Audio Category - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

January 24, 2025January 24, 2025 by Tomisin Olujinmi - No Comments

ESP32 Agent Dev Kit is an LLM-powered voice assistant built on the ESP32-S3 platform (Crowdfunding)

The ESP32 Agent Dev Kit is an ESP32-S3-powered voice assistant that offers integrations with popular LLM models such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. Wireless-Tag says the Dev Kit is suitable for “95% of AIoT applications, from smart home devices to desktop toys, robotics, and instruments” In some ways, it is similar to the SenseCAP Watcher, but it has a larger, non-touch display and dual mic input. It however does not support local language models. It also features a standard MikroBUS interface for expansion. For voice capabilities, the ESP32 Dev Kit integrates two onboard, noise-reducing microphones and a high-fidelity speaker. The built-in infrared laser proximity sensor detects human proximity and movement for “smart interactive experiences”. ESP32 Agent Dev Kit specifications: MCU – ESP32-S3 dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller @ 240MHz, 8MB PSRAM Storage – 16MB flash Display – 3.5-inch Touchscreen, 480×360 resolution Camera – 5MP OmniVision OV5647 camera module, 120° field of […]

January 13, 2025 by Debashis Das - 6 Comments

Fully enclosed ESP32-S3 board features 1.8-inch AMOLED, microphone & speaker for AI audio applications

ESP32 S3 1.8inch AMOLED display development board

Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-AMOLED-1.8 is an ESP32-S3 development board with an AMOLED display and AI audio support fully housed in a plastic enclosure. The most interesting feature of this devkit is its 1.8-inch AMOLED display with a 100000:1 contrast ratio and a wide 178° viewing angle, plus support for AI speech using its built-in microphone and speaker, and a built-in battery for IoT and AI applications. Other features include a QMI8658 6-axis IMU for motion detection, a PCF85063 RTC for time, and an ES8311 audio codec for high-quality audio. The ESP32-S3 provides Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity and the board also features a USB-C port for power and programming. The AXP2101 power management IC enables battery charging and optimization, while GPIO, I2C, and UART pads allow expansion. Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-AMOLED-1.8 specifications Wireless MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3R8 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 @ up to 240 MHz with vector instructions for AI acceleration. Memory – […]

January 10, 2025January 10, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

Eclipsa Audio is an open, royalty-free alternative to Dolby Audio

Samsung announced Eclipsa Audio 3D technology, a royalty-free alternative to Dolby Audio, would be integrated into TVs and Soundbars in its 2025 lineup at CES 2025. The press release explains the 3D audio technology was developed in partnership with Google and that “Eclipsa Audio allows creators to adjust audio data such as the location and intensity of sounds, along with spatial reflections, to create an immersive three-dimensional sound experience”. Like 90% of announcements at CES 2025, Eclipsa Audio appeared to be mostly fluff. I also noticed it was developed through the Alliance for Open Media which manages the now-widely-used AV1 video codec, but a search for Eclipsa did not return anything. Luckily the “Arm Editorial Team” saved the day with an interesting article published a couple of days ago with more information about Eclipsa Audio. So let’s have a look. Eclipsa Audio is a multi-channel audio surround format that leverages […]

December 30, 2024December 30, 2024 by Debashis Das - 5 Comments

ESP32-AIVoice-Z01 is an ESP32-S3 AI voice kit with dual microphones, wake word detection, noise reduction and echo cancellation

The ESP32-AIVoice-Z01 is an affordable ESP32-S3-powered AI voice kit designed for creating voice-controlled AI applications. It features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity through the ESP32-S3 SoC, a dual digital microphone array for accurate voice recognition, and an onboard amplifier. The system also implements audio algorithms for noise reduction and echo cancellation. The ESP32-AIVoice-Z01 board supports Espressif’s WakeNet voice wake-up framework and integrates with the AiLinker open-source backend service framework to enable the connection to various large AI model services like OpenAI, ZhiPu QingYan, TongYi QianWen, and DouBao. These features make this device suitable for developing AI-powered toys, IoT devices, mobile devices, and smart home applications. ESP32-AIVoice-Z01 ESP32 AI voice kit specifications Wireless module – ESP32-S3-WROOM-1U SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3 dual-core Xtensa LX7 processor Memory – 8MB PSRAM Storage – 16MB flash Wireless – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity with external antenna Storage – MicroSD card slot Audio Dual digital microphone array […]

December 27, 2024December 30, 2024 by Debashis Das - 4 Comments

HiFi-Amped is a Raspberry Pi Audio HAT with dual DACs and class-D amplifiers

Sonocotta’s HiFi-Amped is a Raspberry Pi Audio HAT designed for Raspberry Pi single-board computers. It features dual PCM5100 DACs and TPA3110 (2x15W @ 8-Ω or 1x 30-W @ 4-Ω) class D amplifiers for high sound quality and power efficiency. Key features of this module include support for both small and large speakers, an external power source to drive speakers and power the Raspberry Pi, and the ability to shut down the amplifiers using GPIO pins for minimal noise when not in use. This makes it ideal for creating a Raspberry Pi-based media center or audio streaming setup. HiFi-Amped specifications: Compatibility – Raspberry Pi 2, 3, 4, 5, Zero, and potentially others with a Raspberry Pi-compatible GPIO header Amplifier – 2x Texas Instruments TPA3110D2 Class-D amplifiers Output Power 4x 10W into 8 ohms @ 13V 4x 15W into 8 ohms @ 16V 2x 30W into 4 ohms @ 16V (bridged mode) […]

December 20, 2024December 19, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

$59 Voice “Preview Edition” adds an offline smart speaker to your Home Assistant server

Nabu Casa has just launched the Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition, a little ESP32 device with an XMOS XU316 audio processor, a dual-microphone array, an internal speaker, and a 3.5mm audio jack, that adds offline smart speaker functions to your Home Assistant server through WiFi. If your Home Assistant server is powerful enough, voice processing will be done directly on your local hardware using Home Assistant Voice software, but with lower-end hardware like a Raspberry Pi 4, audio processing can be done via a privacy-focused cloud instead. The solution also supports expansion thanks to a Grove connector on the bottom of the device. Voice Preview Edition specifications: SoC – Espressif ESP32-S3 dual-core Xtensa LX7 @ up to 240 MHz with vector extension for ML acceleration, 2.4 GHz WiFi & Bluetooth 5.0 LE connectivity Memory- 8 MB octal PSRAM Storage – 16 MB flash Audio DSP/Processor – XMOS XU316 with 16 […]

December 10, 2024December 10, 2024 by Debashis Das - No Comments

Sipeed’s MaixCAM-Pro AI camera devkit adds 2.4-inch LCD, 1W speaker, PMOD interface on top of WiFi 6 and BLE 5.4

Sipeed has recently released the MaixCAM-Pro AI camera devkit built around the SOPHGO SG2002 RISC-V (and Arm, and 8051) SoC which also features a 1 TOPS NPU for AI tasks. The module includes a 2.4-inch color touchscreen and supports up to a 5MP camera module. Other features include WiFi 6, BLE 5.4, optional Ethernet, built-in audio capabilities, a PMOD interface, GPIOs, and more. Additionally, it features an IMU, RTC chip, and AXP2101 power management for enhanced performance. The module is designed for AI vision, IoT, multimedia, and real-time processing applications. Just a few months back, Sipeed introduced the MaixCAM AI camera devkit, which is also built around the SOPHGO SG2002 RISC-V SoC. The new module improves on the MaixCAM with a redesigned PCB, upgraded casing, and various new features including a 2.4-inch IPS touchscreen (640×480), a 1W speaker, expanded IO interfaces, a power button, and an illumination LED. It also […]

November 27, 2024November 26, 2024 by Debashis Das - No Comments

LILYGO T-Bao tiny AI robot combines ESP32 and Kendryte K210 RISC-V chip, features camera and display

The T-Bao AI robot is a compact embedded device/robot that combines an ESP32 and a K210 RISC-V microcontroller and can perform face recognition and robotics applications. This compact device features a 1.54-inch 240×240 capacitive touch screen, a 2MP OV2640 camera, a MAX98357A I2S audio amplifier, a DRV8833 motor driver, an MPU6050 6-axis motion sensor, and an AXP202 PMU for power management. Additionally, it supports USB charging, offers LEGO blocks compatibility, and can move around with integrated caster wheels. These features make it usable for educational projects, robotics, IoT applications, and embedded systems prototyping. LILYGO T-Bao specifications SoCs Kendryte K210 dual-core 64-bit RISC-V processor @ 400 MHz with 8MB on-chip RAM, various low-power AI accelerators delivering up to 0.5 TOPS ESP32-D0WDQ6-V3 dual-core Xtensa LX6 processor, 240 MHz, 16MB Flash, 8MB PSRAM Display – 1.54-inch capacitive touch LCD (240×240) Camera – 2MP OV2640 with rolling shutter, UXGA (1600 x 1200) resolution, 180-degree […]