Frye Fonix 7000 Users Manual Book+.indb

2015-02-09

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Hearing Aid Test System

Operator’s Manual

Version 1.51

Oct. 23, 2006

FONIX® 7000

Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction & Setup

1.1 History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.2 Basic Test Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

1.3 Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

1.4 Accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1.4.1 Standard Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1.4.2 Real-Ear Accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

1.4.3 Optional Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

1.5 Layout, Controls, and Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

1.5.1 Front Panel Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

1.5.2 Rear Panel Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

1.5.3 Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

1.6 Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

1.6.1 Unpacking the FONIX 7000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

1.6.2 Locating and arranging the 7000 test system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

1.6.3 Connecting the Main Module & Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

1.6.4 Connecting the Real-Ear Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

1.6.5 Powering up the 7000 test system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

1.7 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

1.7.1 Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

1.7.2 Care & Maintenance of your M1950E Coupler Microphone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

1.7.3 Locating the serial number and software version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

1.7.4 Contacting the Factory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

1.7.5 Warranty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Chapter 2: General Operation

2.1 Operation of buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

2.1.1 Using the function keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

2.1.2 Navigating through the screens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

2.1.3 Using the pop-up help windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

2.1.4 Using the local menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

2.1.5 Using the EXIT and RESET buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

2.1.6 Using the remaining buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

2.2 Setup Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

2.2.1 Saving and loading default settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

2.2.2 Setting the date and time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

2.2.3 Setting the user mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

2.2.4 Explaining the settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

2.3 Source Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

2.3.1 Understanding Pure-tone Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

2.3.1.1 Pure-tone settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

2.3.1.2 Noise reduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

2.3.1.3 Delay times. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

2.3.1.4 Harmonic distortion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

2.3.1.5 Pure-tone Filter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

2.3.2 Understanding Composite Signals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

2.3.2.1 Noise reduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

2.3.2.2 Intermodulation distortion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

2.3.2.3 Composite filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

2.3.2.4 Composite type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

2.3.2.5 Composite source levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

2.3.2.6 Digital Speech technical details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

2.4 Printing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

2.4.1 Choosing a printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

2.4.2 Adding a label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

2.4.3 Using the internal printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

2.4.4 Loading the thermal paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

2.4.5 Unloading a partial roll of paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

2.4.6 Using an external printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

2.4.7 Putting multiple screens on a page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

2.5 Display & Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

2.5.1 Viewing the Curve Characteristics Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

2.5.2 Viewing numerical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

2.6 Computer Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

2.7 Remote Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

2.8 Leveling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Chapter 3: Basic Sound Chamber Tests

3.1 The Coupler Screen Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

3.1.1 Viewing a Pure-tone Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

3.1.2 Viewing a Composite Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

3.2 The Leveling Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

3.2.1 Leveling the sound chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

3.2.2 Removing the leveling of the sound chamber: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

3.2.3 Saving the leveling information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

3.3 Hearing Aid Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

3.3.1 Explaining the Coupler Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

3.3.2 In-The-Ear (ITE) and Canal Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

3.3.3 Behind-The-Ear (BTE) Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

3.3.4 Open-Ear Hearing Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

3.3.5 Body Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

3.3.6 Eyeglass Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

3.3.7 Wireless CROS and BICROS Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

3.3.8 Wire-Type CROS and BICROS aids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

3.4 Basic Measurements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

3.4.1 Signal Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

3.4.2 Running a Test Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

3.4.3 Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

3.4.4 Deleting measurements and settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

3.4.5 Running a Single Frequency Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

3.4.6 Running a Three-Frequency Average . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

3.4.7 Measuring Harmonic Distortion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

3.4.8 Intermodulation Distortion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

3.4.9 Battery Current Drain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

3.4.10 Telecoil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

3.4.11 Measuring directionality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

3.5 Digital hearing aids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

3.5.1 Using Digital Speech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

3.5.2 Changing the Speech Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

3.5.3 Testing with Bias Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

3.5.4 Checking Noise Suppression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

3.5.5 Understanding Terminology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

3.6 CIC Feature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

3.7 Occluded Ear Simulator Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

3.8 Automatic Testing—Loading & Saving Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

3.8.1 Setting up a test sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

3.8.2 Loading a Saved Test Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

3.8.3 Testing in Fully-Automatic Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

3.8.4 Testing in Semi-Automatic Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

3.9 Complete List of Menu Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Chapter 4: Advanced Coupler Tests

4.1 Enhanced DSP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

4.1.1 Digital Processing Delay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

4.1.2 Signal Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

4.1.3 Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

4.2 Battery Current Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100

4.2.1 Static Test (Estimated Battery Life) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

4.2.2 mA/Freq. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

4.2.3 mA/Ampl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

4.3 Coupler I/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

4.4 Attack & Release. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104

Chapter 5: Automated Test Sequences

5.1 ANSI S3.22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

5.1.1 Leveling for ANSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

5.1.2 Setting up the hearing aid for ANSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

5.1.3 Setting up the analyzer for ANSI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

5.1.4 Running an ANSI 96 or an ANSI 03 Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

5.1.5 Running an ANSI 87 Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

5.1.6 Viewing ANSI Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

5.1.7 Testing Digital Hearing Aids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

5.1.8 Viewing ANSI measurements in the Coupler screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

5.1.9 Explaining the Menu Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

5.2 ANSI S3.42-1992 (ANSI 92). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

5.2.1 Understanding ANSI 92. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

5.2.2 Running ANSI 92. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

5.2.3 Viewing ANSI 92 Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

5.2.4 Viewing ANSI measurements in the Coupler screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

5.2.5 Explaining the Menu Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

5.3 IEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

5.3.1 Setting up for IEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

5.3.2 Running IEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

5.3.3 Viewing IEC Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

5.3.4 Viewing IEC measurements in the Coupler screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

5.3.5 Understanding the Menu Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

5.4 JIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

5.4.1 Running JIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

5.4.2 Viewing JIS Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

5.4.3 Viewing JIS measurements in the Coupler screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

5.4.4 Understanding the menu settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Chapter 6: Real-Ear Measurements

6.1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

6.1.1 Understanding the Real-Ear Screens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

6.1.2 Navigating through the Real-Ear Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

6.2 Real-Ear Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

6.2.1 Placing the Sound Field Speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128

6.2.2 Placing the earhook and reference microphone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

6.2.3 Inserting the probe tube. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

6.2.4 Leveling the Sound Field Speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

6.2.5 Setting up Body Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

6.3 Real-Ear Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

6.3.1 Entering an Audiogram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

6.3.2 Deleting Audiometric Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

6.3.3 Creating a Target. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

6.3.4 Entering Bone Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138

6.3.5 Performing an RECD measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

6.3.6 Modifying a Target. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

6.3.7 Entering an REDD transform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

6.4 Real-Ear Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

6.4.1 Measuring in the Insertion Gain screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

6.4.2 Measuring in the Real-ear SPL screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145

6.4.3 Measuring the Unaided Response (REUG/REUR). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146

6.4.4 Measuring the Aided Response (REAG/REAR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

6.4.5 Working with prescription targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

6.4.6 Using Semi-Auto and Fully-Auto Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

6.4.7 Testing with a single tone or three frequency average . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

6.4.8 Using the reference microphone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

6.4.9 Viewing numerical curve data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

6.4.10 Deleting and un-displaying measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

6.4.11 Using Smoothing in measurement curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

6.4.12 Using Output Limiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

6.4.13 Measuring the occlusion effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

6.5 Digital Hearing Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

6.5.1 Using Digital Speech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

6.5.2 Choosing a speech weighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

6.5.3 Testing the digital filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

6.5.4 Testing digital noise suppression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

6.6 Directional Hearing Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

6.6.1 Using the insertion gain technique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160

6.6.2 Determining the “null” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162

6.7 Open Ear Hearing Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162

6.8 Visible Speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163

6.8.1 Performing Visible Speech measurement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164

6.8.2 Viewing the Real-time Visible Speech Display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

6.8.3 Viewing Completed Test Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

6.8.4 Measuring multiple envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

6.9 CROS/BICROS Aids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

6.9.1 Measuring the Head-Baffle Effect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

6.9.2 Measuring the Overcoming of the Head-Baffle Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

6.9.2.1 CROS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

6.9.2.2 BI-CROS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

6.9.3 Measuring Overall Insertion Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

6.9.3.1 CROS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

6.9.3.2 BI-CROS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

6.9.4 Measuring Insertion Loss to the “Good” Ear (CROS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

Appendix A: Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Appendix B: Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Appendix C: Troubleshooting Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183

Appendix D: The FONIX CIC Feature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185

Appendix E: Fitting Formula Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Appendix F: Probe SPL Mode Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

Appendix G: Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

Chapter 1 1

Introduction & Setup

Welcome to the newest innovation in hearing aid testing! The 7000 Test System

is the long-awaited successor to the 6500-CX, the analyzer that arguably has

become the standard by which all other hearing aid test equipment is measured.

The 7000 Test System has many design improvements, including a high-resolu-

tion color display, a flexible and easy-to-use interface, and built-in help screens.

Throughout the design process of the 7000 Test System, the engineers at Frye

Electronics have followed two important mantras: Flexibility and Usability. We

wanted all the features of the existing 6500-CX system in a new package that was

easier to use and easier to upgrade. We are confident that the 7000 Test System is a

success on both counts

1.1 History

The 6500-CX has been one of the fastest and most accurate hearing aid analyz-

ers in the industry. Since its introduction in 1985 at the International Audiology

Congress in Prague, Czechoslovakia, it has evolved through three model num-

bers: the original 6500, the 6500-C with color, and the 6500-CX with a faster

CPU. These hardware upgrades, and the software upgrades that went with them,

kept the 6500 analyzer current as hearing aid technology evolved.

The original 6500 operator interface was originally designed around a set of

tests that were needed at the time of its introduction. Linear and AGC hearing

aids were tested for ANSI coupler performance, and real ear tests were done to

check on insertion gain performance. Its Composite signal gave the industry the

first real time, interactive frequency response measurement for both coupler

and real ear tests. This enabled an order of magnitude increase in the collec-

tion speed of response data. This feature has been particularly useful in real ear

tests, where artifacts caused by ambient noise in the acoustical environment are

a factor.

The 6500 evolved to keep pace with the technology of the hearing aid industry.

The 6500-C with color video came in 1992. The CX version with its faster CPU

was introduced in 1994. Functions such as Multi-curve, Target 2-cc, ANSI 92,

CIC, Digital-Speech-in-Noise, the real-ear SPL screen, and Enhanced DSP were

gradually introduced, making the 6500-CX analyzer more powerful with each

release.

The number of tests on the 6500-CX grew, but the operator interface remained

much the same. To accommodate new functions, 6500 front panel buttons were

programmed with functions different from their original purpose and labeling.

While the help messages on the screen allowed the first time user to operate the

instrument, it was obvious that improvements could be made. Some of these

2 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

were implemented and tested on other Frye instruments. The FP40 analyzer

introduced “function buttons” that adapt to handle the specific needs of each

test screen and sequence. The FP35 analyzer added help screens and local

menus to make the analyzer more intuitive and easier to use.

The lessons learned in the FP40 and FP35 analyzers have been incorporated into the

7000 Test System. It is hoped that these improvements will make the 7000 flexible

enough to adapt to any new test procedures as they become needed with the chang-

ing testing requirements of the hearing aid industry

1.2 Basic Test Functions

The basic 7000 can perform the following coupler tests:

• Pure-tone signal measurements

• Composite and Digital Speech signal measurements

• Phase measures for binaural hearing aid pairs

• Group delay (processing delay) measurement of digital hearing aids

• Battery Current as a function of amplitude and frequency

• I/O Curves

• Attack and Release

For both composite and pure tone measurements, the following are possible:

• Special CIC hearing aid coupler measurements

• Behind the ear (BTE), In the ear (ITE), in the canal (ITC), Open ear, and

body hearing aid measurements

• Choice of either IEC 60118-7 or ANSI S3.22-2003/96/87/92 standard tests

(All tests can be installed as options)

An additional function that comes standard with the 7000 is RS232 communication

with an external personal computer. This allows remote operation of the analyzer

from the computer, and lets you save test results onto your computer’s hard drive.

Firmware upgrades to the 7000 Test System can also be performed though the com-

puter.

1.3 Options

The 7000 test system has the following software (and hardware) options avail-

able:

Real-Ear Option

The 7000 test system can be ordered with the Real-Ear Option so that tests can

be done on the hearing aid while it is in the client’s ear. These measurements

are also commonly called “probe measurements” because they are performed

Introduction and Setup 3

with a probe microphone. Using real-ear measurements makes it possible to

individualize the fitting of a hearing aid since a coupler measurement can sel-

dom tell the operator exactly how what sound is received by the client. Many

factors affect the sound on its way to the ear drum. When measuring with a

probe microphone, you will know what is happening in the “real-ear.”

ANSI Option

The ANSI Option gives the user access to the ANSI 03, ANSI 96, ANSI 87, and

ANSI 92 test sequences. These perform measurements according to the ANSI

S3.22 2003, ANSI S3.22 1996, ANSI S3.22-1987, and ANSI S3.42-1992 stan-

dards, respectively.

This option also includes the Telewand, which is used for performing ANSI 96

telecoil measurements.

IEC Option

The IEC Option gives the user access to the IEC test sequence, which performs

measurements in accordance with the IEC 118-7, the performance part of the

IEC standard.

OES Option

The Occluded Ear Simulator (OES) Option includes the MZ-1, MZ-2, and MZ-3

couplers and corresponding correction factors meant to simulate the results of a

real-ear simulator (Zwislocki) coupler when simulating occluded ear measure-

ments in the sound chamber. The results produced with the OES Option will

not be an exact duplication of the results produced with a Zwislocki coupler.

VA CORFIG

The VA-CORFIG Option supplies a frequency response in the ANSI test

sequence that includes correction factors that make the measurement closer to a

real-ear response. These correction factors were developed by the United States

Veterans Administration.

4 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

HA-2, 2-cc Coupler

Dimensions per ANSI S3.7 for testing

behind-the-ear aids, eyeglass aids, and

body aids.

Coupler Microphone—M1950E

14 mm pressure-type electret instru-

mentation microphone.

Note: Older 7000 analyzers may use

the M1750E microphone.

HA-1 2-cc Coupler

Dimensions per ANSI S3.7 for testing

in-the-ear aids, canal aids, and aids fit-

ted with earmolds.

1.4 Accessories

The following are accessories that are standard and optional on your FONIX

7000 hearing aid analyzer.

1.4.1 Standard Accessories

The following accessories come standard with each 7000 test system.

Ear-Level Adapter (BTE)

Snaps into the 1/4" (6.35 mm) diameter

cavity of the HA-2 and MZ-2 couplers.

Equipped with a 0.6" (15 mm) length

of 0.076" (1.93 mm) ID tubing, the

adapter allows ANSI S3.22 specified

connection of an ear-level aid to the

coupler.

Introduction and Setup 5

Microphone Adapter

14 mm to 1" (25.4) mm adapter for

coupling the M1950E microphone

and reference microphone to a 1-inch

device such as a sound level calibra-

tor.

Test Chamber Cable

Connects the main module to the test

chamber.

Battery Substitution Pills

Used to power hearing aids, measure

battery drain, and estimate battery life.

Standard sizes:

675/76

312

10A/230

Other Standard Accessories:

Thermal Paper

Fun-Tak

RS232 Cable

Dummy Microphone (for testing to ANSI specifications)

Sound Chamber Replacement Feet

Operator’s Manual

Maintenance Manual (upon request at time of purchase)

6 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Loudspeaker Swing Arm

This swing arm may be substituted for

the speaker floor stand & shelf. It is a

convenient device that can be mounted

to a wall or desktop. The four-piece

arm swivels and extends along five

different dimensions to allow precise

placement and aiming of the loud-

speaker. Spring tension and friction

keep the loudspeaker exactly where

you put it.

1.4.2 Real-Ear Accessories

When the Real-Ear Option is ordered, the following accessories are

included.

Remote Module and Microphones

The remote module allows the user to

control the analyzer while remaining

close to the patient. The probe and ref-

erence microphones, used for perform-

ing real-ear measurements, are plugged

into this module.

Sound Field Speaker

Produces the output for most real-ear

measurements. The Real-Ear Option

can be ordered with a floor stand,

remote module shelf, or with a swing

arm.

Loudspeaker Floor Stand

The lightweight, sturdy floor stand is

adjustable and has a low-profile tripod

base.

Remote Module Shelf

The shelf fits directly on the floor

stand, providing a stable, convenient

platform for operating and storing the

remote module. This is the default

configuration.

Introduction and Setup 7

Monitor Headset

Plugs into the remote module, and

allows the user to listen to the signal

being measured by the probe micro-

phone. Model of headset may differ

from one shown.

Wedge-style Ear Hook

Standard Size. Holds probe and refer-

ence microphone during real-ear test-

ing.

Probe Tubes

Used for performing real-ear measure-

ments. Probe tubes are not reusable.

8 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

CIC Coupler

Non-standard (0.4 cc) coupler used for

realistic testing of CIC hearing aids.

This coupler is always used in con-

junction with the CIC software correc-

tion factors

6-cc Coupler

Enables checking the response of stan-

dard audiometer headphones. It is

designed around the NBS 9A coupler

specifications.

MZ Couplers

MZ-3, MZ-2, and MZ-1 couplers are

supplied with the OES Option.

1.4.3 Optional Accessories

Infant/Child Headband

Includes infant, child, and adult head-

bands, six bendable earhooks, and two

sets of “animal ears.”

Introduction and Setup 9

Open Ear Coupler

Non-standard coupler used for realistic

testing of open ear hearing aids.

#5 battery pill

Provides battery current measurements

for many CIC hearing aids.

Also available:

#41 battery pill

Sound Level Calibrator A portable,

self-contained, field-type calibrator for

calibrating the microphone amplifier.

It operates on one nine-volt transistor

battery. Use with 14 mm-to-1" adapter.

Calibration is traceable to the U.S.

National Institute of Standards and

Technology. Conforms to ANSI @1.40-

1984 and IEC 942: 1988.

10 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Sound Chamber Spring Damper

Factory-installed.or Assembly Kit.

This spring assembly fits onto the back

of the sound chamber, making it easier

to open the sound chamber lid. Once

the sound chamber is open past a cer-

tain point, the user can release the lid

and let the spring open it the rest of the

way. Great when performing repetitive

coupler measurements.

FM Kit

Facilitates coupler and real-ear tests

of FM systems. The kit includes a

telescoping floor stand with a test plat-

form and plenty of extra Fun-Tak and

a 6-inch (15 cm) square foam pad for

using the 2-cc coupler outside the test

chamber.

Sound Chamber Stand

A secure, steel-tube stand that

improves sound isolation and brings

the testing area of the test chamber to

convenient table height. Color matches

the electronics module.

Introduction and Setup 11

1.5 Layout, Controls, and Safety

This section describes the basic layout of the front and rear panel of the 7000

test system, and special information pertaining to safety regulations.

1.5.1 Front Panel Layout

The front panel of the 7000 test system consists of 8 function keys, 4 arrow

keys, and 9 other keys with varying operations. Together, all of these keys are

used to control all the operations of the 7000 test system. A wide internal ther-

mal printer is located to the right of the front panel. See Figure 1.5.1.

POWER

STANDBY

Figure 1.5.1—Front panel

FUNCTION KEYS:

The top row of buttons on the 7000 front panel consists of “function keys”

labeled [F1] through [F8]. The function of these keys change from screen to

screen, according to the need of the screen. There are three basic uses of the

function keys:

RECD Earphone Package

Consists of one ER3A earphone with

a 1⁄4 inch plug, a 72 inch cable, an

assortment of ear tips, a calibration

certificate, and a lapel clip. This pack-

age is suitable for performing an RECD

measurement with the 7000 Test

System.

12 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

• To navigate from screen to screen

• To toggle a selection

• To pop-up up a selection menu

For a more complete description of the operation of the function keys, see

Section 2.1.1.

[RESET]: Resets the analyzer and returns you to the opening screen.

Many settings, measurements, and test conditions are erased

or returned to their default conditions with the push of this

button. Use [EXIT] instead of [RESET] to avoid the loss of

data.

[HELP]: Brings up a pop-up help window, which tells you what func-

tions can be performed in the current screen.

[MENU]: Opens a local menu, or the Default Settings menu.

[EXIT]: Exits from the current screen, leaving all settings, measure-

ments, and test conditions as is.

[LEVEL]: Levels the sound chamber or sound field speaker.

[FEED]: Advances the internal thermal paper feed.

[PRINT]: Prints current screen.

[STOP]: Stops testing.

[START]: Starts testing.

ARROW KEYS: The arrow keys perform different functions depending upon

the screen and previous buttons pushed. In a test situation,

they adjust the source amplitude and frequency. If you press

one of the function buttons to bring up a pop-up menu, they

are used to scroll through the available options and make

selections.

LEDs: Power: When green, this LED indicates that the 7000 Test

System is powered on.

Standby: When green, this LED indicates that the screensaver

mode is engaged (screensaver not available at this time)

Introduction and Setup 13

1.5.2 Rear Panel Layout

The rear panel of the 7000 test system contains most of the external connec-

tions for the analyzer. See Figure 1.5.2 for a diagram of the back panel.

FONIX 7000 Serial No. 1234

Made in Tigard, Oregon, USA

by Frye Electronics, Inc.

Frye Electronics products are protected by U.S.

and/or foreign patents and/or patents pending

T630 mAL

Figure 1.5.2—Back panel

1. PRINTER: Connects an external printer to the 7000 test system.

2. SPKR: Connects the sound field speaker for real-ear measure-

ments.

3. EARPHONE: Connect a insert earphone to the analyzer for RECD mea-

surements. A 50 ohm earphone should always be used, to

avoid harm to the earphone.

4. SOUND

CHAMBER: Connects the main module to the sound chamber.

5. RS232: Connects the 7000 test system to a personal computer.

6. RS232 LEDs: The red LED indicates the analyzer is sending a poll. This

will flash whether or not a computer is connected. The

green LED indicates the analyzer is receiving a command

from a connected computer.

7. MONITOR: Connects the main module to a video monitor.

8. GAIN: Adjusts the calibration of the M1950E microphone.

9. MICROPHONE: Connects the M1950E microphone.

10. SCOPE: Connects to an external scope for external measuring pur-

poses.

14 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

11. PROBE: Connects the main module to the remote module (used for

real-ear measurements).

KEYBD: Not currently active.

AUX: Not currently active.

The following safety symbols can be found on the back of the 7000 hearing aid

analyzer:

Type B Equipment. The probe microphone and insert ear-

phone are type B applied parts, according to IEC 60601-1.

Read the accompanying documents. Please read this manual

before operating the 7000 test system. A separate maintenance

manual exists for the 7000 test system. If you wish to obtain a

maintenance manual, please contact Frye Electronics, Inc. or

your Frye representative.

This symbol indicates that Frye Electronics, Inc. conforms to

the Medical Device Directive 93/42/EEC. Any attached video

monitor, external printer, or external computer should also

have a CE mark in order for the 7000 test system to remain

compliant.

Replace fuses only with the same type and rating.

1.5.3 Safety

Safety Classification for IEC 60601-1

Type of protection against electric shock: Class I

Degree of protection against electric shock: Type B

Protection against harmful ingress of water: Ordinary

Mode of operation: Continuous

The 7000 does not require sterilization or disinfection.

Warning: This equipment is not suitable for use in the presence of flammable

anaesthetic mixture with air or with oxygen or nitrous oxide.

Introduction and Setup 15

Connection of peripheral equipment to the 7000

Compliance with IEC 60601-1-1 Safety requirements for medical electrical sys-

tems must be determined on a case-by-case basis.

All electrical equipment attached to the 7000, such as video monitors, computer

equipment, etc. must, at a minimum, meet one of the following conditions:

a. The equipment complies with IEC 60601-1

b. The equipment complies with relevant IEC and ISO safety standards and is

supplied from a medical grade isolation transformer.

c. The equipment complies with relevant IEC and ISO safety standards and is

kept at least 1.5 meters from the patient.

The allowable leakage currents of IEC 60601-1-1 must not be exceeded. IEC

60601-1-1 should be consulted when assembling such a system.

Electromagnetic compatibility

The 7000 complies with IEC 60601-1-2.

The 7000 generates and uses radio frequency energy. In some cases the 7000

could cause interference to radio or television reception. You can determine if

the 7000 is the source of such interference by turning the unit off and on.

If you are experiencing interference caused by the 7000, you may be able to cor-

rect it by one or more of the following measures:

1. Relocate or reorient the receiving antenna.

2. Increase the distance between the 7000 and the receiver.

3. Connect the 7000 to a different outlet than the receiver.

In some cases radio transmitting devices, such as cellular telephones, may cause

interference to the 7000. In this case try increasing the distance between the

transmitter and the 7000.

Disposal of the 7000 and accessories

The 7000 and some of its accessories contain lead. At the end of its useful life,

please recycle or dispose of the 7000 according to local regulations.

If you are located in the European Union, please report all safety-related con-

cerns to our authorized representative:

Siemens Hearing Instruments Ltd.

Alexandra House

Newton Road

Manor Royal

Crawley

West Sussex RH109TT

ENGLAND

16 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Otherwise, please report all safety related concerns to the Frye factory:

Frye Electronics, Inc.

9826 SW Tigard St.

Tigard, OR 97223

Ph: (503) 620-2722 or (800) 547-8209

Fax: (503) 639-0128

email: support @frye.com

sales@frye.com

Frye Electronics, Inc. is a Registered Firm of British Standards

Institution, and we conform to the ISO 13485 standard.

1.6 Setup

This section describes the unpacking and setup of the 7000 test system. A

description of the front and back panels is also included.

1.6.1 Unpacking the FONIX 7000

Remove the FONIX 7000 test system from the shipping cartons. Store the ship-

ping cartons in a dry place so that they can be used again in the event that the

unit must be returned to the factory for repair or upgrade.

See Figure 1.6.1 for a picture of the 7000 test system and a labeling of its basic

components.

Figure 1.6.1. Caption: The 7000 Test system.

Introduction and Setup 17

1.6.2 Locating and arranging the 7000 test system

Locate the 7000 test system in a moderately quiet area, such as a private office

or laboratory. In order for test results to reliably conform to specifications, the

ambient noise, mechanical vibrations, electrical or magnetic fields must not

affect test results by more than 0.5 dB (ANSI S3.22). Low-noise acoustic condi-

tions, as found in sound treated rooms and booths, are recommended but not

necessary.

Locate the main module near the sound chamber. The video monitor may be

placed on top of the main module.

If your 7000 has the Real-ear Option, further consideration needs to be given

to the placement of the sound field speaker. The speaker should be placed in

a manner in which the sound will not reflect off walls, chairs, tables, or other

objects. Such sound reflections could negatively affect test results.

1.6.3 Connecting the Main Module & Components

Connect the main module to the system components as follows (see Figure

1.6.3):

1. Connect the video monitor to the jack marked “Monitor” on the back of the

main module. Tighten the screws on the connector to secure the connection.

2. Plug the M1950E microphone into the connector marked “Microphone”

located on the back of the main module.

3. Connect the sound chamber cable into the plug marked “sound chamber” on

the back of the main module. Plug the other end of the cable into the sound

chamber. This cable provides all the connections necessary for operating the

internal loudspeaker, telecoil, and battery voltage supply of the 7020 test

chamber. Tighten the screws of the plug at each end of the cable to secure

the connection.

4. Plug the power cord into the three-pronged jack on the rear panel of the

main module. Plug the power cords of both the main module and the video

monitor into an AC outlet. We recommend using a switchable multiple out-

let power strip. Any voltage between 100 and 240 VAC is acceptable, 50 or

60 Hz line frequency.

18 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

PRINTER

SOUND CHAMBER

EARPHONE

SPKR

MONITOR RS232 AUXKEYBD

MICROPHONE

GAIN

SCOPEPROBE

FONIX 7000 Serial No. 1234

Manufactured in 2003

CALIBRATED

Frye Electronics, Inc.

800-547-8209

www.frye.com

DATE CAL

DATE DUE

ATTENTION: Ground reliability can be achieved

ONLY when equipment is connected to “HOSPITAL

GRADE” receptacles. For service refer to qualified

personnel only. Consult accompanying documents.

ELECTRICAL RATING:

100–240 V

50-60 Hz .6A

Made in Tigard, Oregon, USA

by Frye Electronics, Inc.

Frye Electronics products are protected by U.S.

and/or foreign patents and/or patents pending

T630 mAL

Earphone

Speaker

External printer

(not provided) Monitor

Headphones

Computer

(not provided)

Telecoil board

(optional)

Telewand (optional)

7020 Sound Chamber

Quik-Probe

remote module

M1950E

Microphone

Probe/Reference mics

Figure 1.6.3 —7000 test system setup

1.6.4 Connecting the Real-Ear Equipment

If you ordered the Real-Ear Option, connect the real-ear equipment as follows.

See Figure 1.6.3.

1. Plug the remote module cable into the jack labeled “Probe” on the back of

the main module. Tighten the connector screw to secure the connection.

2. Plug the round, 8-pin connector of the dual microphone cable into the top

surface of the remote module where it is marked “PROBE MIC.”

3. Plug the monitor headset into the remote module by attaching the ¼” adapt-

er and plugging it into the jack marked “earphone,” if desired.

Introduction and Setup 19

4. Depending on whether you have a floor stand or a swing arm, either (1)

Unfold and extend the floor stand to the desired height, about the level of a

seated client’s ear, or (2) Mount the wall/desk bracket of the swing arm in a

convenient location. Attach the loudspeaker to the stand or arm, using the

threaded connection.

5. Plug the dual banana plug into the rear jacks of the loudspeaker. Then plug

the other end of the cable into the main module where it is marked “SPKR.”

1.6.5 Powering up the 7000 test system

1. Turn on the electronics module by reaching back on the right side of the

main module (while you are facing the front of the unit), and pressing

the POWER switch. The green LED on the front panel, above the words

“POWER” will turn on after a couple seconds.

2. Turn on the video monitor. See the video operator’s manual for instructions,

if necessary.

The Opening screen of the 7000 test system will be displayed. It contains the

FONIX logo, along with the software version, the serial number, and the avail-

able options. This information is important in identifying your equipment when

you communicate with the company about your FONIX 7000 test system.

1.7 Maintenance

In order to ensure accurate testing, we recommend yearly calibrations of your

coupler microphone. For those units with the Real-ear Option, we also recom-

mend yearly calibration of the probe & reference microphones and the sound

field speaker. These calibrations can be performed by any Frye distributor or by

yourself with the aid of a sound level calibrator such as a Quest QC-10. Please

see Appendix B for calibration instructions.

1.7.1 Cleaning

For your safety, disconnect the 7000 from mains power while cleaning. Wipe the

7000 with a slightly moist but not dripping cloth. Use plain water or water with

mild dish washing detergent. Wipe away any detergent with a slightly moist

cloth. Finally, use a soft dry cloth to eliminate any lingering moisture.

Never allow fluid to enter the 7000:

• enclosure

• power switch

• power connector

• electrical connectors

• front panel buttons

20 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

The 7000 microphones should be wiped with a dry cloth. Excess moisture may

damage the microphones.

Solvents and abrasives will cause permanent damage to the 7000.

1.7.2 Care & Maintenance of your M1950E Coupler Microphone

Microphones are perhaps the most delicate of FONIX products. They require

care and concern when handled. At the risk of sounding negative, the following

is a list of the five microphone DON’Ts.

1. Don’t bend the microphone cord at the connection of the cord and the body!

This is perhaps the most common cause of microphone damage. The place

where the cord and the body of the microphone meet is the most fragile part

of their connection. The less strain you put on this area, the longer your

microphone will last.

2. Don’t hit the microphone against the sound chamber or any other object!

The microphone head is delicate and easily damaged. Hitting the micro-

phone against anything will do you no good and the microphone much

harm. Similarly, be careful not the drop the microphone on the floor.

3. Don’t pull the microphone from the coupler by the cord!

When removing the microphone from the coupler, grip the microphone

body, not the cord. Pulling on the cord damages the connection.

4. Don’t get Fun-Tak on the grill of the microphone!

Fun-tak that accumulates on the grill will fall into the microphone body and

onto the diaphragm which will damage the microphone.

5. Don’t touch the diaphragm of the microphone!

The diaphragm is located inside the grill of the microphone and is extremely

sensitive. If you need to take the grill off the microphone, please do so with

extreme care, and be especially careful not to touch the diaphragm, as this

will cause damage!

Overall, just be aware that your coupler microphone is a delicate instrument

that needs to be treated with care and respect. If you do so, the two of you will

be rewarded with a long, happy relationship.

1.7.3 Locating the serial number and software version

When contacting the factory, it is very useful if you have your serial number

and software version handy. This information will help us help you regarding

repair, upgrade, and technical questions.

The serial number of your 7000 test system can be found on the back of the

main module, just to the right of the power switch. See Figure 1.7.3A.

Introduction and Setup 21

Figure 1.7.3A—Serial number location

The software version of your 7000 test system can be found on the Opening

screen. See Figure 1.7.3B.

Press [HELP] to open a help window with more detailed service information.

This data may be requested if you call in with a repair-related question. Press

[HELP] again to close the help window.

Figure 1.7.3B—Software version location

22 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

1.7.4 Contacting the Factory

If you have any questions regarding your instrument, have your serial number

and software version ready (see Section 1.5.3), and contact us at:

Mailing address: Shipping address:

Frye Electronics, Inc. Frye Electronics

PO Box 23391 9826 SW Tigard St.

Tigard OR 97281-3391 Tigard, OR 97223

USA USA

Phone: (800) 547-8209 or (503) 620-2722

Fax: (503) 639-0128

Email: sales@frye.com (sales questions)

Support@frye.com (technical questions)

Service@frye.com (repair questions)

1.7.5 Warranty

The 7000 test system and its accessories are guaranteed to be free of manufac-

turing defects that would prevent the product from meeting its specifications

(given in Appendix A of this manual) for a period of one year from the date of

purchase.

Chapter 2 23

General Operation

This chapter describes the general operation of the 7000 test system, including

basic operation of the buttons, screen navigation, default settings, source types,

printing, and other information.

2.1 Operation of buttons

The general operation of the various buttons on the 7000 test system are

described in this section. This includes a description of the function buttons,

the arrow buttons, and the Menu, Help, Reset, Exit, Level, Feed, Print, Stop, and

Start buttons.

2.1.1 Using the function keys

The top row of buttons on the 7000 test system front panel consists of “function

keys” labeled [F1] through [F8]. The function of these keys changes from screen

to screen, according to the need of the screen. The screen itself always shows

the function of each of these buttons in a row of boxes along the bottom of the

display. This row is meant to represent the physical buttons on the front panel.

See Figure 2.1.

Figure 2.1—Function key display

24 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

There are three basic uses of the function keys:

• To navigate from screen to screen

• To toggle a selection

• To pop-up a selection menu

Navigation

In the Opening screen, the function keys are used to navigate between the vari-

ous measurement screens. For example, pushing [F1] in the Opening screen will

take you to the Coupler screen.

Toggle

In a measurement screen, when a selection for a function key has only two pos-

sible options, pressing the function key will toggle between those options. For

example, a function key setting the ear tested will toggle between “left” and

“right.” A red box will appear briefly around the function key box on the dis-

play. This box means that the selection is in the process of being toggled.

Pop-up Menu

In a measurement screen, when there are several possible selections to be made

with a function key, pressing the function key will bring up a pop-up menu.

When this happens, use the [∨, ∧] keys to select the desired setting, and then

use [>] to perform the actual selection.

For example, in the Coupler screen, pressing [F5] will bring up a selection of

source types. To select the desired source, you would use [∨, ∧]. To complete the

selection, you would press [>].

General Operation 25

2.1.2 Navigating through the screens

The function keys are used to move from screen to screen. Here is a flow chart

of all the available screens and the buttons used to open each screen. Some of

the screens will only be available to you if you’ve ordered a certain option.

F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8

JIS Enhanced

DSP

F1 F2 F3 F4 F5

Audiogram Target Insertion

Entry Edit Gain SPL

ANSI 87 ANSI 96 ANSI 03

Battery Coupler Attack &

Test I/O Release

OPENING SCREEN

ANSI

S3.42

Other

Tests IEC

ANSI

S3.22

Coupler Real-Ear

Screen Menu

F1 F2 F3

Visible

Speech

Figure 2.1.2—Navigation Flow Chart

26 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

2.1.3 Using the pop-up help windows

Each operational screen on the 7000 test system has a local help window

designed to give you a basic operational overview of the current screen. In gen-

eral, these help windows tell you what each button does in the current screen.

See Figure 2.1.3 for an example.

To clear the help window, press [HELP] again or the [EXIT] button.

Figure 2.1.3—Pop-up help window

General Operation 27

2.1.4 Using the local menus

Pressing the [MENU] button will pop up a local menu that, like the help win-

dow, will be overlaid on your current screen. Each local menu contains selec-

tions specific to your current screen. For instance, when you are in the Coupler

screen, the local menu will contain only selections specific to coupler measure-

ments. See Figure 2.1.4 for an example of a local menu.

Figure 2.1.4—Local menu

Some local menu selections are common across screens. When this is the case,

selections made in one local menu will usually carry across any other local

menu containing that selection. For instance, AID TYPE is a common selection

in the local menus of the Coupler and Insertion Gain screens. If you were to set

the AID TYPE to AGC in the local menu of the Coupler screen, it will automati-

cally be set in local menu of the Insertion Gain screen.

HINT: Located between each option and its selection in the local menu is a

series of dots or dashes. For instance, there are a series of dashes between

AID TYPE and AGC in the local menu of the Coupler screen. Dashes indi-

cate the selection can be saved as a default setting in the Default Settings

screen. Dots indicate that the selection cannot be saved as a default selec-

tion. See Section 2.2 for details.

28 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

2.1.5 Using the EXIT and RESET buttons

The [EXIT] and [RESET] buttons can be used to exit from any screen, menu, or

window.

The [RESET] button resets the analyzer and returns it to the start screen. By

default, this start screen is the Opening screen with the Frye logo. However, the

user can change the start screen to be the Coupler Multicurve screen by chang-

ing the settings in the Default Settings (see Section 2.2.1). All measurements are

erased, and the settings are returned to their default values. It is recommended

to use [EXIT] instead of [RESET] when moving between screens to avoid the

loss of data.

The [EXIT] button closes a popup or local menu. When all such menus are

closed, the [EXIT] button exits the current screen without altering the settings,

measurements, and test conditions of the analyzer.

2.1.6 Using the remaining buttons

Here is a description of the remaining buttons on the front panel of the analyzer

and their use.

[LEVEL]: Levels the sound chamber or sound field speaker. See Sections 3.2 and

6.2.4 for details.

[FEED]: Advances the internal thermal printer paper.

[PRINT]: Prints the current screen. See Section 2.4 for details.

[STOP]: Stops a currently running test.

[START]: Starts a test.

ARROW KEYS: The arrow keys perform different functions depending upon the

screen and previous buttons pushed. In a test situation, they adjust the source

amplitude and frequency. If you press one of the function buttons to bring up

a pop-up menu, they are used to scroll through the available options and make

selections. In the Audiogram Entry and Target Edit screens, they are used to edit

the audiogram and targets.

2.2 Setup Menu

The Setup menu contains a number of different functions that set up your ana-

lyzer for testing. These functions include saving and loading default settings,

setting the date and time, setting the comfort level of the user, and calibration

functions. This section contains instructions for several of these functions. For

calibration instructions, see Appendix B. For instructions on leveling and saving

leveling, see Section 3.2.

To open the Setup menu, press [MENU] from the Opening screen.

General Operation 29

2.2.1 Saving and loading default settings

All of the settings in the Setup menu (described in Section 2.2.4) can be saved

as default settings. There are five possible setups, so you can have five different

configurations saved into the analyzer’s permanent memory.

To save a user configuration:

1. Open the Setup menu by pressing [MENU] from the Opening screen.

2. Set up the Setup menu as desired. All displayed settings will be saved, so

make sure that you check all fields. See Section 2.2.4 for an explanation of

each of them.

3. Press [F8] to open the Save Setup Defaults pop-up menu.

4. Use [∨, ∧] to select the desired setup number. If you are only going to have

one saved configuration, use Setup 1.

5. Use [>] to complete the selection and close the pop-up menu. It will take a

few seconds for the 7000 Test System to save the configuration. The saved

setup number will automatically be selected as the current user.

To load a setup configuration:

1. Open the Setup menu by pressing [MENU] from the Opening screen.

2. Press [F7] to open the Load Setup Defaults pop-up window.

3. Use [∨, ∧] to select the desired setup number.

4. Use [>] to complete the selection and close the pop-up menu.

Whenever a user configuration is saved or loaded, that user will also be auto-

matically saved as the new default user.

2.2.2 Setting the date and time

The date and time that are displayed on every measurement screen can be

changed in the Setup menu.

1. Open the Setup menu by pressing [MENU] from the Opening screen.

2. Use [∨, ∧] to select Year under Date/Time. You may want to use [START] to

skip ahead sections in the menu.

3. Use the arrow keys to change the Year, Month, Day, Hour, and Minute. The

[∨, ∧] keys choose the category and the [<, >] keys make the selection.

4. Use the arrow keys to decide if you want to use AM/PM time or a 24-hour

style clock. This is changed in the AM/PM/24 setting.

5. Press [EXIT] to return to the Opening screen when done.

30 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

2.2.3 Setting the user mode

There are two different user modes available on the 7000 test system: Beginner

and Expert. In the Beginner mode, extra help windows pop up automatically

when function keys are pressed in order to give the user more direction in using

the instrument. In Expert mode, those help windows are eliminated.

To change the user mode:

1. Press [MENU] in the Opening screen to open the Setup menu.

2. Use [∨, ∧] to select User under Other.

3. Use [<, >] to choose EXPERT or BEGINNER.

4. Press [EXIT] to return to the Opening screen. The new user mode will be in

effect.

2.2.4 Explaining the settings

The following is an explanation of all the various settings in the Setup menu.

General

PRINT LABEL: Status of the printing label. Choose ON or OFF.

PRINTER: Printer used for printouts. Choose INTERNAL or EXTERNAL. See

Section 2.4.

EXT PRNT COLOR: Color used when an external printer is selected. Choose

BLACK & WHITE or COLOR.

EXT PRNT LANGUAGE: Language used when the external printer is selected.

Choose HPCL or EPSON.

EXT PRNT #SCRNS/PAGE: The number of screens printed on a page using an

external printer. See Section 2.4.7.

RS232 BAUDRATE: Baud rate of the RS232 connection. This is the speed of the

connection of the analyzer with a personal computer. The Windows-based pro-

gram used on the computer end will need to have the same baud rate selection.

Other

AID TYPE: Type of hearing aid being measured. Choose between STANDARD

(linear), AGC, and ADAPTIVE AGC. This will affect the delays of pure-tone

sweeps as well as some other measurements. See Section 2.3.1.3 for details.

GRAPH SCALING: Scaling used when making measurements. NORMAL scales

to the upper-most curve displayed. AUTO scales to the current selected curve.

USER: The selected user mode. See Section 2.2.3 for details.

General Operation 31

START SCREEN: The screen shown when the analyzer is powered on or the

[RESET] button is pressed. COUPLER sets this screen to the Coupler Multicurve

screen. OPENING sets this screen to the Opening screen with the Frye logo.

Date/Time

YEAR/MONTH/DAY/HOUR/MINUTE: Current date and time. See Section 2.2.2.

AM/PM/24: Clock setting. Choose between using AM and PM settings or the 24-

hour clock.

Coupler

RESET SOURCE: The signal type selected in the Coupler screen when the

[RESET] button is pushed.

NOISE RED (TONE): Amount of pure-tone noise reduction used in coupler mea-

surements. See Section 2.3.1.2.

NOISE RED (COMP): Amount of composite noise reduction used in coupler

measurements. See Section 2.3.2.1.

CURVE LABEL: Label used for the two available “ears.” Choose between LEFT/

RIGHT, and A/B.

BATTERY SIZE: Size of battery used with the hearing aid being tested. Used in

battery current measurements.

COUPLER TYPE: The type of coupler being used in making sound chamber

measurements. Selections of CIC and MZ turn on corresponding software cor-

rection factors (see Sections 3.6 and 3.7). A selection of NONE or 2cc does not

apply correction factors to the curve.

DISPLAY: Display of the Coupler Multicurve screen. Choose between Gain and

SPL.

Real-Ear (Only available with the Real-Ear Option)

RESET SOURCE: The signal type selected in the real-ear measurement screens

when the [RESET] button is pushed.

RESET EAR: The ear selected in the real-ear measurement screens when the

[RESET] button is pushed.

FIT RULE: The selected real-ear fitting rule, also known as a real-ear target.

REF MIC: Status of the reference microphone during real-ear measurements.

OUTPUT LIMIT: The maximum dB SPL value that the analyzer will allow

when taking real-ear measurements. When this value is exceeded, the measure-

ment will automatically stop and the source will turn off in order to protect the

patient.

32 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

NOISE RED (TONE): Pure-tone noise reduction for real-ear measurements. See

Section 2.3.1.2.

NOISE RED (COMP): Composite noise reduction for real-ear measurements. See

Section 2.3.2.1.

SMOOTHING: Status of smoothing, which rounds off real-ear curves and

removes minor peaks. Turn it ON or OFF.

RECD MODE: Real-ear to coupler difference used in real-ear conversions such

as HL to SPL. When set to OFF, the RECD graph and table are removed from the

Audiogram Entry Screen, and the average RECD is used. CUSTOM ENTERED

will let you enter RECD values previously measured, and CUSTOM MEASURED

will let you measure the RECD.

APPROACH: The approach set in the local menu of the Real-Ear Target screen.

When set to Gain, the source type of REAR 5 in both the Real-Ear Insertion Gain

and Real-Ear SPL screens will be set to the RESET SOURCE type. When set to

SPL, the source type of this curve will be set to SHORT. This is done for per-

forming a real-ear saturation measurement at 90 dB SPL.

UNAIDED: The type of unaided curve used in real-ear measurements. A selec-

tion of AVG will set the KEMAR average. A selection of CUSTOM will use the

patient’s measured unaided response.

IG DISPLAY: Type of display used in the Insertion Gain screen. Choose between

having the lower graph display in gain or SPL (output).

TONE FILTER: The weighting used for pure-tone sweeps in real-ear measure-

ments. FLAT produces tones at each frequency with the same amount of ampli-

fication. ANSI and ICRA produce tones with higher amplification at lower fre-

quencies and lower amplification at higher frequencies, according to the ANSI

and ICRA speech weighting, respectively. AUTO uses the ANSI weighting for

pure-tone sweeps below 85 dB SPL and the FLAT weighting for sweeps at 85 dB

SPL and above. Coupler measurements with pure-tone sweeps are always FLAT

weighted.

COMPOSITE FILTER: Wide-band speech weighting used in the Composite and

Digital Speech signals. See Section 2.3.2.3.

Tone

See Section 2.3.1.1 for an explanation of all the pure-tone settings.

Tone Test Sequences

ANSI 12 dB DIST: The ANSI standard states that when measuring harmonic dis-

tortion, if the amplitude of the response curve at the second harmonic is 12 dB

greater than the amplitude of the response curve at the distortion frequency, the

General Operation 33

harmonic distortion measurement should be ignored. Choose ON to apply this

rule. Choose OFF to ignore this rule.

ANSI OPTION: Modifications to the ANSI test sequences. VA-CORFIG adds the

modification requested by the Veterans Administration of the United States.

CIC adds CIC correction factors and is meant to be used with the CIC coupler.

BATTERY MEAS: Status of the battery current measurement. Turn it ON or OFF.

EQUIV NOISE TEST: Status of the equivalent input noise measurement. Turn it

ON or OFF.

TELECOIL: Status of the Telecoil measurement. Turn it ON or OFF.

2.3 Source Types

There are two main types of sources available on the 7000 test system: pure-

tone and composite. Four types of pure-tone sweeps are available: long, normal,

fast, and short. Two types of composite signals are available: Composite and

Digital Speech. The composite signal can have your choice of speech weight-

ings, including ANSI and ICRA.

The type of signal you should choose for a particular test or type of hearing aid

depends upon the situation. Here is a description of each of the source types

and when you would want to use them.

2.3.1 Understanding Pure-tone Signals

A pure-tone sweep is a test involving a progression of pure tone signals pre-

sented at a specified level. When the sweep is complete, the aid’s frequency

response at those frequencies is displayed on the graph (or data column).

There are four types of pure-tone signals: long, normal, fast, and short.

• LONG: Contains 64 different frequencies and only does one sweep before

ending the test.

• NORMAL: Contains 43 different frequencies and only does one sweep

before ending the test.

• FAST: Contains 16 different frequencies and continually sweeps through

them until you stop the test. The fast sweep is meant to be used as a

real-time continuous signal convenient for use while adjusting hearing

aids. It is an alternative to the composite signals.

• SHORT: Contains 10 different frequencies and only does one sweep. It is

primarily used for testing loud levels in real-ear measurements.

34 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

2.3.1.1 Pure-tone settings

There are several different settings available for pure-tone sweeps. You can

change all of them in the Setup menu (see Section 2.2). Some of these settings

are also available in local menus. Here is an explanation of the pure-tone set-

tings.

NOISE RED (TONE): The amount of noise reduction used in pure-tone mea-

surements. This is set independently for real-ear and coupler measurements.

See Section 2.3.1.2.

SWEEP START DELAY: The amount of time the 7000 test system presents the

first tone in a pure-tone sweep. See Section 2.3.1.3.

SWEEP MEAS DELAY: The amount of time each subsequent tone is presented

before the measurement is made in a pure-tone sweep. See Section 2.3.1.3.

MISC START DELAY: The amount of time the 7000 test system presents the

first tone in one of the following measurements: reference test gain measure-

ments (in automated test sequences), averaging, harmonic distortion measure-

ments, equivalent input noise, and single-frequency telecoil measurements. See

Section 2.3.1.3.

MISC MEAS DELAY: The amount of time each subsequent tone is presented

before the measurements is made in one of the measurements listed above. See

Section 2.3.1.3.

I/O START DELAY: The amount of time the first tone in an I/O sweep is pre-

sented before the measurement is made. See Section 2.3.1.3.

I/O MEAS DELAY: The amount of time each subsequent tone in an I/O sweep is

presented before the measurement is made. See Section 2.3.1.3.

DISTORTION: The type of harmonic distortion measurement made during a

pure-tone sweep. See Section 2.3.1.4.

STATIC TONE: A continuous tone (or series of tones) presented in the Coupler

screen when a pure-tone sweep, Composite, or Digital Speech signal isn’t run-

ning. This can be set to SINGLE for a pure-tone signal and AVG for a running

three frequency average.

RESET FREQ: The frequency the analyzer returns to when RESET is pressed.

AVG FREQS: The frequencies used for averaging in pure-tone measurements.

Each frequency set is represented on the screen by the highest frequency in the

set. The sets are:

General Operation 35

HFA (High Frequency Average) 1000, 1600, 2500

SPA (Special Purpose Average) 800, 1250, 2000

SPA 1250, 2000, 3150

SPA 1600, 2500, 4000

SPA 2000, 3150, 5000

IEC–(HAIC) 500, 1000, 2000

2.3.1.2 Noise reduction

Noise reduction is used in noisy testing environments. Pure-tone noise reduc-

tion takes several measurements at each frequency and averages those measure-

ments together. Larger noise reduction numbers lead to smoother curves but

increase the amount of time it takes to complete a pure-tone sweep.

For example, if you select “4” as the pure-tone noise reduction setting, 172 mea-

surements (43 x 4) will be taken with every normal pure-tone sweep.

2.3.1.3 Delay times

The 7000 test system allows you to refine your pure-tone measurements with

many different adjustments for delay times. This choice is allowed because

some hearing aid circuits take a longer time than others to adjust to changes in

amplitude or frequency. If the measurement is made too quickly, an artifact in

testing will be created. If the measurement takes too long, the test is longer than

necessary.

In determining the length of time needed for a proper measurement, a good rule

is to use twice the published attack time of the hearing aid. If you are unsure

of the attack time, you can experiment with longer times and shorter times and

see if there is any difference in the test results. Linear aids can be tested very

quickly, so a delay of 20 msec is usually fine. Other aids are quite variable. See

Section 2.3.1.1 for a description of the available delay settings.

The 7000 test system has standard delay times that are determined by the aid

type selection. When you set the delay settings to Default, the following delay

times will be used:

Measurement Standard AGC Adaptive

SWEEP START 100 ms 500 ms 2000 ms

SWEEP MEAS 20 ms 50 ms 100 ms

MISC START 100 ms 500 ms 2000 ms

MISC MEAS 20 ms 100 ms 200 ms

I/O START 100 ms 500 ms 2000 ms

I/O MEAS 20 ms 100 ms 200 ms

36 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

In addition to the delays, the aid type will also have an effect on the way

some measurements are made. With a selection of ADAPTIVE, the analyzer

will throw away the first three measurements of all averaging (including refer-

ence test gain) and harmonic distortion measurements. This will increase the

amount of time it takes for the test, but it should increase the accuracy of the

test for adaptive AGC aids.

Note: The “Adaptive” aid type category was created for a specific type of adap-

tive-AGC aid, such as the model created by Telex.

2.3.1.4 Harmonic distortion

Harmonic distortion occurs when a hearing aid clips the peak of a pure-tone

input signal, resulting in artifacts at harmonics (integer multiples) of that input

signal. For example, if you present a 500 Hz tone to the hearing aid, distortion

artifacts could occur at 1000 Hz and 1500 Hz.

The harmonic distortion measurement is expressed as the percentage of the

power of these distortion artifacts to the power of the input signal. All hearing

aids will have some amount of distortion.

Usually, the strongest artifacts occur at the second and third harmonics of the

frequency. With the 7000 Test System, you can test the amount of distortion

available in the second harmonics, the third harmonics, or both harmonics

(considered “total harmonic distortion”).

Definitions

2nd Harmonic: Energy of the second harmonic or twice the presented frequency.

3rd Harmonic: Energy of the third harmonic or three times the presented fre-

quency.

TOTAL: Combined 2nd and 3rd harmonic distortion.

See Section 3.4.7 for instructions on performing the harmonic distortion mea-

surement.

2.3.1.5 Pure-tone Filter

Pure-tone signals are usually flat-weighted. That is, in a pure-tone sweep, each

tone usually has the same amplitude as every other tone in the sweep. In con-

trast, the wideband Composite and Digital Speech signals are usually speech-

weighted. That is, the lower frequencies of the wideband signals have higher

amplitudes than the higher frequencies, simulating the long-term average of

speech.

When viewing measurements in output (dB SPL), the weighting of the signal

is very important because the signal input is included with the measurement

results of the output. This could cause some problems when comparing pure-

General Operation 37

tone sweeps with speech-weighted Composite or Digital Speech signals. For this

reason, we have made it possible to “weight” the real-ear pure-tone sweeps on

the 7000 hearing aid test system.

The TONE FILTER selection is available in the Setup Menu under Real-ear set-

tings and in the local menus of the Real-Ear Insertion Gain and Real-Ear SPL

measurements screens. It has the following settings:

• FLAT: Uses a flat weighted signal with equal amplitudes of all the tones

in the sweep

• ANSI: Uses the ANSI weighting in the pure-tone sweep

• ICRA: Uses the ICRA weighting in the pure-tone sweep

• AUTO: Uses the ANSI weighting for measurements below 85 dB SPL and

the FLAT weighting for measurements at 85 dB SPL and above.

Pure-tone measurements made in the coupler measurement screens are always

flat weighted.

2.3.2 Understanding Composite Signals

There are two types of composite signals: Composite and Digital Speech. The

Composite signal is a continuous broadband signal containing 79 different fre-

quencies presented simultaneously. This signal is usually “speech weighted,”

which means that the lower frequencies have a higher emphasis than the high-

er frequencies.

The Composite signal is both a faster and a more realistic signal than a pure-

tone sweep because there is no waiting for a progression of tones to complete,

and, like speech, a broad spectrum of frequencies is used simultaneously. The

Composite signal updates several times a second.

Digital Speech is an interrupted version of the Composite signal used for test-

ing high-end digital hearing aids. Many high-end digital aids (though not all)

use a technology called “speech enhancement” or “noise reduction.” These aids

respond to any continuous signal as if it were noise, and lower the gain at the

offending frequencies. Unfortunately, these aids regard the Composite signal or

pure-tone sweeps as noise, making them difficult to test using traditional meth-

ods.

Digital Speech was developed as a way to test these high-end hearing aids.

Instead of presenting a continuous signal, it presents an interrupted signal that

the aid regards as speech instead of noise.

The Composite and Digital Speech signals can be used with several different

types of speech weightings: ANSI, ICRA, and FLAT. Flat is generally only used

for specific research purposes—it contains no speech weighting and is difficult

for most hearing aid circuits to process. See Section 2.3.2.3 for a discussion of

the ANSI and ICRA speech weightings.

38 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

A significant advantage of using a composite signal is that each frequency pres-

ent in the signal can be individually controlled in amplitude and phase. As

the analyzer goes through the leveling process, each component is adjusted to

produce a signal that is optimally accurate at the reference point where the lev-

eling microphone is located. The 7000 test system is able to equalize the ampli-

tudes to within 0.25 dB for coupler measurements made with the Composite

signal. The spectrum limits are broadened to within 2 dB for real-ear measure-

ments.

2.3.2.1 Noise reduction

Composite noise reduction is a little different than pure-tone noise reduction

(discussed in Section 2.3.1.2), even though both are used for noisy testing envi-

ronments.

When a composite signal is running, the analyzer takes several different mea-

surements a second and displays them on the screen. Composite noise reduc-

tion performs a “running average” of these composite measurements. This

means it averages together several of the previous measurements with the cur-

rent measurement to produce the next curve. If you select “2X” noise reduc-

tion, it will average the last two measurements together. A selection of “4X”

averages the last four measurements together. When performing composite mea-

surements, it will take several seconds for the actual noise reduction used to

reach the set value. This is due to the nature of the running average.

Larger noise reduction numbers lead to smoother curves but increase the

amount of time it takes the analyzer to update its composite measurements.

2.3.2.2 Intermodulation distortion

The composite signals are helpful for identifying intermodulation distortion

(IM). IM distortion occurs when amplitudes at more than one frequency in a

signal combine to create an amplitude at a frequency not present in the original

signal. When viewing a graph run with a composite signal, look for points along

the graph where the line “breaks up.” Such an appearance indicates the pres-

ence of IM distortion. See Figure 2.3.2.2 for an example of IM distortion.

This type of distortion is only apparent when a composite signal source is used

because pure-tone sweeps do not present more than one frequency at a time.

General Operation 39

Figure 2.3.2.2—Example of IM distortion

2.3.2.3 Composite filter

There are two main types of composite filters (also known as “speech weight-

ing”): ICRA and ANSI. They differ in the speech spectrum they use.

The ANSI filter, taken from the ANSI S3.42 standard, rolls off the high frequen-

cies at a rate of 6 dB per octave, starting with a 3 dB drop at 900 Hz. The ICRA

filter uses the ICRA speech spectrum developed by the International Collegium

of Rehabilitative Audiology. The ICRA spectrum is based on the Long Term

Average Speech Spectrum (LTASS) and rolls off the high frequencies more rap-

idly than the ANSI spectrum. Figure 2.3.2.3 shows a comparison of the spectra.

In general, we recommend using the ANSI speech weighting for Composite and

Digital Speech measurements.

40 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Figure 2.3.2.3—Comparison of the ICRA shape and the ANSI shape

2.3.2.4 Composite type

There are two types of the traditional Composite signal available on the 7000

test system. They are known as “Standard” and “Chirp.” The two signals differ

in the manner that their phase is generated, and this difference has an impact

on the crest factor of the signals. The crest factor of a waveform is the ratio of its

highest amplitude to its RMS amplitude. Human speech is often referred to as

having a 12 dB crest factor.

For the needs of most clinicians, the Standard and Chirp Composite signal are

virtually identical.

The Standard Composite signal is composed of 79 different individual frequen-

cies that are each generated with a random phase pattern that results in the

signal having a crest factor of 10 dB, close to the crest factor of human speech.

(If the phase components were not randomized or otherwise changed, and if

all the signal components were in phase, the crest factor of the signal would

increase to over 19 dB.) The Standard Composite signal is the standard signal

used on the 6500-CX test system, the predecessor to the 7000.

The Chirp Composite signal is another type of composite signal with a low

crest factor. The phase of the individual frequency components of the Chirp

Composite signal is determined in a way that makes the signal appear to be pre-

sented as a “chirp,” or very fast sweep. The Chirp has a crest factor of 6 dB. The

General Operation 41

Chirp Composite signal is the standard composite signal used on the FP40 and

FP35 portable hearing aid test systems.

Although the Standard and Chirp Composite signals sound the same to most

people, an analysis tool such as Tempus3D will show the difference between

them. Both the Standard and the Chirp Composite signals are further speech-

weighted to agree with the user-selected composite filter (described in Section

2.3.2.3.)

2.3.2.5 Composite source levels

The Composite signal (and its Digital Speech counterpart) is a complex signal

consisting of 79 different frequency components. When you set the source level

of a composite signal (50 dB, 60 dB, etc), you are actually setting its overall

energy, known as the RMS (root-mean-square) of the signal; you are NOT set-

ting the amplitude of the individual frequency components.

The actual amplitude of each of frequency of the Composite signal is less than

the overall RMS of the signal. See Figure 2.3.2.5 for an example of the ampli-

tudes of each frequency of the Composite signal with an RMS of 70 dB. Be

aware of this difference, especially when viewing frequency response results in

overall amplitude of dB SPL.

Figure 2.3.2.5

42 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

2.3.2.6 Digital Speech technical details

The digital speech signal works by turning the composite signal on for a set

period of time, taking a measurement, turning the signal off for a random

period of time, and turning the signal back on again. This sequence is repeated

until the test ends.

The signal “on” time takes a minimum of 60 milliseconds. This includes the

time to turn the signal on, take the measurement, and turn the signal off. Some

aids may require an additional delay before the measurement is taken in order

to allow their circuits to settle. This additional delay time can be changed in

the MISC MEAS delay setting that is available in the local menu of the mea-

surement screens and in the Setup Menu. The MISC MEAS setting is automati-

cally adjusted according to the aid type selected. This setting is added to the 60

ms minimum measurement time.

The default settings are:

STANDARD (linear): 20 ms

AGC: 100 ms

ADAPTIVE: 2000 ms

The signal “off” time is random between 100 and 300 milliseconds. This time is

not controllable by the user.

2.4 Printing

The 7000 test system comes equipped with an internal thermal printer. The

thermal printer prints a clear, easy-to-read image of the display. You can also

hook up an external printer to print your results on normal office paper. You

can use any external printer that supports HP PCL (Hewlett Packard Printer

Computer Language) version 3.0 or the Epson ESC/P2 printer language.

2.4.1 Choosing a printer

You can set which printer to use in any local menu. (If you want to set the

printer language or whether to print in color or black & white, you will need

to use the Setup menu, shown in the next set of instructions.) To choose the

printer in the local menu:

1. Press [MENU] from any measurement screen to open a local menu.

2. Use [∨, ∧] to select Printer under Misc Settings. (You can use the [START]

button to skip ahead sections in the local menu.)

3. Use [>] to make your printer selection (INTERNAL or EXTERNAL).

4. Press [EXIT] to return to the measurement screen.

General Operation 43

To set the default printer, and/or to set the external printer language and color

choice, use the Setup menu:

1. Press [MENU] from the Opening screen to open the Setup menu.

2. Use [∨, ∧] to select Printer under General.

3. Use [>] to make your printer selection (INTERNAL or EXTERNAL).

4. Use the arrow keys to make the desired selections for EXT PRNT COLOR

and EXT PRNT LANGUAGE, if you are using an external printer.

5. Press [MENU] to close the menu.

6. Press [F8] to save the setting as the user default. This will also save all the

other selections in the Setup menu.

7. Press [EXIT] to return to the Opening screen.

2.4.2 Adding a label

A label with your printout allows you to record useful information about the

client and hearing aid to go along with the test results. See Figure 2.4.2.

If you are in the middle of a test, and you want to add a label for the printout in

the local screen, without changing the default setting:

1. Press [MENU] from the measurement screen to open a local menu.

2. Use [∨, ∧] to select Print Label under Misc Settings. You may want to use

the [START] button to skip ahead sections in the local menu.

3. Use [>] to turn the label ON.

4. Press [EXIT] to return to the measurement screen. Any printout will now

include a label until your turn off the analyzer.

Figure 2.4.2—Label with printed result

44 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

If you want to include a label on all printouts by default:

1. Press [MENU] from the Opening screen to enter the Setup menu.

2. Use [∨, ∧] to select Print Label.

3. Use [>] to select ON.

4. Press [MENU] to close the Setup menu.

5. Press [F8] to save the user defaults. This will also save all the other selec-

tions in the Setup menu.

6. Press [EXIT] to return to the Opening screen.

2.4.3 Using the internal printer

The internal printer of the 7000 test system is straight-forward to use. Make

sure the internal printer is selected by following the instructions in the section

above. Press [PRINT] to print any displayed screen. Press the [FEED] button to

feed the thermal paper through the printer without printing.

General Information

The following is useful information:

• Raise “Head-Up” lever to the up position when paper is not loaded, or

when the internal printer is not in use for extended periods of time.

• Frequently inspect the printer for any residue or foreign matter, and clean

as required. Paper residue or foreign matter may shorten the life of the

thermal printer head or platen.

• The 7000 printer mechanism is equipped with a paper back tension

device. This feature is used to eliminate paper migration from side-to-

side. If paper migrates too far to one side, the edge or the paper will

“krinkle” and cause a paper jam. The white plastic spring-loaded back

tension rod located at the back of the printer mechanism provides the

required tension onto the outside of the paper roll. No adjustment is

required for proper operation.

Error Messages:

In the event that an error occurs when printing with the 7000 analyzer, we’ve

included some error codes in the lower right corner of the screen that should

help a FONIX technician troubleshoot the problem. This section describes

those error codes.

There are two categories of errors that can occur with the 7000 printer: initial-

ization errors and printing errors. Initialization errors occur only when the 7000

analyzer is first powered up; this also initializes the printer. Here are the printer

initialization error codes:

General Operation 45

• Init failed 0: No memory available for the converted screen buffer

• Init failed 1: No memory available for the label bitmap

• Init failed 2: Printer driver unresponsive

• Init failed 3: Version number from printer board is unreadable

Errors that occur when actually printing have the following error codes:

• Print failed 0: Switching from internal to external printer failed

• Print failed 1: Copying the label bitmap to the printer board has failed

• Print failed 2: Converting of the screen to printable version has failed

• Print failed 3: Copying the converted screen bitmap to the printer

board has failed

• Print failed 4: Preparing to print; printer board is busy

• Disconnected: External printer is disconnected.

• No power: Internal or external printer is not powered.

• Offline External printer is offline.

• Head up: Internal printer has head raised.

If you are having a problem with the 7000 printer, contact the factory (Section

1.7.4) and be ready to provide the Frye technician with the error code. The

printer software version, available in the help menu of the Opening screen, will

also be helpful.

2.4.4 Loading the thermal paper

Please read the entire instructions before loading paper. Refer to Fig. 2.4.4A for

printer features.

Step I: Installing the paper into the printer assembly

1. Open the printer door.

2. Remove the white plastic paper roller from the printer mechanism. If you

are replacing an empty paper roll, remove and discard the paper spool from

the printer mechanism, but do not discard the plastic roller. The spring-

loaded (white plastic) back tension rod, located directly behind the paper

roller is not a removable part.

3. Insert the plastic roller into a new paper roll.

4. Install the plastic roller and paper roll into the printer mechanism, with

paper feeding from the top of the roll. The paper roller will fit into the slots

on the left and right side of the printer mechanism. The paper roller should

drop into position without additional adjustment.

46 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Figure 2.4.4A—The internal printer

Step II: Loading paper into the printer

1. Turn on the instrument.

2. Place the Head-Up lever into the up position. See Fig. 2.4.4B.

3. Unroll approximately six inches of paper from the roll, and insert the

paper’s leading edge into the bottom of the printer, directly behind the rub-

ber roller. See Fig. 2.4.4C.

Figure 2.4.4B—Head-Up lever in up position.

General Operation 47

Figure 2.4.4C—Loading paper into the printer

4. While holding the paper in place behind the rubber roller, manually turn

the thumbwheel to advance the paper approximately one inch. Never press

the [FEED] button while the Head-Up lever is in the up position. See Note 2

at the end of this section.

5. Center the paper on the rubber roller. Visually inspect the paper path to

ensure that the paper advances smoothly without hitting the edges of the

printer. If necessary, manually pull on the end of the paper until the paper is

centered and does not hit the edges of the printer.

6. Place the Head-Up lever into the down position.

7. Please read the caution note below before proceeding.

Press the [FEED] button to advance the paper. Continue pressing it until the

paper advances smoothly. The back tension device should automatically

correct a misaligned paper feed.

If the paper is not aligned properly, it may “krinkle” on one edge. If the

paper continues to krinkle after feeding 12 inches, place the Head-Up lever

into the up position and repeat steps 5 thought 6.

CAUTION—Do not allow the paper to feed back into the rubber roller. It

may be necessary to use your fingers to guide paper out and away from the

rubber roller. If the paper has a severe curl, it may have a tendency to roll

back under the rubber roller and cause a paper jam. If this occurs, stop feed-

ing the paper immediately, remove it from the roller, and reload the paper.

48 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

8. Tear off excess paper by pulling the paper against the thermal head at

approximately a 45º angle.

9. Close the printer door. Press the [FEED] button to advance the paper through

the printer door slot. You can tear off excess paper by pulling it upward

against the tear strip (on top of the pritner door opening) at approximately a

45º angle. You are now ready to print.

Note 1: Whenever the printer door is opened, you will need to repeat steps 8

and 9. Closing the printer door without tearing the paper at the thermal head

can cause a paper jam, which can damage the printer.

Note 2: If the [FEED] or [PRINT] button is pressed while the Head-Up lever is

in up or middle position, the printer may fail to respond to all subsequent key

commands, even when the lever is returned to down position. If this happens, it

will be necessary to power off the instrument and restart.

2.4.5 Unloading a partial roll of paper

1. Place the Head-Up lever in the up positon.

2. Use the thumbwheel to unwind the paper from behind the rubber roller.

3. Push the roll of paper back and up, then lift out.

2.4.6 Using an external printer

You can hook up an external printer to your 7000 test system to print your

results on normal office paper. This eliminates the problem of fading associated

with thermal printouts, and often makes it easier to store your test results.

You can use any external printer that supports HP PCL (Hewlett Packard Printer

Control Language) version 3.0 or the Epson printer language ESC/P2. The print-

er should have a parallel interface. We keep a list of printers that work with our

analyzer on our website:

http://www.frye.com/products/analyzers/exprinter.html.

1. Unplug the 7000 test system and the external printer from any power

source.

2. Connect a standard printer cable to the external printer.

3. Connect the other end of the cable to the connector labeled PRINTER on the

back of the main module of the 7000 test system.

4. Plug the 7000 test system and the external printer into their respective

power sources.

5. Follow the directions found in Section 2.4.1 to select the external printer

in the 7000 software. If you want to set the printer language or whether to

print in color or black & white, you will need to use the Setup menu.

General Operation 49

2.4.7 Putting multiple screens on a page

When printing with an external printer, it is possible to save paper by putting

two screen prints on one piece of paper. This is done by printing the first screen

on one half of the paper and leaving the paper halfway through the external

printer until you choose to print the second screen. To do this:

1. Press [MENU] in the Opening screen to open the Setup menu.

2. Change Ext Prnt #Scrns/Page under General to 2. Make sure Printer is set to

External.

3. Press [EXIT] to return to the Opening screen.

4. Go to the screen you want to print on the first half of the page.

5. Press [PRINT] to print the screen onto the first half of the paper. The paper

will remain halfway through the external printer.

6. Go to the screen you want to print on the second half of the paper, or run

another test.

7. Press [PRINT] to print the second screen and feed the paper the rest of the

way through the printer.

Note: if you decide you don’t want to take a second screen shot, press

[FEED] to feed the second half of the paper through the external pritner

without printing.

2.5 Display & Data

This section describes the Curve Characteristics Box that is common to every

measurement screen, and the data display that shows the numerical data of the

response curves in the Coupler screen and the real-ear measurement screens.

2.5.1 Viewing the Curve Characteristics Box

Each measurement screen has a Curve Characteristics Box that tells you differ-

ent information about each measured curve. It has several different columns of

data: Curve Name, Curve Title (real-ear only), Source Type, Source Transducer,

Source Amplitude, RMS Out, Correction Factors (COR, coupler only), and NR

(Noise Reduction). Figure 2.5.1 shows an example.

Figure 2.5.1—Curve Characteristics Box

50 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Curve Name: This identifies the name of each curve. The first letter is derived

from its measurement type—coupler (C) or probe (P). The second letter is

derived from its ear—left (L) or right (R). (Coupler curves can also be labeled

A and B.) The third letter is the number of the curve. CR1 is the first coupler

curve for the right ear. PL2 is the second probe curve for the left ear.

Curve Title: This identifies the title of the real-ear curve. It is only available in

the real-ear measurement screens. Here are the possible titles: REUR (real-ear

unaided response), REAR (real-ear aided response), REIG (real-ear insertion

gain), TARG (real-ear target), HTL (hearing threshold level), UCL (uncomfortable

level).

Source Type: This identifies the type of source used to make the curve. Each

curve is identified by three letters.

First letter:

C = Composite

P = Pure-tone

D = Digital Speech

Second letter:

For pure-tone:

N = Normal pure-tone

F = Fast pure-tone

S = Short pure-tone

For Composite or Digital Speech:

W = Weighted composite

F = Flat weighted

S = Spectrum

Third letter:

P = SPL measurement (power)

G = Gain measurement

Note: When it’s possible to toggle between Gain and SPL in the local menu, the

7000 test system will convert most curves back and forth between the two for-

mats.

Source Transducer: This identifies the transducer used to make the measure-

ment. “Chamb” means sound chamber. “S.F.” means sound field. “Tcoil” refers

to a telecoil board or telewand transducer.

Source Amplitude: This identifies the amplitude of the signal used to make the

curve.

General Operation 51

RMS Out: The root-mean-square of the measured curve.

Correction Factors (COR): The coupler correction factors used to make the mea-

surement. Coupler screen only.

Noise Reduction: The noise reduction used to make the measurement. See

Sections 2.3.1.2 and 2.3.2.1.

Lastly, just to the right of the Curve Name column, the 7000 test system uses

symbols to describe the display status of the curves. Here is the legend for those

symbols:

≡ Curve is completely on the graph

• Curve is measured but turned off

↓ Curve is partially off the bottom of the graph

↑ Curve is partially off the top of the graph

▲ Curve is on, but is out of view above the graph

▼ Curve is on but is out of view below the graph

Curve is partially off the graph in both directions

2.5.2 Viewing numerical data

You can display the numerical data of the response curves made in the Coupler

screen and the real-ear measurement screens.

To display numerical data:

1. Press [MENU] from the Coupler screen or real-ear measurement screen.

2. Select Data/Graph using [∨, ∧].

3. Use [<, >] to select DATA.*

4. Press [EXIT] to return to the measurement screen.

5. Use [F2] to select the curve that you want to show. See Figure 2.5.2 for an

example of the data display of a composite curve.

* Unlike the other measurement screens, the Insertion Gain screen offers the

following selections: AIDED DATA and IG DATA. A selection of AIDED DATA

will display the data from the aided curves that are normally displayed on the

lower graph of the screen. A selection of IG DATA will display the data from

the insertion gain curves that are normally displayed on the upper graph of the

screen.

52 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Figure 2.5.2—Data display of a composite measurement

2.6 Computer Connection

The 7000 test system is equipped with an RS232 connection that will allow

you to connect to a personal computer and exchange data. You will also need a

software program, such as WinCHAP, on your Windows computer that can com-

municate with the analyzer. It is possible to make your own program using the

FRYERS protocol.

2.7 Remote Module

The remote module is a way of operating the 7000 away from the main module

itself. This is especially helpful for performing real-ear measurements.

The keys of the remote module are a sub-set of the keys of the front panel of the

main module. This means all functions performed with the remote module can

also be performed in the same way with the front panel.

Since there are only five function keys on the remote module and eight function

keys on the main module, there will be some operations, particularly in coupler

mode, that will only be able to be performed with the front panel and its extra

three function keys. However, we have made a special effort to ensure all real-

ear functions can be performed with the remote module, allowing you to step

away from the main module during the measurement process and make any

necessary adjustments to your client and testing situation.

General Operation 53

Figure 2.7—Remote Module

2.8 Leveling

Leveling is the process by which the response of the sound chamber or sound

field is measured and computer-corrected so that a flat sound field is achieved.

Sound chamber leveling can be saved into permanent memory, but sound field

leveling for real-ear measurements must be done for every patient and every ear.

See Section 3.2.1 and Section 6.2.4 for instructions on how to perform coupler

and real-ear leveling, respectively.

Here are some technical details on the leveling status messages.

• UNLEVELED: Leveling has not been attempted and sound is uncorrected.

• LEVEL_ERROR or LEVEL_FAILED: An error happened during leveling

and source is uncorrected.

• LEVELED: Leveling has been achieved within ± 0.25 dB between 260–

6000 Hz and ± 0.5 outside that frequency range for sound chamber level-

ing or within ± 1 dB between 260–6000 Hz and ± 2 dB outside that fre-

quency range for real-ear leveling.

• SEMI_LEVELED: Leveling has been achieved between ± 0.25 dB and ±

0.5 dB between 260–6000 Hz and between ± 0.5 and ± 1.5 dB outside

that frequency range for sound chamber leveling or between ± 1 dB and

± 2 dB between 260–6000 Hz and between ± 2 dB and ± 6 dB outside

that frequency range for real-ear leveling.

54 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

• WEAK_LEVELED: Tolerances are the same as SEMI-LEVELED but the max-

imum output for the speaker is less than 100 dB for coupler measurements

or 80 dB for real-ear measurements. To achieve a louder signal, the speaker

needs to be moved closer to the analyzer microphone and re-leveled.

If a leveling error occurs during sound chamber leveling, check the connections

of the sound chamber and the microphone, and make sure that you are getting

noise out of your sound chamber. If those connections are good, your microphone

is probably in need of calibration or it is damaged. It is also possible that your

sound chamber speaker is damaged, but this is a much less common problem.

If you are having problems leveling the sound field speaker for real-ear measure-

ments, check the connections of the microphones, remote module, and sound

field speaker. If you have been able to successfully level the sound field speaker

in the past, the most likely problem is the reference microphone needs calibration

or is damaged, although sound field speakers have also been known to go bad.

Sound field leveling, however, is more prone to user error than sound chamber

leveling. Make sure the sound field speaker isn’t pointed at a wall or other sur-

face that may cause the sound field to bounce and interfere with the leveling

process (and measurements). The client should be 12-15 inches from the speak-

er; try moving him closer and see if that helps. For troubleshooting purposes, try

leveling the sound field speaker by holding the microphone 6 inches from the

speaker. If the sound field levels with this technique, then you probably have

a positioning problem instead of a hardware problem. (This technique should

NOT be used for leveling for actual real-ear measurements.)

Contact the factory or your local FONIX distributor if you continue to have prob-

lems with leveling.

Chapter 3 55

Basic Sound Chamber Tests

In the Coupler screen, you can view measurement curves in dB SPL or dB Gain,

and run them with Composite, Digital Speech, or pure-tone signals. You can dis-

play up to 10 curves on the Coupler screen at the same time.

From the Opening screen of the 7000 test system, enter the Coupler screen by

pressing [F1].

The Coupler Multicurve screen can be set as the screen that appears when the

7000 test system is powered or the [RESET] button is pressed. See Section 2.2.1

and 2.2.4 (Other sub-section) for details.

3.1 The Coupler Screen Display

The display of the Main Coupler Screen varies depending upon whether you

have chosen a pure-tone source or a composite (including Digital Speech)

source.

3.1.1 Viewing a Pure-tone Display

Figure 3.1.1—Coupler Screen with pure-tone source

56 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Refer to Figure 3.1.1 for the following explanation of the graphical display:

1. Type of display. This will be either dB SPL (coupler output) or dB Gain (cou-

pler gain).

2. Selected ear.

3. Curve Characteristics box. See Section 2.5.1 for more details.

4. Signal type and leveling status.

5. Selected noise reduction.

6. Maximum output and three-frequency average of the selected curve.

7. Source Signal Statistics Box. Displays the source amplitude, frequency, dis-

tortion, and output/gain.

3.1.2 Viewing a Composite Display

Figure 3.1.2—Coupler screen with a Composite source

Refer to Figure 3.1.2 for the following explanation of the graphical display:

1. Type of display. This will be either dB SPL (coupler output) or dB Gain (cou-

pler gain).

2. Selected ear.

3. Curve Characteristics box. See Section 2.5.1 for more details.

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 57

4. Signal type, speech weighting, leveling status, and bias status (Digital

Speech only).

5. Selected noise reduction.

6. Source Signal Statistics Box. Displays the source amplitude.

3.2 The Leveling Process

Leveling is the process by which the response of the sound chamber is mea-

sured and computer-corrected so that a “flat” sound field is achieved. The level-

ing status can be saved into the 7000 test system’s permanent memory so that

you don’t have to level the analyzer every time you turn it on. However, if you

get your analyzer calibrated, or if you get a software upgrade, you should always

level the chamber again (and save the leveling).

To double-check the leveling status of the analyzer, place the microphone in the

sound chamber at the reference point by itself and run a composite frequency

response (see Section 3.4.2). You should get a smooth, flat curve.

If you are getting bad coupler frequency responses that you suspect are the fault

of the analyzer, rather than the fault of the hearing aid, the first step of trouble-

shooting is to level the sound chamber. Even if the screen says LEVELED, the

response of the measurement microphone may have altered since the analyzer

was last leveled, invalidating the leveling. When in doubt, level the sound

chamber again.

See Section 2.8 for details on the leveling status and troubleshooting the level-

ing process.

3.2.1 Leveling the sound chamber

To level the sound chamber:

1. IMPORTANT: Be sure nothing is plugged into the battery voltage supply.

2. Place the microphone on the left side of the sound chamber, with the micro-

phone grill over the reference point (Figure 3.2.1). Close and latch the sound

chamber lid.

Warning: Leveling is valid only when the microphone position is not

changed after leveling. Each significant change in microphone location

requires new leveling.

3. Press [F1] to enter the Coupler screen.

4. Press [LEVEL] to start the leveling sequence. The system responds by pre-

senting a complex composite signal consisting of tones from 100 to 8000 Hz.

It measures the signal and stores correction factors, so that the sound field is

flat for testing.

5. Look at the display. After a few seconds, the video monitor should display a

“Leveled” message under the Curve Characteristics box. If the 7000 doesn’t

level, it could be an indication that your microphone needs to be calibrated

or replaced.

58 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Figure 3.2.1—Leveling the sound chamber

Note: See Section 5.1.1 for the ANSI standardized leveling procedures.

3.2.2 Removing the leveling of the sound chamber:

In some instances, you may want to look at the response of the sound chamber

without the benefit of leveling. In order to do this, you will need to remove the

leveling of the sound chamber. To do this:

1. Disconnect the microphone or the sound chamber.

2. Push the [LEVEL] button. The leveling will be removed. If you don’t save

this new unleveled status, the analyzer will revert to its leveled status after

it has been turned off and on again.

3.2.3 Saving the leveling information

To save the sound chamber leveling so that you won’t have to re-level the sound

chamber the next time the analyzer is turned on:

1. Follow the instructions in Section 3.2.1 to level the sound chamber.

2. Press [MENU] from the Opening screen. This will open the Setup menu.

3. Press [F5] to save the chamber leveling.

4. Press [EXIT] to return to the Opening screen.

3.3 Hearing Aid Setup

Coupler types and methods for attaching them to hearing aids are described in

this chapter. This includes a description of the HA-1 coupler, HA-2 coupler, and

the ear-level adapter (used with the HA-2 coupler).

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 59

3.3.1 Explaining the Coupler Types

The HA-1 direct access coupler is used to test in-the-ear and canal aids, and

aids with molds connected. Figure 3.3.1B shows the direct access coupler. The

sound bore of the aid is sealed directly to the 2-cc cavity of this coupler with

Fun-Tak putty, provided with the instrument.

The HA-2 coupler approximates the human ear with an earmold attached. See

Figure 3.3.1A. Note the tube that simulates the earmold. Button-type receivers

connect directly to this coupler. Behind-the-Ear (BTE) hearing aids connect to

this coupler by means of an ear-level adapter, as shown in Figures 3.3.1C.

OUTER O-RING

INNER O-RING

MICROPHONE

O-RING

Figure 3.3.1A Figure 3.3.1B

Standard 2-cc Coupler (HA-2) Direct access coupler (HA-1)

0.4" (10 mm)

NUB CONNECTS TO

TOP OF HA-2 COUPLER

Figure 3.3.1C—Ear-level Adapter (used with HA-2)

The length and thickness of the tubing of the ear-level adapter can have a sig-

nificant effect on the frequency response of an aid. If an aid is being compared

against the manufacturer’s specifications, the tubing should be carefully chosen

60 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

to duplicate that used by the manufacturer to obtain the original data. For ANSI

tests, use #13 thick-walled tubing with a length of 0.4 inches (10 mm). When

cutting tubing to length, leave extra space at each end to go around the nubs of

the ear-level adapter and the hearing aid hook.

Both the HA-1 and the HA-2 couplers have an O-ring located deep within them

that reduces pressure on the inserted microphone, thereby reducing damage to

the microphone. When inserting the microphone into the coupler, you will feel

a point of resistance when the microphone reaches the O-ring. You must contin-

ue to push the microphone into the coupler past that first resistance or incorrect

data will be collected.

3.3.2 In-The-Ear (ITE) and Canal Aids

1. Roll the Fun-Tak, provided with each

instrument, into a rod long enough

to go around the transmitting end

of the aid (approximately 2 inches).

(Modeling clay can also be used, but

it doesn’t work as well.)

2. Bend the Fun-Tak rod around the

canal of the aid, making the result-

ing “donut” flush with the end of the

aid. (Some users choose to seal the

vent opening at this end with a small

amount of Fun-Tak.)

3. Align the sound opening of the aid

to the hole at the conical end of the

coupler. Look through the open end

of the coupler to be sure the sound

opening of the aid is clear of obstruc-

tions and correctly placed.

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 61

4. Seal any vent on the aid with a small

kernel of Fun-Tak.

5. Complete the acoustical sealing of

the aid to the coupler by using a pen-

cil or finger. You may want to dou-

ble-check the aid placement through

the open end of the coupler at this

point. Slowly reinsert the coupler

microphone into its access opening.

6. Place the completed assembly at the

reference position in the test cham-

ber. With ITEs, the position of the aid

can affect the frequency response.

As a rule, point the faceplate of the

aid toward the right, with the micro-

phone opening as close as possible

to the reference circle. It is best,

when possible, to angle the faceplate

upward instead of downward (see

the photo at left).

For the sake of repeatability, you may

elect to use a ninety degree angle of

the faceplate to the reference circle,

again with the microphone opening

as close as possible to the reference

circle. If you are using a battery pill,

be sure the metal conductor strip

does not obstruct the sound path.

62 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

3.3.3 Behind-The-Ear (BTE) Aids

1. Insert the coupler microphone into the HA-2 2-cc coupler.

2. Couple the aid to the HA-2 coupler using the ear-level adapter. There should

be 0.4 inches (10 mm) of tubing between the nub of the ear-level adapter

and the nub of the coupler adapter. See Figure 3.3.1-C.

3. Place the microphone of the hearing aid at the reference point in the cham-

ber, as shown in Figure 3.3.3.

4. Close the lid and test as desired.

Figure 3.3.3—Behind-the-Ear Aid with Ear-level Adapter

3.3.4 Open-Ear Hearing Aids

“Open-ear” style hearing aids have boomed in popularity over the past couple

of years. Unfortunately, the ANSI standards have not yet caught up with them.

At the moment, there is no standardized method of performing a coupler mea-

surement on an open-ear style hearing aid. Hearing aid manufacturers have

independently developed different mechanisms for attaching an open-ear hear-

ing aid to an HA-1 or HA-2 coupler. One such device, pictured in Figure 3.3.4A,

is attached to the speaker unit of the open-ear hearing aid and to the tubing of

an HA-2 coupler. Other connecting devices consist of a plate that attaches to an

HA-1 coupler.

To perform a coupler measurement to the ANSI S3.22 standard, we recommend

using Fun-Tak to connect the speaker unit of the open-ear hearing aid to an

HA-1 coupler, as pictured in Figure 3.3.4B. We believe that the HA-1 coupler is

better than the HA-2 coupler for open-ear hearing aids because, unlike the BTE

aids for which the HA-2 was designed, open-ear hearing aids are not attached to

an ear mold.

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 63

We have also developed a non-standard coupler for open-ear hearing aids. It has

two design purposes: 1) To make an convenient connection between the hearing

aid and the coupler, and 2) To provide a more real-ear like frequency response

than is possible with an HA-1 or HA-2 coupler. Figure 3.3.4C shows a picture of

the open-ear coupler with an attached hearing aid.

Figure 3.3.4A—HA-2 Coupler Figure 3.3.4B—HA-1 Coupler

Figure 3.3.4C—Open-ear coupler

Figure 3.3.4D contains an example of a comparison of an open-ear hearing aid

tested with an open-ear coupler (Curve 1), an HA-1 coupler attached to the

open-ear hearing aid with Fun-Tak (Curve 2), and an HA-2 coupler with an

open-ear attachment (Curve 3). The dark line (Curve 4) in the graph represents

the KEMAR real-ear gain response of the hearing aid. As illustrated, the open-

ear coupler provides the measurement most like the real-ear response of the

hearing aid.

64 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Figure 3.3.4D—Comparison of couplers with open-ear hearing aid. Curve 1 was measured

using the Open Ear coupler, Curve 2 with an HA-1 coupler, Curve 3 with an HA-2 coupler, and

Curve 4 is the KEMAR real-ear response.

3.3.5 Body Aids

1. Insert the coupler microphone into the HA-2 coupler. (The most consistent

results for body aids can be obtained by locating the 2-cc coupler outside

the test chamber, preferably on a foam pad to isolate it from vibration.)

2. Snap the earphone (receiver) of the body aid onto the 1/4" recessed-end of

the coupler (Figure 3.3.5A).

3. Place the aid in the test chamber with its microphone opening as close to

the reference point as possible. See Figure 3.3.5B.

4. Turn the gain (volume) control to the desired setting and set the switch for

microphone operation (not telephone coil or “T”).

5. Close the lid and test as desired. (The aid’s cord will not be damaged by

closing and latching the test chamber lid.)

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 65

Figure 3.3.5A—Coupler setup Figure 3.3.5B—Body Aid in test chamber

3.3.6 Eyeglass Aids

1. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for removing the hearing aid assem-

bly or the temple piece from the eyeglass frame, if possible. Should you be

unable to remove the aid assembly or temple from the frame, it is possible

to place the entire frame in the test chamber for testing. Be sure to fold the

glasses first.

2. Insert the coupler microphone into the HA-2 coupler.

3. Couple the aid to the 2-cc coupler using the BTE aid adapter and the appro-

priate tubing, as shown in Figure 3.3.6.

The length and thickness of the tubing have a significant effect on the fre-

quency response of an aid, especially in the 500 to 1000 Hz region. If an

aid is being compared against the manufacturer’s specifications, the tubing

should be carefully chosen to duplicate that used by the manufacturer to

obtain the original data. For ANSI tests, use 0.6" (15 mm) of #13 thick-

walled tubing (exposed portion).

4. Position the microphone of the aid as close as possible to the reference

point in the test chamber, as shown in Figure 3.3.6.

5. Close the lid, if possible, and then test as desired. If the lid can’t be closed,

measurements can be made with the lid open. But we recommend that you

first re-level the chamber with the lid open, and use the quietest possible

location.

66 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Figure 3.3.6—Eyeglass Aid Set-up

3.3.7 Wireless CROS and BICROS Aids

The key to testing these aids is to get the proper amount of separation between

the transmitter and the receiver. This separation may be vertical. The transmit-

ter may be in the chamber while the receiver is on top of it.

If you are using a CRT monitor, it may be necessary to turn it off while testing

these aids, because CRT monitors create magnetic fields which may interfere

with testing. Either turn the monitor back on to view results, or push [PRINT]

to print. LCD monitors should not cause interference.

Wireless CROS

A CROS (Contra-lateral Routing of Signal) aid consists of a transmitter and a

receiver so that sound received on one side of the head can be transmitted to

the other side without a wire connection. You can test these units in the test

chamber of the FONIX 7000 Test System. See Figure 3.3.7.

1. Place the microphone of the transmitter at the reference point in the test

chamber. Turn on the transmitter.

2. Close the lid of the test chamber.

3. Check the specification sheet of the aid under test to determine how far

apart to place the transmitter and the receiver. About 6" (15 cm) is usually

sufficient.

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 67

Figure 3.3.7—Testing Wireless CROS Hearing Aids

4. Place the receiver on top of the lid of the test chamber. The total depth of

the lid of the test chamber is about 5 ½ inches (14 cm). To increase the total

separation, place foam on the top of the test chamber until the total separa-

tion equals that recommended by the aid manufacturer.

5. Attach the coupler to the receiver just as you would for an ordinary BTE or

eyeglass aid.

6. Align the receiver and coupler assembly on the top of the test chamber so

that the receiver is exactly parallel to the transmitter in the test chamber.

7. Test as you would any ordinary hearing aid.

Wireless BICROS

BICROS systems have two microphones: one on the transmitter side and the

other on the receiver side.

1. Test the receiver side as an ordinary hearing aid first.

2. Arrange the transmitter parallel to the receiver, but as far as possible from

it while still in the chamber. You may have to unscrew the ear hooks one-

quarter turn to accomplish this. Fun-Tak may help to keep the units in posi-

tion, but be careful not to obstruct the sound paths to the microphones.

3. Test the hearing aid again. Adding the transmitter should increase the gain

by the amount specified by the manufacturer. It is not possible to get exact

measurements by this measure because at least one of the microphones will

not be at the reference point.

Receiver/Coupler Assembly

located parallel to Transmitter,

at specified distance (d )

(see manuf. specs).

Place foam under assembly

if necessary to achieve

specified distance “d.”

Transmitter located

at Reference Point

68 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Additional Notes for Testing Wireless Instruments

1. There must not be any metal objects between the transmitter and the receiv-

er sides.

2. The two sides must be directly parallel as illustrated (See Figure 3.3.7).

3. The distance between the two sides should be as specified by the manufac-

turer.

THE GAIN OF THE AID INCREASES AS THE TRANSMITTER AND

RECEIVER MOVE CLOSER TO EACH OTHER. EVENTUALLY, THE

RECEIVER WILL OVERLOAD.

4. No other wireless CROS/BICROS/MultiCROS transmitters are to be turned

on near the test box.

5. Calculators should be kept at least a foot (300 mm) from the test box.

3.3.8 Wire-Type CROS and BICROS aids

CROS

CROS aids are similar to ordinary hearing aids, except that the microphone

and amplifier are separate units connected by a wire. Both units may be placed

inside the test chamber during testing.

1. Place the orifice of the microphone unit at the reference position in the test

chamber.

2. Connect the amplifier unit to the appropriate 2-cc coupler. (See earlier sec-

tions for details.)

3. Place the coupler with the amplifier unit at the left side of the test area.

4. Test as desired.

BICROS

Test wire-type BICROS aids just as you would wireless BICROS aids, except

instead of separating the two units and keeping them parallel, place both units

as close as possible to one another with the microphone openings as close as

possible to the reference circle. (Otherwise, follow the steps given in Section

3.3.7 for BICROS aids.)

3.4 Basic Measurements

In the Coupler screen of the 7000 analyzer, you can perform the following mea-

surements: response curves, single-frequency measurements, three-frequency

averages, harmonic distortion, and intermodulation distortion.

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 69

3.4.1 Signal Types

The following signal types are available:

DIGITAL SPEECH—A randomly interrupted composite signal designed to

mimic speech. This signal is for use with hearing aids with a “noise reduc-

tion” or “speech enhancing” feature that lowers the gain of the aid in the

presence of a continuous signal (such as the regular composite signal).

COMPOSITE—A continuous real-time, speech-weighted signal made up of

79 different frequencies. The composite signal gives you the advantage of

seeing how an aid responds to noise that more closely simulates speech,

and it lets you see immediately how the aid responds to any change in the

amplitude of the signal.

TONE LONG—A detailed frequency response curve that gives you infor-

mation on the amplification of 64 different pure-tone frequencies between

200 and 8000 Hz

TONE NORMAL—A detailed frequency response curve that gives you

information on the amplification of 43 different pure-tone frequencies

between 200 and 8000 Hz.

TONE FAST—A continuous pure-tone sweep that takes measurements at

16 different frequencies between 200 and 8000 Hz.

TONE SHORT—A single pure-tone sweep of 10 different frequencies.

3.4.2 Running a Test Curve

1. Press [MENU] to make any necessary selections. See Section 3.9 for details

on available menu selections.

2. Set up the aid in the sound chamber as described in Section 3.3 and level if

necessary.

3. Select signal type with [F5]. (Press [F5]. Use [∨, ∧] to select the desired sig-

nal type. Press [>] to complete the selection and close the pop-up menu.)

See Section 3.4.1 for details on signal types.

4. Press [START] to initiate the frequency sweep. If you are using the LONG,

NORMAL, or SHORT selections, the test will stop when the sweep is com-

plete. The COMPOSITE, DIG SPEECH, and FAST signals are continuous,

making it necessary to press [STOP] when you want the signal to stop.

5. Use [F2] to select the next curve to be measured.

6. Repeat steps 3-5 to take additional measurements.

Figure 3.4.2 shows a completed normal pure-tone sweep.

70 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Figure 3.4.2—Pure-tone measurement

3.4.3 Example

Following the instructions above, run 4 Gain curves using amplitudes 50, 60,

70, and 80 dB SPL. Use a signal source of COMPOSITE.

This scenario will provide you with a family of curves. Whenever the curves sit

on top of each other, the gain of the aid is the same for the amplitudes of those

curves. This indicates the aid is running linearly. If the curves provide progres-

sively less gain as the input rises, then the aid has some sort of compression

circuit. Figure 3.4.3 shows two examples of this scenario.

Here are the steps:

1. Look at the graph. If it has a display of SPL, press [MENU] and change the

DISPLAY from SPL to GAIN, using the arrow keys. Press [EXIT] to return to

the Coupler screen.

2. Use [F2] to select CRV 1. (Press [F2]. Use [∨, ∧] to select CRV1. Press [>] to

complete the selection and close the pop-up window.)

3. Use [∨, ∧] to select a source level of 50 dB SPL.

4. Use [F5] to select a source type of COMPOSITE.

5. Press [START] to run the first measurement. Press [STOP] when the mea-

surement has stabilized.

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 71

6. Use [F2] to select CRV 2.

7. Use [∧] to select a source level of 60 dB SPL.

8. Press [START] to run the second measurement. Press [STOP] when the mea-

surement has stabilized.

9. Use [F2] to select CRV 3.

10. Use [∧] to select a source level of 70 dB SPL.

11. Press [START] to run the third measurement. Press [STOP] when the mea-

surement has stabilized.

12. Use [F2] to select CRV 4.

13. Use [∧] to select a source level of 80 dB SPL.

14. Press [START] to run the fourth measurement. Press [STOP] when the mea-

surement has stabilized. You now have a family of curves.

Figure 3.4.3A—Family of curves. Notice how all the curves are on top of each other. This aid

has very little compression between 50 dB and 80 dB SPL.

72 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Figure 3.4.3B—Family of curves. Notice how the curves show less gain as the amplitude

increases. This aid shows a great deal of compression between 50 dB and 80 dB.

3.4.4 Deleting measurements and settings

Use the [F4] key to permanently delete measurement curves. When you press it,

there are four possible selections:

• Selected Curve: Delete only the selected curve, but keep the curve selec-

tions (usually source type and level).

• Sel Curve & Settings: Delete selected curve and return curve to analyzer

default setting.

• All Curves: Delete all curves, but keep the curve selections.

• All Curves & Settings: Delete all curves and return them all to analyzer

default settings.

To delete a curve:

1. Press [F4].

2. Use [∨, ∧] to make the desired deletion type.

3. Press [>] to perform the deletion and close the pop-up menu.

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 73

3.4.5 Running a Single Frequency Measurement

At times, you may want to find out what the frequency response of the hearing

aid is to a single pure-tone signal. See Figure 3.4.5.

1. Press [MENU] from the Coupler screen.

2. Use [∨, ∧] to select Static Tone under Source Settings.

3. Use [<, >] to choose SINGLE.

4. Press [EXIT] to return to the Coupler screen. The single tone will automati-

cally be running.

5. Adjust the frequency using the [<, >] buttons. Adjust the amplitude using

the [∧,∨] buttons.

Figure 3.4.5—Measuring a single frequency

3.4.6 Running a Three-Frequency Average

The ANSI standard includes some three frequency average tests. You can run

a three frequency average test (apart from the test sequence) in the Coupler

screen. See Figure 3.4.6. To do this:

1. Press [MENU] from the Coupler screen.

2. Use [∨, ∧] to select Static Tone under Source Settings.

74 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

3. Use [<, >] to choose AVERAGE.

4. Use [∨, ∧] to select Avg Freqs under Aid Settings.

5. Use [<, >] to choose the highest frequency of the three frequency average.

See Section 2.3.1.1 for a complete list of frequencies.

6. Press [EXIT] to return to the Coupler screen. The three frequency average

will automatically be running.

7. Adjust the amplitude using the [∧,∨] buttons.

Figure 3.4.6—Measuring a three frequency average

3.4.7 Measuring Harmonic Distortion

Harmonic distortion is when the hearing aid returns energy at frequencies not

present in the source signal. The 7000 analyzer allows you test for this phe-

nomenon very easily.

1. Press [MENU] from the Coupler screen.

2. Select Distortion under Measurement Settings using the [∨, ∧] buttons.

3. Select the distortion type desired by using the [<, >] buttons.

The selections are:

2ND: Distortion present at the second harmonics, or twice the presented

frequency.

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 75

3RD: Distortion present at the third harmonics, or three times the presented

frequency.

TOTAL: Distortion present at the second and third harmonics.

4. Press [EXIT].

5. Use [F5] to select a signal type of TONE NORMAL. (Press [F5]. Use [∨, ∧]

to select TONE NORMAL. Use [>] to complete the selection and close the

pop-up menu.)

6. Press [START] to run normal frequency sweep.

After running a normal sweep, the harmonic distortion data will appear on the

measurement graph as a series of red bars. The scale for the bars is on the right

side of the graph

In general, you should ignore the harmonic distortion measurement when the

amplitude of the response curve measurement at the second harmonic is more

than 12 dB greater than the amplitude at the first harmonic. This is called the

12 dB rule and is part of the ANSI S3.22 standard.

Figure 3.4.7—Measuring Harmonic Distortion

76 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

3.4.8 Intermodulation Distortion

The composite signal is helpful for identifying intermodulation distortion (IM),

a type of distortion that sometimes occurs in a hearing aid response.

IM distortion occurs when more than one frequency is present in the source

signal and those frequencies combine to create new frequencies not actually

present in the source. IM distortion is disturbing to the client, often more so

than harmonic distortion. When viewing a graph run with the composite signal,

look for points along the graph where the line “breaks up.” Such an appearance

indicates the presence of intermodulation distortion. As IM distortion increases,

the curve becomes more disconnected. See Figure 3.4.8 for an example of IM

distortion.

This type of distortion is only apparent when the composite signal source is

used because pure-tone source types do not contain more than one frequency at

the same time.

Figure 3.4.8—Measuring intermodulation distortion

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 77

3.4.9 Battery Current Drain

You can measure the battery current drain in the Coupler screen if you use

battery pills (instead of regular batteries) in the hearing aid while performing

your measurements. To turn on the battery current drain measurement in the

Coupler screen:

1. Set up the hearing aid in the sound chamber for testing. You must use a

FONIX battery pill to test for current drain.

2. Press the appropriate battery button inside the sound chamber.

3. Close the lid of the sound chamber and latch it.

4. Press [MENU] in the Coupler screen.

5. Use [∨, ∧] to select Battery Meas under Misc Settings. (You can use [START]

to skip between groups of selections.)

6. Use [>] to turn ON the Battery Meas.

7. Use [∨] to select Battery Size and use [<, >] to select the hearing aid’s bat-

tery size.

8. Press [EXIT] to return to the Coupler screen. You should now see the bat-

tery current drain measurement below the Curve Characteristics box. See

Figure 3.4.9.

9. Start a frequency response measurement to display the battery current

drain.

Figure 3.4.9—Battery Current Drain

78 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

3.4.10 Telecoil

Telecoil measurements can be performed in the Coupler screen using any of the

source signals available on the 7000 Hearing Aid Test System. During a telecoil

measurement, a magnetic field is used that is supposed to simulate the field of

a telephone receiver. A telecoil board capable of producing this field is built

into every 7000 sound chamber. When the analyzer has the ANSI option, the

external Telewand can also be used for the measurement.

Analyzer Setup

It is very important to pick a testing location that is free of magnetic disturbanc-

es, especially those caused by fluorescent lights and power lines. To do this:

1. Locate a wide range linear hearing aid with good low frequency response

and a telecoil switch.

2. Set the hearing aid to operate in the telecoil position and turn the gain con-

trol up to its full-on position.

3. Connect the hearing aid to a coupler. Don’t insert the measurement micro-

phone.

4. Walk around your possible testing location and listen for raspy humming

sounds from the hearing aid. This will be the aid responding to magnetic

fields in the room.

5. Pick a location that is as free of such sounds as possible. Rotate the aid in

all directions when looking for a good site.

Testing with the Sound Chamber Telecoil board

Every 7000 sound chamber has a built-in telecoil board that can be used for

telecoil testing.

1. Set up the hearing aid for testing in the usual way by connecting it to the

appropriate coupler and inserting the measurement microphone.

2. Enter the Coupler screen by pressing [F1] in the Opening screen.

3. Press [MENU] in the Coupler screen to open the local menu. Set the

TRANSDUCER to TELECOIL under Source Settings and press [EXIT] to

close the local menu.

4. Use [F5] to set the Source Type to Composite.

5. Press [START] to start a composite measurement.

6. Look at the RMS OUT in the Curve Characteristics box. This shows the cur-

rent output of the hearing aid to the magnetic field input.

7. Position the hearing aid for maximum output. For BTE hearing aids, this

usually occurs when the body of the aid is in a vertical position. If neces-

sary, use Fun Tak to help hold the aid in that position. See Figure 3.4.10A.

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 79

8. Use [∧, ∨] to change the intensity of the magnetic field. The choices are:

OFF, 1.00, 1.78, 3.16, 5.62, 10.0, 17.8, 31.6, 56.2, and 100 mA/m. 31.6 is the

default source intensity.

9. Press [STOP] to stop the measurement or continue to test, as desired.

Figure 3.4.10A—Testing with the Sound Chamber Telecoil Board

Testing with the Telewand

When the ANSI Option is ordered with the 7000 Hearing Aid Test System, the

Telewand device is also included. Otherwise, you can order it from the factory

as an optional accessory. The Telewand is supposed to provide a more realistic

test of the telecoil features of a hearing aid than the built-in telecoil board in

the sound chamber because it more closely simulates the magnetic field pro-

duced by a telephone receiver.

1. Follow steps 1-5 in the section above.

2. Hold the hearing aid in one hand and the Telewand in the other hand.

Position the Telewand as you would position the receiver of a hearing aid.

That is, hold the Telewand a few millimeters next to the hearing aid, posi-

tioned parallel to the body of a BTE aid or against the faceplate of an ITE

aid.

3. Look at the RMS OUT in the Curve Characteristics box. This shows the cur-

rent output of the hearing aid to the magnetic field input.

4. Position the hearing aid (with the Telewand held against it) for maximum

output. For BTE hearing aids, this usually occurs when the body of the aid

80 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

is in a vertical position. If necessary, use Fun Tak to help hold the aid in

that position. See Figure 3.4.10B.

5. Use [∧, ∨] to change the intensity of the magnetic field. The choices are:

OFF, 1.00, 1.78, 3.16, 5.62, 10.0, 17.8, 31.6, 56.2, and 100 mA/m. 31.6 is the

default source intensity.

6. Press [STOP] to stop the measurement or continue to test, as desired.

Figure 3.4.10B—Testing with the Telewand

3.4.11 Measuring directionality

Although directional hearing aids can have different types of polar maps and

two or even three microphones, the basic concept is fairly simple: speech sound

from in front of the hearing aid wearer is louder than noise from behind him.

The FONIX 7000 hearing aid test system cannot give you a polar plot of the

directional hearing aid response, but it can provide you with the basic informa-

tion of how much directional benefit the hearing aid wearer is receiving and at

which frequencies.

The directional test takes advantage of the speaker placement in the large sound

chamber and the flat testing surface that makes it easy to position the hearing

aid for testing. There are two measurements: one where the hearing aid is posi-

tioned so that it is facing towards the sound chamber speaker, and one where

the hearing aid is positioned so that it is facing away from the sound chamber

speaker. You should use the same input signal for both measurements. The

source amplitude used for this measurement should be greater than the noise

floor of the testing environment but less than the compression knee point of the

hearing aid, if possible. 50 dB SPL is usually a good choice.

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 81

Speaker Placement

The speaker in the 7000 sound chamber is positioned on the right side of the

chamber at a 45º angle, as illustrated in Figure 3.4.11A. It is important to keep

this in mind when positioning the directional hearing aid for measurements.

Figure 3.4.11A—7000 sound chamber speaker placement

Forward measurement

The first step in doing a directional test is to position the hearing aid in the

sound chamber so that the front of the hearing aid is pointing towards the right

side of the chamber. See Figure 3.4.11B. Close the sound chamber lid and per-

form the following steps:

1. Enter the Coupler Multicurve screen by pressing [F1] from the Opening

screen.

2. Use [F5] to set the source type to Digital Speech.

3. Use [∨, ∧] to set the source amplitude to 50 dB SPL.

4. Press [START]. After the measurement has stabilized, press [STOP]. The

measured curve is the “forward” measurement of the directional test.

82 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Figure 3.4.11B—Forward directional measurement.

Reverse measurement

Next, open the sound chamber and position the hearing aid so that the front

of the hearing aid is pointing towards the left side of the chamber. See Figure

3.4.11C. Different hearing aids have different null points so you will want to

adjust the positioning so that the sound chamber speaker is pointing towards

what should be the null point of the directional aid. Close the sound chamber

lid when finished and perform the following steps:

1. Use [F2] to select the next curve.

2. Use [F5] to set the source type to Digital Speech.

3. Use [∨, ∧] to set the source amplitude to 50 dB SPL.

4. Press [START]. When the measurement has stabilized, press [STOP]. The

measured curve is the “reverse” measurement of the directional test. If the

directional microphones of the hearing aid are working properly, this curve

should have less output or gain than the forward measurement.

The difference in the RMS Out of the two curves will give you the average over-

all advantage provided by the directional microphones. See Figure 3.4.11D. In

this example, the hearing aid has an 8 dB average directional advantage.

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 83

Figure 3.4.11C—Reverse directional measurement

Figure 3.4.11D—Directional measurement screenshot

84 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

3.5 Digital hearing aids

All digital aids can be tested, but some of the high-end models require a little

more thought and care; these aids have a “noise suppression” feature (also

known as “speech enhancement”). This noise suppression, not to be confused

with the automatic compression of AGC hearing aids, checks if the sound going

into the hearing aid is a continuous signal that could be regarded as noise. If

the aid decides that the sound is noise, it lowers the gain at the corresponding

frequencies. Conventional testing techniques, such as a pure-tone sweep or the

Composite signal, can cause the high-end digital aid to go into this noise reduc-

tion mode. This means that the gain or output you see on the analyzer’s display

will not necessarily reflect the normal response of the aid in speech.

The Digital Speech signal was developed in order to test noise-reducing digital

hearing aids without fear of them going into noise suppression mode. It does

this by taking the standard Composite signal and interrupting it randomly. The

digital hearing aid responds to this modulated signal as it would respond to nor-

mal speech.

3.5.1 Using Digital Speech

The 7000 analyzer seamlessly incorporates the testing of digital hearing aids

into its normal testing procedures.

To test a digital hearing aid, follow the steps outlined in Section 3.4.2, choos-

ing DIG SPEECH in Step 3. Digital Speech can be used to accurately test any

hearing aid, so if you aren’t sure if the hearing aid is digital, you can always use

Digital Speech and be assured that the frequency response is correct.

3.5.2 Changing the Speech Shape

By default, the Digital Speech (and Composite) signal use the ANSI S3.42

speech weighting. This speech weighting rolls off the high frequencies at a rate

of 6 dB per octave, starting with 3 dB down at 900 Hz. Some clinicians, how-

ever, may prefer to use the ICRA speech weighting.

The ICRA speech weighting was taken from a CD of sounds developed by the

International Collegium of Rehabilitative Audiologists (ICRA) and based on the

long term average speech spectrum. The ICRA rolls off the high frequencies

much more quickly than the ANSI spectrum. To switch to using ICRA:

1. Press [MENU] in the Coupler screen.

2. Use [∨, ∧] to select Composite Filter under Measurement Settings. Use the

[START] key to skip ahead sections, if necessary.

3. Use [<, >] to select ICRA.

4. Press [EXIT] to return to the Coupler screen.

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 85

5. Use [F5] to choose the DIG SPEECH signal source. It will now have the

ICRA speech weighting. See Figure 3.5.2 for a comparison of an aid tested

with the ANSI and ICRA speech weightings.

5. Use [F5] to choose the DIG SPEECH signal source. It will now have the

ICRA speech weighting. See Figure 3.5.2 for a comparison of an aid tested

with the ANSI and ICRA speech weightings.

Figure 3.5.2—Comparison of a digital aid tested with Digital Speech ICRA (CRV1), Digital

Speech ANSI (CRV2), and the Composite signal (CRV3).

3.5.3 Testing with Bias Signals

You can add a pure-tone bias signal to the Digital Speech signal, creating a con-

tinuous signal at the frequency of your choice. This will allow you to see how

the aid reacts to the presence of noise at different frequencies. To add a bias sig-

nal:

1. Select the DIG SPEECH signal with [F5] in the Coupler screen.

2. Press [MENU] to enter the local menu.

3. Use [∨, ∧] to select Bias Tone under Source Settings. Use the [START] key to

skip ahead sections, if necessary.

4. Use [<, >] to select the bias amplitude.

5. Press [EXIT] to return to the Coupler screen.

6. Press [START] to start the frequency response measurement. The Digital

Speech signal will include a bias signal at the amplitude you specified in

Step 4.

86 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Figure 3.5.3—Using the bias signal with Digital Speech. CRV 1-3 have bias signals at 500 Hz,

1000 Hz, and 4000 Hz respectively. CRV 4 was performed with Digital Speech and no bias signal.

7. Use [<, >] to change the frequency of the bias signal. The current selected

frequency will be displayed on the screen below the Curve Characteristics

Box.

8. Press [STOP] when done with the measurement. See Figure 3.5.3 for an

example of using the bias signal at several different frequencies.

3.5.4 Checking Noise Suppression

When testing a digital hearing aid that is supposed to be programmed with a

noise suppression or speech enhancement feature, it is useful to make sure the

feature is working correctly. You can use a combination of Digital Speech and

the Composite signal to test noise suppression.

1. Look at the top left corner of the graph on the Coupler screen. It should

read “dB GAIN.” If it reads “dB SPL,” you will need to change the display to

GAIN. To do this:

a. Press [MENU] from the Coupler screen to open the local menu.

b. Use [∨, ∧] to select Display under Display Settings.

c. Use [<, >] to choose GAIN.

d. Press [EXIT] to return to the Coupler screen.

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 87

2. Use [F2] to select CRV 1. (Press [F2]. Use [∨, ∧] to select CRV 1. Use [>] to

complete the selection and close the pop-up menu.)

3. Use [F5] to select DIG SPEECH in the same manner as described above.

4. Use [∨, ∧] to select a normal speech amplitude, such as 65 dB SPL.

5. Make sure the digital noise suppression feature is enabled on the hearing

aid, and set it up for testing in the sound chamber.

6. Press [START] to begin the measurement. When the response curve has sta-

bilized, press [STOP] to stop the measurement.

7. Use [F2] to select CRV 2.

8. Use [F5] to select COMPOSITE.

9. Make sure the signal amplitude is the same as selected in Step 4.

10. Press [START] to begin the measurement. Leave the signal on for at least 15

seconds. This should allow the noise suppression feature time to activate.

When the measurement has stabilized, press [STOP].

11. Compare CRV 1 and CRV 2. If the curves are right on top of each other, the

aid is responding to the Digital Speech signal just as it would respond to the

Composite signal. This could be an indication that the digital suppression

feature is either not enabled or not present on the hearing aid. Figure 3.5.4

gives an example of a hearing aid that is amplifying the Digital Speech sig-

nal and suppressing the Composite signal.

Figure 3.5.4—Digital Noise Suppression test. CRV 1 was measured with Digital Speech. CRV 2

was measured with the Composite signal.

88 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

3.5.5 Understanding Terminology

With the new testing terminology of hearing aid analyzers combined with the

new technology of hearing aids, it’s easy to get terminology confused. “Noise

Reduction” is a term that Frye Electronics has always used to denote the aver-

aging that the analyzer makes when analyzing data to achieve a smooth curve.

This process is described in Section 2.3.1.2 and Section 2.3.2.1.

Some high-end digital hearings have digital signal processing features that try to

detect noise in the environment and lower the gain at the frequencies in which

it detects the noise. Different manufacturers have different terminology for these

features, but they are most commonly called “Speech Enhancement,” “Noise

Suppression,” or “Noise Reduction.”

Just keep in mind that these are two separate applications of the phrase “Noise

Reduction” that mean two completely different things. When you set the Noise

Reduction on your FONIX 7000 test system, you are setting the amount of aver-

aging the analyzer does. When you set Noise Reduction on your hearing aid,

you are usually setting the amount of noise reduction that the hearing aid does.

3.6 CIC Feature

The CIC Feature is a way of performing a coupler test of a CIC hearing aid that

more accurately reflects the real-ear performance of that aid than a regular 2-cc

coupler measurement. It is not a way to check the manufacturing specifications

of CIC hearing aids because those specifications are based upon 2-cc coupler

measurements.

The CIC Feature consists of a CIC coupler (0.4 cc) and software correction fac-

tors. Both need to be used in order to correctly perform the measurement.

To measure a CIC hearing aid:

1. Attach the CIC coupler to the CIC aid just as you would attach an HA–1

coupler to the aid, and set the hearing aid up for testing as shown in Section

3.3.2.

2. Press [MENU] in the Coupler screen.

3. Highlight Coupler Type under Measurement Settings with [∨, ∧].

4. Select CIC with [<, >].

5. Press [EXIT].

6. Select the desired source type with [F5]. (Press [F5]. Use [∨, ∧] to select the

desired source type. Press [>] to complete the selection and close the pop-

up menu.)

7. Select the desired source amplitude with [∨, ∧].

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 89

8. Press [START] to perform the measurement. You should see CIC appear in

the Curve Characteristics box in the “Cor” column of the selected curve. If

you are using the FAST, COMPOSITE, or DIG SPEECH signal, press [STOP]

to end the measurement once it has stabilized.

Figure 3.6 shows the difference between a CIC hearing aid tested with an HA-1

coupler, and the same aid tested with a CIC coupler and correction factors.

Figure 3.6— CURVE 2 uses CIC coupler + correction factors

CURVE 1 uses 2-cc HA-1 coupler

3.7 Occluded Ear Simulator Option

The Occluded Ear Simulator (OES) Option consists of software correction fac-

tors and three special (MZ) couplers. Together, they allow you to simulate

the data you would get with a standard ear simulator (IEC 711 or Zwislocki

coupler), providing the hearing aid or mold being tested is not vented. This

should give you a coupler measurement that more accurately reflects a real-ear

response of an occluded ear than a 2-cc coupler.

Note: The data results from the OES coupler will not be an exact duplicate for

results performed with a Zwislocki coupler.

90 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

To use the OES Option:

1. Attach the MZ coupler to the aid. See Table 3.7 for details on choosing the

correct MZ coupler.

2. Set up the hearing aid for testing as described in Section 3.3.

3. Press [MENU] in the Coupler screen.

4. Highlight Coupler Type under Measurement Settings with [∨, ∧].

5. Select MZ with [<, >].

6. Press [EXIT].

7. Select the desired source type with [F5]. (Press [F5]. Use [∨, ∧] to select the

desired source type. Press [>] to complete the selection and close the pop-

up menu.)

8. Select the desired source amplitude with [∨, ∧].

9. Press [START] to perform the measurement. You should see OES appear in

the Curve Characteristics box in the “Cor” column of the selected curve. If

you are using the FAST, COMPOSITE, or DIG SPEECH signal, press [STOP]

to end the measurement once it has stabilized.

See Figure 3.7 for a comparison of a BTE tested with an MZ coupler as opposed

to a 2-cc coupler.

Table 3.7—Which is the Correct MZ Coupler to use?

TYPE OF AID COUPLER COMMENT

ITE, ITC MZ-1

BTE, or EYEGLASS MZ-1 With custom earmold attached.

(NOTE: Vents must be plugged.)

MZ-2 Without custom earmold attached, when a 3 mm

horn earmold is planned, use with the Ear-Level

Hearing Aid Adaptor that normally snaps onto the

HA-2, 2-cc coupler.

MZ-3 Without custom earmold attached, when a con-

ventional (#13 tubing) earmold is planned, attach a

length of #13 tubing that corresponds to the length

of the sound channel of the wearer’s earmold.

BODY MZ-2 With snap-on receivers, use the MZ-2 without the

Ear-Level Hearing Aid Adapter attached.

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 91

Figure 3.7—Comparison of the responses with the MZ and HA-2 couplers. Curve 2 was

measured with an MZ coupler and OES correction factors. Curve 1 was measured using

a standard 2-cc coupler.

3.8 Automatic Testing—Loading & Saving Groups

You can use the 7000 Test System to program simple automated or semi-auto-

mated test sequences that will help you test hearing aids more efficiently. Each

test sequence can contain up to 10 different response curves with your choice of

source types, source levels, noise reduction, and other adjustments.

In automatic mode, the analyzer will quickly run through all designated tests

without pausing. In semi-automatic mode, the analyzer will automatically

advance to the next curve and stop. This curve will not be measured until you

start the test, but you are saved the step of using F2 to select the next curve

number.

Tests are programmed into the analyzer using the PROGRAM function that is

used to put the analyzer in Program mode. In this mode, you set up the source

type, source level, noise reduction, and any other adjustments you would like to

make for each curve. You can program any of the available 10 curve slots in the

Coupler screen. See Section 3.8.1 for more details.

92 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

If there is a sequence of tests that you would like to perform frequently, you can

save it into the 7000 Test System’s permanent memory using the SAVE GROUP

function. Three groups of up to 10 curves can be saved into SAVE GROUP 1,

2, and 3, respectively. When you want to load a group that has previously been

saved, you use the LOAD GROUP function. See Section 3.8.2.

3.8.1 Setting up a test sequence

The first step in running your custom automated test sequence is deciding on

the source types and levels of the frequency response curves. When finished,

these selections can be stored into the analyzer’s permanent memory.

1. Use [F4] to delete ALL CURVES & SETTINGS in the Coupler screen. (Press

[F4]. Use [∨, ∧] to select ALL CURVES & SETTINGS. Use [>] to complete the

selection and close the pop-up menu.)

2. Use [F6] to select PROGRAM. This will open a pop-up window with helpful

programming instructions.

3. Use [F1] to select the ear.

4. Use [F2] to select the curve number.

5. Use [F5] to select the desired source type.

6. Use [∨, ∧] to select the desired source level.

7. Press [MENU] and use the arrow keys to select the desired noise reduction,

output transducer, and composite type, if desired. Press [EXIT] to return to

the coupler screen.

8. Save and advance to the next curve. This can be done two ways:

• Press [START] if you want the analyzer to be programmed to automati-

cally advance to the next curve and start measuring it.

• Press [STOP] if you want the analyzer to be programmed to advance to

the next curve, but then pause and wait for user intervention before tak-

ing the next measurement. Use this if you want to make an adjustment

to the aid before taking the next measurement. A horizontal line will be

drawn across the Curve Characteristics box when a pause is inserted in

this fashion.

9. Repeat steps 5-8 to select the desired source type and level for all the curves

that you want to measure in the automated test sequence.

10. Press [STOP] after you have set up the last curve that you want to run in the

test sequence. For instance, if you want to run only 4 curves, press [STOP]

after setting up CRV 4. This will make the analyzer pause after the four mea-

surements – the remaining 6 available curves will not be run.

11. Use [F6] to SAVE GROUP 1, 2, or 3, if desired. This will permanently save

the automated sequence.

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 93

3.8.2 Loading a Saved Test Sequence

It is not necessary to permanently save a custom test sequence, but doing so

allows you to bring it up in the Coupler screen at any time, even if you’ve

turned off and on the analyzer. Follow the directions in Section 3.8.1 to program

and save your custom test sequence. Then, use [F6] to LOAD GROUP 1, 2, or 3.

Choose the group you saved in Step 11 of Section 3.8.1. (Press [F6]. Use [∨, ∧] to

select the correct LOAD GROUP number. Use [>] to complete the selection and

close the pop-up menu.)

The saved test sequence will now be loaded. See Sections 3.8.3 and 3.8.4 for

instructions on running the sequence fully-automatically and semi-automati-

cally. Each user can save and load three custom test sequences. There are three

possible user profiles that can be saved. See Section 2.2.1.

3.8.3 Testing in Fully-Automatic Mode

The fully-automatic mode will automatically run through a programmed test

sequence without the need of user intervention. The analyzer will pause only

when it reaches a programmed pause, which allows the user to make adjust-

ments to the hearing aid before proceeding with the rest of the test sequence.

A programmed pause will be indicated by a horizontal line across the Curve

Characteristics box.

1. Load a test sequence. You can do this by following the directions in Section

3.8.1 to create a new sequence, or by loading a previously saved sequence

by following the directions in Section 3.8.2.

2. Use [F6] to select FULLY AUTOMATIC. (Press [F6]. Use [∨, ∧] to select

FULLY AUTOMATIC. Use [>] to complete the selection and close the pop-

up menu.)

3. Use [F2] to select the curve number to start the sequence.

4. Use [START] to begin the test sequence. The test sequence will continue

until the analyzer reaches a programmed pause.

5. Adjust the hearing aid, if desired, and press [START] to continue the test

sequence if there are more curves to measure after the programmed pause.

Use [F6] to turn the AUTO TEST OFF when you want to return to normal test-

ing mode.

3.8.4 Testing in Semi-Automatic Mode

In semi-automatic mode, once you have finished a measurement by pressing

the [STOP] button or allowing a pure-tone sweep to complete, the analyzer will

automatically advance to the next curve. However, the next measurement will

not be taken until you explicitly press the [START] button.

94 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

1. If desired, follow the instructions in Section 3.8.2 to load a test sequence.

You can do this by following the directions in Section 3.8.1 to create a new

sequence, or by loading a previously saved sequence by following the direc-

tions in Section 3.8.2.

2. Use [F6] to select SEMI-AUTOMATIC. (Press [F6]. Use [∨, ∧] to select SEMI-

AUTOMATIC. Press [>] to complete the selection and close the pop-up

menu.)

3. Use [START] to start the automated test sequence. If you are using a source

of type COMPOSITE, DIG SPEECH, or FAST, press [STOP] to stop the mea-

surement when it has stabilized. The 7000 analyzer will automatically

advance the curve selection to the next curve.

4. Make any desired adjustments to the hearing aid and repeat Step 3 until you

have measured all your curves.

Use [F6] to turn the AUTO TEST OFF when you want to return to normal test-

ing mode.

3.9 Complete List of Menu Items

The function of all items in the local menu of the Coupler screen are described

in this section. Enter the local menu by pressing [MENU] in the Coupler screen.

Selections are made by using [∨, ∧] to choose an item and [<, >] to change the

setting.

There is a dotted or dashed line in between an item and its selection. If the line

is dotted, the selection will only effect the Coupler screen. If the line is dashed,

the selection is global and will have an effect on other measurement screens.

The local menu is divided into five main categories: Display, Measurement,

Source, Aid, and Misc Settings. To skip ahead to the next category, use the

[START] button.

Display Settings

• Data/Graph: The method of data display. Choose between DATA (numeri-

cal data) and GRAPH.

• Display: Type of display. Choose between SPL (output) and Gain (differ-

ence between input and output).

• Graph Scale: Scaling used when making measurements. NORMAL scales

to the upper-most curve. AUTO scales to the current selected curve.

• Curve Label: Label used for the two available “ears.” Choose between

LEFT/RIGHT, and A/B.

Basic Sound Chamber Tests 95

Measurement Settings

• Coupler Type: The type of coupler being used in making sound chamber

measurements. Selections of CIC and MZ turn on corresponding software

correction factors (see Sections 3.6 and 3.7). A selection of 2CC does not

apply correction factors to the curve but will note a 2-cc coupler was used

in the COR column of the Curve Characteristics Box. The NONE selection

will apply no corrections and leave the COR column blank.

• Distortion: Type of harmonic distortion used in a pure-tone measurement.

Choose between 2nd, 3rd, and TOTAL. See Section 2.3.1.4.

• Noise Red (Tone): Amount of pure-tone noise reduction used. See Section

2.3.1.2.

• Noise Red (Comp): Amount of composite noise reduction used. See

Section 2.3.2.1.

Source Settings

• Output Trans: Transducer used for the measurement. CHAMBER uses the

test box. TELECOIL uses the built-in telecoil or the ANSI 96 telewand.

• Static Tone: Status of individual measurement. Choose SINGLE to emit

a static tone in between composite measurements or pure-tone sweeps.

Choose AVG to emit a three frequency average between other measure-

ments.

• Bias Tone: Amplitude of the bias tone used with Digital Speech. OFF

turns off the bias tone entirely.

• Composite Type: Type of composite signal used. Choose between

STANDARD and CHIRP. See Section 2.3.2.4.

• Composite Filter: Filter used in Composite and Digital Speech measure-

ments. Choose between ANSI, ICRA and FLAT.

Aid Settings

• Aid Type: Type of hearing aid being measured. Choose between

STANDARD (linear), AGC, and ADAPTIVE AGC.

• Avg Freqs: Selection of three frequencies used in a three frequency aver-

age. See Section 2.3.1.1.

• Sweep Start Delay: The amount of time the 7000 test system presents the

first tone in a pure-tone sweep. See Section 2.3.1.3.

• Sweep Meas Delay: The amount of time each subsequent tone is pre-

sented before the measurement is made in a pure-tone sweep. See Section

2.3.1.3.

• Misc Start Delay: The amount of time the 7000 test system presents the

first tone in one of the following measurements: reference test gain mea-

surements (in automated test sequences), averaging, harmonic distortion

measurements, and equivalent input noise measurements. See Section

2.3.1.3.

96 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

• Misc Meas Delay: The amount of time each subsequent tone is presented

before the measurements is made in one of the measurements listed

above. See Section 2.3.1.3.

Misc Settings

• Battery Meas: Status of the battery current measurement. Choose ON or

OFF.

• Battery Size: Size of battery used with the hearing aid being tested.

• Print Label: Status of the printing label. Choose ON or OFF.

• Printer: Printer used for printouts. Choose INTERNAL or EXTERNAL. See

Section 2.4.

Chapter 4 97

Advanced Coupler Tests

4.1 Enhanced DSP

The Enhanced DSP measurement screen was designed to give you more infor-

mation about digital hearing aids. The new technology in digital hearing aids

has added a great deal of capability such as increased clarity and flexible pro-

gramming. However, the same technology can also have its pitfalls. This test

will tell you the digital processing delay (also known as group delay) and the

signal phase of the hearing aid.

The digital processing delay measurement will help you determine whether or

not a hearing aid is suitable for a monaural fitting. The phase measurement will

help you determine whether custom binaural hearing aids are working properly

together as a team.

4.1.1 Digital Processing Delay

One of the properties of digital technology not normally mentioned in the litera-

ture is that it always takes time to process digital data. Imagine the digital hear-

ing aid as a miniature computer: it takes an analog sound wave, turns it into

digital information, performs some kind of algorithm to amplify the signal, and

turns it back into an analog sound wave for the ear to hear. All of this calculat-

ing takes precious time; it’s never instantaneous. The processing delay for some

hearing aids is so slight that it is imperceptible to the human ear. The process-

ing delay for other aids can extend to several milliseconds.

Why is this a problem? Well, if you fit a client monaurally with an aid with a

significant digital processing delay, that person might experience some confu-

sion because his unaided ear will be hearing sounds slightly faster than his

aided ear. Problems can also be predicted for patients with open canal fittings.

However, if you fit the same patient with an occluded binaural set, then both

ears will be listening with the same delay, and the confusion will be alleviated.

What is a significant delay? At what magnitude does this delay start to affect

speech intelligibility? These are very good questions. Unfortunately, we don’t

have an answer at this time; the field of digital hearing aids is still too young,

and there has not yet been enough research done to establish necessary guide-

lines. A conservative approach would be to avoid monaural and open canal fit-

tings with digital aids that have delays of more than 1 to 2 milliseconds.

For now, this measurement will give you more information about what’s really

going on in that digital hearing aid circuit, and, hopefully, it will help you trou-

bleshoot why some aids work better than other aids with monaural or binaural

fittings.

98 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Technical details

The digital processing delay measurement is taken by sending a short impulse

from the sound chamber speaker to the hearing aid. The 7000 Test System

microphone collects information from the hearing aid for 20 milliseconds from

the time the impulse is delivered. This information is a series of numbers of

varying amplitudes.

The 7000 Test System finds the maximum peak amplitude of the resulting

information. Since the impulse response of a hearing aid is not always simple,

the analyzer also checks for any peaks occurring before this maximum peak. If

a smaller peak exists, and it has an amplitude of at least 50% of the maximum

peak, the time of the smaller peak will be considered the processing delay point.

Otherwise, the time of the maximum peak will be considered the processing

delay point. The 7000 Test System delay is subtracted from this delay point in

order to form the actual aid processing delay time. (The 7000 Test System delay

is determined during the sound chamber leveling process.)

The data collected in the digital processing delay measurement is displayed in

graphical format as amplitude vs. time. A dotted vertical line is placed at the

calculated delay point. The numerical value is also displayed. A second dotted

vertical line shows the 7000 system delay for reference.

4.1.2 Signal Phase

The signal phase measurement is a test of the “pushing” and “pulling” of the

amplified sound of the hearing aid. Vibrations in the air create sound—these

vibrations can be thought of as air pushing and pulling against the ear. If sound

goes through a hearing aid, the hearing aid might cause a phase shift, turning a

“push” of the sound wave into a “pull.” This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; there

may be good reasons for a phase shift of the sound wave.

The components of a custom hearing aid are usually wired by hand. The

receiver is typically wired into the amplifier in such a way that it may or may

not cause a phase shift of the signal. If care is not taken, it’s entirely possible to

wire one hearing aid of a custom binaural set one way, and wire the other aid in

the opposite way. This could cause one of the hearing aids to be “pulling” while

the other aid is “pushing,” resulting in strange sound quality for the hearing aid

wearer.

We propose that it could be very important to check the signal phase of the

hearing aids when fitting a client with a binaural set in order to ensure that the

aids are working together as a team.

Technical Details

The signal phase measurement works by generating a 1 kHz cosine wave, turn-

ing it into a test signal, and delivering it to the aid. The cosine wave signal is

offset at the time of generation so that it starts at the baseline (the zero point).

Automated Test Sequences 99

It then continues through a complete cycle and terminates when it reaches the

baseline again. This signal, although consisting of only a single pulse, contains

very few frequencies above 1 kHz and is one millisecond wide at its base.

The data collected from this measurement is displayed in a graphical format 20

milliseconds wide. The system delay and the digital processing delay are noted

for reference on the phase graph in the form of vertical lines.

4.1.3 Procedure

1. Press [F8] in the Opening screen to enter the Enhanced DSP screen.

2. Set up the hearing aid for testing in the sound chamber. See Section 3.3.

Make sure the sound chamber is leveled.

3. Use [F1] to select the desired ear.

Figure 4.1.3—Enhanced DSP measurement results

4. Press [START] to perform the delay and phase tests for that hearing aid. If

the left ear was designated in Step 4, the results will be shown in the upper

two graphs. Otherwise, they will be shown in the lower two graphs.

5. Set up a second hearing aid in the sound chamber, if desired, and use [F1]

to select the other ear. Press [START] to perform the measurements on this

second aid. This will allow you to compare the results of the two hearing

aids. See Figure 4.1.3.

100 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

When measuring a set of binaural hearing aids, both the phase and the delay

graphs should match fairly closely.

4.2 Battery Current Test

The Battery screen lets you perform extensive tests on the amount of battery

current that the hearing aid uses. These tests were designed to give you a com-

plete picture of the amount of battery current that the hearing aid drains when

exposed to different situations. There are three primary tests:

• Static Test: This test estimates the battery life of the hearing aid by pre-

senting the hearing aid with a single static tone.

• mA/Freq: This test measures battery current drain as a function of fre-

quency. This shows how the battery current varies as you present the

hearing aid with different frequencies.

• mA/Ampl: This test measures battery current drain as a function of

amplitude. This shows how the battery current varies as you present the

hearing aid with different amplitudes.

To run these tests, toggle the test status with [F4], [F5], and [F6], respectively.

Pressing [START] will run the mA/Freq and mA/Ampl tests. The tests will auto-

matically stop when finished. The Static test is always on when its status has

been toggled to On.

In order to perform these measurements, you need to insert a battery pill into

the hearing aid, plug the battery pill into the sound chamber, and push the

applicable button in the chamber.

To enter the Battery screen, from the Opening screen, press [F5]—Other Tests.

Then press [F1]—Battery Test. A short list of the functions of this screen can be

displayed by pressing [HELP].

Note: Many hearing aids do not vary when exposed to signals of varying fre-

quency and amplitude. For those hearing aids, you will see a flat horizontal line

when running both the mA/Freq and mA/Ampl measurements.

Automated Test Sequences 101

Figure 4.2—Battery Current Test

1. mA/Freq graph

2. mA/Ampl graph

3. Static test (estimated battery life)

4. Selected test settings.

4.2.1 Static Test (Estimated Battery Life)

The Static test estimates the battery life of the hearing aid. To turn on the test:

1. Enter the Battery screen (as described above).

2. Use [F7] to set the battery size: Press [F7]. Use [∨, ∧] to select the battery

size of the hearing aid. Use [>] to complete the selection and close the pop-

up menu.

3. Use [F4] to toggle the Static Tone to On. The estimated battery life should

now be displayed below the ma/Freq graph. See Figure 4.2.

By default, this test uses a pure-tone stimulus of 1000 Hz at 60 dB SPL. The

current source selections are shown in a box below the mA/Ampl graph on the

right side of the screen. You can:

• Change the source Type by using [F3]. Toggle between Puretone and

Composite,

• Change the source Amplitude by using [∨, ∧], and

• Change the source Frequency by using [<, >]. This setting is only avail-

able when the soucre type is set to Puretone with [F3].

102 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

4.2.2 mA/Freq

The mA/Freq test shows how much battery current the hearing aid drains when

exposed to different frequencies. By default, it runs a 60 dB SPL LONG pure-

tone sweep. The selected amplitude is displayed below the mA/Ampl graph.

This amplitude can be changed by using [∨, ∧].

Press [START] to run the test.

A few technical details about this test:

• The amplitude used for a test currently being displayed on the screen is

shown above the mA/Freq graph.

• The source type selected with [F3] does NOT affect this test; this test

always uses a pure-tone sweep.

• You can view the numerical data results by entering the local menu by

pressing [MENU] and setting DATA/GRAPH to DATA by using the arrow

keys. Close the local menu by using [EXIT] or [MENU] again. Test results

will now be shown in tabular data format.

• You can turn this test off by toggling the test status with [F5]. If the

mA/Freq graph is not displayed, it will not be measured when [Start] is

pressed.

• Use [F1] to switch between left and right ear. Test results for each ear can

be temporarily stored. (All data is lost when the analyzer is turned off or

when the [RESET] button is pressed.)

4.2.3 mA/Ampl

The mA/Ampl test shows how much battery current the hearing aid will drain

when exposed to different input level. A test very similar to the I/O measure-

ment in the ANSI S3.22 test sequence is run. That is, the test begins with a

stimulus being presented at 50 dB SPL. This amplitude increases in 5 dB steps

until the final stimulus at 90 dB SPL is presented. This shows how the battery

current drain varies as the aid is exposed to different amplitudes.

By default, the frequency of the stimulus is 1000 Hz. This can be changed by

using [<, >] buttons. The selected frequency is shown in a box below the mA/

Ampl graph. You can also change the source type from Puretone to Composite

by toggling [F3]. The [<, >] buttons will not be active when Composite is selected.

Press [START] to run the test.

A few technical details about this test:

• The frequency used for a test currently being displayed on the screen is

shown above the mA/Ampl graph.

Automated Test Sequences 103

• You can view the numerical data results by entering the local menu by

pressing [MENU] and setting DATA/GRAPH to DATA by using the arrow

keys. Close the local menu by using [EXIT] or [MENU] again. Test results

will now be shown in tabular data format.

• You can turn this test off by toggling the test status with [F6]. If the

mA/Ampl graph is not displayed, it will not be measured when [Start] is

pressed.

• Use [F1] to switch between left and right ear. Test results for each ear can

be temporarily stored. (All data is lost when the analyzer is turned off or

when the [RESET] button is pressed.)

4.3 Coupler I/O

The Coupler I/O Test measures the input/output of the hearing aid from 50 dB

SPL to 90 dB SPL in 5 dB steps. Test results are shown in both graphical format

and numerical format and can be displayed in either Gain or SPL (Output). See

Figure 4.3.

To enter the Coupler I/O screen, press [F5]—Other Tests from the Opening

screen. Then press [F2]—Coupler I/O. Press [START] to run the I/O test.

By default, this test is done with a puretone stimulus at 2000 Hz. The frequency

of this stimulus can be changed by using [<, >]. You can also toggle the source

type between Puretone and Composite by using [F5]. (The frequency selection is

only available when the source type is set to Puretone.)

Figure 4.3—I/O Test

104 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

A few technical details about this test:

• Choose between showing test results in SPL (Output) and Gain in the

local menu. (Use [MENU] to open the local menu, the arrow keys to

adjust the selections, and [EXIT] or [MENU] again to close the local

menu.)

• [F2] sets the aid type. This changes the length of time each stimulus is

presented before the measurement is taken. Suitable default delay times

are set when the aid type is selected. You can make further adjustments to

the delay settings in the local menu. See Section 2.3.1.3 for details.

• The settings used for the test displayed on the graph are shown above

the data results on the right side of the screen. The settings that will be

used when [START] is pressed are shown below the data under “Current

Settings.”

4.4 Attack & Release

The Attack & Release test demonstrates how the hearing aid reacts to noise at

different intensity levels. The test works by presenting a loud-soft-loud-soft

stimuli sequence to the aid. The first loud-soft tones are done to prepare the

analyzer and the hearing aid for the test. The second loud-soft tones are used

for the actual measurements.

The loud stimulus demonstrates the hearing aid’s attack time. That is, how the

hearing aid reacts to the test stimulus going from a soft level to a loud level. The

last soft stimulus demonstrates the hearing aid’s release time. That is, how the

hearing aid reacts to the test stimulus going from a loud level to a soft level.

To enter the Attack & Release screen, press [F5]—Other Tests from the Opening

screen. Then press [F3]—Attack & Release. Press [START] to run the Attack &

Release test.

Measurement results are displayed in graphical and numeric format. See Figure

4.4. The top graph contains the response of the aid over time to the Attack test.

The bottom graph shows the response of the aid over time to the Release test.

These graphical displays let you see how the device performs over the attack

and release phases. Erratic performance during these critical phases could result

in effects that are audible to a hearing-impaired listener. These effects could be

annoying or even could obscure parts of a conversation. The actual attack and

release times determined by the analyzer are shown in a box to the right of the

graph.

Automated Test Sequences 105

Figure 4.4—Attack & Release Test

1. Attack graph

2. Release graph

3. Measured Attack & Release times and test settings.

4. Currrent Attack & Release settings

By default, the Attack & Release test uses the settings specified by the ANSI 96

test sequence at 2000 Hz. If you want to perform attack and release measure-

ments using a different standard, use the [F4] key. The available test selections

are: IEC Loud, IEC Speech, JIS, IEC, and ANSI 96. (The ANSI 03 test sequence

uses settings identical to ANSI 96.) This changes the test settings to those speci-

fied by the selected standard.

You can further customize the test settings by pressing [MENU] to open the

local menu. Use the arrow keys to make the desired adjustments, and use

[MENU] again or [EXIT] to close the menu. See the Technical Details section

below for more information.

In addition to the settings adjustable in the local menu, you can also change the

frequency and the source type of the test. Use [F5] to toggle between Puretone

and Composite. Use the [<, >] keys to change the selected frequency. (You can

only change the frequency when the Source Type is set to Puretone with [F5].)

Please note that manufacturer specifications normally assume a puretone source

type.

106 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

For most hearing aids, the most interesting part of the attack and release mea-

surements occurs at the beginning of each test. After the aid reaches its settling

amplitude, the test result just records a rather uninteresting flat line. The user

can zoom in on the beginning of the test by using [F6] and [F7]. These keys re-

scale the test results to show only the selected time interval. The beginning of

the interval is always the beginning of the test. The end of the interval is the

time selected by the user with [F6] and [F7] for the Attack and the Release tests,

respectively. The available time intervals range from 10 ms to 2000 ms. These

settings do NOT change the duration of the test.

Technical Details

• In order to determine the attack and the release times of the hearing aid,

the 7000 analyzer calculates the settling amplitude of each measurement

and uses the tolerance setting to achieve the final test result. The settling

amplitude is calculated by averaging the last 16 measurements of the test.

The attack (or release) time is the first time the aid reaches this ampli-

tude within the set tolerance. The tolerance is one of the settings that is

changeable in the local menu.

• Use [F1] to select ears. The 7000 analyzer can temporarily store one

Attack & Release test per ear. This data is erased by measuring over it,

pressing [RESET], or turning off the analyzer.

• The settings used for a displayed test are shown in a box to the right of

the attack graph. The settings that will be used when [START] is pressed

are shown below this box.

Chapter 5 107

Automated Test Sequences

There are several automated coupler test sequences available for the 7000 hear-

ing aid analyzer. The test sequences present on your analyzer are dependent

upon the features purchased when you ordered your unit. If you would like

access to a test sequence not present on your unit, you can always order an

upgrade. Call the factory or your local distributor for more information.

The following test sequences are available:

• ANSI S3.22-2003 (ANSI 03)

• ANSI S3.22-1996 (ANSI 96)

• ANSI S3.22-1987 (ANSI 87)

• ANSI S3.42-1992 (ANSI 92)

• IEC

• JIS

5.1 ANSI S3.22

The ANSI S3.22 automated test sequences allow you to test hearing aids accord-

ing to the ANSI S3.22 standards. You can use the ANSI tests to control the qual-

ity of the hearing aids that you dispense. Compare the manufacturer’s specifi-

cations with your own ANSI measurements of an aid. If they do not conform

within expected tolerances, you can contact the manufacturer.

There are three different versions of the ANSI S3.22 standard: ANSI 03, ANSI

96, and ANSI 87. This is because the standard periodically gets upgraded by the

ANSI standards committee. After the ANSI S3.22 standard has been updated,

the FDA reviews it and eventually approves it to be used for labeling the specifi-

cations of all hearing aids manufactured in the United States.

The ANSI 96 standard was officially approved by the FDA on March 17, 2000.

This means that any hearing aid designed after this date must be labeled to the

ANSI 96 standard. However, if a manufacturer designed a hearing aid before

this date, they can continue labeling newly manufacturered aids of the same

design to the older ANSI 87 standard.

ANSI 03, which was approved by the FDA in November of 2005, is the newest

version of the ANSI S3.22 standard.

108 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Here are the main differences between ANSI 87 and ANSI 96:

• AGC aids are tested at reduced reference test gain in ANSI 96, but tested

at full-on gain in ANSI 87. This will have an effect on nearly all measure-

ment results in the ANSI test sequence.

• The input/output and attack & release measurements are performed at up

to five different frequencies in ANSI 96. ANSI 87 only measures those

functions at 2000 Hz.

• ANSI 96 measures the telecoil function of all aids using a telecoil device

with a stronger magnetic field than the telecoil device used by ANSI 87,

and a whole frequency sweep of measurements is performed in ANSI 96,

instead of only one measurement at a single frequency in ANSI 87.

Here are the main differences between ANSI 96 and ANSI 03:

• In ANSI 03, the frequency response curve is always measured at 60 dB

SPL. In ANSI 96, AGC aids are tested at 50 dB SPL.

• At the beginning of an ANSI 03 test, AGC aids should be set to have mini-

mum compression. Just before the I/O and attack and release measure-

ments, the analyzer will pause to let you turn on the compression con-

trols to maximum.

• The EIN measurement uses a 50 dB SPL input instead of a 60 dB SPL

input. This should give better results of AGC aids with knee points

between 50 and 60 dB SPL.

• In ANSI 96, full-on gain is measured at 50 or 60 dB SPL for linear aids

and 50 dB SPL for AGC aids. In ANSI 03, full-on gain is always measured

at 50 dB SPL.

• The ANSI 96 Simulated Telephone Sensitivity (STS) measurement is

called Relative Simulated Equivalent Telephone Sensitivity (RSETS) in

ANSI 03.

5.1.1 Leveling for ANSI

Before you run an ANSI test, you should make sure the sound chamber is lev-

eled. Even if the screen says that the chamber is leveled, it is a good idea to

periodically re-level it to account for any differences that might have entered

into the testing environment.

The ANSI standard requires that you do a special leveling that accounts for

everything that will be in the chamber during the test. (For most practical office

settings, the leveling procedure explained in Section 3.2 is adequate.

1. Place the dummy microphone (a black cylinder, provided when ANSI

Option is ordered) into the coupler.

2. Attach the hearing aid to the coupler in the way appropriate for the type of

aid under test. See Section 3.3.

Automated Test Sequences 109

3. Position the hearing aid/coupler assembly in the test chamber with the

microphone of the aid at the reference point of the chamber.

4. Place the test microphone as close as practical to the hearing aid micro-

phone (3-5 mm). See Figure 5.1.1A.

5. Close the lid of the sound chamber.

6. Press the [LEVEL] button. The sound chamber will level.

7. Exchange the position of the dummy microphone and the test microphone

and plug the battery pill into the battery voltage supply. See Figure 5.1.1B.

Figure 5.1.1A—Setup for leveling

Figure 5.1.1B—Setup for aid testing/ equivalent substitution method

5.1.2 Setting up the hearing aid for ANSI

The hearing aid controls must be set to conform with ANSI requirements for

the test results to be valid.

1. Set the controls on the aid (except for the compression controls) to give the

greatest possible output and gain.

2. Set the aid for the widest frequency response range.

110 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

3. For ANSI 87 and ANSI 96, set AGC aids to achieve the greatest possible

compression or as otherwise specified by the manufacturer. For ANSI 03, set

AGC aids to have the most minimum compression possible or as otherwise

specified by the manufacturer.

4. Put the hearing aid in “test mode,” if applicable. All noise suppression and

feedback cancellation features should be turned off.

5. Set the gain control of the aid to the full-on position.

6. Set the aid up in the sound chamber as described in Section 3.3.

5.1.3 Setting up the analyzer for ANSI

1. Press [F3] in the Opening screen to enter the ANSI S3.22 selection screen

2. Press [F1] to select ANSI 87, [F2] to select ANSI 96, or [F3] to select ANSI

03. The operation of these three tests is very similar.

2. Use [F1] to select LEFT or RIGHT ear.

3. Use [F2] to select the aid type: LINEAR, AGC, or ADAPTIVE AGC. (Press

[F2]. Use [∨, ∧] to choose the selection. Press [>] to complete the selection

and close the pop-up menu.)

4. Use [F3] to select the full-on gain (FOG) amplitude used in the test

sequence. We recommend setting this to AUTO, which will automatically

use the appropriate amplitude. This step does not apply for ANSI 03.

5. Use [F5] to select whether or not to perform a telecoil measurement.

6. Press [MENU] to enter the local menu and make any desired selections. See

Section 5.1.9.

Use [F7] to return all ANSI settings to their power-on default conditions.

Use [F8] to display all selected ANSI settings.

5.1.4 Running an ANSI 96 or an ANSI 03 Test

After leveling the sound chamber as described in Section 5.1.1, setting up the

aid as described in Section 5.1.2, and setting up the analyzer as described in

Section 5.1.3, follow these instructions:

1. Press [START] to begin the test. Usually the 7000 test system will pause

during the measurement process in order to let you adjust the gain of the

hearing aid to the reference test position.

a. Lift the sound chamber lid and adjust the gain control of the aid until the

RTG MEASURED gain matches RTG TARGET.

b. Close the sound chamber lid when finished.

c. Look at the display again. The MEASURED gain should be within 1 dB of

the TARGET gain for ANSI 96, or 1.5 dB for ANSI 03.

Automated Test Sequences 111

2. Push [START] to continue the test.

3A. If you chose to perform a telecoil measurement, do the following steps when

the analyzer pauses. If you are running an ANSI 03 test of an AGC aid and

are not performing a telecoil measurement, skip to step 3B. Otherwise, just

wait for the test sequence to complete.

a. Open the lid of the sound chamber.

b. Switch the aid to telecoil mode.

c. Plug the telewand into the side of the sound chamber, just above the

cable that connects the sound chamber to the Frye box.

d. Hold the telewand over the aid as if it were the ear piece on a phone.

That is, hold the telewand parallel to the body of a BTE or against the

faceplate of an ITE. It’s also usually best to position the hearing aid verti-

cally to get the best telecoil response. See Figure 5.1.4.

e. Press [START] to measure the telecoil response. The analyzer will pause

after the telecoil measurements are complete.

f. Return the aid to the normal microphone mode, set the AGC controls

to max (ANSI 03 and AGC aids only), reposition the hearing aid in the

sound chamber, close the lid, and press [START] to complete the test

sequence.

3B. If you’re running an ANSI 03 test of an AGC aid without a telecoil measure-

ment, the analyzer will run several measurements and then pause to allow

you to set the AGC controls of your aid to maximum. Do so, close the lid of

the chamber, and press [START] to complete the test sequence.

Figure 5.1.4—Holding telewand parallel to the body of a BTE

112 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

5.1.5 Running an ANSI 87 Test

After leveling the sound chamber as described in Section 5.1.1, setting up the

aid as described in Section 5.1.2, and setting up the analyzer as described in

Section 5.1.3, follow these instructions:

1. Press [START] from the ANSI 87 screen to start the test.

2. If you have enabled the telecoil test, do the following when the sequence

stops for the telecoil measurement. Otherwise, skip to step 3.

a. Open the lid of the sound chamber.

b. Switch the aid to telecoil mode.

c. While viewing TCOIL 10 mA/m near the upper right corner of the screen,

try many positions for the hearing aid, near the reference point, until you

find the position that gives the highest output with the least variability.

Usually the best position is with the hearing aid held in the vertical posi-

tion.

d. Hold that position and press [START]. This measures the telecoil output.

e. Switch the aid back to normal, microphone mode.

f. Press [START] to resume testing.

3. Depending on the aid type selected and the gain of the hearing aid, the

ANSI sequence may stop for you to adjust the gain control to the reference-

test. If the sequence stops:

a. Open the lid of the sound chamber.

b. While viewing the HF AVG readings in the lower center of the screen,

turn the gain control on the aid down until the MEASURED value match-

es the TARGET value within 1 dB.

c. Close the lid. If the MEASURED number is still correct, press [START] to

complete the test sequence.

5.1.6 Viewing ANSI Results

The test results for ANSI 03, ANSI 96, and ANSI 87 have a similar display. Here

is an explanation of the ANSI 03 results (Figure 5.1.6):

1. OSPL 90 curve: Full-on gain frequency sweep taken at 90 dB SPL.

2. RESP 60 curve: Reference test gain frequency sweep taken at 60 dB SPL.

3. SPLITS curve: Frequency response of the telecoil.

4. Aid type (selected with F2)

5. OSPL 90 MAX: Amplitude and frequency of the maximum output of the aid.

6. OSPL 90 HFA/SPA: Three-frequency response of the OSPL 90 curve.

7. HFA/SPA FOG: Full-on gain three frequency average and the amplitude at

which it was taken.

8. RTG Target: Target reference test gain

Automated Test Sequences 113

Figure 5.1.6—ANSI 03 test results, Frequency Response Screen

9. RTG Measured: Measured reference test gain

10. EQ Inp Noise: Equivalent input noise measurement

11. Resp Limit: The response limit level is determined by taking the three fre-

quency average of the RESP 50 curve and subtracting 20 dB.

F1 is where the RESP 50 curve crosses the response limit level on the way

up.

F2 is where the RESP 50 curve crosses the response limit level on the way

down.

12. HFA/SPA: Three frequency average chosen in the MENU.

13. TDH: total harmonic distortion measurements and the frequencies and

amplitudes at which they are taken.

14. HFA/SPA-SPLITS: Three-frequency average of the telecoil frequency

response curve.

15. RSETS: The difference between the HFA/SPA of the microphone response

curve and the telecoil response curve.

16. Battery Current measurement

17. I/O curves: the input/output measurements taken of AGC aids. Only selected

frequencies are tested.

114 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

18. I/O curve selection box: the key to the I/O graph, listing which frequencies

go with which curve.

19. Attack and release measurements, including the frequencies at which they

were measured.

Test Result Differences with ANSI 96 and ANSI 87

• In ANSI 87 and ANSI 96, the response curve (2) is sometimes measured

at 50 dB SPL

• In ANSI 87, I/O (17) is only measured at 2000 Hz

• In ANSI 87, attack and release (19) is only measured at 2000 Hz

• In ANSI 87, AGC aids are measured at full-on gain for the entire test

sequence

• In ANSI 87, the OSPL90 curve is called SSPL90

• In ANSI 96, RSETS (15) is called STS-SPLITS

• In ANSI 87, the telecoil measurement (3, 14, 15) is much different. There

is only one measurement called “TCOIL 10 mA/m”

To delete the displayed results, press [F6] and use [∨, ∧] to select DELETE

ALL CRVS. Press [>] to perform the deletion.

5.1.7 Testing Digital Hearing Aids

The ANSI S3.22 “labeling” standard for hearing aids was not designed with digi-

tal hearing aids in mind. In fact, most of the testing methods employed by ANSI

have been around since the 1970s. However, since ANSI is a standard, in order

to conform to that standard, it must use only the testing techniques outlined in

the standard. For this reason, the 7000 test system has no provisions for incor-

porating composite or digital speech into the ANSI test sequences.

In order to test digital hearing aids with “noise reduction” or “speech enhance-

ment” features to the ANSI standards, put the aid in “test” mode via its pro-

gramming software and do the steps outlined in Section 5.1.4. Contact your

manufacturer to get further suggestions on performing an ANSI 96 specification

test.

In order to get an accurate picture of the aid’s actual performance when it goes

home with your client, put the aid in the mode you will use for that client, and

perform response curve measurements in the coupler and in the real-ear via the

procedures described in Chapter 3 and Chapter 6 using the digital speech (DIG

SPEECH) signal source.

5.1.8 Viewing ANSI measurements in the Coupler screen

It’s possible to copy ANSI response curves to the Coupler screen where they can

be compared to other response curves. To do this:

Automated Test Sequences 115

1. Run the ANSI test sequence.

2. Press [F6].

3. Use [∨] to select Store Crvs Coup, if necessary.

4. Press [>] to store the curves and close the menu. The following is a list of

where the curves are stored in the Coupler screen. Any previous measure-

ments stored in those curve locations will be overwritten.

• SPLITS – CRV 4

• VA CORFIG – CRV 5

• Response – CRV 6

• OSPL90 – CRV 7

5. Press [EXIT] and [F1] to enter the Coupler screen and view the ANSI

response curves.

5.1.9 Explaining the Menu Settings

The following is an explanation of all the ANSI menu selections:

Measurement Settings

• Noise Red (Tone)— The amount of noise reduction used in the pure-tone

measurements. See Section 2.3.1.2 for details.

• Battery Meas—The status of the battery current measurement. Turns it

ON or OFF. (Battery pill required for this measurement.)

• Battery Size—Size of the battery for the hearing aid being tested.

• 12 dB Dist—The status of the 12 dB harmonic distortion rule. When mea-

suring harmonic distortion, if the amplitude of the response at the sec-

ond harmonic of the frequency being measured is 12 dB greater than the

amplitude of that primary frequency, the harmonic distortion measure-

ment should be ignored at the primary frequency. Turn this rule ON or

OFF.

• Equiv Noise Test—Status of the EIN measurement. Turns it ON or OFF. In

ANSI 87 and ANSI 96, this should probably be turned off for compression

aids with a knee point below 60 dB SPL.

• Option—Option used with the test sequence. This can be CIC, which

adds CIC correction factors, (make sure to use the CIC coupler with

this option), or VA-CORFIG, which includes software correction factors

normal ANSI response curve.

ANSI Settings

• OSPL90 Sweep Start Delay—The delay after the first tone is presented in

the OSPL90 sweep and before the first measurement is taken.

116 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

• OSPL90 Sweep Meas Delay—The delay between frequencies in the

OSPL90 sweep.

• Res Crv Sweep Start Delay—The delay after the first tone is presented in

the response curve (at 50 or 60 dB SPL) sweep and before the first mea-

surement is taken.

• Res Crv Sweep Meas Delay –The delay between frequencies in the

response curve (at 50 or 60 dB SPL) sweep.

• Misc Start Delay—The delay after the first tone is presented and before

the first measurement is taken in the HFA/SPA, reference test gain, equiv-

alent input noise, and harmonic distortion measurements.

• Misc Meas Delay—The delay between frequencies in the measurements

mentioned above.

Note: ANSI 87 combines the “OSPL90” and “Res Crv” delays into the “Sweep

Start” delay settings.

AGC Settings

The purpose of the following settings is identical for each I/O frequency.

• AGC frequency—Status of the I/O test at the selected frequency. Turn the

test ON or OFF.

• I/O Start—The delay after the first tone is presented in the I/O sweep and

before the first measurement is taken.

• I/O Meas—The delay between frequencies in the I/O sweep.

• Attack Window—The amount of time the analyzer measures the attack

time of the hearing aid. Select a time that is at least twice as long as the

attack time specified by the manufacturer.

• Release Window—The amount of time the analyzer measures the release

time of the hearing aid. Select a time that is at least twice as long as the

release time specified by the manufacturer.

Note: ANSI 87 only measured I/O at 2000 Hz, and the Attack and Release win-

dow settings are not available.

Misc Settings

• Print Label—Status of the printing label. Choose ON or OFF.

• Printer—Printer used for printouts. Choose INTERNAL or EXTERNAL.

See Section 2.4.

Automated Test Sequences 117

5.2 ANSI S3.42-1992 (ANSI 92)

The ANSI Option includes a test sequence based on the ANSI S3.42-1992 stan-

dard. This standard has been developed to test non-linear hearing aids with a

broadband noise signal. The need for this standard stems from the importance

of evaluating the performance of these circuits in a more real-world environ-

ment. ANSI 92 gives you: noise saturation sound pressure level, noise gain, a

family of frequency responses, and a noise input/output curve.

5.2.1 Understanding ANSI 92

The original signal used in the 7000 test system is that of a speech weighted set

of pure tones starting at 200 Hz and ending at 8000 Hz, with a gradual high fre-

quency roll off of 6 dB per octave. The knee point of the roll off is placed at 900

Hz. The spectrum was developed from data supplied by the National Bureau of

Standards, and is the signal used for the testing of hearing aids submitted for

use in the Veterans Administration hearing aid program.

In 1992, the ANSI standards committee for hearing aid test standards published

S3.42-1992. This standard describes a noise signal that is very similar to the

one we use in the 7000 test system. There are some differences, mostly in the

low frequencies and in the way that the signal spectral shape is specified. The

committee wanted a system that could be built easily by anyone, and assumed

that a manufacturer who would develop equipment to make tests for this stan-

dard would use a white noise signal to produce the roll off above the 900 Hz

knee point.

In order to produce a signal that met with the provisions of the S3.42 standard,

Frye Electronics decided to slightly modify the Composite signal for use in this

ANSI 1992 test sequence. This modified signal is not used in the normal com-

posite operation of the 7000 test system.

Only the most critical operator will see any significant difference in the hearing

aid performance between the two signals. The ANSI S3.42 signal may result in

an increase in noise gain by about 1 dB.

5.2.2 Running ANSI 92.

1. Level the sound chamber, and set up the hearing aid to full on gain as spec-

ified in Section 5.1.1 and 5.1.2.

2. Press [F4] in the Opening screen to enter the ANSI 92 screen.

3. Use [F1] to select the desired ear.

4. Use [F2] to select the settle time used for the test.

5. Use [F3] to set the noise reduction used for the test. See Section 2.3.2.1 for

more information on composite noise reduction.

6. Press [START] to begin the test sequence.

118 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

For some aids, the analyzer will pause the test and tell you to turn the aid down

to reference test gain. Adjust the volume of the aid until it comes within 1 dB

of the target gain. Take care not to move the aid from its position. If you must

move it in order to adjust the gain control, replace as close as possible to its

original position. Push [START] to complete the test.

To delete the displayed results, press [F4] and use [∨, ∧] to select DELETE ALL

CRVS. Press [>] to perform the deletion.

5.2.3 Viewing ANSI 92 Results

1. Family of composite gain curves made at 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 dB SPL,

2. NSPL90—Maximum RMS output sound pressure level (SPL) produced with

a 90dB RMS speech-weighted noise input SPL signal.

3. Full-On Noise Gain—Maximum RMS gain with a 60dB SPL noise input sig-

nal. (Note: This test may not elicit a true reading of maximum gain for hear-

ing aids with an onset of non-linear operation below 60dB.)

4. Target Reference Gain—This information is only displayed when the actual

gain is greater than the calculated desired setting of gain. This target is used

to adjust the hearing aid’s actual gain to a level of ±1 dB of the target. The

figure is calculated by adding the 60dB SPL input + 17dB and subtracting it

from the NSPL90 RMS output. (NSPL90 D-77 = desired setting of gain)

5. Actual Reference Gain—The measured amount of gain when the hearing aid

is set to the reference test position.

6. Noise I/O Curve –This demonstrates the compression or limiting of the non-

linear circuit.

For a more detailed explanation of these terms, consult the ANSI S3.42-1992

standard.

Automated Test Sequences 119

Figure 5.2.3—ANSI 92 test results

5.2.4 Viewing ANSI measurements in the Coupler screen

It’s possible to copy ANSI response curves to the Coupler screen where they

can be compared to other response curves. To do this:

1. Run the ANSI 92 test sequence.

2. Press [F6].

3. Use [∨] to select Store Crvs Coup, if necessary.

4. Press [>] to store the curves and close the menu. The following is a list of

where the curves are stored in the Coupler screen. Any previous measure-

ments stored in those curve locations will be overwritten.

• 50 dB SPL—CRV3

• 60 dB SPL—CRV4

• 70 dB SPL—CRV5

• 80 dB SPL—CRV6

• 90 dB SPL—CRV7

5. Press [EXIT] and [F1] to enter the Coupler screen and view the ANSI

response curves.

120 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

5.2.5 Explaining the Menu Settings

There are only a couple of menu settings in the local menu of the ANSI 92

screen.

Misc. Settings

• Print Label—Status of the printing label. Choose ON or OFF.

• Printer—Printer used for printouts. Choose INTERNAL or EXTERNAL.

See Section 2.4.

5.3 IEC

The International Electro-technical Commission (IEC) standard in the interna-

tional community is analogous to the ANSI standard in the United States. Press

[F6] from the Opening Screen to enter the IEC Screen.

The IEC 118-7 standard was amended in 1994, and in July of 1995, the IEC

Option was changed to conform to that amendment. The IEC standard is the

equivalent of the Chinese National Standard.

Technical note:

Most of the IEC measurements are made with the aid set to reference test gain.

You can either set the aid to the reference test gain calculated by the 7000 ana-

lyzer, or you can set it to the reference test gain specified by the manufacturer

in IEC 118-7.

We calculate the reference test gain by the following method:

The reference frequency is measured at 90 dB SPL (value A) and 60 dB SPL

(value B).

• If B > A—68, the calculated reference test gain is A—75

• Otherwise, the calculated reference test gain is B—7.

5.3.1 Setting up for IEC

1. Set the controls on the aid to give the maximum output and gain. For AGC

aids, this is usually accomplished by setting for the minimum compression.

2. Set the aid for the widest frequency response range.

3. Insert the appropriate battery simulator pill, but do not yet plug it into the

battery voltage supply.

4. Attach the aid to the appropriate coupler. See Section 5.2 for details. When

testing a BTE aid, use the BTE adapter and a 0.6” (15 mm) length of #13

thick walled tubing. The combined length of the BTE adapter and the tub-

ing is the right length to meet the specification (once you have inserted the

ear hook into the tubing).

Automated Test Sequences 121

5. Level the sound chamber, if necessary (see Section 5.1.1).

6. Plug the battery simulator into the jack near the battery voltage supply.

5.3.2 Running IEC

1. Press [START] from the IEC screen. The instrument will run a measurement

and then pause.

2. Turn the gain of the aid down to the reference test position. Match the target

value within 1 dB.

3. Press [START] to complete the test sequence.

4. Press [PRINT] to print test results.

5.3.3 Viewing IEC Results

1. OSPL 90 response curve

2. RESP curve measured at reference test gain at 50 or 60 dB SPL

3. Full-on gain curve

4. Output of 90 dB at reference test frequency

5. Maximum output and its frequency

6. Reference test gain calculated (target)

Figure 5.3.3—IEC test results

122 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

7. Reference test gain measured (actual)

8. Reference frequency

9. Total harmonic distortion

10. Equivalent input noise measurement

11. Battery current drain

12. I/O curve measured at the reference frequency

5.3.4 Viewing IEC measurements in the Coupler screen

It’s possible to copy IEC response curves to the Coupler screen where they can

be compared to other response curves. To do this:

1. Run the IEC test sequence.

2. Press [F6].

3. Use [∧] to select Store Crvs Coup, if necessary.

4. Press [>] to store the curves and close the menu. The following is a list of

where the curves are stored in the Coupler screen. Any previous measure-

ments stored in those curve locations will be overwritten.

• Full-on Gain—CRV 5

• Response—CRV 6

• OSPL90—CRV 7

5. Press [EXIT] and [F1] to enter the Coupler screen and view the IEC response

curves.

5.3.5 Understanding the Menu Settings

The following menu settings are available in the local menu of the IEC screen.

Measurement Settings

• Noise Red (Tone)—The amount of noise reduction used in the IEC mea-

surements. See Section 2.3.1.2 for more details.

• Battery Meas.—The status of the battery current measurement. Turns it

ON or OFF. (Battery pill required for this measurement.)

• Battery Size—The size of the battery of the hearing aid being tested.

IEC Settings

• Equiv Noise Test—Status of the EIN measurement. Turns it ON or OFF.

Aid Settings

• Sweep Start Delay—The delay after the first tone is presented in a pure-

tone frequency sweep and before the first measurement is taken.

• Sweep Meas. Delay—The delay between frequencies in a pure-tone fre-

quency sweep.

Automated Test Sequences 123

• Misc. Start Delay—The delay after the first tone is presented and before

the first measurement is taken in the HFA/SPA, reference test gain, equiv-

alent input noise, and harmonic distortion measurements.

• Misc. Meas. Delay—The delay between frequencies in the measurements

mentioned above.

• I/O Start Delay—The delay after the first tone is presented in the I/O

sweep and before the first measurement is taken.

• I/O Meas. Delay—The delay between frequencies in the I/O sweep.

Misc. Settings

• Print Label—Status of the printing label. Choose ON or OFF.

• Printer—Printer used for printouts. Choose INTERNAL or EXTERNAL.

See Section 2.4.

5.4 JIS

The JIS 2000 automated test sequence allows you to testing hearing aids accord-

ing to the Japanese Instrument Standard. Press [F7] from the Opening screen to

enter the JIS test screen.

5.4.1 Running JIS

Follow these instructions to run a JIS automated test sequence.

1. Press [F7] from the Opening screen to enter the JIS test screen.

2. Use [F1] to select the ear.

3. Use [F2] to select the aid type: Press [F2], use [∨, ∧] to make your selection,

and [>] to complete the selection and close the pop-up menu.

4. Use [F3] to select the amplitude of the full-on gain measurement.

5. Use [F4] to select the test frequency that you want to use.

6. Use [F5] to select the type of coupler you are using for the test. The 2-cc

selection is used for the HA-1 and HA-2 coupler. The MZ selection is used

for the MZ couplers.

7. Press [MENU] and use the arrow keys to make any desired changes to the

menu items. See Section 5.4.4 for more details. Press [EXIT] to close the

local menu.

8. Press [START] to start the test sequence. The instrument will run a measure-

ment and then pause.

9. Turn the gain of the aid down to the reference test position. Match the target

value within 1 dB.

10. Press [START] to complete the test sequence.

11. Press [PRINT] to print test results.

124 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

5.4.2 Viewing JIS Results

Figure 5.4.2

See Figure 5.4.2 for the following explanation of test results.

1. OSPL90 response curve

2. Full-on gain response curve measured at 50 or 60 dB SPL

3. Response curve measured at reference test gain at 60 dB SPL

4. Output with a 90 dB input at 500 Hz

5. Output with a 90 dB input at the reference frequency

6. Maximum output and the frequency at which it was measured

7. Gain of the FOG curve at the reference frequency

8. Reference test gain calculated (target)

9. Reference test gain measured (actual)

10. Equivalent input noise

11. Response limit and the two frequencies (F1 and F2) at which the response

curve crosses its horizontal line.

12. Total harmonic distortion at 500, 800, and 1600 Hz

13. Battery current drain with 60 dB input at the reference frequency

14. I/O curve measured at the reference frequency.

15. Attack & release measurements at the reference frequency

Automated Test Sequences 125

5.4.3 Viewing JIS measurements in the Coupler screen

It is possible to copy JIS response curves to the Coupler screen where they can

be compared to other response curves. To do this:

1. Run the JIS test sequence.

2. Press [F7].

3. Use [∧] to select Store Crvs Coup, if necessary.

4. Use [>] to “store” the curves (that is, copy them to the Coupler screen) and

close the pop-up menu. The following is a list of where the curves are cop-

ied in the Coupler screen. Any previous measurements stored in those curve

locations will be overwritten.

• Full-on Gain—CRV 5

• Response—CRV 6

• OSPL90—CRV 6

5. Press [EXIT] and [F1] to enter the Coupler screen and view the JIS response

curves.

5.4.4 Understanding the menu settings

The following menu settings are available in the local menu of the JIS screen.

Measurement Settings

• Noise Red (Tone)—The amount of noise reduction used in the JIS mea-

surements. See Section 2.3.1.2 for more details.

• Battery Meas.—The status of the battery current measurement. Turns it

ON or OFF. (Battery pill required for this measurement.)

• Battery Size—The size of the battery of the hearing aid being tested.

Aid Settings

• Sweep Start Delay—The delay after the first tone is presented in a pure-

tone frequency sweep and before the first measurement is taken.

• Sweep Meas. Delay—The delay between frequencies in a pure-tone fre-

quency sweep.

• Misc. Start Delay—The delay after the first tone is presented and before

the first measurement is taken in the HFA/SPA, reference test gain, equiv-

alent input noise, and harmonic distortion measurements.

• Misc. Meas. Delay—The delay between frequencies in the measurements

mentioned above.

• I/O Start Delay—The delay after the first tone is presented in the I/O

sweep and before the first measurement is taken.

• I/O Meas. Delay—The delay between frequencies in the I/O sweep.

126 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

JIS Settings

• Equiv Noise Test—Status of the EIN measurement. Turns it ON or OFF.

Misc. Settings

• Print Label—Status of the printing label. Choose ON or OFF.

• Printer—Printer used for printouts. Choose INTERNAL or EXTERNAL.

See Section 2.4.

Chapter 6 127

Real-Ear Measurements

6.1 Introduction

The Real-Ear Option gives you the capability to make probe microphone mea-

surements inside your client’s ear. You can:

• Input audiograms

• Create targets

• Perform insertion gain measurements

• Perform SPL measurements

• Perform Visible Speech measurements

• Perform RECD measurements

6.1.1 Understanding the Real-Ear Screens

There are several different screens associated with real-ear measurements. You

access each of these screens from the Real-Ear Navigation screen shown in

Figure 6.1.1.

Figure 6.1.1—Real-Ear Navigation Screen

128 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

These screens are:

• Audiogram Entry screen [F1]

• Target screen [F2]

• Insertion Gain screen [F3]

• SPL screen [F4]

• Visible Speech [F5]

6.1.2 Navigating through the Real-Ear Screens

The Real-Ear Navigation screen is the key to moving through the different real-

ear screens.

• To enter the Real-Ear Navigation screen from the Opening screen, press

[F2].

• To enter any of the real-ear screens, press the appropriate function key

button from the Real-Ear Navigation screen. You can use the function but-

tons found on the front panel of the 7000 test system or on the remote

module.

• To exit from any of the real-ear measurement screens, press the [EXIT]

button on either the front panel of the 7000 analyzer or the remote mod-

ule. This will return you to the Real-Ear Navigation screen.

6.2 Real-Ear Setup

This section describes how to set up your client and your analyzer for real-ear

measurements. It is important to follow these instructions carefully since your

setup will have a direct impact on the accuracy of your measurements.

6.2.1 Placing the Sound Field Speaker

For the most accurate, repeatable measurements, we recommend a sound field

speaker placement of approximately 12 inches from the client’s head and point-

ing towards the ear to be tested. The speaker should be at an azimuth angle of

45 degrees (halfway between the client’s nose and ear). The height of the loud-

speaker should be level with, or a little above the ear. See Figure 6.2.1.

NOTE: It is especially important for accuracy that the speaker is within 12" if

you are using a 90-dB signal.

Real-Ear Measurements 129

12"

Speaker

(45 degrees)

Reference Mic

Probe Mic

12"

Reference Mic

Probe Mic

Top View Front View

Speaker

(45 degrees)

Figure 6.2.1—Sound field speaker setup

6.2.2 Placing the earhook and reference microphone

1. Place the wedge-style earhook on the client’s ear.

2. Attach the reference microphone, facing forward, on the wedge of the

earhook, directly above the ear to be tested. The reference microphone

should be as close to the head as possible. See Figure 6.2.2.

3. Adjust the round Velcro pad on the wedge style earhook by turning it, so

that the inside pad fits firmly against the client’s neck.

Figure 6.2.2—Placing the reference and probe microphones

130 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

6.2.3 Inserting the probe tube

There are several different methods used for properly inserting the probe tube.

Here are two easy methods.

Method 1

1. Place an unattached probe tube on a flat surface along with the client’s

earmold or shell.

2. Place or hold the ear mold next to the probe tube, so that the tube rests

along the bottom of the canal part of the earmold, with the tube extending

at least 5 mm past the canal opening. If there is a large vent, you can slide

the tube down the vent until it protrudes at least 5 mm past the canal open-

ing.

3. Mark the probe tube where it meets the outside surface of the earmold with

a marking pen. See Figure 6.2.3A.

4. Attach the probe tube to the body of the probe microphone.

5. Attach the probe microphone to the round Velcro pad on the earhook.

6. Insert the probe tube (without the earmold or aid) into the client’s ear so

that the mark is at the location where the bottom of the outer surface of the

earmold will be, once the earmold is in place.

Figure 6.2.3A—Marking the probe tube

Method 2

This method uses the Composite signal and the fact that there is a dip in gain

inside the ear caused by a standing wave created by the 6 kHz frequency

reflecting off the eardrum.

1. Press [F2] to enter the Real-Ear Navigation screen from the Opening screen.

2. Press [F3] to enter the Insertion Gain screen.

Real-Ear Measurements 131

WARNING

Choose OUTPUT LIMITING carefully (see procedure below).

You don’t want to damage your clients’ hearing or to cause

them discomfort during testing. To ensure safety and comfort,

the 7000 Test System reacts automatically when the OUTPUT

LIMITING level is exceeded at the Probe Microphone. When

the level measured at the Probe Microphone exceeds the pre-

set limit, the words “OUTPUT OVER LIMIT” appear on the

screen, and the signal source is automatically turned off and

the measurement stopped.

The default setting for OUTPUT LIMITING is 120 dB SPL.

You can set the OUTPUT LIMITING to any level between 90

and 140 dB SPL in 5-dB increments (see procedure below). In

special cases, when you select 130 or 140 dB SPL, be aware

that extra care is necessary with any output that may exceed

132 dB SPL.

Keep in mind that the sound pressure level at the eardrum

can be higher than that measured at the mid-ear canal

position, especially at high frequencies. For this reason,

EXTREME CAUTION is advised when performing real-ear

SSPL measurements.

When using pure tones, set Noise Red (Tone) to OFF in the

local menu of the real-ear measurement screen to increase

the test speed. The pure-tone SHORT signal is recommended

when testing output levels at 90 dB SPL.

1. Push [MENU] from the real-ear measurement screen to

enter the local menu.

2. Use [∨, ∧] to select OUTPUT LIMIT under Measurements.

3. Use [<, >] to choose the desired limit.

4. Return to the measurement screen by pressing [EXIT].

132 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

SANITATION NOTICE

DO NOT REUSE PROBE TUBES.

Use a new probe tube for each ear to prevent the possible

spread of infection. Sterilization of probe tubes is not pos-

sible, and germicidal solutions can leave a residue inside the

tubing which can result in errors. Do not cut off any portion

of the tube.

Real-Ear Measurements 133

3. Press [F5] to select the Composite signal as the source type.

4. Press [START] to start a measurement.

5. Insert the probe tube carefully, looking at the composite measurement. At

some point, there will be a large dip below the 0 dB level at 6 kHz caused

by the standing wave inside the ear. Keep inserting the probe tube until that

dip goes away and the unaided response is above 0 dB gain between 6 kHz

and 8 kHz. See Figure 6.2.3B.

6. Press [EXIT] to return to the Real-Ear Navigation screen.

Hints: To help keep the probe tube in place, position the tube so that it runs

through the tragal notch, resting against the lower edge of the tragus. If neces-

sary, reposition the body of the probe microphone lower on the Velcro button of

the ear hanger. If desired, use surgical tape to hold the tube in position.

Figure 6.2.3B—Unaided response with correct insertion of the probe tube

6.2.4 Leveling the Sound Field Speaker

The first step in making real-ear measurements is to level the sound field speak-

er. The sound field includes the room and everything in it: the operator, the cli-

ent, and any ambient noise that may penetrate the room. Leveling is important

so that the input to the hearing aid is properly controlled across the frequency

spectrum. See Figure 6.2.4. You must re-level the sound field for every client

and every ear.

134 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

Figure 6.2.4—Leveling the sound field speaker

1. Follow the instructions found in Sections 6.2.1 and 6.2.2 to position the

client, sound field speaker, and microphones for testing. Only the larger

reference microphone is used for leveling. However, to speed things up and

ensure the client is in the same position for leveling as he is for measuring,

it is recommended that you insert the probe microphone tube in the client’s

ear (described in Section 6.2.3) before the leveling process.

2. Press [F2] from the Opening screen to enter the Real-Ear Navigation screen.

3. Press [F3] or [F4] from the Real-Ear Navigation screen to enter either the

Insertion Gain screen, or the SPL screen, respectively.

4. Press [LEVEL].

5. The instrument will attempt to level the sound field speaker. There are three

leveling statuses:

a. LEVELED—This indicates the leveling process was correct within 1 dB.

b. LEVEL-FAILED—This indicates that the leveling process is incorrect by at

least 6 dB.

c. SEMI-LEVELED—This indicates that the leveling process was correct

between 1 dB and 2 dB.

d. WEAK-LEVELED—This indicates that the leveling process was correct

between 1 dB and 2 dB, but that the maximum output that the speaker

can produce is less than 80 dB SPL. To produce a louder signal, move the

speaker closer to the patient and re-level.

Real-Ear Measurements 135

If the instrument didn’t successfully level, there are several things you can try.

• Check the position of the sound field speaker. It should be 12 to 15 inches

from the client’s head.

• Make sure the microphones are securely plugged into the remote module.

• Make sure the front of the reference microphone is as close to the client’s

head as possible.

• Check the calibration of the loudspeaker and microphones. See Appendix

• Check the noise level in the room. It may be necessary to change or cor-

rect the sound field environment.

See Section 2.8 for details on the leveling status and troubleshooting the level-

ing process.

6.2.5 Setting up Body Aids

The setup below is recommended for Body aids.

REFERENCE MIC

PROBE MIC

TOP VIEW 12"

SPEAKER

REFERENCE MIC

SIDE VIEW

PROBE MIC

(ON EARHOOK) BODY AID

(FACING FORWARD)

SPEAKER

(HEAD HIGH)

12"

Figure 6.2.5—Setting up a body aid for real-ear testing

6.3 Real-Ear Targets

This section describes how to enter a real-ear audiogram, enter or measure a

real-ear to coupler difference (RECD), and create or modify a real-ear target.

6.3.1 Entering an Audiogram

1. Enter the Real-Ear Navigation screen by pressing [F2] from the Opening

screen or [EXIT] from any real-ear screen.

2. Press [F1] to enter the Audiogram Entry screen. See Figure 6.3.1.

3. Press [F1] to select the desired ear.

136 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

4. Make sure HTL is selected above F2. You should see a cursor in the HTL

column for the selected ear in the middle of the display. If the cursor is in a

different column, press [F2] to select HTL.

5. Use the arrow keys to input the client’s HTL (hearing threshold level) val-

ues. Use [<, >] to input the amplitude. Use [∨, ∧] to select the frequency.

6. Use [F5] to select the client’s age. (Press [F5]. Use [∨, ∧] to make the selec-

tion. Press [>] to complete the selection and close the pop-up window.)

7. Press [F2] to select UCL if you would like to input your client’s measured

uncomfortable levels. Press [F3] if you would like to predict the UCL values.

(Pascoe [1988] is used for calculating UCL values.)

8. Press [F4] and select COPY EAR with [∨, ∧] if you would like to copy the

data from the selected ear into the other ear. Press [>] to make the selection.

This is useful if your client has a similar loss in both ears.

Figure 6.3.1—Audiogram Entry screen

To specify the transducer used to take the audiometric measurements,

press [MENU] and use the arrow keys to specify the Aud. Transducer under

Targets.

Real-Ear Measurements 137

6.3.2 Deleting Audiometric Information

If you make a mistake, it’s often useful to be able to delete all or part of the

inputted audiometric data. To do this:

1. Press [F4] and use [∨, ∧] to select the data you would like to delete. You can

delete the client’s HTL, UCL, Bone, and RECD. Selecting “This Ear” will

delete all data in the selected ear. Selecting “New Client” will delete all data

in both ears.

2. Press [>] to perform the action.

6.3.3 Creating a Target

Once you input an audiogram (Section 6.3.1), a target will automatically be cre-

ated when you enter a real-ear measurement screen.

To change a fitting rule:

1. Press [MENU] from the real-ear measurement screen or the Audiogram Entry

screen.

2. Select Fitting Rule under Targets with [∨, ∧].

3. Use [<, >] to select the desired fitting rule.

4. Use [∨, ∧] to select Client Age, and use [<, >] to input the desired selection.

5. If you have selected NAL-NL1, the following menu settings are also avail-

able:

• Compression: The compression kneepoint of the hearing aid. If the hear-

ing aid has multiple compression kneepoints, use the first one.

• No. of Channels: The number of channels of the hearing aid.

• Aid Limit: Type of output limited employed by the aid. Choose from

Multichannel or Wideband.

• Fit Type: Type of hearing aid fitting used by the patient. Choose Unilateral

or Bilateral.

• Sound Field: Position of the sound field speaker during real-ear measure-

ments. If the patient’s threshold values were measured with a sound field

speaker, the same angle used for the audiometric measurements should be

used for the real-ear measurements.

• Ref. Position: Type of leveling used for the real-ear measurement. Head

surface includes the patient inside the sound field (recommended for best

accuracy). Undisturbed Field indicates leveling was done by holding the

reference microphone in front of the sound field speaker.

6. Press [EXIT] to close the menu. If you are in a real-ear measurement

screen, you should see the new selected fitting rule noted under the Curve

Characteristics box.

138 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

6.3.4 Entering Bone Data

The NAL-NL1 target uses bone data in its calculations. If the patient’s bone

thresholds are not entered, it will assume average values. No other fitting rules

use the bone data. To enter this data:

1. Press [MENU] in the Audiogram Entry screen to open the local menu.

2. Set the FITTING RULE to NAL-NL1 using the arrow keys.

3. Press [EXIT] to exit the local menu.

4. Press [F2] repeatedly until BONE is selected.

5. Use the arrow keys to enter the bone values into the appropriate column of

data.

6.3.5 Performing an RECD measurement

The real-ear to coupler difference (RECD) is the acoustical difference between a

2-cc coupler and the real-ear occluded response of an individual. It involves a

coupler measurement and a real-ear measurement. Both measurements are usu-

ally performed with an insert earphone as the transducer.

It’s also possible to use a linear hearing aid, instead of an insert earphone, to

perform the RECD test. In this case, you would use the same hearing aid, set

with identical volume control and/or other settings, for both the coupler and

real-ear portions of the test. The DSL Method does NOT recommend using a

hearing aid as the RECD transducer.

Coupler Measurement

The coupler part of the RECD is performed when you “calibrate” the insert

earphone used in the measurement. When this calibration is performed, the

coupler measurement is stored into permanent memory. This saves a lot of time

because, after the coupler measurement is made once, you will only have to per-

form the real-ear part of the RECD for each patient. If you change the transducer

or calibrate your microphones, make sure to perform the coupler measurement

again.

The following instructions assume you are using an ER3 insert earphone for

performing the RECD measurement. The 7000 Test System will eventually sup-

port an RECD method using a linear hearing aid, but that feature is not yet

implemented.

Real-Ear Measurements 139

To perform the coupler measurement:

1. Insert the 50 ohm insert earphone into the jack on the back of the 7000 test

system labeled “EARPHONE.”

2. Plug the other end of the insert earphone into the tubing of the ear level

adapter attached to an HA-2 coupler. See Figure 6.3.5A.

3. Insert a probe tube through the black probe microphone adapter as shown

in Figure 6.3.5B. Attach a dab of Fun-tak to the adapter to keep the probe

tube from slipping.

4. Attach the probe tube to the probe microphone.

5. Insert the adapter into the HA-2 coupler.

6. Press [MENU] from the Opening screen to open the Setup menu.

7. Press [F4] to perform the coupler measurement. This also saves the coupler

measurement in permanent memory.

8. Press [EXIT] to return to the Opening screen.

Figure 6.3.5A Figure 6.3.5B

Insert earphone attached to coupler Probe tube in probe mic adapter

To perform the real-ear measurement:

1. Insert the 50 ohm insert earphone into the jack on the back of the 7000 test

system labeled “EARPHONE.”

2. Insert the probe microphone into the client’s ear, as described in Section

6.2.3. See Figure 6.3.5C.

3. Insert the foam eartip connected to the insert earphone into the client’s

ear, or attach the earphone directly to the client’s earmold, and insert the

earmold into the client’s ear. See Figure 6.3.5D.

4. Press [F2] from the Opening screen to enter the Real-Ear Navigation screen.

140 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

5. Press [F1] from the Real-Ear Navigation screen to enter the Audiogram Entry

screen.

6. Press [MENU] from the Audiogram Entry screen to enter the local menu.

7. Use [∨, ∧] to select RECD Mode under Misc, and use [<, >] to choose

Custom Measured.

8. Use [∨, ∧] to select RECD Transducer and use [<, >] to choose ER3.

Probe mic

ER3

INSERT

EARPHONE

Foam plug or

custom earmold

Figure 6.3.5C—Insert probe microphone Figure 6.3.5D—Insert foam eartip connected

to insert microphone.

9. Press [EXIT] to close the menu.

10. Use [F2] in the Audiogram Entry screen to select RECD. You may have to

push the button several times.

11. Press [START] to take the measurement. The results will appear in both

graphical and numeric format. See Figure 6.3.5.E

If you have previously taken an RECD measurement, you can input it (with-

out measuring it) by selecting RECD with [F2] and using the arrow keys as

you would to input HTL values.

Real-Ear Measurements 141

Figure 6.3.5E—Taking an RECD Measurement

6.3.6 Modifying a Target

Once you input an audiogram in the Audiogram Entry screen, a target will auto-

matically appear on the real-ear measurement screens. You can use the Real-Ear

Target screen to modify a target or to input your own target in dB insertion gain

or dB SPL, edit your client’s HTL and UCL values in dB SPL, and input a cus-

tom real-ear to dial difference (REDD).

1. Enter the Real-Ear Navigation screen by pressing [F2] from the Opening

screen or [EXIT] from a real-ear screen (such as the Audiogram Entry

screen).

2. Press [F2] to enter the Real-Ear Target screen. See Figure 6.3.6. If you have

input an audiogram as described in Section 6.3.1, you should see targets in

both the SPL and gain graphs.

3. Select the desired ear with [F1].

4. Use [F3] to select the desired fitting rule.

5. Use [F2] to select the data you want to edit. The choices are:

• HTL (re): The client’s audiogram in dB SPL

• TARG SPL: The mid-level target in dB SPL

• UCL (re): The client’s uncomfortable levels in dB SPL

142 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

• REDD: The real-ear to dial difference (only selectable when REDD is set

to CUSTOM)

• TARG IG: The mid-level target in dB insertion gain

6. Use [F5] to select the signal source if you are modifying the SPL target:

• Select the Source Type. Choose between Tone and Composite. Press

[START] to make your selection without closing the pop-up window.

• Select the Source Level. Choose between 40 through 90 dB SPL. Press [>]

to make your selection and close the pop-up window.

7. Use the arrow keys to make your modifications to the target. The [∨, ∧] keys

select the desired frequency, and the [<, >] keys modify the amplitude 1 dB

at a time.

Note: When you edit the Target IG, the Target SPL will also be updated.

However, when you edit the Target SPL directly, it will not have an effect on the

Target IG.

Figure 6.3.6—The Real-Ear Target screen

Real-Ear Measurements 143

6.3.7 Entering an REDD transform

The REDD transform affects how dB HL values are converted to dB SPL.

To enter a measured REDD value:

1. Enter the Real-Ear Navigation screen by pressing [F2] from the Opening

screen or [EXIT] from a real-ear screen (such as the Audiogram Entry

screen).

2. Press [F2] to enter the Real-Ear Target screen.

3. Press [MENU] in the Real-Ear Target screen.

4. Select REDD using [∨, ∧].

5. Choose CUSTOM using [<, >].

6. Press [EXIT] to return to the Real-Ear Target screen.

7. Use [F1] to select the desired ear.

8. Use [F2] to select REDD. You may have to press [F2] repeatedly. The REDD

column for the selected ear will now be highlighted.

9. Use the arrow keys to input the REDD transform. The [∨, ∧] keys select the

frequency. The [<, >] keys select the amplitude.

6.4 Real-Ear Measurements

The 7000 Hearing Aid Test System has three real-ear measurement test screens:

Insertion Gain, Real-ear SPL, and Visible Speech. The Insertion Gain and Real-

ear SPL screens are explained in this section. See Section 6.7 for operation of

the Visible Speech screen.

6.4.1 Measuring in the Insertion Gain screen

Insertion Gain is the most conventional method used for performing real-ear

measurements. In the typical insertion gain procedure:

1. The probe tube is inserted into the ear canal. (Section 6.2.3)

2. The sound field speaker is leveled. (Section 6.2.4)

3. The unaided response is measured. (Section 6.4.3)

4. The hearing aid is carefully inserted into the ear.

5. The aided response is measured. (Section 6.4.4)

6. The insertion gain response is compared to the prescribed insertion gain tar-

get and any necessary adjustments are made to the hearing aid in order for

the response to better match the target

The Insertion Gain screen itself consists of two graphs. (See Figure 6.4.1.) The

bottom graph displays an unaided response and up to four aided responses in

dB Gain or dB SPL. The top graph displays a prescribed insertion gain target

and up to four insertion gain curves. Insertion gain is the difference between the

patient’s aided and the unaided responses.

144 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

In other words, the bottom graph of the insertion gain screen shows the differ-

ence between the sound field measured by the reference microphone outside of

the ear and the probe microphone in the ear canal. (When the reference micro-

phone is disabled, the estimated sound field is subtracted.) The top graph shows

the insertion gain, which are the values obtained when the unaided response is

subtracted from the aided response.

Target Curve A, displayed in the top graph in the Real-ear Insertion Gain screen,

is automatically adjusted to the source type and amplitude of the current select-

ed curve when REAG 2-5 are selected. When REUG 1 is selected, Target Curve

A uses the source settings of REAG 3. (This only applies when the NAL-NL1 fit-

ting rule is selected. All other fitting rules on the 7000 are linear, which means

the target does not change with respect to the source type and amplitude of the

signal.)

Most of the operations of the Insertion Gain screen are identical to the opera-

tions of the Real-ear SPL screen. Therefore, most of the instructions found in

this section apply to measurements performed in both screens. Any differences

between operations in the two screens are noted.

To enter the Insertion Gain screen, press [F2] from the Opening screen to enter

the Real-ear Navigation screen. Then press [F3].

Figure 6.4.1—Real-ear Insertion Gain screen. Curve 1 is an REUG (unaided) measurement.

Curve 2 is an REAG (aided) measurement. Curve 6 is the REIG (insertion gain) curve. Curve A

is the real-ear prescription target.

Real-Ear Measurements 145

6.4.2 Measuring in the Real-ear SPL screen

In the past ten years, the SPL method of performing real-ear measurement has

increased in popularity. In the SPL method, the patient’s hearing threshold lev-

els (HTLs), uncomfortable levels (UCLs), real-ear target, and real-ear measure-

ments are displayed together on one graph in terms of dB SPL. This allows for a

direct comparison of audiometric measurements and real-ear measurements.

The goal in the SPL method is to ensure the response of the hearing aid to soft

signals (50 dB SPL) reach above the patient’s HTLs, the response to average

signals (65-80 dB SPL) meet the target, and the response to loud signals (90 dB

SPL) are below the UCLs.

In the Real-ear SPL screen (Figure 6.4.2), the patient’s HTLs and UCLs are dis-

played on one large graph together with up to three real-ear targets and five real-

ear measurements. The three targets (L, M, and H) are matched to the source

type and amplitude of REAR 2, REAR 3, and REAR 4, respectively. That is,

Target Curve L is appropriate for the settings used in REAR 2, M is appropriate

for REAR 3, and H is appropriate for REAR 4. When changing the source type or

amplitude of any of these three measurement curves, the target will automati-

cally adjust. These curves are color coded to make it easier to match the mea-

surement curve to the appropriate target. Target L and REAR 2 are blue, Target

M and REAR 3 are green, and Target H and REAR 4 are red.

The long term average speech spectrum (LTASS) is also displayed as three

dotted “l”, “m”, and “h” curves. The LTASS is the average real-ear unaided

response. The “m” curve is the real-ear unaided response at 70 dB SPL. The “h”

curve is 12 dB above this curve, and the “l” curve is 18 dB below it. The three

curves of the LTASS are used as a comparison tool to the aided measurement

curves to demonstrate the amplication advantage provided by the hearing aid.

During a typical real-ear measurement using the SPL method:

1. The probe tube AND hearing aid are inserted into the ear canal. (Section

6.2.3)

2. The sound field speaker is leveled. (Section 6.2.4)

3. The hearing aid is carefully inserted into the ear.

4. The aided response is measured (Section 6.4.4) with an input signal of 50

dB SPL and compared to the patient’s HTLs.

5. The aided response is measured with an input signal of 65 dB SPL and com-

pared to the real-ear target.

6. The aided response is measured with an input signal of 90 dB SPL and com-

pared to the patient’s UCLs

Most of the operations of the Real-ear SPL screen are identical to the opera-

tions of the Insertion Gain screen. Therefore, most of the instructions found in

146 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

this section apply to measurements performed in both screens. Any differences

between operations in the two screens are noted.

To enter the Real-ear SPL screen, press [F2] from the Opening screen to enter

the Real-ear Navigation screen. Then press [F4].

Figure 6.4.2—Rear-ear SPL screen. The T curve represnts the patient’s thresholds, the L, M, and

H curves represent the NAL-NL1 targets. Curve 1 shows the unaided response. Curves 2, 3, and

4 show the aided response at 50, 65, and 80 dB SPL. The patient’s UCLs are just off the top of

the graph.

6.4.3 Measuring the Unaided Response (REUG/REUR)

The REUG/REUR is a measurement of the unaided response of the patient’s ear

canal. It can be measured in either the Real-ear Insertion Gain screen or the

Real-ear SPL screen, and any measurement performed in one of these screens

will be automatically displayed in the other screen.

To measure the unaided response:

1. Position the patient in front of the sound field speaker and place the earhook

and reference microphone on the ear. See Sections 6.2.1 and 6.2.2..

2. Insert the probe tube into the patient’s ear canal. See Section 6.2.3.

3. Input the patient’s audiogram to generate a target, if desired. See Section

6.3.

4. Press [EXIT] in the Audiogram Entry screen to return to the Real-ear

Navigation screen.

Real-Ear Measurements 147

5. Enter the Insertion Gain or Real-ear SPL screen by using [F3] or [F4] in the

Real-ear Navigation screen, respectively.

6. Level the sound field speaker. See Section 6.2.4.

7. Select the desired ear with [F1].

8. Look at the [F2] setting to see which curve is selected. If necessary, use [F2]

to select REUR 1. (Press [F2]. Use [∨, ∧] to select REUR 1. Press [>] to com-

plete the selection and close the pop-up menu.)

9. Use [F5] to select Composite.

10. Use [∨, ∧] to select the desired amplitude for the measurement. We recom-

mend 65 dB SPL.

11. Press [START] to start the measurement.

12 Press [STOP] when the unaided response has stabilized. Curve 1 in the bot-

tom graph of Figure 6.4.1 shows an example of the unaided response using

the Gain display in the Insertion Gain screen.

To choose between Gain and SPL (Output):

In the Real-ear Insertion Gain screen, the bottom graph contains the unaided

and aided measurement curves as a function of gain (REUG/REAG) or of output-

SPL (REUR/REAR). The “SPL” display includes includes the input signal in the

measurement. The “gain” display subtracts the input signal in the measurement.

1. Enter the Real-ear Insertion Gain screen.

2. Press [MENU] to open the local menu.

3. Select Display using the up-down arrow keys.

4. Use the right arrow key to choose between Gain and SPL.

5. Press [EXIT] to return to the Real-ear Insertion Gain screen. The bottom

graph should now match your selection.

The Real-ear SPL screen cannot display measurements in Gain. All measure-

ments are displayed in SPL (output). Therefore, the Display selection in the

local menu is disabled.

To use an average unaided response:

It is also possible to display an average unaided response on the measurement

screen instead of a measured response. This allows the clinician to skip the

unaided response measurement. When the unaided response is set to aver-

age, the REAR 2 curve is automatically selected at the first measurement curve

instead of the REUR 1 curve.

To use an average unaided curve, press [MENU] in the Insertion Gain or Real-

ear SPL screen. Use the arrow keys to set Unaided to Avg. Press [EXIT] to close

148 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

the local menu. The average unaided response will now be displayed on the

measurement graph.

To auto-adjust the unaided response:

When using the SPL display in the Insertion Gain screen, or when measuring

in the Real-ear SPL screen (in other words, when the unaided response is dis-

played in terms of SPL and not gain), the unaided response includes the input

signal used in the measurement.

In order to directly compare the unaided response to the aided response in an

SPL graph, it is important that the speech weighting and input level of the input

signal are the same for both the unaided and the aided response. For example,

if the unaided response is measured at 65 dB SPL, it is difficult to directly com-

pare it to the measured aided response at 80 dB SPL when viewing the data in

an SPL graph. However, a direct comparison of the unaided and aided response

can be desirable in ensuring the hearing aid amplifies above the unaided

response. Therefore, the 7000 Hearing Aid Test System has an “REUR Auto

Adjust” feature.

When the REUR Auto Adjust is enabled, the unaided response is automatically

adjusted according to the speech weighting and input level of the selected aided

measurement. This allows the clinician to measure the unaided response at one

level and directly compare it to aided measurement curves measured at another

level.

To enable the REUR Auto Adjust, press [MENU] in the Real-ear Insertion Gain

or Real-ear SPL screen to open the local menu. Use the arrow keys to select

REUR Auto Adjust under Measurements and change its setting to On.

The REUR Auto Adjust is automatically enabled when Unaided is set to Average

in the local menu.

6.4.4 Measuring the Aided Response (REAG/REAR)

Up to four different aided curves can be measured and displayed together in the

Real-ear Insertion Gain and Real-ear SPL screens. Any measurement made in

one of these screens will automatically be displayed in the other screen.

To measure the aided response:

1. Follow the instructions found in Section 6.4.3 to measure the unaided

response, if desired. Even if you don’t want to measure the unaided

response, follow the instructions in Steps 1-7 in Section 6.4.3 to enter an

audiogram, enter the measurement screen, insert the probe tube, and level

the sound field speaker.

2. Insert the hearing aid into the ear, being careful not to move the probe tube.

3. Select the signal source with the [F5] button. Digital Speech is a good source

type to use when measuring most hearing aids. (Press [F5] to open the

Real-Ear Measurements 149

pop-up selection menu. Use the up-down arrow keys to make the desired

selection. Press the right arrow key to complete the selection and close the

menu.)

4. Use [F2] to select REAG 2. By default, this curve is set to 50 dB SPL (i.e.,

soft speech). To perform a medium speech curve measurement, use the up

arrow key to increase the source level to 65 dB SPL.

5. Press [START] to take the measurement. When the frequency response has

stabilized, press [STOP] to stop the measurement.

Measuring in the Real-ear Insertion Gain screen:

For a description of the Real-ear Insertion Gain screen, see Section 6.4.1. In

Figure 6.4.1, Curve 2 in the bottom graph shows the aided response, Curve 6 in

the top graph shows the real-ear insertion gain (REIG), and Curve A shows the

REIG prescription target.

When fitting to the prescription target, the Curve 6 should be within 5 dB of

Curve A. Make any necessary adjustments to the hearing aid fitting, and repeat

Step 5 above to make another measurement.

If desired, use [F2] to select REAG 3-5. It is recommended to perform real-ear

measurements as 50, 65, 80, and 90 dB SPL. For this reason, the default source

levels of REAG 2-5 are set accordingly. Use the up-down arrow keys to change

the selected source amplitude at any time. Target Curve A is always adjusted to

the source type and amplitude of the current selected aided curve.

Measuring in the Real-ear SPL screen:

For a description of the Real-ear SPL screen, see Section 6.4.2. In Figure 6.4.2,

Curve 2 is displayed as a solid (blue) curve on the SPL graph. When the NAL-

NL1 target is selected, a (blue) dotted Curve L is the prescription target for the

source type and amplitude used for Curve 2. To match the frequency response

to target, match Curve 2 to Curve L.

When using the NAL-NL1 fitting rule, Target Curve L should be used for REAR

2, Target Curve M should be used for REAR 3, and Target Curve H should be

used for REAR 4. REAR 5 can be compared to the displayed “U”s, representing

the patient’s uncomfortable levels to make sure that the response at 90 dB SPL

does not exceed them.

When using a target other than NAL-NL1, only the M target will be displayed in

the Real-ear SPL screen, which uses the source settings of REAR 3. Therefore,

to match the frequency response to a non-NAL-NL1 target, use [F2] to select

REAR 3, and perform the measurement. REAR 3 can be compared to the M tar-

get.

Make any necessary adjustments to the hearing aid fitting, and use the [START]

and [STOP] keys to make another measurement. If desired, use [F2] to select

150 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

another measurement curve. It is recommended to perform real-ear measure-

ments as 50, 65, 80, and 90 dB SPL. For this reason, the default source levels of

REAG 2-5 are set accordingly. Use the up-down arrow keys to change the select-

ed source amplitude at any time.

6.4.5 Working with prescription targets

The 7000 Hearing Aid Test System has the following fitting rules available:

NAL-NL1, NAL-RP, 1/3 Gain, 1/2 Gain, 2/3 Gain, Berger, and POGO. The NAL-

NL1 fitting rule is non-linear and changes depending upon the amplitude of the

input signal. The other fitting rules are linear and provide the same amount of

gain regardless of the input level.

To display a target, the clinican must enter the patient’s audiogram in the

Audiogram Entry screen. See Section 6.3.1. Values must be entered at 500, 1000,

2000, and 4000 Hz or the target will not be displayed.

The NAL-NL1 target has a number of settings associated with it that will change

the prescription. Press [MENU] in the Audiogram Entry screen, Insertion Gain,

or Real-ear SPL screen to change the current settings. Press [EXIT] to close the

local menu when the changes are complete.

In the Insertion Gain screen, one insertion gain target is displayed in the top

graph. If the NAL-NL1 fitting rule is selected, this target adjusts according to the

input level setting of the current selected curve. That is, if the amplitude of the

source is set to 50 dB SPL, the displayed target is for a 50 dB SPL input level.

If the clinician changes the input level to 80 dB SPL, the target will decease,

showing the prescription for that input level. When the unaided (REUG 1) is

selected, the target curve uses the source settings for REAR 3.

In the Real-ear SPL screen, up to three SPL targets are displayed on the screen.

When NAL-NL1 is the selected fitting rule, all three targets are automatically

displayed. They are labeled L, M, and H. The L target is tied to the input level

and speech weighting selected for REAR 2. The M target is tied to the input

level and speech weighting selected for REAR 3. The H target is tied to the input

level and speech weighting selected for REAR 4. That is, if the clinican changes

the input level or speech weighting of REAR 2, 3, or 4, the corresponding SPL

target will also adjust.

If a fitting rule other than NAL-NL1 is selected, only the M target is displayed,

which is tied to REAR 3. If desired, the clinican can turn on the display of the

other two targets using [F3], but these targets will be linearly related to each

other. That is, unlike with the NAL-NL1 non-linear target, the shape of the lin-

ear target will not change as the input level of the input signal changes.

Real-Ear Measurements 151

6.4.6 Using Semi-Auto and Fully-Auto Mode

The Real-ear Insertion Gain and Real-ear SPL screens have basic implementa-

tions of Semi-Automatic and Fully-Automatic test modes. In Semi-Automatic

mode, the analyzer automatically advances to the next measurement curve

when the measurement is stopped. That is, if the user selects REUR 1 and takes

a measurement, the analyzer will automatically advanced the curve selection to

REAR 2. This eliminates the need for the clinician to press [F2] and manually

advance to the next curve. Semi-automatic mode is available in both the Real-

ear Insertion Gain and Real-ear SPL screens.

To activate semi-automatic mode:

1. Enter the Real-ear Insertion Gain or Real-ear SPL screen.

2. Press [MENU] to open the local menu.

3. Select Auto Test under Measurements [∨, ∧]. Pressing [START] will jump to

the beginning of the next section in the local menu.

4. Choose Semi-Auto using [<, >].

5. Press [EXIT] to return to the real-ear measurement screen. The analyzer will

now be in Semi-Automatic mode.

Fully automatic mode automatically measures REAR 2, REAR 3, REAR 4, and

REAR 5 in quick succession. When REUR 1 is selected, after pressing [START]

to perform the unaided measurement, the user must still press [STOP] to stop

the test. This will automatically advance the curve selection to REAR 2, but no

measurement will be taken until the [START] button is pressed again.

Fully-automatic mode is only available in the Real-ear SPL screen. It does not

work in the Real-ear Insertion Gain screen.

To activate fully-automatic mode:

1. Enter the Real-ear SPL screen.

2. Press [MENU] to open the local menu.

3. Select Auto Test under Measurements [∨, ∧]. Pressing [START] will jump to

the beginning of the next section in the local menu.

4. Choose Fully-Auto using [<, >].

5. Press [EXIT] to return to the Real-ear SPL screen. The analyzer will now be

in Fully-Automatic mode.

6.4.7 Testing with a single tone or three frequency average

It is sometimes useful to be able to look at a hearing aid’s response to a single

frequency or to a repeating three-frequency sequence. To measure with one of

these selections:

152 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

1. Enter the Real-ear Insertion Gain or Real-ear SPL screen.

2. Press [MENU] to enter the local menu.

3. Select Static Tone under Source using [∨, ∧]. Pressing [START] will jump

ahead to the beginning of the next section in the local menu.

4. Choose Single or Avg using [<, >]. If choosing Avg for a three-frequency

average, use the Avg Freqs setting to select the highest frequency of the three

frequency average. See Section 2.3.1.1 for more details on the available fre-

quencies.

5. Press [EXIT] to return to the measurement screen.

6. Press [START] to start the test. If performing a SINGLE test, use [<, >] to

adjust the frequency of the tone.

7. Use [∨, ∧] to adjust the amplitude of the test signal.

8. Press [STOP] when the measurement is complete.

6.4.8 Using the reference microphone

When determining the gain of a hearing aid, the analyzer normally subtracts the

response measured by the probe tube from the sound field measured by the ref-

erence microphone positioned outside the ear. This occurs when the reference

microphone is ON. If you are in a particularly noisy environment or if you are

testing an open fit hearing aid, the reference microphone measurement could

introduce unwanted artifacts into your testing.

When the reference microphone is disabled, the analyzer uses the information

determined during the leveling process to determine the signal outside the ear

during the measurement. It is very important that the patient remain still after

leveling and that the sound field is undisturbed, particularly if the reference

microphone has been disabled.

To enable/disable the reference microphone:

1. Enter the Real-ear Insertion Gain or Real-ear SPL screen.

2. Press [MENU] to enter the local menu.

3. Select Reference Mic using [∨, ∧] under Measurements.

4. Use [<, >] to choose ON or OFF.

5. Press [EXIT] to return to the measurement screen.

6.4.9 Viewing numerical curve data

The frequency response curves measured by the 7000 test system can be viewed

in either the standard graphical format or in data format, allowing the clinician

to take a look at the actual numerical values of the measurements.

Real-Ear Measurements 153

To view curve data in the Real-ear Insertion Gain screen:

1. Enter the Real-ear Insertion Gain:

2. Press [MENU] to enter the local menu.

3. Select Data/Graph under Display using [∨, ∧].

4. Use [<, >] to choose:

• AIDED DATA: To view selected aided curve.

• IG DATA: To view selected insertion gain curve.

• GRAPH: To view in standard graphical (non-numeric) format.

5. Press [EXIT] to return to the Insertion Gain screen. Instead of the measure-

ment graphs, you will now see tables of numerical data. See Figure 6.4.9.

6. Use [F2] to select the curve you want to view. Depending upon your selec-

tion in Step 3, you will either see the insertion gain or the aided gain

results.

Figure 6.4.9—Insertion Gain data format display

To view curve data in the Real-ear SPL screen:

1. Enter the Real-ear SPL screen:

2. Press [MENU] to enter the local menu.

3. Select Data/Graph under Display using [∨, ∧].

154 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

4. Use [<, >] to select DATA.

5. Press [EXIT] to return to the Real-ear SPL screen. The numerical data dis-

play will be shown.

6. Use [F2] to select the curve data you want to display.

6.4.10 Deleting and un-displaying measurements

It is often convenient to temporarily clear one or more of the measurement

curves without deleting them.

To turn off/on the display of a curve without deleting it:

1. Press [F3] to open the pop-up menu with the curve selections.

2. Use [∨, ∧] to select the curve you want to turn off or on.

3. Use [>] to toggle the display of the selected curve and close the menu.

Alternately, press [START] to toggle the display but leave the pop-up menu

open. This will allow you to quickly make another display change without

closing the menu. Press [F3] to close the menu.

Note: The status of each curve is displayed in the Curve ON/OFF menu. ON

means the curve is measured and displayed. OFF means the curve is measured

and not displayed. NO means the curve has not been measured.

To permanently delete a curve:

1. Press [F2] to select the curve you want to delete.

2. Use [F4] to delete the selected curve. The following selections are available:

• DELETE SELECTED CURVE: Deletes the curve but retains the curve set-

tings such as the source type and source level.

• DELETE SELECTED CURVE AND SETTINGS: Deletes the curve and

return the source type and level to their default settings.

• DELETE ALL CURVES: Deletes all curves but retains the curve settings.

• DELETE ALL CURVES AND SETTINGS: Deletes all curves and returns

curve settings to their default selections.

6.4.11 Using Smoothing in measurement curves

Smoothing averages together points in a response measurement in order to

achieve a smoother response curve. This is useful for reducing artifacts that

might be introduced in a noisy testing environment, but it can also decrease

the accuracy of the curve. See Figure 6.4.11 for a comparison of a measurement

curve with and without smoothing.

In composite log smoothing:

• From 200 Hz–2000 Hz, measured data points from three consecutive fre-

quencies 100 Hz apart are averaged to get the curve point at the center

frequency.

• From 2000 Hz–3000 Hz, measured data points from five consecutive fre-

quencies 100 Hz apart are averaged to get the curve point at the center

frequency.

Real-Ear Measurements 155

• From 3000 Hz–8000 Hz, measured data points from seven consecutive

frequencies 100 Hz apart are averaged to get the curve point at the center

frequency.

In normal pure-tone log smoothing:

• Each center frequency is smoothed by averaging it together with the out-

puts from the next upper and lower 12th octave frequency.

To turn on/off log smoothing:

1. Enter the measurement screen.

1. Press [MENU] to enter the local menu.

2. Use [∨, ∧] to select Smoothing under Display.

3. Use [<, >] to choose LOG or OFF.

4. Press [EXIT] to return to the measurement screen. All measurements will

have the chosen smoothing status.

Figure 6.4.11—A comparison of a smoothed (top) and unsmoothed (bottom) curve.

156 FONIX 7000 Hearing Aid Analyzer

6.4.12 Using Output Limiting

When performing real-ear measurements, it is very important not to expose

your client to noises that could conceivably further damage his hearing. For

this reason, the 7000 test system has built-in output limiting. When the probe

microphone reads a value above the output limit at any frequency, the test will

automatically stop.

The default setting for the output limit is 120 dB SPL. In the real-ear measure-

ment menu, you can change this limit to any value between 90 dB SPL to 140

dB SPL in 5 dB steps.

Be aware that extra care is necessary with any output that may exceed 132 dB

SPL. Also, keep in mind that the sound pressure level at the eardrum can be

higher than that measured at the mid-ear canal position, especially at high fre-

quencies. For this reason, extreme caution is advised when performing real-ear

measurements with a source level of 90 dB SPL.

To change the output limit:

1. Press [MENU] to enter the real-ear measurement menu.

2. Press [∨, ∧] to select Output Limit under Measurements.

3. Use [<, >] to choose the desired limit.

4. Press [EXIT] to return to the real-ear measurement screen.

6.4.13 Measuring the occlusion effect

You can use the Insertion Gain screen in order to measure the “occlusion effect”

of a hearing aid. By analyzing the spectrum of your client’s own voice, you can

judge whether the occlusion effect will make the hearing aid uncomfortable,

and you can measure an improvement (lessening) of the occlusion effect after

adjusting the vent opening.

To measure the occlusion effect:

1. Enter the Real-Ear Navigation screen by pressing [F2] from the Opening

screen.

2. Follow the instructions in Section 6.2.3 to insert the probe tube into the cli-

ent’s ear. You do not have to level the sound field speaker for this measure-

ment.

3. Insert the hearing aid in the client’s ear, being careful not the move the

probe tube. The hearing aid can be turned on or off.

4. Enter the Insertion Gain screen by pressing [F3] from the Real-Ear

Navigation screen.

5. Use [F2] to select the REUR 1 curve. (Press [F2]. Use [∨, ∧] to select REUR 1.

Press [>] to complete the selection and close the pop-up menu.)

6. Use [F5] to select a source type of COMPOSITE.

Real-Ear Measurements 157

7. Press [∨] repeatedly until the chosen source is OFF.

8. Press [START] to start the measurement.

9. Instruct your client to sustain the vowel sound “eee.”

10. Press [STOP] while the “eee” is still sounding, and the curve has stabilized.

The client can now stop vocalizing.

11. Look at the amplification in the low frequencies. If it seems high, you may

consider adjusting the vent to a more open condition, to prevent occlusion-

effect discomfort.

12. Press [F2] to select the REAR 2 curve. Make sure that COMPOSITE is the

selected source type, and that the source is turned OFF. Use [F5] and [∨] to

make these selections, if necessary.

13. Press [START] to start a second measurement

14. Ask the client to sustain an “eee” sound again. Press [STOP] during the

vocalization when the measurement has stabilized. (You can then tell your

client to stop.)

15. Examine the REAR 2 curve in the lower graph and the corresponding REIR

curve in the upper graph. REAR 2 is a measurement of the occlusion effect

with the adjusted vents. The REIR curve in the upper graph is a measure-

ment of the difference between the two vent configurations.

6.5 Digital Hearing Aids