FEATURES
Complete Microphone Conditioner in a 10-Lead Package
Single 3 V Operation
Low Shutdown Current < 2 A
Adjustable Noise Gate Threshold
Adjustable Compression Ratio
Automatic Limiting Feature Prevents ADC Overload
Low Noise and Distortion: 0.2% THD + N
20 kHz Bandwidth
APPLICATIONS
Desktop, Portable, or Palmtop Computers
Telephone Conferencing
Communication Headsets
Two-Way Communications
Surveillance Systems
Karaoke and DJ Mixers
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The SSM2167 is a complete and flexible solution for conditioning
microphone inputs in personal electronics and computer audio
systems. It is also excellent for improving vocal clarity in communications and public address systems. A low noise voltage controlled
amplifier (VCA) provides a gain that is dynamically adjusted by a
control loop to maintain a set compression characteristic. The
compression ratio is set by a single resistor and can be varied from
1:1 to over 10:1 relative to the fixed rotation point. Signals above
the rotation point are limited to prevent overload and to eliminate
“popping.” A downward expander (noise gate) prevents amplification of background noise or hum. This results in optimized signal
levels prior to digitization, thereby eliminating the need for additional gain or attenuation in the digital domain. The flexibility of
setting the compression ratio and the time constant of the level
detector, coupled with two values of rotation point, make the
SSM2167 easy to integrate in a wide variety of microphone
conditioning applications.
The SSM2167 is available in two versions, with different amounts
of fixed gain. The SSM2167-1 has 18 dB of fixed gain, while
the SSM2167-2 features only 8 dB of fixed gain.
The device is available in 10-lead MSOP package, and guaranteed
for operation over the extended industrial temperature range of
–40°C to +85°C.
Compression and Noise Gating
SSM2167
PIN CONFIGURATION
10-Lead MSOP
(RM Suffix)
1
GND
2
VCA
IN
SSM2167
INPUT
3
4
5
SHUTDOWN
BUF OUT
Figure 1. General Input/Output Characteristics
10
V
DD
9
OUTPUT
8
COMPRESSION RATIO
7
GATE THRS
6
AVG CAP
REV. A
Information furnished by Analog Devices is believed to be accurate and
reliable. However, no responsibility is assumed by Analog Devices for its
use, nor for any infringements of patents or other rights of third parties that
may result from its use. No license is granted by implication or otherwise
under any patent or patent rights of Analog Devices.
Noise20 kHz Bandwidth, V
Total Harmonic Distortion + NoiseTHD + NV
Input ImpedanceZ
Output ImpedanceZ
IN
OUT
10:1 Compression20nV/√Hz
= GND–70dBV
= 100 mV rms0.2%
IN
IN
100kΩ
145Ω
Load DriveMinimum Resistive Load5kΩ
Maximum Capacitive Load2nF
Input Voltage Range0.4% THD600mV rms
Output Voltage Range0.4% THD
SSM2167-1700mV rms
SSM2167-2*700mV rms
Gain Bandwidth Product1:1 Compression
SSM2167-1VCA G = 18 dB1MHz
SSM2167-2*VCA G = 8 dB1MHz
CONTROL SECTION
VCA Dynamic Gain Range40dB
VCA Fixed Gain
SSM2167-118dB
SSM2167-2*8dB
Compression Ratio, Min1:1
Compression Ratio, MaxSee Table I for R
*Stresses above those listed under Absolute Maximum Ratings may cause perma-
nent damage to the device. This is a stress rating only; functional operation of the
device at these or any other conditions above those listed in the operational sections
of this specification is not implied. Exposure to absolute maximum rating conditions for extended periods may affect device reliability.
ORDERING GUIDE
TemperaturePackagePackage
ModelRangeDescriptionOption
SSM2167-1RM-Reel–40°C to +85°C10-Lead Mini/micro SOIC (MSOP)RM-10
SSM2167-2RM-Reel* –40°C to +85°C10-Lead Mini/micro SOIC (MSOP)RM-10
*Preliminary
CAUTION
ESD (electrostatic discharge) sensitive device. Electrostatic charges as high as 4000 V readily
accumulate on the human body and test equipment and can discharge without detection. Although
the SSM2167 features proprietary ESD protection circuitry, permanent damage may occur on
devices subjected to high-energy electrostatic discharges. Therefore, proper ESD precautions are
recommended to avoid performance degradation or loss of functionality.
JC
is specified for device soldered
JA
Unit
REV. A
–3–
SSM2167
– Typical Performance Characteristics
100
10
NOISE GATE – mV rms
1
03,500500
1,0001,5002,5002,0003,000
TPC 1. Noise Gate vs. R
1
TA = 25ⴗC
V+ = 3V
V
= 24.5mV rms
IN
COMPRESSION RATIO 1:1
ROTATION POINT = 63mV rms
NOISE GATE SETTING = 1.4mV rms
0.1
THD + N – %
0.01
2030k
100
TA = 25ⴗC
V+ = 3V
R
= 100k⍀
LOAD
COMPRESSION RATIO 2:1
ROTATION POINT = 63mV rms
R
– ⍀
GATE
FREQUENCY – Hz
1k10k
GATE
TPC 2. THD + N vs. Frequency
20k
1
0.1
THD + N – %
TA = 25ⴗC
V+ = 3V
V
FREQUENCY = 1kHz
IN
R
= 100k⍀
LOAD
COMPRESSION RATIO 1:1
ROTATION POINT = 63mV rms
NOISE GATE SETTING = 1.4mV rms
TPC 13. SSM2167-1 RMS Level Detector Performance
with C
= 2.2 µF
AVG
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
The SSM2167 is a complete microphone signal conditioning
system on a single integrated circuit. Designed primarily for
voice band applications, this integrated circuit provides amplification, limiting, variable compression, and noise gate. User
adjustable compression ratio, noise gate threshold, and two
different fixed gains optimize circuit operation for a variety of
applications. The SSM2167 also features a low power shutdown
mode for battery-powered applications.
V
DD
+
10F
GND
V
DD
SHUTDOWN
INPUT
10F
500k⍀
0.1F
SSM2167
+
GND
10F
R
R
+
10F
V
GATE
COMP
OUTPUT
100k⍀
DD
Figure 2. Typical Application Circuit
C2
OUT
LEVEL
DETECTOR
GND
10F
+
VCA
1k⍀1k⍀
C
AVG
+
C3
10F
IN
VCA
CONTROL
R
GRC
OUTPUT
NOISE GATE AND
COMPRESSION
SETTINGS
V
DD
INPUT
C1
0.1F
V
DD
+1
SHUTDOWN
BUF
BUFFER
Figure 3. Functional Block Diagram
–6–
Theory of Operation
The typical transfer characteristic for the SSM2167 is shown in
Figure 1 where the output level in dB is plotted as a function of
the input level in dB. The dotted line indicates the transfer
characteristic for a unity-gain amplifier. For input signals in the
range of V
(Downward Expansion) to VRP (Rotation Point)
DE
an “r” dB change in the input level causes a 1 dB change in the
output level. Here, “r” is defined as the “compression ratio.”
The compression ratio may be varied from 1:1 (no compression)
to 10:1 via a single resistor, R
. Input signals above VRP are
COMP
compressed with a fixed compression ratio of approximately
10:1. This region of operation is the “limiting region.” Varying
the compression ratio has no effect on the limiting region. The
breakpoint between the compression region and the limiting
region is referred to as the “limiting threshold” or the “rotation
point.” The term “rotation point” derives from the observation
that the straight line in the compression region “rotates” about
this point on the input/output characteristic as the compression
ratio is changed.
The gain of the system with an input signal level of V
is the
RP
“fixed gain,” 18 dBV for the SSM2167-1 and 8 dBV for the
SSM2167-2, regardless of the compression ratio.
Input signals below V
are downward-expanded; that is, a –1 dB
DE
change in the input signal level causes approximately a –3 dB
change in the output level. As a result, the gain of the system is
small for very small input signal levels, even though it may be
quite large for small input signals just above of V
resistor at Pin 7, R
threshold V
DE
.
is used to set the downward expansion
GATE,
. The external
DE
Finally, the SSM2167 provides an active low, CMOS-compatible
digital power-down feature that will reduce device supply current
to typically less than 2 A.
SSM2167 Signal Path
Figure 3 illustrates the block diagram of the SSM2167. The audio
input signal is processed by the input buffer and then by the VCA.
The input buffer presents an input impedance of approximately
100 k
Ω to the source. A dc voltage of approximately 1.5 V is
present at INPUT (Pin 5 of the SSM2167), requiring the use of a
blocking capacitor (C1) for ground-referenced sources. A 0.1 µF
capacitor is a good choice for most audio applications. The input
buffer is a unity-gain stable amplifier that can drive the low impedance input of the VCA and an internal rms detector.
The VCA is a low distortion, variable-gain amplifier whose gain
is set by the side-chain control circuitry. An external blocking
capacitor (C2) must be used between the buffer’s output and
the VCA input. The 1 kΩ impedance between amplifiers determines
the value of this capacitor, which is typically between 4.7 µF and
10 µF. An aluminum electrolytic capacitor is an economical choice.
The VCA amplifies the input signal current flowing through C2
and converts this current to a voltage at the SSM2167’s output pin
(Pin 9). The net gain from input to output can be as high as 40 dB
for the SSM2167-1 and 30 dB for the SSM2167-2, depending on
the gain set by the control circuitry.
The output impedance of the SSM2167 is typically less than 145 Ω,
and the external load on Pin 9 should be > 5 kΩ. The nominal
output dc voltage of the device is approximately 1.4 V, so a blocking
capacitor for grounded loads must be used.
REV. A
The bandwidth of the SSM2167 is quite wide at all gain settings.
INPUT – dB
OUTPUT – dB
V
DE
V
RP
15:1
5:1
2:1
1:1
1
1
VCA GAIN
The upper 3 dB point is over 1 MHz at gains as high as 30 dB.
The GBW plots are shown in TPC 3. The lower 3 dB cutoff
frequency of the SSM2167 is set by the input impedance of
the VCA (1 kΩ) and C2. While the noise of the input buffer is
fixed, the input-referred noise of the VCA is a function of gain.
The VCA input noise is designed to be a minimum when the
gain is at a maximum, thereby maximizing the usable dynamic
range of the part.
Level Detector
The SSM2167 incorporates a full-wave rectifier and a patentpending, true rms level detector circuit whose averaging time
constant is set by an external capacitor (C
) connected to
AVG
the AVG CAP pin (Pin 8). For optimal low-frequency operation
of the level detector down to 10 Hz, the value of the capacitor
should be 2.2 µF. Some experimentation with larger values
for C
may be necessary to reduce the effects of excessive
AVG
low-frequency ambient background noise. The value of the averaging capacitor affects sound quality: too small a value for this
capacitor may cause a “pumping effect” for some signals, while
too large a value can result in slow response times to signal
dynamics. Electrolytic capacitors are recommended here for
lowest cost and should be in the range of 2 µF to 22 µF.
The rms detector filter time constant is approximately given by
10 ⫻ C
milliseconds where C
AVG
is in µF. This time constant
AVG
controls both the steady state averaging in the rms detector as
well as the release time for compression; that is, the time it takes
for the system gain to increase due to a decrease in input signal.
The attack time, the time it takes for the gain to be reduced
because of a sudden increase in input level, is controlled mainly by
internal circuitry that speeds up the attack for large level changes.
This limits overload time to less than 1 ms in most cases.
The performance of the rms level detector is illustrated in TPC 12
for a C
of 2.2 µF and TPC 11 for a C
AVG
of 22 µF. In each of
AVG
these photographs, the input signal to the SSM2167 (not shown) is
a series of tone bursts in six successive 10 dB steps. The tone bursts
range from –66 dBV (0.5 mV rms) to –6 dBV (0.5 V rms). As
illustrated in the photographs, the attack time of the rms level
detector is dependent only on C
ramps whose decay times are dependent on both C
, but the release times are linear
AVG
AVG
and the
input signal step size. The rate of release is approximately 240 dB/s
for a C
of 2.2 µF, and 12 dB/s for a C
AVG
of 22 µF.
AVG
Control Circuitry
The output of the rms level detector is a signal proportional to
the log of the true rms value of the buffer output with an added
dc offset. The control circuitry subtracts a dc voltage from this
signal, scales it, and sends the result to the VCA to control the
gain. The VCA’s gain control is logarithmic—a linear change in
control signal causes a dB change in gain. It is this control law
that allows linear processing of the log rms signal to provide the
flat compression characteristic on the input/output characteristic
shown in Figure 1.
SSM2167
Figure 4. Effect of Varying the Compression Ratio
Setting the Compression Ratio
Changing the scaling of the control signal fed to the VCA causes a
change in the circuit’s compression ratio, “r.” This effect is shown
in Figure 4. Connecting a resistor (R
sets the compression ratio. Lowering R
sion ratios as indicated in Table I. AGC performance is achieved
with compression ratios between 2:1 and 10:1, and is dependent
on the application. Shorting R
COMP
setting the compression equal to 1:1. If using a compression resistor, using a value greater than 5 kΩ is recommend. If lower than
5 kΩ is used, the device may interpret this as a short, 0 Ω.
Figure 5. Effects of Varying the Downward Expansion
(Noise Gate) Threshold
) between Pin 8 and V
COMP
gives smaller compres-
COMP
DD
will disable the AGC function,
COMP
VCA GAIN
V
RP
REV. A
–7–
SSM2167
Setting the Noise Gate Threshold (Downward Expansion)
Noise gate threshold is another programmable point using an
external resistor (R
(NOISE GATE THRS) and V
) that is connected between Pin 7
GATE
. The downward expansion
DD
threshold may be set between –40 dBV and –55 dBV, as shown
in Table II. The downward expansion threshold is inversely
proportional to the value of this resistance: setting this resistance
to 0 Ω sets the threshold at approximately 10 mV rms (–40 dBV),
whereas a 5 kΩ resistance sets the threshold at approximately
1 mV rms (–55 dBV). This relationship is illustrated in Figure 5.
We do not recommend more than 5 kΩ for the R
GATE
resistor as
the noise floor of the SSM2167 prevents the noise gate from
being lowered further without causing problems.
Table II. Setting Noise Gate Threshold
Noise Gate (dBV)Value of R
GATE
–400 Ω (short to V+)
–481 kΩ
–542 kΩ
–555 kΩ
Rotation Point (Limiting)
Input signals above a particular level, “the rotation point,” are
attenuated (limited) by internal circuitry. This feature allows the
SSM2167 to limit the maximum output, preventing clipping of
the following stage, such as a CODEC or ADC. The rotation
point for SSM2167 is set internally to –24 dBV (63 mV rms) for
SSM2167-1 and –20 dBV (100 mV rms) for SSM2167-2.
Shutdown Feature
The supply current of the SSM2167 can be reduced to under 10 µA
by applying an active LOW, 0 V CMOS compatible input to the
SSM2167’s /SHUTDOWN Pin (Pin 3). In this state, the input
and output circuitry of the SSM2167 will assume a high impedance state; as such, the potentials at the input pin and the output
pin will be determined by the external circuitry connected to the
SSM2167. The SSM2167 takes approximately 200 ms to settle
from a SHUTDOWN to POWER-ON command. For POWER-ON
to SHUTDOWN, the SSM2167 requires more time, typically less
than 1 s. Cycling the power supply to the SSM2167 can result in
quicker settling times: the off-to-on settling time of the SSM2167 is
less than 200 ms, while the on-to-off settling time is less than 1 ms.
The SSM2167 shutdown current is related to both temperature
and voltage.
PC Board Layout Considerations
Since the SSM2167 is capable of wide bandwidth operation and
can be configured for as much as 60 dB of gain, special care must
be exercised in the layout of the PC board that contains the IC
and its associated components. The following applications hints
should be considered for the PC board.
The layout should minimize possible capacitive feedback from
the output of the SSM2167 back to its input. Do not run input
and output traces adjacent to each other.
A single-point (“star”) ground implementation is recommended
in addition to maintaining short lead lengths and PC board runs.
In applications where an analog ground and a digital ground are
available, the SSM2167 and its surrounding circuitry should be
connected to the system’s analog ground. As a result of these
recommendations, wire-wrap board connections and grounding
implementations are to be explicitly avoided.