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Re: Ultrasonic microphone array

Subject: Re: Ultrasonic microphone array
From: madl74
Date: Fri Oct 17, 2014 10:18 am ((PDT))
>  The main problem is that I have no anechoic chamber,

Ivano, 

I go under a pile of bedclothes for mic HF noise tests. 

> however I have a frequency generator up to many MHz and a 300 MHz oscilloscope

The weak link I've found is a sound emitter. One solution was a ceramic 
tweeter with the horn removed. I've also used electrostatic tweeters but not 
sure if you can still get them. Also try headphone earpieces, but nothing 
gives a flat response over a wide ultrasound range. While experimenting, I 
had the benefit of a bat detector with a wide frequency range. I was using 
Knowles capsules, as was my bat detector. 

> I have a vacuum pump but nothing in which to put the array to test the vacuum!

You need a bell jar or equivalent on a rigid base. I got hold of a bit of 
half inch thick aluminium plate but it probably doesn't have to be that 
thick. The vacuum pipe and sealed (solid) wires connect through this. 

I used a large gallon glass jar, but these are usually plastic nowadays. You 
have to be careful that they will stand a vacuum. Alternatives are a Perspex 
tube closed with a quarter inch Perspex plate glued onto one end.
Alternatives are a hemispherical glass mixing bowl or similar ovenware. Bear 
in mind that the force over a 25cm diameter is about half a tonne. 

You need to form an airtight seal by either grinding the base of the "bell 
jar" against the base plate or making a flexible seal. Note that the harder 
surface grinds away faster than the softer face using grinding paste. 

Possibly a toughened glass bowl will not like this and an alternative is to 
make a silicone rubber seal, using smooth clingfilm to get one non-sticky 
face. The vacuum joint is finally sealed with silicone grease. 

All the above is of course assuming that your mic capsules can withstand a 
vacuum. 

David Brinicombe 











"While a picture is worth a thousand words, a 
sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie Krause.



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