Akustica has developed a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) single-chip microphone, the AKU2000. The device is a surface-mountable digital output microphone that integrates an acoustic transducer, output amplifier and fourth-order sigma-delta modulator in a single chip.

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The output of the microphone is pulse density modulated (PDM), or a single-bit digital output stream that is insensitive to RF and electromagnetic interference (EMI). It therefore saves significant time and expense in system design and eliminates the dependence on shielded cabling for signal routing.

The PDM output of the AKU2000 can be decimated by a digital filter in downstream electronics. The AKU2000 supports an input clock frequency of 1 MHz to 4 MHz and operates from 2.8 V to 3.6 V, consuming less than 750 mA. The part goes into power-down mode, consuming less than 75 mA of current, when there is no clock input to the microphone.

The high degree of frequency and phase response matching from part-to-part for the AKU2000 makes it suitable for use in microphone array applications where multiple microphones will be used to perform noise cancellation and/or beam forming.

The AKU2000 measures 4 mm x 4 mm, permitting a small footprint for undermount, surface-mountable microphones, and is lead-free surface-mount-compatible.

The AKU2000 is sampling now and is priced at $3.87 per unit in 1000-piece quantities.