Search Results (4)

Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) loudspeakers are attracting growing interest as alternatives to conventional miniature transducers for in-ear audio applications. However, their practical deployment is often hindered by pronounced resonances in their frequency response, caused by the mechanical and acoustic characteristics of the device structure. To mitigate these limitations, we present a model-based digital signal equalization approach that leverages a circuit equivalent model of the considered MEMS loudspeaker. The method relies on constructing an inverse circuital model based on the nullor, which is implemented in the discrete-time domain using Wave Digital Filters (WDFs). This inverse system is employed to pre-process the input voltage signal, effectively compensating for the transducer frequency response. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method significantly flattens the Sound Pressure Level (SPL) over the 100 Hz-10 kHz frequency range, with a maximum deviation from the target flat frequency response of below 5 dB. Full article

Electroacoustic transducers represent one of the crucial materials used in the construction of loudspeaker arrays. The dispersion in their parameters may influence the performance of a speaker set. Parametric loudspeaker arrays and omnidirectional sound sources have been used for years. However, the possible influence of transducer manufacturing tolerances on the arrays’ performance has not been investigated. In previous research, the sources of possible dispersion in acoustic measurements carried out with omnidirectional sources were studied, pointing out that the problems with sound sources may be a significant reason behind the small measurement repeatability in standards. This paper investigated the measurement of several common types of miniature speakers, using 10 pieces of each type and investigating the influence of their parameter dispersion in electric and acoustic ways. Numerical simulations of omnidirectional sound sources were performed to investigate the drivers’ dispersion influence sensitivity. The results provided proof of the small-signal parameter dispersion reaching 20% of the variation. The acoustic measurements show that the loudspeakers may differ in sensitivity parameters by up to 4 dB in 10 transducer tests. The analysis of an example multitransducer array indicated that a dispersion of a sensitivity higher than 1 dB might lead to significant misperformance in constructed arrays and measurement deviations with this type of array. Full article

Miniature loudspeakers exhibit pronounced nonlinear characteristics due to physical size limitations and the demand for sufficient sound pressure. The primary nonlinear properties, including the force factor, mechanical stiffness, and mechanical resistance, depend on the displacement or velocity of the voice coil. The creep effect in the loudspeaker’s suspension system, which significantly affects low-frequency displacement, is often neglected in existing studies on nonlinear dynamics. This study enhances the modeling of miniature loudspeakers by incorporating the creep effect into an extended nonlinear model. The voice coil displacement and total harmonic distortion (THD) predicted by the extended model were validated against experimental data. The displacement and THD values predicted by the nonlinear model in consideration of the creep effect corresponded closely to the actual measurement values, substantiating the effectiveness and precision of the model. Full article

Nonlinear acoustic damping is a key nonlinearity in miniature loudspeakers when the air velocity is at a high amplitude. Measurement of nonlinear acoustic damping is beneficial for predicting and analyzing the performance of miniature loudspeakers. However, the general measuring methods for acoustic impedance, such as the standing-wave tube method or the impedance tube method, are not applicable in this scenario because the nonlinear acoustic damping in miniature loudspeakers is coupled with other system nonlinearities. In this study, a measurement method based on nonlinear system identification was constructed to address this issue. The nonlinear acoustic damping was first theoretically analyzed and then coupled in an equivalent circuit model (ECM) to describe the full dynamics of miniature loudspeakers. Based on the ECM model, the nonlinear acoustic damping was identified using measured electrical data and compared with theoretical calculations. The satisfactory agreement between the identification and theoretical calculations confirms the validity of the proposed identification method. Full article