Sonic beacon has been designing premium
quality data acquisition and loudspeaker analysis software for the
Windows Operating System since 1997. Our latest download allows the PC or
laptop user to perform loudspeaker test and measurement using a low cost audio
power amplifier, a measurement microphone and pre-amp and a multimedia
compatible sound card or USB/Fire-wire audio interface.
Sonic beacon will perform frequency and
phase response, harmonic and inter-modulation distortion, polarity, impedance,
Thiele-Small parameter extraction, sensitivity and SPL as well as other
FFT and real time loudspeaker tests. In order to maximize signal to noise
ratios this program tests loudspeaker frequency response using the
application of maximum length sequences (MLS) with FHT/FFT to extract the
impulse.
This software application contains a
series of modules that may be cascaded in order to perform a specific analysis
on an electrical signal. Data is
passed and altered serially from module to module. A WAV/RIFF format
input module, a signal generator, a sound I/O module, an oscilloscope, a
spectrum analyser, a persistent data-logger and a WAV/RIFF format output
module are included in this release. Sixteen bit sampling rates up to 192
kHz and FFT lengths up to 128K points are supported. Sonic beacon’s
standard data format is compatible with a wide variety of loudspeaker
design and test packages. File and clipboard copy transactions in .FRD
and .ZMA formats are now available for data transfer to many low cost cabinet
and crossover design programs. Audio interface and amplifier calibration
for the measurement of voltages and SPL as well as the application of
microphone response curves are also standard in this release.
Sonic beacon has been used for
loudspeaker and other audio equipment testing by acoustical technicians,
sound engineers, scientists and students. It is ideal for prototyping of
loudspeaker cabinets and crossovers. Best of all sonic beacon
is absolutely free of charge.
Sonic beacon is a Canadian organization
founded in 1997. It is located in Pakenham
Ontario which is near Ottawa, Canada. Ottawa is also home to the National
Research Council of Canada's anechoic chamber, a key facility for
acoustics testing. The chamber has been instrumental in the development
of Canadian loudspeakers, hearing aids and microphone arrays.
July
8, 2009:Sonic beacon Version 1.1.0.6 released. Data-Logger
can now save in .FRD and .ZMA file format. Data-Logger and Spectrum
Analyzer can perform .FRD and .ZMA clipboard copy transactions. Signal
generator can output signal complements on each sound card channel to
allow bridging in many consumer audio interfaces. Module status bar shows
current data type, FFT size and sample rate.
