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Micdrop Protocol

WebSocket Protocol​

Micdrop uses a simple custom protocol over WebSocket for real-time communication between the client and server.

Why WebSocket?​

While WebRTC is a powerful protocol for real-time communication, Micdrop uses a simple custom protocol over WebSocket for several reasons:

  • 🎯 Focused on our use case: WebRTC is designed for peer-to-peer communication, with features we don't need. Our client-server architecture is simpler.

  • 🔇 Efficient audio transmission: By using Voice Activity Detection (VAD) on the client side, we only send audio when the user is actually speaking. This reduces bandwidth usage and processing load compared to continuous streaming.

  • 💡 Simple implementation: WebSocket provides a straightforward, reliable way to send both text and binary data. The protocol is easy to implement and debug on both client and server.

  • 🔄 Bidirectional communication: WebSocket allows for real-time bidirectional messaging, which is perfect for our text and audio exchange needs.

  • 🛠️ Custom protocol control: Our simple protocol lets us optimize exactly how and when audio/text messages are sent, without the overhead of WebRTC's full feature set.

This approach gives us the real-time capabilities we need while keeping the implementation lean and efficient.

Client Commands​

The client can send the following commands to the server:

  • MicdropClientCommands.StartSpeaking - The user starts speaking
  • MicdropClientCommands.StopSpeaking - The user stops speaking
  • MicdropClientCommands.Mute - The user mutes the microphone

Server Commands​

The server can send the following commands to the client:

  • MicdropServerCommands.Message - A message from the assistant.
  • MicdropServerCommands.CancelLastAssistantMessage - Cancel the last assistant message.
  • MicdropServerCommands.CancelLastUserMessage - Cancel the last user message.
  • MicdropServerCommands.SkipAnswer - Notify that the last generated answer was ignored, it's listening again.
  • MicdropServerCommands.EndCall - End the call.