Software enhances electro-acoustic and PDM testing

Capabilities being introduced with version 4.2 of APx500 test software are primarily focused on electro-acoustic testing—loudspeakers, headphones and microphones—and production test scenarios. APx’s built-in automation engine, the Sequencer, has been enhanced to support multiple sequences in a single project and sequence looping.

The new release also permits the creation of customisable sub-sequences for applications such as ‘golden unit’ testing or microphone calibration.

Users testing loudspeakers and microphones can now apply an equalisation curve to an input signal. The input curve can be edited, exported, imported and selectively applied to available input channels.

Addressing the unique needs of manufacturing environments, version 4.2 adds a dedicated production test mode. Now, a test system administrator can create device-specific projects then put the system into password-protected production mode.

From that point on, system operators have a simplified interface that allows for project selection, test activation and report generation, but does not permit project modification or parameter changes.

PDM-based (Pulse Density Modulation) components are an integral part of audio devices ranging from class D amplifiers to smartphones and wearable electronics.

AP’s new enables jitter tolerance testing and supports low-voltage logic levels to meet the evolving needs of developers. Specific enhancements include hardware jitter generation (bit clock and data lines), jitter analysis of the input bit clock, support for logic voltage as low as 0.8 V, and greater flexibility in decimation and interpolation ratios.