Silentium uses Blackfin processors to bring active noise cancellation to multitude of apps

NORWOOD, USA: Analog Devices, Inc. today announced that Silentium Ltd., developers of spatial and broadband active noise control (ANC) technologies, has selected Analog Devices’ Blackfin processors to power their ANC products.

Utilizing low cost, powerful Blackfin processors for their core ANC technology, the S-Cube Controller, Silentium is able to deliver more than 10dB (A) broadband noise reduction covering the entire audible range and, in addition, deliver from 100Hz up to 2KHz point to zone spatial noise reduction.

Active noise cancellation minimizes the unwelcome “noise” often generated by electronic equipment. ANC is used in a full range of applications and industries, including server and networking equipment, air treatment and air conditioning machinery, automotive and aircraft cabins, white goods, and more.

Silentium’s Blackfin-based S-Cube Controller technology enables product developers to easily incorporate active noise control into existing products or provides board-level ANC components to incorporate into custom hardware designs. The company also offers off-the-shelf noise control products including sound-proofed rack mounted cabinets and enclosures, docking stations for workstations and servers, and duct work for air conditioning systems.

“Analog Devices’ low cost, high performance processors are central to our success in delivering exceptional ANC functionality,” said Yoel Naor, director of products, Silentium. Blackfin’s extensive peripheral connectivity allowed us to take a whole-system design approach, giving us both a powerful platform and the design flexibility necessary to develop low-cost, highly effective low to medium frequency solutions for both our end users and OEM customers.”

Silentium’s S-Cube solution, unlike previously designed ANC systems, extends the low frequency range of signals up to 1800Hz with multiple sound tone capability, eliminating the need for error microphones.

The high performance Blackfin BF533 600 MHz processor executes Silentium’s proprietary algorithms to perform system identification, phase and spatial matching, and to adaptively follow the changes in noise spectrum, achieving extraordinary results of about 10dB (A) noise reduction on top of passive noise reduction obtained by using only traditional acoustic materials.

The fully programmable Blackfin BF533 16/32-bit core is capable of operating at up to 756 MHz/1512 MMACS and has up to 148kB of on-chip SRAM memory. Effective for intensive data processing applications like ANC, the BF533 has two dual-channel, full-duplex, synchronous serial ports and 12 DMA channels supporting one- and two dimensional data transfers.

The power efficient Blackfin processor’s self contained dynamic power management capability, with power consumption starting as low as .8 V to 1.45 V, allows the operating frequency and voltage to be independently manipulated to dynamically meet the performance requirements of algorithm execution, enabling exceptional power optimization. Silentium’s design takes advantage of the Blackfin BF533’s expansive, standard integrated peripheral set, including, UART, SPORT, and SPI peripherals.

Leveraging Analog Devices’ extensive signal processing expertise, the ANC solution incorporated additional ADI components, including the AD73311L Codec, a single channel, 3V front end processor for general purpose speech and telephony and the ADM6711 microprocessor reset generator circuit to provide a reset signal on power-up, power-down when supply voltage falls below a preset threshold.

“High performance signal processing capability coupled with extensive, integrated peripheral options enable customers like Silentium to bring high precision, feature-rich products to market,” said Colin Duggan, product line director, General Purpose Digital Signal Processor Division, Analog Devices. “Blackfin’s high performance at a low price point made it the ideal processor for Silentium’s products, which are designed for price-sensitive end users and OEM customers.”