Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Sunday, 2 June 2013
Extra low power Bluetooth Chips.....
Coming to a hearing-aid near you soon?
With SmartBond, Dialog Semiconductor has released what the company claims to be the world's lowest power and smallest Bluetooth Smart System-on-Chip (SoC), which more than doubles the battery life of an app-enabled smartphone accessory or computer peripheral in comparison to competing solutions on the market.
Designed to connect keyboards, mice and remote controls wirelessly to tablets, laptops or Smart TVs, the part number DA14580 will enable consumers to use innovative apps on their smartphones and tablets connected with watches, wristbands and smart tags, to “self-track” their health and fitness levels, locate lost keys and much more besides.
SmartBond unique low power architecture draws just 3.8mA at transmission and reception, 50% less than other Bluetooth Smart solutions on the market according to the manufacturer, with a deep sleep current of under 600nA. This means a 225mAh coin-cell battery in a product sending 20 bytes of data per second would last 4 years and 5 months in comparison to just 2 years with previous generations of Bluetooth Smart technology.
The DA14580 features a Power Management block, including a DC-DC converter and all the necessary LDOs, reducing the need for external components and the overall bill of materials. By precisely switching on and off power delivery to each block on the chip, Dialog is able to reduce energy consumption to a bare minimum.
SmartBond works at much lower voltages than was previously possible, down to 0.9V, enabling the use of just one alkaline or NiMH cell AA battery instead of two in computer or smart TV peripherals. The DA14580 comes in three different form factors, the smallest Wafer-Level Chip-Scale package measures 2.5x2.5x0.5mm.
Visit Dialog Semiconductor at www.dialog-semiconductor.com
Find more datasheets on products at Datasheets.com, searchable by category, part #, description, manufacturer, and more.
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This article originally appeared on EE Times Europe.
Saturday, 18 May 2013
BSHAA 18/05/13
BSHAA 17/05/13 pm
UCL Dr David McAlpine
Cocktail Party SNR issues.
Negative SNR possible thru natural hearing.
Separation of signal via brain. Binaural construction of 'sound' at retro-cochlear level. Localization and spatial release from masking noise.
Social aspect of Binaural hearing.
Duplex theory of binaural hearing. Raleigh et.....
Interaural level dependency: HF
Temporal difference - discovered through phase differential. LF.
Observable binaural beats - phase shifting of diff frequency sound 'rotates' through stereo spectrum.
Binaural - unmasking; invert one signal to lift it from the noise.
Reflected surfaces - don't just use direct paths. Make the signal far more complex.
Integrating info across both ears: binaural presentation essential to tell differences.
Limits of Binaural Hearing: still front/back issues. Ear localisation - pinna allows boosted signals. You need over a month to adapt to 'new' ears.
Restoration? Do hearing aids restore binaural hearing? Compression might be an issue - linearity makes things better - FPL.??
Dr. Todd Ricketts
Hearing aid features.....12 classes of features.
8 minors - Beamforming, Sophisticated Gain Processing, Tinnitus Masking, Bilateral sharing info; spatialization correction, remote mics, Extended HF - related to slope of loss, shallower slope better. Frequency lowering: no average benefit in adults. Trainable algorithms - some px, not all.
4 main areas; A-F grading/Target Px/Manufacturer Differences.
Digital Noise reduction: Gain lowering
Fast Filtering : takes out noise between speech.
Results - Comfort improved, perceived quality improved - doesn't make SNR worse in adults: but no improvement in SNR. Less listening effort? -6dB not helping.
DNR: Real World Benefit: C, Application: B+,MFR: SD
FBM performance - phase cancelling etc.
Widened application of hearing aids etc....
Issues - Entrainment, speed, effective magnitude.
Measure REAR using stored probe tube calibration - open fit. Fixed position - does it cause problems? Not with live speech signal.
Big variation in efficacy of FBM systems, lots of variation in gain
Also variation in speed of FBM - Phone 'chirp'
FBM: RWB A-, App; A+, MFR: LD
Frequency Compression in Mild/Mod losses.
Limited performance S sound only.
Doesn't hurt that much.
FC: RWB C-, MFR N/A,Mfr: MD
Wireless Routing Capability: Streamer device etc.
Issues with streamers - direct routing to come/battery issues.
Improved SNR etc.
Advantage limited for bilateral open fitted; marginal.
Closed fitting much better. Turn off outside mic.
Better than telecoil/ bilateral better again.
Positioning issues resolved
Wireless BC/B-/LD.
Mel Ferguson - NIHR
10 million in UK with loss. 70+ years.
20% ITD HA. -£30m wasted.
Auditory Training - Does it work? Improvements - some evidence.
No improvement of speech in noise.
Friday, 17 May 2013
Bshaa 17/05/13 PM
BSHAA 17/05/13 pm
UCL Dr David McAlpine
Cocktail Party SNR issues.
Negative SNR possible thru natural hearing.
Separation of signal via brain. Binaural construction of 'sound' at retro-cochlear level. Localization and spatial release from masking noise.
Social aspect of Binaural hearing.
Duplex theory of binaural hearing. Raleigh et.....
Interaural level dependency: HF
Temporal difference - discovered through phase differential. LF.
Observable binaural beats - phase shifting of diff frequency sound 'rotates' through stereo spectrum.
Binaural - unmasking; invert one signal to lift it from the noise.
Reflected surfaces - don't just use direct paths. Make the signal far more complex.
Integrating info across both ears: binaural presentation essential to tell differences.
Limits of Binaural Hearing: still front/back issues. Ear localisation - pinna allows boosted signals. You need over a month to adapt to 'new' ears.
Restoration? Do hearing aids restore binaural hearing? Compression might be an issue - linearity makes things better - FPL.??
Dr. Todd Ricketts
Hearing aid features.....12 classes of features.
8 minors - Beamforming, Sophisticated Gain Processing, Tinnitus Masking, Bilateral sharing info; spatialization correction, remote mics, Extended HF - related to slope of loss, shallower slope better. Frequency lowering: no average benefit in adults. Trainable algorithms - some px, not all.
4 main areas; A-F grading/Target Px/Manufacturer Differences.
Digital Noise reduction: Gain lowering
Fast Filtering : takes out noise between speech.
Results - Comfort improved, perceived quality improved - doesn't make SNR worse in adults: but no improvement in SNR. Less listening effort? -6dB not helping.
DNR: Real World Benefit: C, Application: B+,MFR: SD
FBM performance - phase cancelling etc.
Widened application of hearing aids etc....
Issues - Entrainment, speed, effective magnitude.
Measure REAR using stored probe tube calibration - open fit. Fixed position - does it cause problems? Not with live speech signal.
Big variation in efficacy of FBM systems, lots of variation in gain
Also variation in speed of FBM - Phone 'chirp'
FBM: RWB A-, App; A+, MFR: LD
Frequency Compression in Mild/Mod losses.
Limited performance S sound only.
Doesn't hurt that much.
FC: RWB C-, MFR N/A,Mfr: MD
Wireless Routing Capability: Streamer device etc.
Issues with streamers - direct routing to come/battery issues.
Improved SNR etc.
Advantage limited for bilateral open fitted; marginal.
Closed fitting much better. Turn off outside mic.
Better than telecoil/ bilateral better again.
Positioning issues resolved
Wireless BC/B-/LD.
Mel Ferguson - NIHR
10 million in UK with loss. 70+ years.
20% ITD HA. -£30m wasted.
Auditory Training - Does it work? Improvements - some evidence.
No improvement of speech in noise.
Bshaa 17/05/13 AM
Dr.Sweetow: Tinnitus...
Theories:
Disruption of Auditory Input
Decrease of inhibtory function: efferent
Other inputs - collateral inputs from touch/feel/sight/TMJ function
Neuron acivity
Fear and Threat - limbic function
Other brain function.
Possible cure through gating function in lower brain areas/basal ganglia - hypothalamus area. Deals with phantom perception.
Ability to relax impaired through whole brain: px brain waves altered.
Stress - major factor - Empirical evidence.
BRAIN function - Cut auditory nerve Tx still present.
Tx Px have - ABNORMAL GATING.....(inability to ignore or filter)
historical approaches: Adjustment via auditory input: hearing aids, masker, ipod etc. Neuromonics, Soundcure. Zen tones.
Limbic approaches: CBT etc,TRT. Instructional approaches. Antidepressants.
New stuff: Cortical intervention etc.
Not all strategies effective: Px has to believe delivery.
Tx closely aligned with sleep issues/stress/attention/emotion etc.
Treatment:
Counselling: give px Widex questionnaire.
Review - with spouse.
Instructional Counselling - Phys/Anat, NORMAL for hearing loss, difficulties: define when where how.
Habituation: process of "Ignoring" - somatosensory cortex analysis - hippocampus: identify, Amygdala - limbic threat or not = cerabellum - move on depending on risk.
Tinnitus px = chronic state of anxiety, stress etc.
Friday, 10 May 2013
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