DESIGN
AUTOMOTIVE: AUDIO
integrated circuits (PMICs) such as the TPS65224-Q1 – completing the audio signal chain in modern vehicles. Figure 2 shows a block diagram of a premium audio system with TI embedded processors, analog, and power ICs. Similar to advancements in automotive audio processors, higher levels of integration in PMICs like the TPS65224-Q1 are helping designers create scalable, compact, and reliable automotive audio systems that meet OEM and – ultimately – consumer expectations by fully leveraging their system’s processors and helping reduce overall BOM cost and size at system level. These devices also feature integrated functional safety features to achieve ASIL-B at system level. Conclusion Highly integrated audio processors with DSP capabilities are enabling a new generation of premium automotive audio systems, with immersive sound, ANC, and personalised audio features. However, realising the full potential of these processors requires an optimised embedded software architecture and development process. By considering factors such as DSP software architectures, audio frameworks, tuning tools, and software reuse, automotive system engineers can unlock the capabilities of advanced audio silicon while managing the complexity of in-vehicle system integration. As the demand for premium audio continues to grow, a focus on both hardware and software innovation will be the primary factor to staying competitive in the automotive market.
Figure 1. Diagram of modern audio system with speakers for surround sound and microphones for RNC
functional safety, security requirements, and audio networking requirements all in a single device. A single-chip processing platform also simplifies scalability from a hardware and software perspective, since these MCU and processor families include pin-to-pin compatible options, and enables code reuse across designs. From a vehicle safety perspective, these devices help increase audio performance outside of the car by simplifying the design of sound synthesis systems such as engine sound synthesis or acoustic vehicle alerting systems in battery electric vehicles. These systems enhance vehicle safety by emitting sounds from external speakers that pedestrians outside the vehicle can hear, as well as emitting sounds that replicate engine noise inside the vehicle. Each C7x DSP core also includes a single-cycle L2 memory cache (accessible up to 2.25MB) for up to four times higher processing performance than traditional scalar-based audio DSPs and is paired with a matrix multiply accelerator to form an on-chip neural processing unit
Figure 2. End-equipment block diagram of a fully featured premium audio system
(NPU). This architecture can process both traditional and Edge AI-based audio algorithms, enabling single-chip support for multiple premium audio features. These advanced audio features also help maintain compatibility with performance audio amplifiers such as the TAS6754-Q1 with one inductor (1L) modulation technology, analog-to-digi- tal converters, and power-management
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