Streamlining Automotive Acoustics Design Engineering: Hands-On, Part 2 [Video]
As new vehicles become increasingly “software-defined,” automakers are placing greater emphasis on the importance of automotive acoustics. From in-car infotainment to alerts and chimes that help keep drivers and passengers — and even the pedestrian world around them —as informed and safe as possible, automotive acoustics represent complex interactions that are affected by dynamically changing conditions.
Design of a vehicle’s sound characteristics now commands the same care and attention as the exterior profile and construction of the chassis. Sophisticated solutions and test equipment are required to effectively design and produce automotive acoustic experiences.
The QNX® Acoustics Management Platform was developed to meet the demand for more sophisticated tools and systems to manage and simplify the complexities of designing acoustic environments in cars. Its companion diagnostics tool, QNX® Live Acoustics Management Platform (LiveAMP), is an intuitive graphical application created for Windows® desktops to let sound engineers create, bench test, tweak, and validate sound designs prior to deployment.
Automotive Acoustics Sound Design Tutorial Videos
The second in a two-part series, this blog dives a little deeper into the LiveAMP tool and some of the most common testing and troubleshooting scenarios. If you haven’t read our first blog on streamlining automotive acoustics design, or watched the introductory videos described in it, you may find it helpful to do so before viewing videos in this blog.
In the following videos, BlackBerry QNX Acoustics Audio Systems Designer Mark Harvey will demonstrate:
- How to set the voice reference delay in a LiveAMP voice click test
- How to use QNX LiveAMP/CHATS for automated handsfree tuning
- Using bench testing of an in-car microphone, loudspeakers, and audio system before acoustics testing
- How to capture and analyze an automotive head unit’s audio inputs and outputs
LiveAMP Voice Click Test
Setting the voice reference delay is critical when working with echo cancellation technology to eliminate echo in a phone call – otherwise, the technology will not work. In this demo, Mark explains how to properly set the reference delay for a voice library using a click test in the LiveAMP. See how to run several latency click tests to flesh out disruptions in the system and issues such as drift, and how to set the reference delay so that there is no echo. (View ahead video: “Connecting LiveAMP”).
Click to watch how to set the reference delay for a voice library using a click test in QNX LiveAMP.
LiveAMP/CHATS: Automated Hands-free Tuning
This demo focuses on using the QNX® Compact Head and Torso Simulator (CHATS) with LiveAMP to tune a vehicle for hands-free calling. The video reviews in detail how to set the major parameters, using a variety of tests to create a tuning configuration file. Tests include those for nominal and loudest possible playback volume, dynamic level control (DLC), send and receive gain values, EQ, and residual echo cancellation (REC). (View ahead video: “Setting up a vehicle with CHATS”).
Click to watch QNX® Compact Head and Torso Simulator (CHATS) with LiveAMP tune a vehicle for hands-free calling.
LiveAMP CHATS Bench Testing
Pretesting is an essential step toward ensuring the accuracy of automotive acoustics testing. In this demo, several tuning pretests are run using LiveAMP and CHATS, to benchmark how an in-car microphone, loudspeakers, and general audio system behave, before testing and tuning in-car acoustics. Pretests covered in this video include car speaker playback, microphone noise floor, and Bluetooth® receive and send latency. (View ahead videos: “Connecting LiveAMP,” and “Setting Up CHATS”).
Click to watch several tuning pretests being run using LiveAMP and CHATS, to benchmark how an in-car microphone, loudspeakers, and general audio system behave, before testing and tuning in-car acoustics.
LiveAMP Capturing Input and Output
For this demo, LiveAMP is used to do a quick capture and analysis of the audio inputs and outputs of an automotive head unit. See how the sound design tool is used to listen to input channels in the library, record audio, and then play it back while monitoring audio levels and the frequency spectrum. (View ahead video: “How to Use LiveAMP”).
Click to watch a demonstration of how LiveAMP is used to do a quick capture and analysis of the audio inputs and outputs of an automotive head unit.
About Beth Johnson
Beth Johnson is Senior Product Marketing Manager, BlackBerry.
