Getting Started with ReSpeaker Lite

Introduction

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Powered by XMOS XU316 AI Sound and Audio chipset, this dev board excels in audio processing with its integrated dual microphone array, ideal for speech recognition and voice control. Featuring advanced onboard NLU algorithms, the XU316 chip provides interference cancellation, echo cancellation, and noise suppression. It supports I2S and USB connections and is compatible with Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32S3 (Sense), Adafruit QT Py, Raspberry Pi, and PC.

Features

• Dual Microphone Array for Far-Field Voice Capture: The 2 high performance digital microphones capture and extract far-field speech and voice (up to 3 meters) even in noisy environments as it cancels point noise using two microphone input.
• Onboard AI NLU Algorithms: Powered by XMOS XU-316 AI sound and audio chip, the kit includes Natural Language Understanding algorithms for Interference Cancellation (IC) , Acoustic Echo Cancellation, Noise Suppression, Voice-to-Noise Ratio (VNR), and Automatic Gain Control (AGC), enabling high quality voice capture.
• Embracing Open Source：This board is compatible with popular hardware platforms (XIAO ESP32S3 (Sense), Adafruit QT Py) via I2S, and compatible with Raspberry Pi, PC via USB (Audio Class 2.0 (UAC2)).
• Onboard RGB LED: the board features a programmable WS2812 RGB LED, supporting custom effects and offering a visual interface for your applications.
• External Power Supply Support: this board supports external 5V power supply, which can be flexibly applied in different scenarios.
• DFU for Custom Development: the board supports custom firmware update via DFU-Util.

Specification

Core Chip	XMOS XU316
Digital Microphones	High-Performance Digital Microphones * 2
Sensitivity	-26 dBFS
Acoustic Overload Point	120 dBL
SNR	64 dBA
Power Supply	USB 5V, External 5V
Dimensions	35*86 mm
Audio Output	Speaker Connector / 3.5mm Headphone Jack
Maximum Sampling Rate	16Khz
Speaker	Supports 5W Amplifier Speakers.

Hardware Overview

1	Dual Microphone Array	Provides high-quality audio input.
2	Power Indicator Light	Illuminates when powered on.
3	RGB Light	Programmable WS2812, provides visual interface
4	Mute Indicator Light	Lights up red when the mute button is pressed.
5	USR Button	User-defined button.
6	Mute Button	Mutes audio input when pressed.
7	XIAO ESP32S3 (optional)	For further development and integration.
8	XU316 Core Processor	Responsible for audio processing and transmission.
9	External Power Supply Solder Pad	Supports external 5V power supply.
10	USB Type-C Port	Used for power and data transmission.
11	Speaker Connector	For audio output. Supports 5W amplifier speakers.
12	3.5mm Headphone jack	Output audio, We can plug active speakers or Headphones into this port.
13	External power pad 1	Unused IO pins on the XIAO ESP32.
14	External power pad 2	Unused IO pins on the XU316.
15	JTAG	For debugging and programming the XU316.

Get Started

Out of Box Usage

ReSpeaker Lite is a plug-and-play modular voice interface, no driver required, just plug it to your PC, you will see a voice device named 'ReSpeaker Lite'.

Update firmware

• USB 2.0.7 version Firmware Download

Change log

v2.0.7: support new flash ZB25VQ32D
v2.0.6: set high to WS2812_PIN to give up the control of WS2812 after boot

tip

respeaker_lite_usb_dfu_firmware_v2.0.7.bin is the USB version

If you want to use it with XIAO ESP32S3, please check: I2S firmware flash.

Wiring

Connect the ReSpeaker Lite Board to your PC via the USB cable.

Install DFU Util

dfu-util is a command line tool for Device Firmware Upgrade via USB port.

Windows

• Download the latest version of dfu-util to your local system, e.g., under D:\dfu-util.

• Install dfu-util.exe

• Append the path of the dfu-util.exe to the system environment variable Path: "My Computer" > "Properties" > "Advanced" > "Environment Variables" > "Path".

Please note that paths in the variable Path are seperated by semicolon ;. This will allow dfu-util to be executed globally in command prompt.

• Install the driver

Choose WinUSB, nd click Install Driver.

MacOS

Use "brew" to install or follow the instructions from the official website.

• Install brew or start the Terminal to install it directly:

ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"

• In the Teminal, type this command to install the dfu-util:

brew install dfu-util

• Add the path of dfu-util to PATH:

export PATH=$PATH:PATH_TO_DFU_UTIL

This will allow dfu-util to be executed globally in command prompt.

Linux

• Download the dfu-util or use the package manager of your distribution to get the latest version:

$ sudo apt-get install dfu-util

• Add UDEV rule:

sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/77-mm-usb-device-blacklist.rules

Simply add this single line:

ATTRS{idProduct}=="d058", ATTRS{idVendor}=="2b04", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"

If it prompts "Cannot open DFU device", just reboot to try again.

Flash Firmware

• Connect the ReSpeaker board to your PC.

• Run the following command:

dfu-util -e -a 1 -D respeaker_lite_usb_dfu_firmware_v2.0.7.bin

caution

After flashing is completed, please restart the board.

• Check the firmware version:

dfu-util -l

Comparison

	ReSpeaker Lite	ReSpeaker Mic Array v2.0	reSpeaker 2-Mics Pi HAT
Core Chip	XMOS XU316	XMOS XVF-3000	-
Microphones	PDM MEMS Microphones x2	PDM MEMS Microphones x4	Analog MEMS Microphones x2
Voice Capture Distance	3m	5m	3m
Sensitivity	-26 dBFS	-26 dBFS	-
Acoustic Overload Point	120 dBSPL	120 dBSPL	-
SNR	64 dB	63 dB	-
Onboard Audio Processing Algorithms	Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) Automatic Gain Control (AGC) Noise Suppression (NS) Interference Cancellation (IC) Voice-to-Noise Ratio (VNR)	Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) Automatic Gain Control (AGC) Noise Suppression (NS) Beamforming Direction of Arrival (DoA) De-Reverberation Voice Activity Detection (VAD)	-
Compatible Hardware	XIAO ESP32S3(Sense) Adafruit QT Py via I2S Raspberry Pi Any computer or SBC running Linux, macOS, and Windows via USB	Raspberry Pi Any computer or SBC running Linux, macOS, and Windows via USB	Raspberry Pi ONLY
Perfect for	Directional sound capture, ideal for linear or elongated setups	Omnidirectional sound capture and localization, best placed in the center of open and multi-directional environments	Directional sound capture, ideal for linear or elongated setups

FAQ

• Can't find the ReSpeaker Lite sound device.

  Check the firmware version, make sure the firmware is USB version and above2.0.5.

  dfu-util -l

  

  If it's not USB version, please follow this step to flash the firmware.