24
BICOMP_DECYUVDIB 16 -- -- BICOMP_DECXIMAGEDIB 8


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