Post by answermanPost by Angelo CampanellaI'm struggling with acoustical signal processing in that I want the
measure the phase shift caused by a device (microphone) at high
frequencies. My measurement capability goes beyond the normal cut-off
frequency of that device. I suspect that its output is minimal,
virtually non-responsive (but not quite) in the upper frequency range.
My measurement method is to compare that microphone signal from that
of standard microphone whose phase shift at high frequencies is
already known. However, since two devices cannot be in the same place
at the same time, the device under test may be placed "aligned" with
the standard microphone, and the precise position of both devices is
difficult to adjust. Positional error is critical to phase
measurement. The wavelength of the high frequency sound in question is
about 4 millimeters (corresponds to 360 degrees of phase shift).
My test instrument is a 2-channel FFT analyzer (Larson Davis 3200)
with cross-spectrum capability and computes for display the phase
difference between two signals across a wide frequency range,
typically at 100 frequencies across that range. The test sound is
acoustic "white noise", received simultaneously by two different
microphones.
I am of the opinion that If I can find a device position where
results are codified at the highest of frequencies, then that position
is proper.
Along the way, I blocked sound from entering the test
microphone,
expecting a zero phase difference result on the count, since the only
signal remaining from the blocked microphone is the independent random
noise of its own amplifier circuit.
But lo and behold, the phase result by the analyzer, though a little
varied, was in the majority at plus 90 degrees (quadrature or
imaginary! I conclude that my knowledge of correlation mathematics is
lacking.
So I ask you; what is the phase result when a purely random signal
is crossed with another independent signal having finite energy at all
frequencies?
A subsequent question is; what is the phase result expected when
high frequency sound energy signal rises to become comparable to (but
not yet greater than) the pure-random amplifier noise?
My ultimate use of this is to adjust the location of the test device
to always produce the phase result consistent with this codification,
then apply full sound level to accumulate credible test phase response
data.
Anything you can offer along these lines would be greatly
appreciated.
Sincerely,
Angelo Campanella
Dear Answerman:
Thaks for the detailed resonse. I'll try to go through the items one by
one.
Post by answermanIt sounds like you are trying to measure the response of an unknown
microphne relative to that of a known reference microphone at high
frequencies using a dual-channel FFT analyzer.
Exactly.
Post by answermanIf that is the case, the
microphones don't need to located be at the same place, but the measurement
of the two microphone signals needs to be made simultaneously and the sound
source,
That's the case.
Post by answermanthe refernce microphone and the microphone under test need to be on
the same line and located several feet from any room boundary.
OK
Post by answermanHow many
feet depens on the frequency range of interest. If you are only interested
in the frequency range above 1kHz, place the reference microphone three
feet from the sound source and place the microphone under test 1.5 feet
behind the reference microphone.
Why "exactly"? mind you, this is not "audio". The wavelength at 100 kHz
is 3.44mm. A millimeter error in placement amounts to 1bout 120 degrees.
Post by answermanThe excitation needs to be gated
broadband noise having a burst duration not much greater than 2mSec.
To get a braoadband ultrasound source that has both a smooth frequecy
spectrum and a useful intensity, I use an air jet source where the sound is
emitted in a small region just downstream of a tiny air jet running about
1/3 CFM. Millisecond pulsing is pretty much out of the question. The sound
source needs to be very broad band and reasonably intense. Electronic
devices are usually not broadband enough, thogh the ionophone might do it.
Post by answermanIn the FFT analyzer, you must compensate for the time delay between the
two
microphones so that the analyzed microphone signals are time aligned.
I suppose the positional correction precision is accomplished through
some sort of envelope matching. The fractional millimeter requirement
previously noted comes to mind as a challenge.
Post by answermanYou
also need to window (preferably Hanning) both microphone signals to
eliminate relfections so that the frequency response calculation is based
on direct sound only. If you've done everything correctly, the coherence
function should be unity or over the entire frequency range of interest.
Once you have the calculated frequency response (magnitude & phase), you
can unwrap any residual linear-phase portion and subtract the phase
response of the reference microphone.
Can this be done with a Larson-Davis 3200 Analyzer?
Post by answermanThis method is the time-domain
equivalent of a two-channel TDS measurement. I have been using this method
for nearly three decades and I know that it works and that it provides
extremely accurate results.
What is the highest sound frequency to which you applied this method?
To give you an idea a to where I have "progressed", I copy my note to
others on this matter:
1- Now I study the preamplifier to know whether it is phase
inverting or not.
When the LD3200 is used to determine the WM-60A package output phase
as compared to the conventional LD2520 condenser microphone at low
frequency, I find that the output of the WM-60A and the LD2520 condenser
microphone with a non-inverting preamplifier LD910B are in phase.
I am told that a positive pressure sound pulse causes a conventional
condenser microphone to produce a negative signal, while the same positive
pressure sound pulse will produce a positive signal for an electret biased
with a small positive voltage. Is that the case for the WM-60A?
Or is the WM-60A packaged already with a preamp that inverts the
signal?
I found an ST Application Note#AN1534 which reports a TS 971
amplifier that shows a grounded source amplifier that inverts the signal. Is
this amplifier, or one similar to it, packaged inside the WM-60A?
If so, then my phase measurement results at audio frequencies are
understood and codified.....
2- At 02:38 PM-05003/1/2010, Angelo Campanella writes further:
Since my last E-mail, I have re-checked the relative position of
the two microphones in the free-field. I determined that the relative
position is matched when the phase result vs frequency is unchanged when the
orientation of the microphone pair is rotated from pointing straight up
(grazing incidence) to pointing at the sound source (normal incidence).
I also made an "Injection voltage" check of the LD910B preamp
amplifier phase delay, if it exists. Here, the microphone is mounted with
its shield ungrounded (Teflon tape wrap in threads), then bridged to ground
with a low-ohm resistor into which test signal current is injected, driving
the ground, then obliging signal current to follow the same circuit as a
real sound signal. Comparison of the phase of this injection current to that
of the output signal will demonstrate any amplifier phase delay.
On doing this, I found +1.5 degrees at 1 kHz, nil at 7 kHz, -1
degree at 12 kHz, -3 degr. at 40 kHZ, and -8 degr. at 100 kHz. On first
glance, one could expect similar phase shifts of the electret preamp as
well, as it is apparently intended for the same purpose.
The two microphones are now mounted side-by-side and seemingly
aligned on the same phase front from a distant source.
3- I then inspect the LD3200 Analyzer Cross-Spectrum phase result at
around 90 kHz where the WM-60A supposedly has no response. But there is a
residual there, perhaps 30 dB or more below the audio response that is
sufficient to make a phase response value.
In theory, when an uncorrelated white noise is spectrum-crossed with
the output of an active microphone in a white noise sound field (LD2520 in
this case) I think the result should be zero degrees relative phase. The
signal from the WM-60A electret in this case is only the broadband
electronic noise from its amplifier circuit.
4- To study this, I removed the LD2520 capsule, shorting the center
contact to ground with a cap. In this condition, the WM-60A is still
producing signal. The phase result is random plus and minus 180 degrees out
to 66 kHz. Beyond 66 kHz, the phase difference is somewhat constant at
approximately +90 degrees. This makes be believe that there is slight
capacitance cross talk inside the LD3200 analyzer.
When the LD2520 capsule is replaced, both signals are strong enough
to effect a phase measurement over the entire 1-100kHz range. The resulting
value will slew strongly plus or minus many degrees when the position of
either microphone is advanced or retarded in the sound field.
5- A position of the microphone pair where a zero differential phase
shift result uniformly occurs above 85 kHz can be readily found by first
setting "by eye" the axial position of the face of the WM-60A to align with
the face of the adjacent bare LD2520 microphone. Then the final adjustment
is to slew the dowel carrying the microphone pair in azimuth a few degrees
until the 85 kHz to 100 kHz range of phase measurements all settle to be
near zero degrees.
In this position the phase shift over the 85 to 100 kHz range
presented by the WM-60A is assumed to be the same as that of the LD2520
microphone, namely about -140 to -180 degrees.
6- The question now is whether I have enough information. My position
is now:
a- It can be demonstrated that large (e.g. 100-300 degrees) differential
phase shifts are NOT demonstrated at super-high frequencies when the two
microphones are positioned precisely on the same phase front of sound from a
distant source, and one microphone is non-responsive except for its
amplifier self-noise. I am still troubled by the apparent cross-talk between
channels.
b- When the electret microphone is in broad band sound field, its output
still contains some acoustic signal at very high frequencies. But the phase
result is significantly affected (+ or - 200 to 400 degrees) when the
microphones are mis-aligned one way or the other especially at
mid-frequencies.... 20 to 60 kHz. These large phase shift values observed
correlate well with the microphone positional error for these frequencies.
The 90-100 kHz is less affected.
c- Phase results at low frequencies (e.g. 1kHz-20kHz) are relatively
reliably measured in this "Comparison" method.
Please, some comments by you will be welcomed...
Sincerely,
7- Angelo Campanella.
--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ***@netfront.net ---