XMOS strengthens its position in voice interfaces for smart things

British intelligent IoT chip company launches the XVF3610 voice processor for smart home devices; introduces the XVF3615 – an Amazon wakeword-enabled variant of the new platform, and kick-starts an alpha programme for the ‘Avona’ voice reference design

Bristol UK, 16 November 2021 — Leading British chip company XMOS today announces the launch of the XVF3610 and XVF3615 voice processors: next generation high-performance two-mic voice interfaces for wireless speakers, TVs, set-top boxes, smart home appliances, gateway products and more.

Built on XMOS’ xcore.ai chip infrastructure, the XVF3610 and XVF3615 offer industry-leading voice processing solutions in a cost-effective and easy-to-integrate package. The designs mark an evolution of the XVF3510 voice processor already used within Amazon Alexa systems, and provide powerful audio echo cancellation (AEC) and interference cancellation algorithms to suppress noise from dominant sources and enable cross-room barge-in. The XVF3610 and XVF3615 also include automatic audio reference delay calibration – a critical capability for voice enabled TV systems – expanding the range of devices and environments where voice interfaces can be implemented. The XVF3610 is now available in distribution, further information and links to order can be found here.

The XVF3615 adds embedded Amazon wakeword for single pass Alexa enabled systems, allowing manufacturers to offload wakeword processing from their host SoC systems. The product will be available in distribution in January 2022. A demonstration is available now and can be viewed here. Sign up to XMOS’ newsletter to be among the first to hear when the product is available to order.

In the face of a challenging supply chain, XMOS are able to confirm that the XVF3610 and XVF3615 are available in volume on standard lead-times.

In an additional development in the range of voice solutions offered by XMOS, the company today launches an alpha phase for targeted customers for the all new ‘Avona’ voice reference design. Leveraging the flexibility of the xcore.ai platform, Avona provides a customisable reference design for voice, wakeword, speech-to-intent and intelligent voice applications.

Targeted at intelligent IoT applications, the Avona voice reference design allows engineers to incorporate keyword, event detection or advanced local dictionary support to create a complete voice interface solution. Partners and customers can also develop their own voice-based solutions using the xcore software development kit (SDK). Programmed In C or C++, and incorporating a FreeRTOS environment for user application code, the xcore SDK supports both bare-metal and RTOS use, offering customers total flexibility and the ability to add bespoke differentiation for the end product. The reference design will be made generally available in early 2022. To be kept informed, please sign up to the XMOS newsletter here.

Mark Lippett, CEO, XMOS, said: “The IoT market is creating new verticals and opportunities at breakneck speed, and we are seeing significant demand within the smart home. As more applications become commercially attractive or viable, engineers and designers need to be able to rely on hardware that offers agility and cost-effective performance without compromise on quality. Our new range of voice solutions deliver another weapon in their arsenal when it comes to voice control, enabling designers to continue to push the boundaries of voice innovation in the smart home and beyond.”

Rob Fisher, Product Director, XMOS, said: “Versatility is the key with all three of these new voice solutions, inherent in the structure of the xcore.ai chip. Designers are empowered to make choices: what balance of compute do we want? How much of the voice element is customisable? Are we coding on bare metal or in FreeRTOS? That dexterity will help them innovate in ways that they otherwise couldn’t.”

To find out more about this all-new range of voice processors, visit xmos.ai, or email sales@xmos.com.

ENDS

About XMOS

A deep tech company at the leading edge of the artificial intelligence of things (AIoT), XMOS addresses the evolving market need for flexible compute to serve an ever-widening range of smart things including voice, imaging, and ambient sensing.

The company’s uniquely flexible xcore processors allow product designers to architect system-on-chip solutions purely in software, enabling faster time to market with differentiated systems that are cost-effective and energy efficient.

Media contact Charlie Apsey / Ben Musgrove, Wildfire xmos@wildfirepr.com +44 208 408 8000

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