Putting the Smart in Smart Devices - The Future of Hearables Is Voice Controlled

To expand our readers' perspective on the topic of true wireless earbuds and hearables, defined as ear-worn electronic devices, this article discusses how hearable technology is at the intersection of wearables and headphones, and was designed for multi-purpose use, including voice transmission, sound amplification, and wireless communications. The CEO of Fluent.ai details how consumers' expectations for using earbuds everywhere, including for work communications in noisy public environments, is pushing technology to face the challenges at the source, on-device. This article was originally published in audioXpress, April 2022.

Adding a great perspective on the topic of test and measurement, in particular for production lines, this article makes the case for using web interfaces, and embrace web standards for automated testing of audio equipment. The founder of QuantAsylum advocates an open-design philosophy for controlling and querying things via REST, which stands for Representational State Transfer, a widely accepted set of guidelines for creating reliable web APIs and leveraging the know-how of millions of developers.

Discussing speaker enclosures, this article examines all the different options for plastic applications and the implications for loudspeaker driver design in general. Enclosure characteristics, construction features, advantage comparisons between wood and wood particle board cabinets, and production techniques are some of the topics explored. This article was published in Voice Coil, March 2022.

In this article, Brewster LaMacchia concludes his series on Automotive Audio Bus (A2B) applications (not just for automotive). After an introduction to the properties of this locally networked audio transport, a look at A2B system design, and A2B data transport and interface, in Part 4, the author looks at systems and tools that are available to speed prototyping and evaluation. This article was originally published in audioXpress, January 2021.

audioXpress continues Brewster LaMacchia's article series on Automotive Audio Bus (A2B) technology from Analog Devices. The first two parts of this article examined the overall A2B system operation and how its features can enable new types of digital audio applications. Now, the author takes a deeper look at A2B data transport and how to interface between peripherals and the A2B bus using Analog Device's AD242x series of parts. This article was originally published in audioXpress, December 2020.

The second article in a four-part series about Analog Devices' A2B or Automotive Audio Bus explores the technical underpinnings of the A2B bus design. Brewster LaMacchia examines how certain optimizations for automotive applications must be accounted for when targeting broader audio applications. He also includes a look at analog phantom power and how A2B provides that feature in a digital system. This article was originally published in audioXpress, November 2020.

This is the first article in a four-part series about Analog Devices' A2B or Automotive Audio Bus, a digital audio bus technology originally developed for automotive requirements that is finding interesting design possibilities in other audio applications. This first article discusses the main features of A2B, and its use with I2S and PDM interfaces, before exploring the technical underpinnings of the A2B bus design and creating systems with the development tools available. This article was originally published in audioXpress, October 2020.

Exploring the Standard Method of Measurement for Subwoofers (ANSI/CTA-2010-B R-2020), Brent Butterworth discusses how this might be a better method for avoiding the confusion on measuring bass extension of subwoofers. The article details how CTA-2010 measures usable output at 1/3-octave intervals within the subwoofer’s operational range, instead of measuring frequency response at a low sound pressure level. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, June 2021.

As audio systems are expanding to integrate Active Noise Control (ANC), Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS), and Acoustic Vehicle Alert Systems (AVAS) for quiet car sound design and autonomous driver alerts, Krunal Maniar (Silicon Labs) writes about Vehicle Electrification and Active Noise Cancellation, which are currently two key driving forces fostering innovation in In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) systems. The article also examines new challenges for OEM audio system designs and how they are being met.

Integrating a power amplifier, microphone power supply, and analyzer required for speaker tests, the article details how the Audio Precision APx517B can save time in the overall test process through reduced setup and configuration steps. The authors also explain how this new AP solution meets the need to balance the cost of test including time, test methods, and system cost, against "the cost of failure" that might result from the expense of warranty repairs, or the possible negative impact to brand from product returns. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, April 2021.