Idle Noise Reduction of a Parametric Acoustic Array Power Driver

Abstract

Parametric acoustic arrays (PAA) have progressed from specialized niche applications to commercially available audio solutions in the last two decades. Their primary advantage is their incredible directivity and their main disadvantage is low conversion efficiency of the primary ultrasonic waves into audible sound. This paper presents a noise analysis of a practical implementation of a directional audio system. The system is comprised of a modulator, a D-class audio amplifier, and an emitter consisting of 97 commercially available piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers. The designed system exhibited an uncomfortable level of idle noise at the maximum volume level. The analysis of the signal path and all the noise sources revealed that the most critical component was the modulator, and a solution was devised which provided a 16 dB improvement of the carrier to noise ratio.