Measuring TS Parameters

[Jamier]

I want to measure some TS parameters but I don't have an Audio Signal Generator. Will a laptop and an online tone generator suffice, or will this be inaccurate? If it will work, can I take the signal from the headphone jack of the computer or should I put it through a DAC and then to the amplified part of the setup? I intend to use the setup described by Rod Elliot.

Jamie

[Paul Birkeland]

I would get a USB tester dedicated to doing this.  They aren't all that expensive, and they work really well.

[Jamier]

PB, can you give me a link to an example.

Jamie

[Jay]

here's one
https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-dats-v3-computer-based-speaker-audio-component-test-system--390-807

[mcandmar]

What are TS parameters?    ....its probobly obvious but i cant figure it out.

A sound card output is ferectly fine if you just need a line level source to create test tones.  Its only when you want to measure a signal coming back that needs dedicated hardware, especially for speaker level signals.

I built one of these which sits between my sound card line input and the device under test http://www.pmillett.com/ATEST.htm ...but admitantly its not a cheap solution.  An external sound card inferace would be the better bang for your buck.

[Paul Birkeland]

Here is another:
http://www.woofertester.com/wt2product.htm

[Jamier]

Mark, it's the Thiele-Small speaker parameters. Jay and PB thanks for the links, problem is they require a PC and I have a MAC. By the time I invest in the PC and the DATS or whatever, I'm as much in as If I bought a Clio system, which at this point, might make more sense.

Jamie

[Jay]

TS parameters = Thiele/Small parameters.  See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiele/Small_parameters

[Paul Joppa]

I want to measure some TS parameters but I don't have an Audio Signal Generator. Will a laptop and an online tone generator suffice, or will this be inaccurate? If it will work, can I take the signal from the headphone jack of the computer or should I put it through a DAC and then to the amplified part of the setup? I intend to use the setup described by Rod Elliot.

Jamie

It can be done - I did it that way for years. It's fairly labor intensive...  :^)  I don't know what Rod Elliot's method is, so I can't say if that's the way to do it.

[Paul Birkeland]

These USB woofer testing devices will run on ancient Windows machines.  If you have an electronics recycler around, I'm sure they have some $100 laptops.

[Jamier]

In the measurement setup described by Rod Elliot, he mentions that is important to have a voltmeter that is accurate when measuring above 1-2 KHz. How will I know if mine isn’t?

Jamie

[Paul Joppa]

In the measurement setup described by Rod Elliot, he mentions that is important to have a voltmeter that is accurate when measuring above 1-2 KHz. How will I know if mine isn’t?

Jamie

Connect your meter to comptuer and use an online tone generator at various frequencies.

[Jamier]

PI, thanks. Now I see that I have a meter that will measure freq. I will check that meter against the tone generator. If they don’t agree at a particular freq. I guess I will have to make a choice as to which one I trust.

Jamie