Updated: 2022/Sep/29
Please read Privacy Policy. It's for your privacy.
SPEAKER(4) Device Drivers Manual SPEAKER(4)
NAME
speaker - console speaker audio device driver
SYNOPSIS
spkr* at pcppi?
spkr* at audio?
#include <dev/spkrio.h>
DESCRIPTION
The speaker device driver allows applications to control the console
speaker on machines with a PC-like 8253 timer implementation or a
synthesized speaker from an audio device/soundcard.
Only one process may have this device open at any given time; open(2) and
close(2) are used to lock and relinquish it. An attempt to open(2) when
another process has the device locked will return -1 with an EBUSY error
indication. Writes to the device are interpreted as "play strings" in a
simple ASCII melody notation. An ioctl() for tone generation at
arbitrary frequencies is also supported.
For the pcppi(4) device sound-generation does not monopolize the
processor; in fact, the driver spends most of its time sleeping while the
PC hardware is emitting tones. Other processes may emit beeps while the
driver is running.
For the audio device speaker, the speaker uses one of the virtual audio
channels. Enabling this device will also provide a wsbell(4) keyboard
bell.
Applications may call ioctl() on a speaker file descriptor to control the
speaker driver directly; definitions for the ioctl() interface are in
<dev/spkrio.h>.
The tone_t structure is as follows:
typedef struct {
int frequency; /* in hertz */
int duration; /* in 1/100ths of a second */
} tone_t;
A frequency of zero is interpreted as a rest.
At present there are four ioctls:
SPKRGETVOL Returns an integer, which is the current bell volume as a
percentage (0-100).
SPKRSETVOL Accepts an integer, which is the desired volume as a
percentage.
SPKRTONE Accepts a pointer to a single tone structure as third
argument and plays it.
SPKRTUNE Accepts a pointer to the first of an array of tone
structures and plays them in continuous sequence; this
array must be terminated by a final member with a zero
duration.
Play string language
The play string language is modelled on the PLAY statement conventions of
IBM BASIC 2.0. The MB, MF and X commands of PLAY are not useful in a
UNIX environment and are not implemented. The "octave-tracking" feature
is also new.
There are 84 accessible notes numbered 1-84 in 7 octaves numbered 0-6;
octave 2 starts with middle C. The tuning is equal-tempered A440.
In the initial state the current octave is 4, the default note duration
is quarter notes, the tempo is 120 bpm, and the articulation is non-
legato or normal, i.e. half-second notes with the last 1/16th second
being "rest time".
Play strings are interpreted left to right as a series of play command
groups. Letter case is ignored. Whitespace between groups is ignored
and may be used to separate melody sections. Play command groups are as
follows:
C, D, E, F, G, A, B
Letters `A' through `G' cause the corresponding note to be
played in the current octave. A note letter may optionally
be followed by an accidental sign, one of `#', `+', or `-';
the first two of these cause it to be sharped one half-tone,
the last causes it to be flatted one half-tone. It may also
be followed by a time value number and by sustain dots (see
below). Time values are interpreted as for the `L' command
below;.
On, OL, ON If n is numeric, this sets the current octave. `OL' enables,
and `ON' disables octave-tracking (it is disabled by
default). When octave-tracking is on, interpretation of a
pair of letter notes will change octaves if necessary in
order to make the smallest possible jump between notes. Thus
"olbc" will be played as "olb>c", and "olcb" as "olc<b".
Octave tracking is temporarily disabled for one letter note
that follows `>', `<' or `On'.
> Bump the current octave up one.
< Drop the current octave down one.
Nn Play note n, n being 1 to 84 or 0 for a rest of current time
value. May be followed by sustain dots.
Ln Sets the current time value for notes. The default is "L4",
quarter notes. The lowest possible value is 1; values up to
64 are accepted. "L1" sets whole notes, "L2" sets half
notes, "L4" sets quarter notes, etc...
Pn, ~n Pause (rest), with n interpreted as for `L'. May be followed
by sustain dots.
Tn Sets the number of quarter notes per minute; default is 120.
Musical names for common tempi are:
Tempo BPM
very slow Larghissimo
Largo 40-60
Larghetto 60-66
Grave
Lento
Adagio 66-76
slow Adagietto
Andante 76-108
medium Andantino
Moderato 108-120
fast Allegretto
Allegro 120-168
Vivace
Veloce
Presto 168-208
very fast Prestissimo
ML, MN, MS Set articulation. `MN' (for normal) is the default; the last
1/8th of the note's value is rest time. You can set `ML' for
legato (no rest time) or `MS' for staccato (1/4 rest time).
Notes, that is, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, or N command character groups, may
be followed by sustain dots. Each dot causes the note's value to be
lengthened by one-half for each one. Thus, a note dotted once is held
for 3/2 of its undotted value; dotted twice, it is held 9/4, and three
times would give 27/8.
FILES
/dev/speaker
SEE ALSO
audio(4), pcppi(4), wsbell(4), sysctl(8)
HISTORY
This speaker device was originally for the pcppi PC timer interface.
Support was added for a synthesized device by Nathanial Sloss, first
appearing in NetBSD 8.0.
AUTHORS
Eric S. Raymond <esr@snark.thyrsus.com>
BUGS
Due to roundoff in the pitch tables and slop in the tone-generation and
timer hardware (neither of which was designed for precision), neither
pitch accuracy nor timings will be mathematically exact.
There is no volume control.
The action of two or more sustain dots does not reflect standard musical
notation, in which each dot adds half the value of the previous dot
modifier, not half the value of the note as modified. Thus, a note
dotted once is held for 3/2 of its undotted value; dotted twice, it is
held 7/4, and three times would give 15/8. The multiply-by-3/2
interpretation, however, is specified in the IBM BASIC manual and has
been retained for compatibility.
In play strings which are very long (longer than your system's physical
I/O blocks) note suffixes or numbers may occasionally be parsed
incorrectly due to crossing a block boundary.
NetBSD 10.99 June 13, 2017 NetBSD 10.99