Smart Wear, Set Sail from the “Core”
On July 21, Hangzhou Guoxin held an online press conference with the theme of “Smart Wear, Set Sail from the “Core”, and launched the ultra-low-power AI chip GX8002, which uses MCU + self-developed NPU architecture to achieve real-time on a single chip Voice wake-up function, the power consumption is as low as 70uW in VAD standby mode. The first batch of products adopts QFN20, 3mmx3mm package, and can be applied to smart wearable devices such as TWS headsets. Let’s take a comprehensive look~
With the development of artificial intelligence technology, the penetration rate of AI voice is getting higher and higher. From smart speakers, to voice appliances, to smart cars, AI has become ubiquitous.
In 2016, AirPods turned out to open the true wireless headset market. AirPods 2 added the real-time voice wake-up function, and TWS+AI has also become the general trend of the market. Headphones evolved from “players near the ears” to “AI assistants near the ears”, becoming the next important entry-level product.
However, wearable products such as TWS headsets, smart watches, and bracelets are limited by their small size, limited battery capacity, and battery life often difficult to meet user needs. The always-on voice wake-up will greatly increase power consumption, and it is difficult for current various chips to achieve a balance between power consumption and performance.
The AI chip GX8002 released by China National Core this time has the mission of making wearable devices more intelligent. It has achieved a technological breakthrough for AI wake-up in ultra-low power consumption scenarios, and can achieve stress-free “always on” voice wake-up.
Low power consumption in VAD standby mode as low as 70uW
After testing, the power consumption of the entire national core GX8002 chip in VAD standby is only 70uW, and the power consumption during operation is 0.6mW. At the same time, Guoxin GX8002 can automatically switch between VAD standby and working modes according to whether the user speaks or not, so through the effective filtering of VAD, the average power consumption of the chip in daily use is basically less than 300uW.
At the same time, Guoxin has designed a brand new VAD module, which judges the human voice by adding more characteristic analysis, and has super filtering ability. In the actual test in various occasions such as offices, subways, roads, and cafes, the Guoxin GX8002 The ratio of VAD standby can be as high as 70% on average.
SIP stereo package technology, 3mmx3mm ultra-small package
In terms of packaging design, Guoxin GX8002 adopts SIP three-dimensional packaging technology, which packs Flash inside. The first package is QFN20,3mmx3mm, which is very easy to generate and use. In Q3, Guoxin will also launch a smaller WLCSP package with a size of 1.4mm x 2.4mm to meet the needs of more sophisticated products.
0.65 US dollars cost-effective, and one-stop service
In order to better empower AI for wearables, Nationalchip has not only completed a breakthrough in ultra-low power consumption, but also reduced the cost to the extreme. The starting price of US$0.65 was announced on the spot, which is very cost-effective.
At the same time, Guoxin has integrated a wealth of resources, including basic technology and algorithm solutions required by various TWS and wearable products, connected to mobile assistants and cloud platforms of major brands, opened up the cooperation channel of the Bluetooth main chip, and provided complete output Reliable “one-stop service” lowers the threshold of AI services and greatly shortens the customer’s research and development cycle.
To sum up
TWS+AI is a major trend in the current TWS headset market. Brands regard TWS headsets that support voice wake-up as a new entry point for AIoT. Bluetooth chip manufacturers such as Qualcomm and Realtek have begun to deploy. They want to use ANC/ENC. /VAD and other functions are integrated into a single-chip solution, but they have not yet been commercially available on a large scale like the Apple H1.
With low power consumption, ultra-small size, and high cost performance, the National Core GX8002 may be the fastest and ideal solution to realize real-time voice wake-up in wearable products at this stage. I love audio network and look forward to seeing it in the disassembly. Applications!
