TDK SmartSound One User manual

AN-000327
TDK reserves the right to change the detail specifications
as may be required to permit improvements in the
design of its products.
TDK Corporation
1745 Technology Drive, San Jose, CA 95110 U.S.A
[phone]
www.tdk.com
Document Number: AN-000327
Revision: 1.0
Release Date: 1/28/2022
TDK SmartSound One Evaluation Module User
Guide

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Document Number: AN-000327
Revision: 1.0
CONTENTS
Overview ................................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Key Features ........................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Getting Started ....................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Host Computer Setup .......................................................................................................................................................... 5
User Hardware Configuration .............................................................................................................................................. 6
Reset .............................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Mode ............................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Configuration Header Settings ...................................................................................................................................... 7
Block Diagram ......................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Frequently Asked Questions ................................................................................................................................................... 9
Revision History .................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Compliance Declaration Disclaimer ...................................................................................................................................... 11

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OVERVIEW
Figure 1. SmartSound One evaluation module with key components identified
The SmartSound One Evaluation Module is an easy to use, plug-and-play audio device that is compatible with any TDK MEMS
microphone Flexible PCB (FPCB) featuring edge finger pins (see Figures 2-4) and supports the following microphone audio output
interfaces:
 Analog
o Single Ended
o Differential
 Digital
o PDM
SmartSound One was designed to provide a platform that enables customers to easily evaluate the performance of TDK MEMS
Microphones. Users can evaluate key performance specifications and characteristics by recording the audio over USB. The board
has been designed to maintain the audio signal integrity so that the full performance of the microphone can be realized on the USB
recording or real time stream.
KEY FEATURES
The SmartSound One Module features the following:
 All-in-one microphone interface evaluation module
 Standard USB connection for power input and data output
 Plug-and-play functionality – no programming or soldering required
 Simple user push button interface to select common microphone output types
 High quality stereo audio capture (48kHz sample rate) to any PC recording software or as a real-time microphone input
Mic input
Configuration
User Push Buttons
MicroUSB
Jumpers
populated by
default

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GETTING STARTED
SmartSound One uses a micro USB connection to supply power and output audio data. Up to two (of the same audio interface type)
TDK FPCB microphones can be connected to the ZIF connectors (shown in Figure 2) to measure the audio output in any audio
recording software. Before using the board, it is recommended to first follow the instructions in this section to ensure the setup is
correct.
Figure 2. Microphones connected to SmartSound One Module
Figure 3. Edge connector FPCB (Top side)
Figure 4. Edge connector FPCB (Bottom side)

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Revision: 1.0
Host Computer Setup
SmartSound One comes pre-programmed to allow for plug-and-play functionality out of the box. It is first recommended to supply
power to the board with a micro USB cable and verify the blinking LED (reference designator DS5) to ensure successful boot. After
plugging into a host like a PC, the board will be recognized as an audio card for recording in any audio recording software such as
Audacity, which is a free to use and can be downloaded here https://www.audacityteam.org/. In order to enable this capability, the
user must perform a one-time configuration of the sound card settings in Windows detailed below.
1) Go to Sound Device Manager (Control Panel -> Hardware and Sound -> Sound)
2) Right click on the ‘USB AUDIO CODEC’ device
3) Under the ‘Advanced’ tab, select 2 channel, 16 bit, 48000 Hz (DVD Quality) and hit ‘Apply’, shown in Figure 5
Figure 5. Windows Sound Settings
To verify that this was configured properly:
1) Without any microphone FPCBs attached to the SmartSound Board, open Audacity
2) Configure the input device as the ‘LINE IN USB AUDIO CODEC’ and the output device to user’s preference (i.e speakers or
headphones)
3) Hit record with SmartSound One in standby mode (DS5 LED blinking), and user should see
a. -40dB 400Hz sine tone on the Left channel
b. -40dB 200Hz sine wave on the Right channel
The user can populate the MIC_BOOST jumper to apply +30dB gain which results in a -10dB test tone level. Reference Figure 1,
jumper J7 or the “Configuration Header Settings” section for the MIC_BOOST jumper location. See Figure 6 as a reference for these
standby mode waveforms.
Once the test tone has been verified in standby mode, the user may proceed to select the microphone interface mode of interest
and plug the included FPCBs to start recording.