Conexant has been putting lots of effort into developing its AudioSmart technology in recent years, and has successfully driven a wide range of emerging audio applications. At this year's Computex, the company will demonstrate its latest-generation AudioSmart 3.0 technology, including highly-efficient, powerful silicon and software solutions that are redefining the audio experience for a range of consumer electronics - such as tablets and PCs.
Two Major Trends in the Audio Market
"Conexant has achieved 50% revenue growth over the past year," noted Saleel Awsare, Conexant's president. "This is significant, and our remarkable performance is a result of our being at the forefront of two important trends: the emergence of various voice control interfaces, and the migration to the new USB-C standard."
He further explained that leading high tech companies are providing intelligent personal assistant applications, such as Microsoft's Cortana, Google's Google Now, and Apple's Siri, which have been widely adopted by consumers. Also, next-generation consumer products like 2-in-1 detachable PCs and smart appliances including TVs, speakers, and smart home hubs are rapidly adopting voice control interfaces. These changes in the market are creating broader opportunities for Conexant's audio technology, which is perfectly suited to voice-enabled applications.
Additionally, the adoption of USB Type-C (USB-C) has been the fastest in the history of USB standards, with many smartphone, laptop and tablet manufacturers already implementing USB-C connectivity into their products. Much smaller in size than a standard USB-A connector, USB-C also beats previously released USB connectors in terms of power, bandwidth and data speeds. Most importantly, it consolidates power, data, and multimedia transmission into one, fully-reversible cable to greatly enhance its usability.
According to Awsare, smartphones and notebooks will gradually remove the traditional 3.5mm analog jack and transfer to the new USB-C connector. This opens up new opportunities for audio accessories, and the market is expected to grow significantly over the next couple of years.
Turning Notebooks into Group Speakerphones
In the wake of these new developments, Conexant has enhanced its technology portfolio to embrace the emerging business opportunities, and has impressive demonstrations on hand at this year's Computex.
One of the major highlights is that the company will be showcasing the world's first PC to receive Microsoft Skype for Business certification as a Group Speakerphone device - a result of Conexant partnering with a top computer maker.
By adopting Conexant's high-performance far-field voice input pre-processing technology along with context-aware control automation software, a highly portable notebook computer can completely replace a desk-based speakerphone. Loud, clear telephone calls are now possible directly from the PC itself.
"The level of performance achieved by this platform addresses the fact that Skype audio problems often hinder communication and put a damper on productivity," Awsare said. "Similar challenges arise when attempting to communicate with intelligent personal assistants. Isn't it frustrating when Microsoft Cortana can't understand you or produce the results you need?"
With AudioSmart 3.0 technology, Conexant's voice processing algorithms allow users to speak naturally and be heard - as well as better hear what others are saying. With advanced de-reverb, superior noise reduction, integrated smart amplifier technology, and excellent Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) hit rates, AudioSmart 3.0 makes VoIP communication more natural - even in far-field conditions.
The first certified Skype for Business notebook to offer Group Speakerphone certification will be available in the second half of this year, targeting the commercial PC market. "Among the top five notebook makers, four of them are Conexant's customers. As the PC market matures and consolidates, PC makers are eager to differentiate their products to maintain a competitive edge. AudioSmart technology enables them to provide their customers with a significantly better audio experience," Awsare noted.
A Promising Outlook for USB-C Audio Applications
As for USB-C, Conexant has announced the CX20985 and CX20899, two new USB DSP audio CODECs that support USB-C connectivity for smartphone headsets and docking stations. The new CODECs enable a best-in-class audio experience on USB audio peripherals.
The CODECs are highly integrated, single-chip solutions that are fully compliant with the USB-C standard - as well as enterprise requirements for Skype for Business. The devices minimize bill of material (BOM) costs by eliminating the need for an external crystal, and integrating a capless headphone driver that produces a full-range frequency response and eliminates AC coupling capacitors.
End-to-end AudioSmart solutions bridge devices, docking stations, and peripherals together with focus on complete implementation and a robust user experience at the full-system level. By contrast, a piecemeal approach with multiple silicon devices and software from different vendors often results in mismatches between critical components, such as amplifiers that do not properly link with Acoustic Echo Cancellation software and speakers that pop due to interface timing issues.
As one of the earliest entrants into the USB headset space, Conexant is the leading provider of gaming and office headset technology, having shipped over 40 million units to market leaders. According to Awsare, this track record of innovation makes Conexant uniquely qualified to identify and implement the next big audio accessory trend.
"While there are other vendors that offer USB headset and docking technology, we have the audio expertise to deliver what they cannot: single-chip, comprehensive solutions that include software and are truly plug-and-play," Awsare noted. "We're taking our innovative technology that is enabling advancements such as voice control and contextual awareness in smart home devices, TVs, smartphones, and more - and we're bringing all of its benefits to audio accessories."
Continuing to lead the way forward for audio accessories, Conexant plans additional enhancements to its AudioSmart family of USB-C compliant audio CODECs soon. Innovative features such as active noise cancellation (ANC) will be introduced for hearables, including health monitoring headsets and other applications in the near future.
Working Closely with Customers to Drive New Designs
Embracing the trends of voice control and USB-C audio, Conexant is further enhancing collaboration with customers to jointly develop new products. For example, Conexant has formed a strategic partnership with China's Unisound to bring AudioSmart voice control to smart appliances. LG and LeTV have also selected AudioSmart technology to be used in their TV, set-to-box, and IoT hub products.
"There are lots of design activities in the Asia Pacific region, so this is a very important market for us. We will keep investing in the area to prep growth. To accommodate a larger staff, we expanded our Taipei office and established test facilities last year to provide better services for customers in this region," Awsare said.
At Computex, Conexant will showcase a range of its AudioSmart silicon and software technologies. Demos will include audio solutions for PCs, headsets, smart appliances, and USB-C docking stations, with a focus on end-to-end systems including preprocessing software for 4-mic arrays, intelligent control software, and smart amplifiers. Attendees are encouraged to stop by Conexant's suite #1002-10F at the Grand Hyatt Taipei during the show.
Saleel Awsare, Conexant president
Photo: Conexant's AudioSmart technology enables a best-in-class voice control interface with clear speech
