NTi Audio’s XL2-TA Sound Level Meter already provides the solution for legally-binding measurements according to international standards. Now, the national metrology institute of the Federal Republic of Germany, PTB (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt), has approved the new firmware V3.11 for the XL2-TA Sound Level Meter. This benefits customers with increased levels of data security and other new features.
The XL2-TA together with the M2230 measurement microphone and the ASD Cable make up a verifiable Class 1 Sound Level Meter according to the IEC 61672 and IEC 61260 standards. The compatibility of the sound level meter with the new firmware V3.11 has been independently certified, according to these standards, by PTB in Braunschweig, Germany. Thus the XL2-TA Sound Level Meter is now available with an expanded range of functions for legally-binding monitoring of environmental noise, noise at work and airborne sound insulation.
“The new PTB certificate also confirms the compliance of the XL2-TA recorded data to the security requirements of WELMEC (the designated European umbrella organization for national metrology institutes). Customers gain not just an expansion of functions, but also seamless traceable recorded data,” says Berno Nigsch, Project Manager of NTi Audio.
The measurement data is stored in the XL2-TA Sound Level Meter with a checksum. This ensures the authenticity of the test results and prevents inadvertent manipulation of data by a third party. The originality of a measurement report can at any time be confirmed using the “XL2 File Validator” software. This PC program compares the contents of a measurement report(s) to the stored checksum at the touch of a button.
Special acoustic events during a measurement can be labeled by the complainant pressing a button. The XL2-TA Sound Level Meter then records the audio data as a wav file. Now this event recording can be terminated manually or automatically according to the requirements. As a further extension, percentile statistics are offered individually in the range of 0.1% to 99.9% for broadband and 1/3rd octave measurements. The XL2-TA thus provides a flexible solution for professional sound level measurements.
With the new firmware, the XL2-TA Sound Level Meter offers accurate and extensive RT60 measurements. In addition to the T20 procedure already available, the meter now determines the reverberation time using the T30 measurement method. This enhancement corresponds to the current ISO 3382 standard. Either an impulse source or clocked noise may be used as the test signal.
The XL2-TA Sound Level Meter is formed by adding the Type Approval Option to any XL2 Analyzer. All users may upgrade their XL2 Analyzers to a type approved XL2-TA by installing the Type Approval Option. The event function, percentile and reverberation time measurements in 1/3rd octaves are available with the optional Extended Acoustic Pack.
Playback of audio files on the FX100 Generator
Meanwhile, NTi Audio also confirmed that the current firmware of its FX100 Audio Analyzer allows playback of audio files through the analog or digital generator output ports. These signals can be integrated into regular measurements and measurement sequences. This creates a number of application possibilities.
Audio test applications often require specific signals, such as band-limited noise, tone-burst, rectified sine waves or even a defined musical or voice signal. From firmware V2.9.0 of the FX100, the user may load any signal as an audio file and then replay it using a generator module of the FX100. All the Meter mode functions of the FX100 are available, and measurements can be combined and sequenced using the FX-Control PC software.
The audio files, in 48 kHz WAV format with up to 24 bit resolution, can be transferred to the FX100 via the front or rear USB ports. These stored audio files are then available for selection in the FX-Control software. The playback time is determined either by the duration of the measurement, or can be arbitrarily long; when the end of the audio file is reached, it starts again from the beginning.As Gregor Schmidle, Product Manager of the NTi Audio FLEXUS product line explains, “The ability to play custom audio files on the FX100 generator is the desire of many users. This increases the depth of testing especially in the field of testing consumer audio devices. This addition of the use of audio files as a test signal has expanded the field of application for the FX100.”
FX100 users can download the latest version V2.9.0 of the FX-Control software on the NTi Audio Service & Support page. Using this FX-Control software, the firmware of the FX100 can be updated.
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