UMA-16 v2 USB mic array

The UMA-16 v2 is the enhanced edition of our sixteen-channel microphone array, featuring plug-and-play USB audio connectivity. Equipped with an onboard XMOS interface (MCHStreamer Lite), it’s an ideal solution for developing beamforming algorithms or building your own acoustic camera.

The system is built around two key components:

• Microphone PCB: This board integrates 16 Knowles PDM MEMS microphones arranged in a uniform rectangular array (URA). A central opening accommodates an optional USB camera, making it well-suited for acoustic imaging applications. Designed as a straightforward 2-layer PCB, it’s easily customizable using the schematics provided in the user manual.
• MCHStreamer Lite USB Interface: Mounted above the microphone array, this XMOS XCORE-based interface delivers high-quality PDM-to-PCM conversion and streams all 16 raw audio channels directly to your USB host.

• Multichannel USB microphone array for voice command
• 16 channels of RAW audio for development of custom beamforming algorithms
• High quality MEMS from Knowles SPH1668LM4H
• USB to PDM conversion for up to 16 x PDM MEMS microphones
• Center Hole for USB camera (Optional)
• Sample Matlab code for Audio Toolbox, Compatible with Acoular SDK

• UMA-16 v2 Product datasheet
• UMA-16 v2 User manual
• Microphone Array MEMS PCB CAD drawing (Current version)
• Microphone Array MEMS PCB CAD drawing (Old version/Legacy)

• 1 x UMA-16 USB microphone array interface
• 1 x 1.5m USB miniUSB cable
• Access to the UserDownloads section for ASIO drivers/Firmware updates once the product purchased.

To help you get started quickly with an acoustic camera project, miniDSP has sourced a driver-free 1080p USB camera module that works with Windows, Linux, and macOS. We selected a 100° lens as the preferred option for acoustic-camera use. We do not currently offer other lens configurations or alternative modules, but the unit can be replaced easily using the existing mounting holes and a simple 3D-printed adapter.

Disclaimer: miniDSP’s expertise is audio processing, not camera hardware. We chose this affordable, high-resolution module to provide a ready-to-use interface for initial development, and can only offer basic support for the camera itself. If your R&D requires higher resolution, specialized optics, or advanced camera features, this module is unlikely to meet those needs; in that case, please source a third-party module that matches your specifications.

This app note takes a look at an acoustic camera demonstration program using the miniDSP UMA-16 USB microphone array. The program detects the primary source of sound and overlays it on a live video display.