MediaTek, a Taiwanese fabless semiconductor company, launched MT8516 2-mic development kit for Alexa Voice Service (AVS). The MT8516 kit is an integrated hardware and software solution aimed at helping developers build high-quality voice-assistant products, thereby reduce development costs and accelerate the integration process for creating far-field products with Alexa built-in, including multi-room music (MRM) capabilities.

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Ideal for a wide range of voice assistant devices and audio applications, the MT8516 kit features a quad-core ARM Cortex-A35 application processor, operating up to 1.3 GHz to process user inputs faster. The development kit provides a highly integrated and cost-competitive solution with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities built in, and also integrates audio front-end and post-processing technologies without any additional cost. With MT8516, audio manufacturers can reduce the development time, effort and costs associated with designing and customizing smart speaker products, said a press release.

“As the No. 1 chipmaker for voice assistant devices, MediaTek is at the forefront of the connected device revolution, powering some of the most innovative voice recognition products in homes today,” said Jerry Yu, MediaTek Corporate Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Intelligent Devices Business Group. “The MT8516 development kit accelerates the development of devices with voice technology, making it easier for developers to bring consumers smart speakers, soundbars and other home appliances with the latest features.”

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The MT8516 can be integrated into a range of smart devices including speakers, sound bars, smart home hubs, industrial applications and smart home appliances. The MT8516 platform is capable of the following technology components, which are included with the kit:

• AVS Device SDK: With C++-based libraries, manufacturers can easily design devices that process audio inputs and triggers, establish persistent connections with AVS and handle all Alexa interactions.
• Amazon multi-room music (MRM): Enables developers to design smart products with MRM so customers can enjoy simultaneously streaming music over multiple Alexa built-in devices.
• MediaTek far-field algorithms: Integrating the algorithms on the application processor saves costs by eliminating the need for an additional digital signal processor (DSP). Qualified by Amazon with a two-microphone linear array, MediaTek also offers a four-microphone circular arrangement for added design flexibility.
• Amazon wake-word engine (WWE): Provides robust wake-word recognition in Alexa supported locales.
• MediaTek PowerAQ: MediaTek's powerful acoustic tuning tool PowerAQ provides an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) for signal flow design and audio parameter turning.

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