ICS-43434 I2S 3.3V MEMS Microphone Module Breakout Low Cost Low Pass Filter Mini-Module Description Listen to the good news – we now have a super small breakout board for the ICS43434 I2S MEMS microphone. Like traditional microphones, MEMS microphones can detect sound and convert it into electrical signals, but they are much smaller and thinner. This microphone is not analog; it is purely digital. The I2S interface provides a compact, low-cost solution with a frequency range of approximately 50Hz to 15kHz, suitable for general-purpose audio recording and sound detection applications. The chip includes a built-in low-pass filter that attenuates frequencies above 24kHz. For many microcontrollers, adding audio input is straightforward using analog microphones. However, as you move to more advanced microcontrollers and microcomputers, analog inputs may not be available, or you may wish to avoid noise associated with analog signal paths. Beyond 8-bit microcontrollers, I2S digital audio interfaces are commonly available. This is where the I2S microphone breakout with the TDK ICS43434 excels. Instead of an analog output, this microphone provides three digital pins: clock, data, and left/right (word select) clock. When connected to a microcontroller or computer, the I2S controller drives the clock and word select lines at high speed and reads digital audio data from the microphone. No analog-to-digital conversion is required. The microphone is a mono device. You can select the channel (left or right) by connecting the select pin to either power or ground. For stereo applications, use two microphones. They can be configured for stereo operation by sharing the clock, word select, and data lines, with one microphone set to left channel and the other to right by adjusting the select pin voltage. No firmware or driver configuration is needed, and the microphone delivers 24-bit audio output immediately upon connection. This I2S MEMS microphone has a bottom port, so ensure there is an opening on the bottom of the enclosure facing the sound source. It operates at 1.6V to 3.6V and is not compatible with 5V logic levels. Most basic microcontroller boards may not support I2S, so verify interface compatibility before integration. The microphone works best with modern microcontrollers such as SAMD21, SAMD51, ESP32, RP2040, RP2350, and Raspberry Pi platforms. Specifications - Sensitivity: -26 dBFS ±1dB - High performance mode SNR: 65 dBA - Low power mode SNR: 64 dBA - High performance mode current consumption: 490 µA - Low power mode current consumption: 230 µA - Maximum Acoustic Overload Point (AOP): 120 dB SPL - High performance mode sampling rate: 23 kHz to 51.6 kHz - Low power mode sampling rate: 6.25 kHz to 18.75 kHz