News

Knowles Introduces the Market’s Smallest and Most Power Efficient Digital MEMS Microphone

June 03, 2015 by Jennifer A. Diffley

Knowles introduces the most advanced Inter-IC Sound, or I²S, interface MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) microphone for wearables, remote controllers, automotive, and smart home automation and security.

Knowles introduces the most advanced Inter-IC Sound, or I²S, interface MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) microphone for wearables, remote controllers, automotive, and smart home automation and security.

The new Knowles’ mic is superior in size and power consumption, with a 25 percent smaller footprint and 40 percent lower current consumption than competitive products. Using this I²S interface, the bottom port digital MEMS microphone allows manufacturers to connect directly to application processors or microcontrollers. The result is a more efficient architecture due to decreased complexity, increased battery performance, and lower bill of material cost. 

This innovation is especially important for space constrained devices such as wearables, which have a very small board size that puts a premium on component space. The new technology easily integrates with existing mobile device architecture and simplifies system integration through a direct connection to signal processors.

“Knowles’ is committed to advancing audio solutions and our customer-focused approach to creating meaningful technologies,” said Thibault Kassir, Senior Director, Product Management, Mobile Consumer Electronics. “This innovation is our first step toward providing intelligent audio solutions and establishes a solid foundation for our future roadmap.” 

"Our expertise in acoustics and audio systems drove the development of the world’s most advanced I²S MEMS microphone,” said Bertrand Renaud, Product Management, Mobile Consumer Electronics. “We developed this intelligent audio solution to support the growing demand for smaller, more efficient devices and we are enthusiastic to see the solution already adopted on wearable reference designs and selected by several consumer electronics customers with shipments beginning in the third quarter.”

SOURCE: Business Wire

Why It Matters:

Wearables are the hottest new member on the team, but they demand miniscule components. Mics are especially important as wearables move to take the place of larger devices, as they must be sensitive and small while decreasing battery dependency.