Routing Linux audio between programs and computers
Summary
Al Williams explains virtual audio devices and network paths to connect amateur radio programs to each other without physical sound cards. The use case concerns digital amateur radio modes. PSK31, RTTY and FT8 are named.
Ideas
- ALSA provides the hardware-level Linux audio interface.
- PulseAudio or PipeWire manage virtual sources and sinks.
- Loopback devices connect a program’s output with another program’s input.
- Network transport brings station audio to a remote computer.
Insights
- Audio routing is a data flow problem with strict latency requirements.
- Virtual devices replace error-prone analogue cable paths.
- Several Linux audio layers require precise knowledge of the active system.
Facts
- Normal remote desktop tools rarely optimise for high-quality audio.
Recommendations
- Draw the signal path with sources, sinks and sample rates.
- Measure latency and dropouts under real network load.
References
Links to the original source and the Web Archive open in a new tab.