TDK has a lot to show at CES 2023, even though the audio-oriented solutions make up for a very small part of the large portfolio of new devices and solutions presented by the company for all the different applications it addresses. Still, those announcements are really major for developers and brands working in cutting edge audio designs, including true wireless, hearables, and smart speaker applications.
Expanding its important portfolio in the sound capture side, TDK announced availability of the InvenSense T5838 and T5837 MEMS microphones, and the SmartSound One Development Platform. These MEMS microphones push the boundaries of microphone acoustic performance, power efficiency, and advanced feature sets all in small package footprints. SmartSound One offers a solder-free, plug-and-play interface to evaluate and develop multiple types and configurations of microphones.
The T5837 and T5838 PDM MEMS microphones offer what the company claims to be the world’s lowest power Pulse Density Modulation (PDM) multi-mode MEMS microphone with high acoustic overload point (AOP) of 133 dB SPL, high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) 68 dBA, and wide dynamic range ideal for environments that shift from very quiet to very loud, such as far field voice pickup for smart speaker to ANC TWS applications.
Targeted at multiple applications including TWS earbuds, Bluetooth headsets, and smart speakers, the new T5837 is a very low power wide dynamic range PDM digital microphone with multiple modes of operation such as high quality, low-power (Always On), ultrasonic, and sleep mode. High quality mode offers an SNR of 68 dBA while only consuming 310 µA of supply current at 1.8V. In low-power (Always On) mode it offers an SNR of 65.5 dBA while only consuming 120 µA of supply current at 1.8V.
The new T5838 is a very low power wide dynamic range PDM digital microphone with new acoustic activity detect (AAD) features and modes of operations, with the same low current draw as seen on the T5837. AAD is a new ultra-low power edge processing feature where the microphone monitors the acoustic environment and when activity is detected, can wake up the main SoC or application processor out of a deep power down mode. This can maximize system battery life. The AAD is available with three modes of operation starting at just 20 µA, providing user programmability for various filters and thresholds to optimize performance for each application. Again targeted at multiple applications, including sophisticated TWS, smart speakers, high-end voice activated remote controls, and voice-activated equipment.
The new T5838 and T5837 MEMS microphones are available in small 3.5 × 2.65 × 0.98 mm bottom port packaging. For more information visit https://invensense.tdk.com/smartsound/
SmartSound One is a USB plug-and-play microphone interface module that enables rapid evaluation and development of TDK Analog and Digital MEMS microphone solutions. Users can plug in up to two microphones to transmit high quality stereo audio using standard audio packets over the USB connection and can capture this audio using their favorite software for later playback or detailed real-time analysis. The SmartSound One is compatible with PDM digital, I²S digital, single-ended analog, and differential analog TDK microphones supplied on a flexible PCB.
VibeSense360 Solution Suite
TDK also expanded its solution-focused offerings by announcing the InvenSense VibeSense360 TWS solution suite. This is a comprehensive portfolio of TDK solutions comprised of hardware and software dedicated to the TWS market to help solve some of the most complicated problems OEMs face, all while enabling state-of-the-art features. Among the new solutions included in this development package is a low-power 6-axis IMU for accurate head tracking, an on-chip accelerometer that captures vocal vibration, and a machine learning on-chip solution with significant power savings on main processor/MCU.
Within an evolving and multi-tiered TWS market, it is important for OEMs to offer competitive features to differentiate their products and break away from the pack. TDK’s VibeSense360 solution suite gives all TWS vendors the ability to include significant feature value in their end products by taking advantage of TDK’s full array of expertise in this market.
Features that are enabled by VibeSense360 include "Always On” Spatial Audio, combining the world’s lowest power 6-axis IMU at 280 µA with TDK’s software suite to provide industry-leading head tracking accuracy. This is the most essential piece for a truly immersive 360° spatial audio experience. Another major feature is Transparency For Talk (TFT), where VibeSense360 determines when the user is speaking via vocal vibration detection and can automatically shift from ANC to transparency mode and pause any audio that may be playing.
VibeSense360 can differentiate between user audio and ambient noise, assisting the microphones in the TWS system by ignoring surrounding audio. This not only creates less false keyword triggers but provides secure keyword detection. And using TDK’s machine learning algorithms built to run inside the IMU, VibeSense360 can train the device to recognize certain head gestures and assign commands or actions to allow the user’s head motion to control the TWS system.
"TDK is much more than just a component company. Our ability to solve complex problems and provide complete solutions to customers, integrated into a single offering, is a unique value add that TDK has in our industry," says Anson Yeganegi, Director of System Solutions at InvenSense, a TDK Group Company. "The TWS market is estimated to surpass the mobile market over the next few years, and TDK has every intention of being the leader in this space as a true ‘solution’ provider; VibeSense360 is just the beginning."
TDK confirms that the VibeSense360 TWS-M601 and TWS-M602 development solutions are sampling to strategic customers and will be available later in 2023 alongside even more feature enablement from other sensors.
www.invensense.tdk.com/tws
