xMEMS Labs unveiled its Sycamore micro-speaker elements for sensible watches, XR glasses and goggles in addition to open-fit earbuds.
These are all-silicon units — only a millimeter thick — are comprised of the corporate’s Micro Electromechanical Techniques (MEMS) know-how, the place the tiny mechanical buildings are crafted out of silicon on semiconductor chips.
They’ve been within the works for a few years. I first heard about them in 2020, when Joseph Jiang, Xmems CEO, talked in regards to the tech behind the speaker chips. Now they’re lastly stepping into the market. Within the meantime, xMEMS has additionally introduced its “fan on a chip” micro cooling options for electronics.
These are very cool merchandise that may assist these units get smaller and smarter. The Sycamore audio system are one seventh the scale and one third the thickness of typical dynamic speaker drivers, Santa Clara, California-based xMEMS mentioned.
xMEMS Labs has created a platform for piezoMEMS innovation. And it has led to xMEMS Sycamore, the corporate’s newest breakthrough in micro constancy (µFidelity) audio.
xMEMS Sycamore is the first-ever full-range, all-silicon, near-field micro speaker for having fun with full-range
sound from open wi-fi stereo (OWS) earbuds, sensible watches, sensible glasses, augmented/digital actuality headsets, and different compact, cellular electronics.
It’s primarily based on the corporate’s revolutionary “sound from ultrasound” platform which creates full-frequency sound from ultrasonic waves in a 1-mm skinny chip.
“With Sycamore, mobile electronics can now achieve thinner, more stylish form factors while maintaining
big, rich sound,” mentioned Mike Housholder, xMEMS’ VP of selling and enterprise growth, in an announcement. “With better performance at both the low and high ends, Sycamore delivers powerful, full-range audio for smart watches, smart glasses, and any other small, mobile form factor that engineers dream up.”
In contrast to the first-of-its-kind xMEMS Cypress µSpeaker, which delivers full-range audio for occluded, in-ear,
lively noise-cancelling (ANC) earbuds, Sycamore is designed to carry out in open-air listening units.
At simply 1-millimeter skinny, Sycamore removes a important constraint in design of skinny cellular electronics by changing 3-mm thick legacy dynamic driver audio system, whereas additionally requiring much less again quantity space. With its first-order low frequency roll-off, it might match mid-bass efficiency of legacy drives whereas providing as a lot as 11dB headroom in sub-bass extension.
Sycamore additionally pushes the efficiency envelope on high-frequency sound — by as a lot as 15dB above 5KHz over legacy drivers — making it an excellent near-field µSpeaker tweeter different for laptops automotive and transportable Bluetooth audio system.
“The applications for Sycamore µSpeakers are limited only by designers’ imagination,” Housholder mentioned. “In smartphones, Sycamore offers a higher-quality earpiece speaker for clearer calls and greater privacy. In cars, Sycamore’s size, weight and performance makes it a micro-sized tweeter for headrests, headliner and pillar placements. And of course, not only does Sycamore’s audio performance deliver a full sound experience for smart watches and glasses, but its size allows designers to create sleeker, fashion-forward products that consumers will love.”
Sycamore measures simply 8.41 x 9 x 1.13 mm and weighs solely 150 milligrams. It’s one-seventh the scale of
a traditional dynamic-driver bundle and one-third the thickness, which is important when integrating into
ever-thinner electronics like sensible watches and glasses. As an all-silicon, solid-state µSpeaker, Sycamore
is IP58 rated to be rugged and sweat-resistant for lively customers.
xMEMS Sycamore relies on the identical fabrication course of because the xMEMS Cypress in-ear ANC µSpeaker and the groundbreaking xMEMS XMC-2400 micro-cooling (µCooling) fan on a chip. With one manufacturing platform, xMEMS can shortly ship a number of totally different xMEMS micro merchandise to help
speedy innovation.
xMEMS will probably be sampling Sycamore in Q1, 2025, with mass manufacturing starting October 2025. xMEMS was based in 2018 and it has secured greater than 190 patents.
