Dev kit for Amazon AVS supports far-field voice interaction with multiple microphone array options

Microchip, via its Microsemi Corporation subsidiary, announces that its AcuEdge ZLK38AVS Development Kit for Amazon Alexa Voice Service (AVS) now offers far-field voice pickup and the flexibility to create devices with multiple mic array configurations. The solution lessens BOM costs while meeting the demands of small-form-factor designs. The solution features the ZL38063 audio processor which comprises a 300MHz DSP and dedicated hardware accelerators for voice processing. It also highlights Stereo Acoustic Echo Cancellation, which allows barge-in recognition to enhance the consumer experience in extreme audio playback environments. The kit allows far-field speech recognition in the presence of interfering noise sources, as well as device playback and external noise sources. The field-programmable, field-upgradable solution highlights signal-processing algorithms proven to enhance both local trigger detection performance and cloud speech-recognition accuracy, while the multi-microphone configurations include Direction of Arrival estimation to designate where the primary voice sound source is located. The kit comprises a ZL38063 audio processor that connects directly to a Raspberry Pi 3B with plastics and mounting hardware to simulate a common, recommended end-application mic-speaker arrangement. It supports all microphone options and comprises an LED ring to report the detected sound location, as well as a high-quality speaker that is representative of a typical smart speaker application. The company has audio labs and tuning facilities located worldwide which support customers from design through Amazon certification.