Integration of power:communication interfaces in smart true wireless headset designs

Horst Gether & Martin Denda (ams AG)
embedded.com (March 12, 2019)

True wireless headsets (TWS headsets) continue to become more attractive due to an increase in battery life, enhanced features, attractive design and better price points. With headset manufacturers focusing on miniaturization and design improvements and quickly adopting features to enhance user experience they are able to attract the most demanding consumers in a strong and competitive market.

Looking at these new in-ear systems, at first glance they look like rather simple devices. On the contrary, TWS systems require a lot of electronics to be smart and user friendly, as illustrated in the high-level system overview in Figure 1.

When thinking about TWS headsets in daily use, there are several ways for enhancing user experience and hassle-free user interface integration. A key issue that TWS system designers face is playtime duration, as battery space can be particularly limited in TWS headphones. Typical battery sizes of 25-80mA/h can be reached, which results in a playtime of 2-4 hours. Once the battery is empty, the earbud needs a fresh charge before it is ready for its next use.

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