Tag Archives: audio

Following last week's humorous storage t-shirt, here is more fun for a Friday. We're talking customised, novelty headphones...

TDK has introduced a low-power digital output mems microphone for voice command and sound detection in IoT applications such as smart watches and augmented reality glasses. Called T5848, it has a I2S interface and an ‘acoustic activity detect’ (AAD) function with its own outputs. Vital statistics of its surface-mount bottom acoustic port package are 3.5 x 2.65 x 0.98mm. Three traditional ...

EPC has used GaN transistors to create a high-power Class-D two-channel audio power amplifier design. Instantiated in evaluation kit EPC9192, it is capable of pushing 700W/channel into 4Ω (or 2Ω) or 350W/channel into 8Ω. Bridging the two channels results in 1.4kW drive into 4 to 8Ω. Key components, per channel, are a pair of 200V EPC2307 GaN transistors on a ...

Xmos has teamed up with audio software specialist DSP Concepts to add graphical audio and voice processing design software to development tools for xcore.ai audio processing ICs. Audio Weaver is the drag-and-drop graphical design software. “DSP Concepts has ported their platform software, AWE Core [embedded processing engine], on to xcore.ai platform that runs along with Xmos platform software,” Xmos told ...

International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco always seems to make space for audio amplifier developments, and this year is no exception, with some extraordinary distortion and noise figures from Class-D amplifiers, plus a sophisticated Class-H scheme to improve headphone amplifier efficiency. Starting with that headphone amplifier: Class-H is a way to decrease the dissipation of an analogue output stage ...

Audio Precision has introduced a test instrument with two analogue audio generator/analyser channels and a swappable digital channel to address multiple data standards. “A standout feature of the APx516B is its capability to bridge analog and digital audio testing,” according to the company. The “digital interface module slot is compatible with all current and future Audio Precision digital audio I/O ...

XMems Labs has revealed a mems-based loudspeaker that uses ultrasonics to reproduce bass notes. Branded ‘Cypress’, the company describes it as “full-range” and said that it “achieves >140dB low frequency SPL [sound pressure level] enabling a no-compromise replacement for coil speakers in noise-cancelling earbuds”. In an earbud, there would be three parts: a conventional wireless earbud receiver IC, a custom ...

A binaural hearing aid system-on-chip prototype has been created by a consortium that including GlobalFoundries, Cadence, Leibniz University Hannover and Hoerzentrum Oldenburg. SmartHeAP, the smart hearing aid processor, is based on Cadence’ Tensilica G6 DSP and LX7 processor intellectual property, designed on Cadence’ flow and made on GloFo’s 22FDX FD-SoI platform – 22FDX has adaptive body bias to save power, ...

Class-D audio amplifiers are power efficient, but do not beat, or even match, well-designed Class-AB and Class-A amplifiers on many other specs. This said, Delft University of Technology, working with Goodix Technology, seems to have got right up amongst the hi-fi numbers with a 0.18μm BCD prototype IC that achieves 120.9dB dynamic range and -111.2dB peak THD+N. At full power ...

I came across a Massachusetts company, THAT Corporation, founded in 1989, that has had its own 4inch foundry in Milpitas California for more than 20 years, making audio semiconductors using a dielectric isolation process. It says: “This four-inch wafer fab gives THAT Corporation the only IC production facility focused primarily on high-performance audio components. While this production fab facility primarily ...