The development of a local micro‐computer network for an acoustics laboratory

Local computer networks (LCN's) lend themselves as a cost‐efficient, growth‐oriented, powerful answer to the problem of real‐time control and processing of acoustic signals in a laboratory. The availability of inexpensive scientific and engineering “off‐the‐shelf” software which can be structurally integrated in a shared resource environment permits the realization of large data‐base management systems with micro‐computers. The comparison of LCN alternatives, both hardware and software options, as it relates to specific acoustic measurement problems will be contrasted in showing E‐A‐R's solution for a mini/micro‐computer network. Modal analysis, reverberation‐time measurements, damping data reduction, hearing protection attenuation, and analytical modeling are some of the tasks which are integrated in the system. In this presentation we will discuss in detail some of the alternatives considered to date in our system development and their perceived advantages and limitations. Listings of structured program...