AKM launches new automotive audio DSPs featuring dual HiFi 4 CPUs and support for DSP Concepts' Audio Weaver

Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation (AKM) has developed the AK7018 and AK7017, pin-compatible audio DSPs featuring dual and single HiFi 4 CPUs, respectively.  These additions to the AK701x series were designed to take the in-car audio and voice experience to the next level.  Samples are scheduled to be available in the first quarter of 2024.

AKM has partnered with DSP Concepts, Inc. (DSP Concepts), a global market leader in the field of embedded audio software, to bring support for the Audio Weaver platform to the AK701x family. This integration has resulted in a flexible and scalable audio and voice application development environment and brings about the rich ecosystem of 3^rd party audio algorithms providers that are already on Audio Weaver.

The AK701x devices allow for great flexibility in the creation of advanced automotive infotainment systems. The AK7018’s dual HiFi 4 DSP configuration allows for simultaneous high-resolution audio processing on one core and voice processing, in addition to other features, on the other.  Since the HiFi 4 is a C-programmable DSP, users may elect to use both cores with Audio Weaver, or mix and match, using the second core (or both cores) to run other custom audio algorithms. The AK701x family’s flexible clocking options and rich I/O support are suited for even the most complex audio systems, and the single-core AK7017 provides a scalable, pin-compatible solution for more straight-forward system variants.