Audio analyzer offers direct PDM interface for MEMS microphone testing

Audio Precision has released a new pulse density modulation (PDM) I/O option for its APx500 series audio analyzers. PDM is a one-bit, high clock rate data stream used with digital MEMS microphones used extensively in smartphone design. The APx PDM option allows APx500 series audio analyzers to connect directly to any device with a PDM input or output, enabling comprehensive testing of audio in the fast-moving telecom industry.

In addition to all the standard audio measurements, the APx PDM Interface provides variable DC supply voltage, variable sample rate, and a PSR (power supply rejection) measurement to test the device's full operating parameters. PDM (mono or stereo) can be selected for both the analyzer inputs and outputs simultaneously, and PDM can be paired with any of the other available I/O formats: analog, AES, S/PDIF, Bluetooth, HDMI, or serial digital.

Semiconductor R&D engineers working on new digital MEMS designs can take immediate advantage of the APx PDM option, generating modulated PDM bitstreams and sending them directly to decimation stages with no further conversion or hardware. Smartphone and tablet manufacturers working on new designs can interface directly with MEMS microphones and PDM decimation stages to tune and verify performance. A special acoustic response suite of measurements makes MEMS transducer testing fast, easy, and efficient, even in non-anechoic environments.

Visit Audio Precision at http://www.ap.com.

This article originally appeared on EE Times Europe.