drivers/multimedia/README

   1 This is a directory for the kernel streaming components, along with multimedia
   2 kernel-mode drivers.
   3
   4 Much of this code exists only as stubs for future implementation.
   5
   6 The "include" directory exists as a place to store the KS related headers. It
   7 should be moved to the main include tree later.
   8
   9 Andrew Greenwood
  10 3rd December, 2006
  11
  12
  13 == Kernel Streaming (KS.SYS) ==
  14
  15 Deals with streaming media. This is the core component for this, and can be
  16 interacted with from usermode (usually via DirectX.)
  17
  18 XP and DirectX 8 versions of this component provide an additional suite of
  19 AvStream API functions.
  20
  21 COM-style interfaces are used with this component.
  22
  23
  24 == SysAudio (SYSAUDIO.SYS) ==
  25
  26 Filter graph builder (deals with topology.) Not sure what this does yet.
  27
  28
  29 == Port Class (PORTCLS.SYS) ==
  30
  31 Used by WDM audio drivers, this handles many common tasks required for
  32 audio drivers.
  33
  34 COM-style interfaces are used with this component.
  35
  36
  37 == WDM Audio (WDMAUD.DLL / WDMAUD.SYS) ==
  38
  39 Effectively a relay from usermode to kernelmode, the usermode portion is a
  40 MME-style driver (for WINMM.DLL) which tells the kernelmode portion what to do.
  41
  42 This typically involves interacting with KS.SYS in some way.
  43
  44 In Vista, the kernelmode portion is no longer present and the usermode portion
  45 interacts with the Vista audio stack (which resides in usermode but also
  46 ultimately ends up going back into kernelmode in the end!)
  47
  48
  49 == Optional drivers ==
  50
  51 - sndblst       Sound Blaster (+ Pro / 16) compatible driver
  52 - mpu401        MPU-401 MIDI compatible driver
  53