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Soft dB SmartSMS 2, User Manual

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SmartSMS User Manual

 

 

Soft dB inc.

 

User Manual 

 

p. 6 

1.  Introduction 

1.1  New features in version 1.3 

•

 

Optional Rise-Time bypass on each channel. 

•

 

Calendar-based volume adjustments on the paging mixer 

•

 

Automatic Firmware and Configuration update from 1.1 to 1.3 

•

 

Reduced number of speakers per channel on the SmartSMS-AMP-1 

New features in version 1.1j (May 2011) 

•

  Additional masks spectrums added to the default mask list.  

•

  Test module measurement mode set to linear by default. 

•

  FPGA modifications on the DSP to correct a Timer module bug.  

•

  Update of the Silex USB Server software and drivers 

•

  Wireless system changes. Anywhere USB is discontinued and replaced by the Silex unit. 

New features in version 1.1i (June 2010) 

•

 

Voltage corrections on the FPGA to solve a stability problem on the DSP.  

•

 

Level corrections in the Active inputs display according to number of sensors connected. 

New features in version 1.1g  

•

 

Windows  Vista  and  Windows  7  compatibility:  The  software  is  compatible  with  Windows 

Vista/7  32-bit  and  Windows  Vista/7  64-bit  version.  However,  to  be  able  to  do  a  wireless 
calibration  with  Windows  Vista/7  64-bit,  a  new  USB  server  unit  must  be  used  (Silex  SX-
2000U2)  because  the  Keyspan  and  Anywhere  USB  units  don't  have  64-bit  drivers.  See 
appendix C.   

•

 

Multi-sensor capability: The SmartSMS unit can now supply up to 4 active sensors without 

an Active Preamp. See section 7 for more information. 

•

 

IMIC Management: The software will restart if the IMIC is connected after the start-up of the 

software  to  ensure  good  measurement.  In  certain  cases  with  previous  versions,  it  was 
possible  to  have  bad  readings  from  the  microphone  if  the  IMIC  was  connected  after  the 
software was started.  

•

 

Privacy  Index  Function:    Software  function  that  can  estimate  and  measure  the  Privacy 

Index on site (consult section 6.5.9 for more information).  

•

 

1/24

th

  octave  measurement  capability:  The  spectrum  analyzer  can  now  measure  with 

narrow band, third octave and 1/24

th

 octave resolutions.  

Summary of Contents for SmartSMS 2

Page 1: ...Sound Masking System User Manual RELEASE 1 3 Soft dB Inc October 2012...

Page 2: ...User Manual p 2...

Page 3: ...chnical Support contact Soft dB 1040 Belvedere Avenue Suite 215 Quebec Qc G1S 3G3 Canada Tel 418 686 0993 Fax 418 686 2043 contact softdb com For Sales and Pricing information contact Christian St Pie...

Page 4: ...MICROPHONE AND IMIC WITH WIRELESS SYSTEM 25 5 3 TABLET PC WIRELESS SYSTEM WITH TABLET PC 26 5 4 SOUND LEVEL METER AND ACOUSTICAL CALIBRATOR 27 5 5 COOLING AND VENTILATION OF THE SMS UNITS 28 5 6 MULT...

Page 5: ...UT SIGNAL SPECIFICATION 83 8 3 SETTING THE PRIORITY PAGING 84 9 CALENDAR FUNCTION 86 10 DESIGN OF THE SOUND MASKING SYSTEM 89 10 1 LOUDSPEAKER FREQUENCY RESPONSE 89 10 2 ACOUSTIC ROOM RESPONSE 89 10 3...

Page 6: ...atures in version 1 1g Windows Vista and Windows 7 compatibility The software is compatible with Windows Vista 7 32 bit and Windows Vista 7 64 bit version However to be able to do a wireless calibrati...

Page 7: ...ning into low frequency saturations with the semi automatic calibration In previous versions it was possible to set the system so there were low frequency saturations in certain settings using the man...

Page 8: ...re the detailed hardware and software features Up to eight independent channels per unit depending on the version used Each channel has its own automatic narrow band equalizer allowing independent mas...

Page 9: ...mplifiers and is available with 1 2 4 or 8 output channels Figure 1 Front Panel of SMS AMP units A Reference Microphone Input B USB Connector C Status Light D Hardware Volume Control Figure 2 Rear Pan...

Page 10: ...optimum performance the external amplifiers must have differential balanced inputs The CTL unit is available with 2 or 8 outputs channels Figure 3 Front Panel of SMS CTL units A Reference Microphone I...

Page 11: ...d manual equalization PC with Windows 2000 XP Vista or W7 and a USB port to operate the software and control the SMS unit For the exclusive Automatic equalization process PC with Windows 20001 XP Vist...

Page 12: ...pment 2002 95 EC Conform to the European Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive WEEE Directive 2002 96 EC The WEEE symbol indicates that when the end user wishes to discard this product i...

Page 13: ...facturer or sold with the apparatus When a cart is used use caution when moving the cart apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip over 13 Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when un...

Page 14: ...lation of the SmartSMS Software 1 Launch the installation CD provided with the unit and click on SmartSMS Installer You can also download the latest release of the SmartSMS software from Soft dB websi...

Page 15: ...MS unit to a computer using a USB cable Windows will then ask for the Signal Ranger Mk2 Drivers These drivers are located in the C Program Files SMS_Software_VersionII Driver_USB_smartSMS_II directory...

Page 16: ...ffice environment Figure 6 SMS STR Loudspeakers Nowadays there is a variety of ceilings in office environments Sound masking systems are traditionally installed in offices with suspended ceilings Howe...

Page 17: ...uations loudspeakers must be installed directly on a drywall ceiling or fixed on walls The SMS PLN loudspeakers are equipped with a pivoting bracket that can be used to install the loudspeakers on wal...

Page 18: ...e installation of surface speakers can be problematic under certain conditions Generally surface mount speakers cannot cover the same surface as plenum speakers These conditions may vary a lot dependi...

Page 19: ...1 meter free field which is adequate for paging If paging is not required for the installation the 1W tap will be sufficient to ensure the desired target masking sound in typical installations In this...

Page 20: ...SMS amplifier is a constant voltage 25 Volt amplifier unit The wiring of the loudspeaker network is very simple All the loudspeakers in one specific zone are wired in parallel using a single 2 conduct...

Page 21: ...6 speakers on a single line connected to the 2 watt tap there is a 1 2 dB difference between the first and the sixteenth speaker If the 0 5 watt tap is used the level drop is approximately 0 4 dB The...

Page 22: ...of wire needed We recommend 18 AWG wire for shorter runs up to 250 feet For longer runs larger calibre wire must be used The following table presents the recommended wire calibre and length for the w...

Page 23: ...ailable to provide these measurements are 1 Soft dB Precision Microphone with IMIC pre amplifier device 2 Soft dB Precision Microphone with IMIC and wireless connection devices 3 Tablet PC with an int...

Page 24: ...developed by Griffin Technologies inc The IMIC can be obtained from Soft dB or any reseller The Precision Microphone can be provided by Soft dB For this set up the extension cable must be long enough...

Page 25: ...he equalization of an installation The operator can operate the software on the PC and move the microphone in the room see Section 6 4 1 for more details on the equalizer functions Note 1 The noise ge...

Page 26: ...Figure 18 Since this set up makes it unnecessary to carry and manipulate a microphone a cable and a portable PC at the same time it is the most comfortable and efficient solution to perform the equali...

Page 27: ...ended since it allows reference sensitivity adjustment usually done with a level of 94 dB and background measurement usually higher than 30 dB with the same dynamic range on the sound level meter 30 t...

Page 28: ...ng term reliability of the equipment To ensure adequate cooling of the units during normal use nothing that could reduce air circulation should be put on the top of the SmartSMS units When stacking ma...

Page 29: ...bration software all the SMS units in a multi board installation must be numbered with the ResetSMS software To do so connect the first SmartSMS unit to the PC using a USB cable and disconnect all oth...

Page 30: ...oftware The number of SmartSMS units connected to the PC should be indicated in the SMS unit s box If the number is not correct start the reset procedure again and make sure all units are identified a...

Page 31: ...means that either the computer is not connected to the SmartSMS unit or that the USB drivers are not operational See Appendix A for more information During normal operation of the SmartSMS unit the fr...

Page 32: ...n functions for the system in a graphical style interface All the 8 channels are displayed on horizontal rows and the various functions are presented in columns This section presents the operation of...

Page 33: ...the current configuration parameters have been loaded into the SmartSMS unit s Red light the current configuration parameters have been changed in the software but not loaded in the SmartSMS unit s G...

Page 34: ...the SMS unit During the loading the software may ask if you want to reinitialize the Rise Time process If you click YES the Rise Time process will reset itself and start again If you click NO the Ris...

Page 35: ...ing the startup of the SmartSMS unit When a PC is connected to a running SmartSMS unit the current configuration on the PC is the same as the one on the DSP If changes are made to the configuration on...

Page 36: ...Panel of the SmartSMS software This button starts or stops the masking sound When the masking sound is started the button will turn green and the loudspeaker icons on the right will be animated This...

Page 37: ...The Equalization Mode for each channel is displayed on the right Equalization Mode can be either Automatic or Manual The Manual Mode allows the masking sound to be adjusted with a standard 1 3 octave...

Page 38: ...idual Equalization is made or if a Test is done on these channels 6 4 1 1 Automatic Equalization procedure Note Before doing an automatic equalization you must have a working measurement microphone Re...

Page 39: ...account the possible acoustical coupling between adjacent zones it is recommended to Generate the identification noise in the selected zones only Generate the masking sound in other zones during the...

Page 40: ...When the background noise measurement has been completed click on OK again to return to the Main window It is possible to skip the background noise measurement and import a measurement done with the...

Page 41: ...response of the room For the background noise measurement the default value is L50 which allows acoustical events that may have occurred during the background noise measurement but that are not part o...

Page 42: ...nd value box Figure 33 Manual calibration mode equalizer The Dynamics indicator in the lower left hand corner will display information about the manual adjustment If the equalizer is set too high ther...

Page 43: ...ll appear Figure 34 Dialog box for the Target Mask selection This function presents the target spectrum for the selected channel Click on the Assigned Mask tab to change the target mask for the select...

Page 44: ...w mask to the list Figure 36 Dialog box for editing the target mask list With this function the user can raise or lower the level of each 1 3 octave band of the target masking spectrum or change the o...

Page 45: ...the total output will be 44 dB A Click on the up or down arrows to modify the value 6 4 4 Calendar Volumes The calendar based volume adjustment is an option and is available only if the onboard clock...

Page 46: ...e knob has no effect on the level of the masking sound X1 means that the rotary switch will increase or decrease the sound masking level by 1 dB for each click 6 4 6 Active Control The Active Control...

Page 47: ...sed to adjust the various Paging system parameters See section 8 for more information about the Paging Mixer This small button is used to examine the specified input of the active system with the spec...

Page 48: ...ation 3 You can apply the rise time to all the channels by default but you can also bypass the rise time for a few channels For example if you have 4 channels already running on a system and want to a...

Page 49: ...curve with the Target Masking Spectrum green curve This button allows the measurement to be started or stopped The difference between the target spectrum and the measure is displayed in the upper rig...

Page 50: ...ual EQ button is used to adjust the masking sound manually using a 1 3 octave band equalizer When you click on the button the selected channel switches to the manual equalization mode and an equalizer...

Page 51: ...hat the sound can be different between the manual and automatic mode especially if you do a few modifications in the manual equalizer If you click on the automatic EQ button in the manual equalization...

Page 52: ...est is done if the Equalization button was Yellow or Red on the channel the following window will appear Figure 43 Test result confirmation If the test result was good click on Confirm to switch the E...

Page 53: ...SmartSMS User Manual Soft dB inc User Manual p 53 6 5 Additional Functions The Additional Functions Tab yields access to more system functions Figure 44 Additional Functions of the SmartSMS software...

Page 54: ...Precision microphone provided by Soft dB with IMIC USB device If you use the Soft dB Precision Microphone the IMIC device as the input the software can retrieve the microphone sensitivity by entering...

Page 55: ...ft dB inc User Manual p 55 Figure 45 Selection of the IMIC as the Input Ref Input Sensitivity function Figure 46 Dialog box for entering the serial number of the microphone Figure 47 Microphone freque...

Page 56: ...mic range of the SLM to the 30 to 100 range or the lowest range capable of measuring the calibration signal 94 dB Note For the sensitivity adjustment a dynamic range which will allow measurements betw...

Page 57: ...look like the results shown in Figure 49 At the end of the averaging process 15 sec by default or if the Stop Average button is pushed the software automatically computes the new sensitivity to reach...

Page 58: ...ess to a one 1 3 octave band and narrow band spectrum analyzer of the reference input signal IMIC or SLM see previous section or to any input signal of the SmartSMS unit Figure 50 Spectrum analyzer in...

Page 59: ...eraging types are available The Linear mode calculates an average of the SPL where each sample measured during the averaging period has the same weight At the end of the period the averaging automatic...

Page 60: ...speakers Select a channel number and the system will send a tone to that particular channel Figure 51 Loudspeaker detection interface 6 5 4 Change Volume This function allows all system output volumes...

Page 61: ...gnation This function allows the user to set a target masking spectrum for each output channel through a table Double click on the desired output channel and select the desired target masking spectrum...

Page 62: ...a given zone and select the destination channel s 6 5 7 Set up Diagnosis The Set up Diagnosis function offers access to the measurements performed for each channel This information is useful to verify...

Page 63: ...splay is red it means that the channel is at the maximum power and this can cause distortion If using an AMP version try lowering the target masking spectrum or connecting the loudspeakers to a higher...

Page 64: ...ow When you enter a Security Key number the key is written on the SmartSMS when the configuration is loaded and on the PC This key acts as a general configuration security key The access to the config...

Page 65: ...to measure the transmission loss on a specific installation The transmission loss between a source area and a receptor area can be evaluated for a specific installation without other equipment than t...

Page 66: ...kground noise The function Transmission Loss Measurement starts by asking for the channel used for the source signal through this dialog box Figure 58 Transmission Loss measurement dialog box The dial...

Page 67: ...n the offline mode calibration start the masking noise and save the configuration on the PC Disconnect from the SMS unit To start in the Offline Mode simply launch the SmartSMS software without being...

Page 68: ...ly the update of the modifications carried out during an offline mode work session will be done when the next connection with the SmartSMS unit s takes place Adjustments to the masking sound can be ma...

Page 69: ...martSMS unit connect it to the PC using a USB cable and launch the SmartSMS software Then the software will inform the user that the configuration file on the PC is more recent than the one running on...

Page 70: ...ing spectrum is only shifted up and down Figure 63 Variation of the masking spectrum 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 80 125 200 315 500 800 1250 2000 3250 5000 8000 Frequncy Hz SPL dB Target spectrum 45...

Page 71: ...nsors should be installed at least 3 feet away from any ventilation air outlet The air coming out of the air outlet can cause turbulence on the sensor s membrane and distort the measurements Figure 64...

Page 72: ...f this number is 1 or not if this number is 0 For example 0808121262 is a SmartSMS unit with integrated active preamplifier The integrated preamplifier can supply power to up to 4 sensors All the sens...

Page 73: ...RE 8 preamplifiers External preamplifiers have 4 or 8 inputs depending on the model The signal from the sound level sensors is averaged and sent to the SmartSMS unit This method allows a spatial avera...

Page 74: ...s ON Note that 1 Each SmartSMS unit has up to 8 active inputs allowing the use of 8 independent controllers top of the matrix These inputs are labelled Active 1 to Active 8 on the rear panel of the st...

Page 75: ...er set up section 7 3 3 This control allows the update time of the masking levels to be selected Select shorter times to obtain a faster response of the active controller This is the main switch to ac...

Page 76: ...itivity value of the sensors Thus since the Sound Level Sensors and the pre amplifier provided by Soft dB have matched sensitivity the calibration of the sensitivity of the Sound Level Sensors provide...

Page 77: ...high limits of the masking volume to be defined These limits specify the maximum and the minimum mask levels of the selected output for the controller Figure 70 Output set up dialog box Note We recom...

Page 78: ...the controller set up through four tabs Global Set up Input Controller Set up Output Set up and Summary normal set up In the normal mode operation only the Summary normal Set Up is available Figure 7...

Page 79: ...ctive Historic interface Figure 72 Active Historic interface The red curve shows the masking sound level historic and the white curve shows the historic of the noise level measurement with the input u...

Page 80: ...selected output channel with the addition of a blue curve sensitivity 15 which is the masking level adjustment historic with a different sensitivity use the Sensitivity control in the lower left hand...

Page 81: ...so a global masking sound attenuation can be specified when input 1 is activated Each input can accept a 0 to 5 Volts signal Standard audio line 0 to 1 Volt voltage is thus directly accepted see secti...

Page 82: ...alog box When a representative signal is present on the selected auxiliary input the Range indicator must be in the yellow area If the Range is in the green area reduce the Input Sensitivity If the Ra...

Page 83: ...paging line level signal Multi Zone Paging For a multi zone paging system the number of zones desired will define the number of independent lines that must be supplied to the inputs of the SmartSMS u...

Page 84: ...y signals In this case the other auxiliary inputs 2 3 and 4 are muted and a global masking sound attenuation can be specified when input 1 is activated Figure 78 Paging and music mixer window Click on...

Page 85: ...eters tab to set the sound masking attenuation The following window will will be displayed Figure 79 Advanced Parameters for priority paging The trigger option selector allows muting the signal on inp...

Page 86: ...e Calendar button to access the calendar menu Figure 80 Calendar Volumes function NOTE The Calendar function is activated if you have the Real Time Clock module installed in your SmartSMS unit The Rea...

Page 87: ...on The Ch and Ch buttons can be used to view the calendar of other channels The Select Day control allows the day of the week to be selected Also the application includes three copy paste functions to...

Page 88: ...ay in October Last Sunday in March Tonga Australia First Sunday in November Last Sunday in January European Union Europe Last Sunday in March Last Sunday in October UK Europe Last Sunday in March Last...

Page 89: ...oudspeaker Typical Frequency response 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 100 1000 10000 Frequency Hz SPL dB 2 83Volt 1m Figure 82 Typical loudspeaker frequency response The different loudspeaker brands...

Page 90: ...om response during the automatic equalization process but the designer must ensure that every loudspeaker connected to the same zone is installed in a similar acoustic environment For example in the f...

Page 91: ...ch zone to ensure good sound masking diffusion and homogeneity 10 4 Loudspeaker Surface Coverage The masking sound produced by the speakers will be influenced by the configuration of the room ceiling...

Page 92: ...reglass tiles are used Very High Plenum When the plenum is exceptionally high more than 6 feet if you need to constrain the sound to a more or less specific location we suggest installing the speakers...

Page 93: ...in the entire building Zone 3 The bathrooms have a gypsum ceiling and a ceramic floor The acoustic room response is very different from the other zones of the building Zone 4 This zone is a waiting ro...

Page 94: ...egularities are detectable Figure 88 Illustration of the problematic openings In typical closed offices it is strongly recommended to add acoustic treatment on the air return grills to obtain better s...

Page 95: ...h ceiling and zone 9 is a waiting room adjacent to the main hall The masking sound generated in zone 12 is heard in zone 9 because of the acoustic coupling Figure 90 Acoustic coupling situation The ge...

Page 96: ...Files SMS_Software_VersionII directory Do not launch the software at this point the USB driver has to be installed beforehand Step 3 3 Apply power to the SmartSMS unit input 24VDC in the rear of the...

Page 97: ...location for the SMS unit Select the C Program Files SMS_Software_VersionII Driver_USB_smartSMS_II folder or the one where you installed the software in step 2 and then click Next After that Windows c...

Page 98: ...SmartSMS User Manual Soft dB inc User Manual p 98 Figure 94 Windows Start Menu Right click on My Computer and select Properties Figure 95 System Properties Screen...

Page 99: ...SmartSMS User Manual Soft dB inc User Manual p 99 Click on Device Manager in the Hardware tab Figure 96 Device Manager Expand the USB tree and check for the following entry Signal_Ranger_mk2...

Page 100: ...ence sensitivity Use the Ref Input Sensitivity button to launch this interface The following figure presents input parameters with the Calibration and measurement dynamic difference dB control Figure...

Page 101: ...and a PC with a wireless card The Router is easy to configure 1 Plug the Router enter the IP address of the device in your browser to configure the router Linksys routers are generally set with http 1...

Page 102: ...e Silex Server Software Insert the CD ROM Silex server software Once this window is displayed click on Application installation Click on s 40a500 exe on the CD if the window is not automatically displ...

Page 103: ...X Virtual Link Program The Silex server detects and connects automatically the SMS unit to the computer If not you can still try to do it manually by clicking on the button pointed by the red arrow If...

Page 104: ...ere you can move the router to a more strategic place using a long RJ45 network cable between the Silex and the router to obtain proper connection everywhere A wireless repeater not provided can also...

Page 105: ...ice and connect the imic to a USB port of the computer Figure 99 imic and microphone connection Step 2 Verify that the IMIC device as been properly selected by Windows Note The figures provide below a...

Page 106: ...SmartSMS User Manual Soft dB inc User Manual p 106 C select Audio...

Page 107: ...SmartSMS User Manual Soft dB inc User Manual p 107 D Verify the the IMIC USB audio system is selected as the input for sound recording...

Page 108: ...unable to connect to the SmartSMS with the USB link It can happen when using the wireless transmission if the computer is out of range or if the wireless transmission has been cut leaving the SMS unit...

Page 109: ...on has been abruptly cut Make sure you are within range of the wireless router Try connecting directly to the SmartSMS unit with a USB cable It is possible that a USB connection problem will crash the...

Page 110: ...software version Although the generic calibration allows using the microphone and making a rough calibration of the system the measured value can still be a few dB off and will not provide enough pre...

Page 111: ...going into the room from the speakers the suspended ceiling may be particularly hard or absorbent drywall fiberglass over the tiles etc the zone may have a very high number of speakers more than 32 sp...

Page 112: ...95 of the time it is caused by bad BNC connectors on the coaxial wire Check and or redo BNC connectors Try connecting a sensor directly to the SmartSMS unit to see if the input and the sensor are work...

Page 113: ...ve all the possibilities If you have a faint hum or buzz coming from the paging input and going through the speakers you can use the Paging Priority function to turn the input OFF when there are no ca...

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