Open Apollo - Linux driver for UA Apollo Thunderbolt interfaces

After capturing device data from your Apollo interface, this page explains how to review your capture, check for sensitive information, and submit it to the Open Apollo project.

Before you submit

Review your capture file

Open the JSON capture file in a text editor and verify:

Device information is present — the file should contain device type, serial prefix, channel counts, and firmware version
No personal data — check that the file does not include filesystem paths, usernames, or network addresses that you do not want to share
File is valid JSON — ensure the file parses correctly:

python3 -m json.tool your_capture.json > /dev/null

What is included in a capture

Captures typically contain:

Device model and type — serial prefix, device type ID, DSP variant
Register values — BAR0 register snapshots (hardware configuration state)
Channel counts — playback and record channel counts at each sample rate
Firmware version — device firmware identification
State tree — mixer control structure (names, types, ranges, defaults)

What is NOT included

The capture tools do not collect:

Audio data or recordings
User account information or credentials
Network configuration or IP addresses
Operating system user profiles
Plugin license or authorization data

How to submit

Option 1: GitHub Issue (recommended)

Go to the Open Apollo GitHub repository
Click New Issue
Select the Device Data Submission template (if available), or create a blank issue
Title your issue: Device data: Apollo <model name>
In the description, include:
- Your Apollo model (e.g., Apollo x8p, Arrow, Twin X)
- The operating system you captured from (macOS or Windows)
- Firmware version (if known)
- Any notes about your configuration (sample rate, connected peripherals)
Drag and drop your capture file(s) into the issue, or attach them as a .json or .zip file

Option 2: Pull request

If you are comfortable with Git:

Fork the repository
Add your capture file to the device_maps/ directory
Name it descriptively: device_map_apollo_<model>.json
Open a pull request with a description of your device

What happens after submission

Review — A maintainer reviews the submitted data for completeness and validity
Device profile — The data is used to create or update a device map for your Apollo model
Testing — If hardware access is available, the device map is tested against a real unit
Integration — The device profile is added to the project, enabling support for your model

Submissions for models not yet supported are especially valuable, as each Apollo variant has different channel counts, preamp configurations, and routing capabilities.

Privacy

You are sharing hardware register data and mixer control structures. This data describes your Apollo's configuration, not your personal information.

If you have concerns about any data in the capture file, you are welcome to:

Redact the serial number (replace with zeros)
Remove any fields you are uncomfortable sharing
Ask a maintainer to review the file privately before public posting

The project does not collect or store any personal information beyond what you voluntarily submit in the GitHub issue.

How your contribution helps

Each Apollo model has a unique combination of:

Channel counts — different numbers of analog, digital, and virtual channels
Preamp configuration — number of preamps, Hi-Z inputs, phantom power channels
DSP capabilities — SOLO, DUO, QUAD, or OCTO DSP variants
Routing topology — how inputs and outputs are wired internally

A device capture provides the exact control tree structure the daemon needs to serve clients for that model. Without captures from real devices, adding support for new models requires guesswork.

Currently supported models have been developed and tested with captured data from real hardware. Your submission directly enables support for more Apollo interfaces.

Submitting Your Data