Tuya T5AI-BOX is a voice and screen multi-interaction AI box based on the T5-E1 , an embedded Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo module developed by Tuya Smart. The AI box is equipped with one microphone, one audio loopback, one speaker, and lithium battery charging management in hardware. Support major AI models including Doubao, DeepSeek, Qwen, OpenAI, and Gemini, featuring button wake-up, wake-word activation, and free conversation capabilities. This AI box delivers vivid and engaging AI voice interaction experiences, making it ideally suited for AI smart toys and similar products.


Functional block diagram

Peripherals
Peripheral |
Description |
T5-E1 module |
An embedded Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo module used to control the AI box. With rich peripheral interfaces and powerful signal processing capabilities, this module is suitable for various scenarios in the AIoT field. |
I/O button |
Connected to P12 and P04 of the T5-E1 module, it can be configured as a button. |
Speaker |
The speaker connector has a 1.25 mm pitch and can drive speakers up to 3W/RL=4Ω. |
I/O LED |
Connected to P08 of the T5-E1 module, it can be configured as an LED indicator. |
USB type-C |
Charging port to charge the battery. |
BAT |
Battery connector with a 1.25 mm pitch. |
MIC1 |
The microphone connector, with a 1.25 mm pitch, connects to the module’s audio ADC. |
Power LED |
Charging status indicator. |
Switch |
Toggle switch to turn the power on and off. |
Things to note
Antenna clearance
- Do not use metal shells or plastic shells with metallic painting or coating in the direction of the antenna radiation. Do not use metal objects such as screws and rivets near the antenna, which might affect the antenna efficiency.
- Try to increase the distance from the top shell to the antenna to minimize the impact on antenna performance.
- Try to increase the distance from the upper and bottom shells to the antenna to minimize the impact on antenna performance.
- Keep the module away from speakers, power switches, cameras, HDMI, USB, and other high-speed signals to avoid interference.
- Avoid metal shielding near the antenna. If co-channel interference occurs, you must evaluate the impact on the antenna performance and ensure isolation from interference.
Antenna placement
- Horizontal placement
We recommend that you place the module at the edge of the backplane with the antenna facing outward, and flush the module’s GND terminal with the backplane’s GND terminal. Both terminals are fully connected.
- Embedded placement
Embed the module into the backplane through a slot that is flushed with or deeper than the module’s GND terminal. The side of the slot must be 15 mm or farther from the module’s board edge. A wider slot can achieve better performance, but is weaker than that of horizontal placement.
- Vertical placement
Insert the module vertically into the backplane slot with the antenna facing upward. The module’s GND terminal and the backplane’s GND terminal must be fully connected. We recommend that you keep a clearance distance of 15 mm or more around the antenna.
Selection and design solutions of the microphone and speaker
Flash firmware
- For firmware flashing, you need to connect 3.3V, GND, TX0, and RX0 pins.
- When a reset prompt appears, you need to power off and restart the device.
PCB layout
- Ensure power traces are short and wide, with minimal loops, and provide at least two 8 mil (inner diameter) vias or one 12 mil (inner diameter) via for main IC power pins.
- For power traces, use copper pours whenever possible and add sufficient ground vias for heat dissipation. Pay attention to the current-carrying capacity of single traces. Trace width reference (1 oz copper, outer layer): 20 mil width corresponds to 1A (without considering temperature rise).
- The power amplifier IC output lines require differential routing, with coupled traces fully ground-guarded. Trace width should be calculated based on peak output current, and routing should be kept as short as possible.
- The module’s audio output signals AUDLP and AUDLN must be routed as differential pairs and fully ground-guarded.
- The microphone signals must be routed as differential pairs and fully ground-guarded, with a minimum trace width of 8 mil.
Reference