TDK Corporation announced an expansion of its ultra-low noise MEMS microphone family with the ICS-40740, delivering 70 dB (A) SNR with 133 dB sound pressure level Acoustic Overload Point. The low self-noise coupled with wide dynamic range makes the ICS-40740 ideal for voice controlled IoT applications, especially those with integrated loudspeakers, as well as wearable applications like noise-cancelling headsets. A microphone’s Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) has long been recognized as a key specification to enable far-field voice capture. But as the smart speaker market has shown, the capability of these microphones to operate in a very loud environment is also critical to enable the user to interrupt loud audio with spoken commands. The ICS-40740 performs in both demanding respects. Beyond simple SNR and dynamic range, the ICS-40740 performs across a very wide frequency band, from 80 Hz to 20 kHz. The sensitivity tolerance of ±1 dB also makes it ideal for use in an array with very consistent performance from unit to unit. Wearable noise-cancelling applications are also a fit for the ICS-40740. With a 4 mm by 3 mm by 1.2 mm package and consuming only 155 uA in operation, the ICS-40740 fits both the size and power budget of a noise-cancelling headset. The ICS-40740 is sampling now to select customers and is slated for production in the second quarter of 2018. The ICS-40740 leverages a proven, robust supply chain for fabrication, packaging and test for smooth launch into high volume consumer applications. Glossary: dB: decibel; SPL: Sound Pressure Level; MEMS: Micro Electrical Mechanical Systems; SNR:Signal to Noise Ratio; AOP: Acoustic Overload Point. Key applications: ICS-40740: Voice controlled speakers; Noise-cancelling headsets; Teleconferencing; Security and surveillance; Microphone arrays; Voice control and activation. Main features and benefits: High SNR ICS-40740 70 dBA; High AOP ICS-40740 133 dB SPL; 20 kHz bandwidth; Very tight tolerances for array processing.