STMicroelectronics and Soundchip have jointly launched two high definition personal audio (HD-PA) engines dubbed STANC0 and STANC1, along with an HD-PA microphone, the MP34AB01H. The devices, targeted at software-controlled smart audio accessories, are designed to regulate the sound performance of over-ear, on-ear and in-ear headsets. They incorporate Soundchip's Soundcore R3 technology, which implement a hybrid analog/digital architecture that can process audio signals with zero latency and 100 dB of dynamic range.

 

The audio engines support digitally configurable feedback and feed-forward active noise cancellation (ANC) processing for the removal of unwanted environmental noise, as well as digitally controlled binaural monitoring to provide natural, open ear listening with comfortable, occlusion-free speech. Unlike competitor’s products, which configure active noise canceling filters with hundreds of passive components around a noise canceling op-amp, these devices integrate these filters on-chip. Filter and device settings can be programmed digitally to optimize their performance with connected acoustics, or they can be configured in real time by a companion DSP.

 

Featuring a flat audio response from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, 66 dB SNR, zero-latency output and surface-mount assembly, the MP34AB01H provides an accurate and reliable measure of in-ear and ambient sound conditions necessary for effective feedback and feed-forward active noise canceling.