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News

AKM releases Voice Processor for Automotive Telematics Control Unit

2019/07/16

Description

In an effort to maximize car safety, an increasing number of vehicles are equipped with a telematics control unit (TCU) that can place a hands-free (HF) eCall, enabling quick assistance in the event of an emergency. Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation (AKM) has released the AK7759, a voice processor developed for this scenario.

The AK7759 includes a digital signal processor (DSP) that provides voice processing for TCU applications, as well as analog I/O. The DSP can run AKM's original automotive HF processing software, providing a high-performance noise/echo canceller that complies with HF standards.

AK7759VN

Features

Enables voice processing for hands-free eCall, even if the head unit is inoperable

During normal operation, the AK7759’s audio path bypasses its integrated DSP, providing a transparent Analog Direct Path from microphone input to output. In this scenario, the head-unit’s HF processing is used.

In the event of an emergency requiring an eCall to be placed, the AK7759’s DSP is enabled, using AKM’s HF software and bypassing the head unit completely. This eliminates reliance on the head unit to perform the required processing if the vehicle is damaged catastrophically.

Support for a wide range of interfaces

The microphone input supports differential, single-ended and pseudo-differential signal interfaces. The onboard ADCs have a -6 to +27dB programmable gain amplifier, and digital volume control supporting +24dB to Mute. Onboard DACs are equipped with +12dB-to-Mute digital volume control and line-out amplifier, and support differential outputs.

Voice processor compliant with HF standards

The built-in DSP supports 28-bit floating point arithmetic and can perform parallel arithmetic processing of 3072 steps per sampling period at 48 kHz. The DSP is RAM-based, which allows free programming to fit the user's requirements.

The AK7759’s memory configuration has been optimized to meet the HF standards for eCall. The AK7759 integrates all memory required for its processing, and therefore does not require external memory. The software is easy to update, as it can be loaded directly into internal RAM via the serial interface. These features make the AK7759 easy to integrate into existing systems at a low cost.

Downloading four selectable programs from EEPROM

AK7759 can be operated in a stand-alone configuration. The user may select and download one program at a time from four pre-loaded DSP programs stored in an external EEPROM.

Application

  • Telematics Control Unit (TCU)
  • Data Communication Module (DCM)