Cloud

Cracking Open the Amazon Echo cloud-connected speaker

By // September 14, 2015, 4:59 PM PST // billdetwiler

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  • 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.

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  • 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.

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Power connector

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

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the rubber base

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

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

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

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Bottom cover exposed

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the cover screws

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

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

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

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Tweeter cover

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the tweeter cover

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the outer shell

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Outer shell removed

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Tweeter attached to speaker

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

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Internal hardware

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Tweeter and internal hardware

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the tweeter screws

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the tweeter

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: 2-inch tweeter

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Woofer and internal hardware

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the woofer

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: 2.5-inch woofer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Reflex port

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

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

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

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

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

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Removing the volume ring

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

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

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

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

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

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

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Top cover - Inside

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

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

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Volume control mechanism

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Microphone and LEDs

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

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

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

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

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Action button contact

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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  • Cracking Open the Amazon Echo: Teardown complete

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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

Related Topics:

Cloud Hardware Enterprise Software Security Networking Data Centers Microsoft

About Bill Detwiler

Bill Detwiler is Managing Editor of TechRepublic and Tech Pro Research and the host of Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. Prior to joining TechRepublic in 2000, Bill was an IT manager, database administrator, and desktop supp...