Issue Description
Customers may report instances where the voice playback of an AI agent is abruptly interrupted midway. In the reported case, the agent's response was cut off immediately after being triggered by a wake word and a rapid speak API call. This issue occurs intermittently during active audio playback.
Platform/SDK
Operating System: Linux
SDK: Agora RTSA Lite Client
Version: v101.9.5 and compatible releases
Root Cause
The interruption originates from a conflict between the client-side audio buffer management and the AI agent's state transition signals.
The client application is designed to buffer incoming audio streams and flush all audio data when it receives specific state updates via the data stream, such as transitions to listening or thinking modes. In fast-response scenarios, the client may receive the state update signal while the audio is still actively playing from the jitter buffer. Because the client executes the flush command immediately upon receiving the state update, the remaining unplayed audio is discarded. This causes the playback to stop abruptly.
Backend logs confirm that no abnormal commands or server-side flush signals are issued during these events, indicating the issue resides strictly within the client's internal logic.
Step-by-Step Solution
Audit Client-Side Jitter Buffer Implementation
Review the implementation of the audio playback callback to ensure that the jitter buffer maintains sufficient depth. Developers must verify that the logic does not permit a global flush command to override active data streams that are currently being processed by the output device.
Decouple State Transitions from Buffer Flushing
Modify the client-side response to agent state updates. Instead of triggering an immediate audio flush upon receiving a listening or thinking notification, implement a check to determine if the playback of the current segment is finalized. The buffer should only be cleared once a terminal playback event is received or after a designated grace period.
Diagnose via Parameter Isolation
To confirm if the interruption is caused by "quick start" optimizations, temporarily disable or remove the following private parameters in the configuration:
"extra_send_ms": 0, "flush_by_unpub": "false"If the audio playback completes normally with these settings disabled, the issue is confirmed as a timing conflict between the accelerated response mechanism and the client-side flush trigger.
Implement Event-Based Flush Controls
Redesign the audio cleanup routine to be event-driven rather than state-driven. Configure the client to wait for the final audio frame's completion callback before resetting the rendering pipeline. This ensures that the user hears the entirety of the agent's response before the interface transitions to the next interaction phase.
Outcome
By refining the synchronization between state notifications and buffer management, the Linux client will no longer prematurely discard valid audio data. This implementation ensures smooth, uninterrupted speech delivery and maintains a natural conversational flow in AI-driven voice applications.
Related Ticket
- CSD-77677