This paper presents a new environment for ultra-low-latency processing of audio and sensor data on embedded hardware. The platform, which is targeted at digital musical instruments and audio effects, is based on the low-cost BeagleBone Black single-board computer. A custom expansion board features stereo audio and 8 channels each of 16-bit ADC and 16-bit DAC for sensors and actuators. In contrast to typical embedded Linux approaches, the platform uses the Xenomai real-time kernel extensions to achieve latency as low as 80 microseconds, making the platform suitable for the most demanding of low-latency audio tasks. The paper presents the hardware, software, evaluation, and applications of the system.

Authors: McPherson, Andrew; Zappi, Victor
Affiliations: Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada(See document for exact affiliation information.)
AES Convention: 138 (May 2015) Paper Number: 9331
Publication Date: May 6, 2015
Subject: Applications in Audio

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