ST and Soundchip intro components to create smart HF audio accessories that dazzle

SWITZERLAND: STMicroelectronics, together with Soundchip, a Swiss-based innovator in audio-systems technology and originator of the High-Definition-Personal-Audio (HD-PA) Reference, has introduced two HD-PA audio engines, STANC0 and STANC1, and an HD-PA microphone, the MP34AB01H, which enable the creation of exciting, feature rich, software-controlled smart audio accessories.

STANC0 and STANC1 are HD-PA audio engines designed to regulate the sound performance of over-ear, on-ear and in-ear headsets. Designed for stereo and monaural applications respectively, STANC0 and STANC1 incorporate Soundchip’s patented Soundcore R3 electronics, which implement a patented hybrid analog-digital architecture that is capable of processing sound at zero-latency with an unmatched 100 dB of dynamic range.

STANC0 and STANC1 incorporate the means to deploy powerful digitally configurable feedback and feed-forward active noise cancellation (ANC) processing for the removal of unwanted environmental noise, as well as digitally controlled binaural monitoring to provide natural, open ear listening with comfortable, occlusion-free speech.

Unlike competitor’s products, which configure active noise cancelling filters through the selection and placement of hundreds of passive components around a “noise cancelling” op-amp, STANC0 and STANC1 integrate these filters on-chip. Filter and device settings may be programmed digitally to optimize their performance with connected acoustics or configured in real-time by a complementary DSP, such as the STM32 F4, to enable exciting new features such as auto-active noise cancellation and augmented reality.

STANC0 and STANC1 are highly integrated devices supplied in a compact 4.5mm x 4.5mm LF-BGA package. Both devices can operate from a single AAA battery or host-supplied power source ensuring their suitability for the wired and wireless aftermarket, as well as in-box audio accessories.

Mark Donaldson, Soundchip CEO, said, “The latest HD-PA devices from STMicroelectronics present exciting new opportunities for customers to extend boundaries of innovation in personal audio and to realize a new generation of superior-sounding active noise-cancellation headsets and smart audio accessories.”

“As a global leader in the design and high-volume manufacturing of integrated circuits and MEMS, ST’s collaboration with Soundchip and the introduction of these new HD-PA components provide a tangible demonstration of our commitment to audio and smart audio in particular,” said Andrea Onetti, Audio and Sound Business Unit Leader at STMicroelectronics.

The MP34AB01 is a compact 3.76mm x 2.95mm analog, bottom-port, HD-PA-compliant MEMS silicon microphone designed specifically for combination with STMicroelectronics’ HD-PA audio engines. Featuring a flat audio response between 20Hz and 20kHz, market-leading 66dB SNR, zero-latency output, and surface-mount assembly, the MP34AB01H is the perfect companion to STANC0 and STANC1, providing an accurate and reliable measure of in-ear and ambient sound conditions necessary for the effective operation of feedback and feed-forward active noise cancelling.

HD-PA components are supported by a comprehensive suite of Soundstation computer-aided-design and manufacturing tools, which simplify product development and significantly improve manufacturing reliability. Component samples and evaluation boards are available to customers under a dedicated non-disclosure agreement.