Texas Instruments has sponsored the following story
The revolution continues with Texas Instrument's (TI's) wireless microphone solution. The wireless microphones include a set of 2.4Ghz stereo microphones with a USB receiver system . The equipment stands out because TI's documentation and support will give users a considerable amount of control over their hardware.
TI's wireless microphone solution is meant for professional entertainment environments, karaoke systems, or hobbyists. It features low-power use, extended battery life and a working range of up to 100 meters. It also features automatic or manual pairing between the mic and the USB dongle receiver. The dongle can, in turn, serve as an analog input to a mixer or as a USB audio input device.
Product Specifications: TI's Wireless Microphone Solution
When acting as the slave, TI's CC8531 audio streaming chip converts between RF audio and I2S digital audio. The master CC8531, however, acts as a USB audio device when connected to a PC, or an analog receiver when plugged in to a speaker.
The system's battery life is extended using the MSP430G2453 microcontroller (MCU). The microcontroller will place the microphone on standby after a minute without a wireless signal. The ultra-low-power mixed-signal microcontroller contains 16-bit timers, up to 24 I/O pins with capacitive-touch, an analog comparator, and a universal serial communication interface. Additionally, the MCU is packaged with a 10-bit analog-to-digital (A/D) converter complete with eight channels and automatic gain control (AGC).
Performance of TI's Wireless Microphone Solution
However, one key parameter, the audio frequency response, does not appear. But there is no reason to suspect the audio frequency response is anything less than satisfactory.
Another important consideration is the performance of the aforementioned automatic gain control (AGC). The purpose of AGC is to maintain a constant output level as the input signal fluctuates. AGC becomes critically important with a wireless mike as the distance of the speaker or voice tone may vary.
The key parameter for AGC is reaction time. This measures the controller's ability to attenuate the signal immediately after sensing overload, and compensating again when there is underload. TI provides oscillograph traces illustrating response times. However, as the illustration lacks scaling, the exact response time spec is again missing.
The TI wireless microphone solution passes the eight FCC RF certification tests . These tests ensure that wireless broadcasters (TV, radio, cellular, garage openers, toys, military and first responders) can share the wireless spectrum without interfering with each other. While FCC is a US government institution, its results are widely accepted internationally.
Design support for TI's Wireless Microphone Solution
The market has no shortage of quality wireless microphone products. What distinguishes TI's product suite is the support that TI provides to the design engineer.
The comprehensiveness of TI's offerings does much to assure that one can find a customized solution based on range, power consumption, audio quality and ease of use. The documentation is voluminous , and the collaborative E2E community is actively supported with engineers and company experts. Additionally, there is also a library of on-line training available.
Whether you need a professional audio system, or a karaoke setup, TI's wireless microphone solution can do the job well. TI's support enhances the value of the products, just as a good microphone enhances the hearing experience. So perhaps this product is starting another revolution, enabling designers to have a new level of hardware support and control.
Texas Instruments has sponsored this post. They have no editorial input to this post - all opinions are mine. Arnie Peskin