MediaTek MT8516 2-Mic Development Kit is Designed for Alexa Voice Service (AVS)

MediaTek has just announced the MT8516 2-mic development kit for Alexa Voice Service (AVS) that aims to help developers build voice-assistant products faster, at reduced costs, and with advanced features such as multi-room music (MRM).

The kit is based on MT8516 quad-core ARM Cortex-A35 application processor, which integrates audio front-end and post-processing technologies, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

 

MediaTek MT8516 2-mic development kit specifications:

• SoC – MediaTek MT8516 quad core Cortex-A35 processor @ 1.3 GHz
• System Memory I/F – LPDDR2, DDR3, LPDDR3, DDR3L
• Video Output –  HDMI 1.4 with ARC
• Audio
  • 2x DMIC
  • Amazon Alexa support
  • MediaTek PowerAQ
  • Multi-Room Audio
  • 2x 4-channel I2S
  • S/PDIF
  • TDM in/out up to 8 channels
  • 2-channel PDM inputs
  • 2-channel audio DAC and DAC
• Connectivity – Fast Ethernet, WiFi 4, Bluetooth 4.2 LE
• USB – 1x micro USB 2.0 OTG port

MediaTek MT8516 supports the following technology components, although note that a license for each may be required:

• AVS Device SDK with C++-based libraries to process audio inputs and triggers, establish connections with AVS and handle Alexa interactions.
• Amazon multi-room music (MRM) to stream music over multiple Alexa built-in devices.
• MediaTek far-field algorithms running on the application processor to eliminate the need for an additional digital signal processor (DSP). While those are qualified by Amazon with a two-microphone linear array,  a 4-mic circular array is also available.
• Amazon wake-word engine (WWE)
• MediaTek PowerAQ – Acoustic tuning GUI tool for signal flow design and audio parameter turning.

The development kit is specifically targeted at the development of smart speakers, sound bars, smart home hubs, industrial applications and smart home appliances.

A few more details about MT8516 development kit can be found in the product page, and Amazon has the board listed on their developer portal without pricing, simply indicating “limited availability”.

Thanks to Jon for the tip.

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