APx500 Measurement Software
New version available: APx500 v2.2 SP1 released Aug 27, 2008.
The APx585 is an analyzer system, comprised of the APx500 measurement software and the 585/586 instrument hardware. Both components are necessary to make measurements.
For demonstration purposes, you can run the software without instrument hardware in "demo mode." All software navigation, processing, automation and reporting functions operate, but measurement data is simulated using software-generated random noise. No actual measurements are possible without the instrument hardware.
Control Software | Test signals | Resources | Manuals | Product page
Notes:
- Demo mode -- If no instrument is detected, the software will run in demo mode to provide an example of the user interface.
- .NET required --APx500 software requires the Microsoft .NET runtime, both version 1.1 and 2.0 to be installed. If you keep your computer up to date, you are likely to already have .NET installed. If you have not, please download and install .NET 1.1 and 2.0 either via Microsoft Update Service (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/) or via the downloads below.
Current release: Version 2.2 SP1
- Recommended minimum configuration for control PC
- 2 GHz or faster processor 2 Gigabytes RAM
- 2 Megabytes Level 2 cache
- Windows XPor Vista with Microsoft.NET 2.0 framework (included with the APx500 installation)
- Note to LabVIEW users: Please be sure to read the notice in the What's New.
- v2.2 Service Pack 1 was released Aug 27, 2008. It addresses some minor issues discovered after the release of the software. These issues in no way impact measurements made with the original v2.2 release.
Download
- APx500 v2.2 SP1 (106 MB ZIP file)
- What's New in v2.2 (1 MB PDF)
- Microsoft .NET runtimes (45 MB ZIP file) (note: extract the zip file to ensure folder structure is handled correctly)
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APx Resources
APx Resource Disc
The APx Resource Disc has been updated for APx500 v2.2
The APx Resource Disc contains user documents, sample files and audio test signals for use with the APx Series analyzers. A Resource Disc is provided with each APx analyzer. You can also order the disc separately, or download the contents here.
What's on the APx Resource Disc
| Documentation | PDF files of the APx500 User's Manual and the Specifications booklets |
| Add-Ins | Sample spreadsheet reports for the Dolby Digital and the dts Digital Surround Add-Ins |
| Automation support | VB.NET, LabVIEW, C# sample code templates and API documentation |
| Audio Test Signals | Information about Audio Precision's test signal discs, and the Waveform Generation utility to create audio test signal *.wav files. Plus a collection of encoded test tones for use with the new File playback feature |
| Performance Check Projects | APx500 performance check projects. |
Downloads
- APx Resource Disc for APxv2.2 SP1 (Zip file, 27 MB)
- Encoded test tone files (seperate download due to large size) (384 MB)
- VB Express 2005 -- Download from Microsoft http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/aa718407.aspx
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AUDIO TEST SIGNALS FOR APx ANALYZERS
To measure playback-only devices in external source testing, you must provide appropriate audio test signals for the device to play. Audio Precision publishes two optical media discs with playable test signals. These discs ship with the APx or you can order either for a nominal fee from sales@ap.com.
- APx-CD1
APx-CD1 contains a set of 33 stereo test signals on a playable audio CD. The signals on APx-CD1 are designed for use with the External Source testing features of the Audio Precision APx Series 500 analyzers. See the Resource Disc for documentation
- APx-DVD1
APx-DVD1 contains versions of the test signals on APx-CD1 (some modified for multichannel playback) as video-menu-driven audio tracks on a DVD video disc. Selections include test signal sets at 96 kHz linear PCM, 48 kHz linear PCM, Dolby Digital 5.1 and dts Digital Surround 5.1.
- APx-BD1
APx-BD1 is a Blu-ray disc of high resolution audio test signals for testing Blu-ray Disc players
- Waveform Generation utility
The entire collection of audio signals provided on APx-CD1 would require many gigabytes of storage if made available at all common sample rates and bit depths.We have created a compact Waveform Generation utility program (WfmGeneration.exe) to alleviate the need of copying and transferring gigabytes of linear PCM audio files for external source testing. You are free to download and copy this utility to other computers or media, where you can generate the audio files you may need for external source testing. (part of APx Resource Disc)
Or you can download a zip file with all main files for each resolution here.
APx Audio Test Signal Descriptions
Signal Name |
Description |
Channel_ID_2 |
997 Hz @ -20 dBFS. Channel 1 only for 5 seconds, followed by Channel 2 only for 2 seconds. Repeats. |
Reference_Level_0dB |
997 Hz @ 0 dBFS |
Reference_Level_-20dB |
997 Hz @ -20 dBFS |
Reference_Level_-60dB |
997 Hz @ -60 dBFS |
Silence_dithered |
Digital zeros with triangular dither |
Silence_undithered |
Digital zeros |
MOD-SMPTE_4-to-1 |
60 Hz + 7 kHz, 4:1 |
MOD-SMPTE_1-to-1 |
60 Hz + 7 kHz, 1:1 |
MOD_10-to-1 |
60 Hz + 7 kHz, 10:1 |
DFD |
12.5 kHz center, 80 Hz difference (12460 Hz + 12540 Hz) |
Crosstalk_left_only |
9.997 kHz @ 0 dBFS, L |
Crosstalk_right_only |
9.997 kHz @ 0 dBFS, R |
Crosstalk_both_channels |
9.997 kHz @ 0 dBFS, both L and R |
Freq_sweep_11_0dB |
997 Hz 2 sec, followed by 11 pt sweep 20 Hz-20 kHz @ 0 dBFS |
Freq_sweep_11_-1dB |
997 Hz 2 sec, followed by 11 pt sweep 20 Hz-20 kHz @ -1 dBFS |
Freq_sweep_11_-20dB |
997 Hz 2 sec, followed by 11 pt sweep 20 Hz-20 kHz @ -20 dBFS |
Freq_sweep_31_0dB |
997 Hz 2 sec, followed by 31 pt sweep 20 Hz-20 kHz @ 0 dBFS |
Freq_sweep_31_-1dB |
997 Hz 2 sec, followed by 31 pt sweep 20 Hz-20 kHz @ -1 dBFS |
Freq_sweep_31_-20dB |
997 Hz 2 sec, followed by 31 pt sweep 20 Hz-20 kHz @ -20 dBFS |
Freq_sweep_61_0dB |
997 Hz 2 sec, followed by 61 pt sweep 20 Hz-20 kHz @ 0 dBFS |
Freq_sweep_61_-1dB |
997 Hz 2 sec, followed by 61 pt sweep 20 Hz-20 kHz @ -1 dBFS |
Freq_sweep_61_-20dB |
997 Hz 2 sec, followed by 61 pt sweep 20 Hz-20 kHz @ -20 dBFS |
Slow_freq_sweep_11_0dB |
997 Hz 2 sec, followed by 11 pt slow sweep 20 Hz-20 kHz @ 0 dBFS |
Slow_freq_sweep_11_-1dB |
997 Hz 2 sec, followed by 11 pt slow sweep 20 Hz-20 kHz @ -1 dBFS |
Slow_freq_sweep_11_-20dB |
997 Hz 2 sec, followed by 11 pt slow sweep 20 Hz-20 kHz @ -20 dBFS |
Slow_freq_sweep_31_0dB |
997 Hz 2 sec, followed by 31 pt slow sweep 20 Hz-20 kHz @ 0 dBFS |
Slow_freq_sweep_31_-1dB |
997 Hz 2 sec, followed by 31 pt slow sweep 20 Hz-20 kHz @ -1 dBFS |
Slow_freq_sweep_31_-20dB |
997 Hz 2 sec, followed by 31 pt slow sweep 20 Hz-20 kHz @ -20 dBFS |
Slow_freq_sweep_61_0dB |
997 Hz 2 sec, followed by 61 pt slow sweep 20 Hz-20 kHz @ 0 dBFS |
Slow_freq_sweep_61_-1dB |
997 Hz 2 sec, followed by 61 pt slow sweep 20 Hz-20 kHz @ -1 dBFS |
Slow_freq_sweep_61_-20dB |
997 Hz 2 sec, followed by 61 pt slow sweep 20 Hz-20 kHz @ -20 dBFS |
Level_sweep |
997 Hz @ -20 dBFS for 2 seconds followed by 400 Hz, 0 dBFS to -110 dBFS, 5 dB steps, 2 sec. per point, both channels |
Multitone_32 |
Multitone with approximate ISO 1/3 octave frequencies from 16 Hz to 20 kHz, with each tone @ -22 dBFS |
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