> > Subject: Re: Sun4m Audio
> > From: Greg Earle <earle@isolar.Tujunga.CA.US>
> > 
> > > What can I do to help bring about audio support on Sparc Station 5's?
> > > 
> > > I am currently running SunOS 4 on an SS5 and would very much like to
> > > migrate to NetBSD-sparc, but require audio capabilities.  From looking
> > > at the mailing list archives, it seems this has been on the back
> > > burner for a long time.
> > 
> > Indeed ...
> > 
> > > I'm really tired of running a dead OS and have no desire to "upgrade"
> > > to the hell that is Solaris 2.  I am aware that SparcLinux supports
> > > audio on SS5's [...]
> > 
> > Couldn't someone steal the basics of how to deal with the chip from this
> > driver (once again, how is it that the Linux folks get documentation on
> > these chips/subsystems that lets them write drivers?)?
> 
> There seem to be two kinds of Sparc Audio.  The flavor used on the sun4c

	Correction, THREE kinds of Sun audio... Ratty old 4c, DBRI based
	10/20 and SS5/SS4 which uses the Crystal Semi chip like some of
	the PC sound cards to give it CD+ quality stereo playback/record.

	The SS5's sound hardware is the best Sun ever produced, a secret
	they hide pretty damn well lest someone actually make USE of the
	hardware... B^(. I think the Ultra's use the same chip as well.

	As for why Linux people have drivers, they probably had the
	EuroLinux'ers disassemble the Solaris driver and used that
	to develop the Linux version, europeans can laugh at copywrite
	laws so that comes in handy for the Linux people...

	The register definitions are in Solaris .h files for audio. My
	guess is you could take those register definitions + the Crystal
	semi driver lurking in the x86 stuff and make something that works
	after figuring out DMA/inturrupt goo specific to the SS5 (and Ultra?)
	implementation.

		-Rob