New ASIC boosts MEMS mic audio by 114dB at 399μW
MEMS microphone ASIC achieves 114.3dB dynamic range at just 399μW power
Deep Dive
A new companding ASIC in 0.13μm technology achieves 114.3 dB dynamic range while consuming only 399μW, enabling high-fidelity audio capture for advanced noise canceling and voice recognition. The design mitigates audible boundary artifacts by employing a multirate time-domain ADC that leverages the instantaneous time-domain representation of the input signal.
Key Points
- 0.13μm ASIC achieves 114.3dB dynamic range at 399μW power (40% better than standard MEMS mics)
- Eliminates signal artifacts using multirate time-domain ADC architecture with VCO-based ADC
- Outputs standard PDM at audio rates with >112dBc SFDR and Giga-Ohm input impedance
Why It Matters
Enables ultra-low power, high-fidelity voice capture critical for AI assistants, hearables, and noise-canceling applications