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Cracking Open the Amazon Echo cloud-connected speaker

  • Amazon Echo teardown

    Part speaker, part microphone, part Star Trek computer in your house, the Amazon Echo is a surprisingly handy “smart” appliance.

    In this Cracking Open gallery, I break out my screwdrivers to uncover how Amazon gave an otherwise ordinary Bluetooth speaker a brain by connecting it to the cloud.

    To watch a complete teardown video and read my full hardware analysis, check out my article, Amazon Echo teardown: A Smart speaker powered by Amazon’s cloud.

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Microphone on/off button, Action button and volume control ring

    The Echo is 9.25 inches tall and 3.27 inches wide, or about the size of a one liter drink container. Its controls are minimal. There is a microphone on/off button and action button on the top, as well as a rotating volume ring. LEDs are located around the edge of the volume ring and under the buttons.

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Power connector

    A connector for the power cord is located on the bottom.

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the rubber base

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Rubber base torn during removal

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Prying off the remaining half of the rubber base

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Lift off the molded half of the rubber base

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Bottom cover exposed

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the cover screws

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the bottom cover and attached power board

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Disconnecting the power board wires

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Bottom cover and power board

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Tweeter cover

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the tweeter cover

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic
  • amazonechoteardown015.jpg

    Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the outer shell

    Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Outer shell removed

    Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Tweeter attached to speaker

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the inner cloth wrapping

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Internal hardware

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Tweeter and internal hardware

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the tweeter screws

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the tweeter

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: 2-inch tweeter

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Woofer and internal hardware

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the woofer

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: 2.5-inch woofer

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: 2.5-inch woofer magnet

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the power board flat flexible cable

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Main circuit board attached to the inner shell

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the main circuit board screws

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the main circuit board

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the volume wheel assembly

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Inner shell and air chambers

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Reflex port

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Volume wheel assembly - Top

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Volume wheel assembly - Bottom

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the volume wheel assembly screws

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the volume wheel assembly bottom cover

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Volume wheel assembly with cover removed

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the volume ring

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Volume ring assembly with ring removed

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the volume ring circuit board cover

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the volume mechanism gear

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the volume ring spacer

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the microphone and control circuit board

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Top cover and control buttons

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Top cover - Inside

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Microphone, LED, and volume control circuit board

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Control button contacts and LEDs

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Volume control mechanism

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Microphone and LEDs

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: LVC74A EZ49904 TXD15 13C

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: National Semiconductor (Texas Instruments) LP5523 Programmable LED Driver

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Texas Instruments TLV320ADC3101 low-power, stereo audio analog-to-digital converter (ADC)

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Microphone on/off button contact and LEDs

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Action button contact

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo:

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Main system board - Front

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Main system board - Back

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Texas Instruments DM3725 Digital Media Processor

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: 250MB Samsung K4X2G323PD 8GD8 mobile DRAM

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: 4GB Toshiba THGBMBG5D1KBAIT eMMC NAND flash storage chip

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Qualcomm QCA6234 Dual-Band 802.11n and Bluetooth 4.0 chip

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic

  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Texas Instruments TPS65910 integrated power-management IC

    Bill Detwiler\/TechRepublic
  • amazonechoteardown067.jpg

    Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Teardown complete

    Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic
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Bill Detwiler is the Editor for Technical Content and Ecosystem at Celonis. He is the former Editor in Chief of TechRepublic and previous host of TechRepublic's Dynamic Developer podcast and Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. Previously, Bill was an IT manager in the social research and energy industries. He has bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Louisville, where he has also lectured on computer crime and crime prevention.