Dolphin Design Launches Innovative IP for Sound Classification, Reducing Power Consumption by 99%

Grenoble, June 28, 2023. Dolphin Design, a leader in semiconductor IP solutions providing power management, audio and processor, and ASIC design services, today announced the launch of WhisperExtractor, a game-changing mixed-signal IP for voice and audio enabled SoCs . The WhisperExtractor IP enables speech and sound classification at µW levels of power consumption, paving the way for breakthrough online voice user interfaces and online sound detection. The IP enhances battery-powered, energy-efficient sound classification applications designed to enable keyword spotting (KWS), automatic speech recognition (ASR), natural language processing (NLP), or smart security cameras.

WhisperExtractor relies on a disruptive technology that solves one of the main challenges for battery-powered devices that want to implement voice user interaction or sound classification, which is power efficiency. It has become critical to have efficient and low-power SoC designs to improve the end-user experience.

How does WhisperExtractor work?

Traditional signal processing methods for processing Mel Spectral Coefficients (MFCC) require a lot of power to convert analog signals into digital signals, perform signal processing calculations and further software processing. This makes it difficult to achieve online speech listening or sound classification without consuming too much battery current.

Based on a mixed-signal architecture, WhisperExtractor efficiently extracts the MFCCs required for audio classification without any software programming. It connects directly to the analog microphone and outputs the data required by the AI ​​accelerator block to process inference/classification. This new approach breaks the limitations of traditional practices and keeps power consumption far below previous boundaries.

The advanced architecture of this innovative IP helps reduce power consumption by up to 99% at the system level, enabling always-on listening capabilities at only microwatts of power with a simple 32KHz clock.

It reduces the significant power consumption on the DSP or CPU, waking up the system only when necessary.

WhisperExtractor main features and benefits:

1. Unparalleled power efficiency: µW-level power consumption extends the use time of battery-operated devices.

2. Can work in Always-on state: 32 kHz clock input, RC or crystal oscillator.

3. Seamless software integration: MFCCs do not require any software programming.

4. Versatile: Built-in support for various use cases, voice classification, sound classification...

"We are proud to bring this cutting-edge technology to the IP market," said Hakim Jaafar, VP of Marketing at Dolphin Design. "WishperExtractor furthers our investment in a comprehensive IP portfolio that enables cost-effective design of energy-efficient SoCs. Whether it's our audio converters, power management, or processor IP. With this groundbreaking IP, we are once again proving that innovation is part of our DNA, so stay tuned!"

Dolphin Design's IP catalog contains more than 300 audio converters, power management and processor IPs, which are commercially available for SoCs. These IPs have been proven in multiple foundries and processes, allowing a wide range of fabless and system manufacturers aiming to design more energy-efficient SoCs to focus their internal resources on more valuable tasks that differentiate their SoCs.