Developed by the automotive industry where Swept Sine testing is the standard, Multi Sine is a test type that reduces the run time by running multiple sine tones simultaneously as opposed to the single sine tone of a standard Swept Sine test. Crystal Instrument’s Multi-Sine tests offer up to 9 simultaneous sine tone sweeps, covering the entire frequency band of the Swept Sine test in a fraction of the time.
Figure 1. Logarithmic Multi Sine Bare-Wire Test.
To setup a Multi Sine test, at the start page of the EDM Spider-VCS software, select the “Multi Sine” option below “Swept Sine.” (see Figure 2.)
Figure 2. EDM Spider VCS Start Page
In “Test Configurations,” the two sweep types that can be set in “Test parameters” (see Figure 3.) are linear and logarithmic. A linear sweep divides the total frequency range into equal parts and sweeps at a constant rate over all parts. A logarithmic sweep divides the total frequency into logarithmically scaled parts and sweeps accordingly, starting and ending the simultaneous sweeps at the same time.
Figure 3. Test Configurations - Test parameters
To set up the desired number of sine tones, go into the “Test Configurations” window and click on the “Tones setting” (see Figure 4.) and enter the desired number of tones. Now, the test can be run using the same sweep profile but in a fraction of the time.
Figure 4. Test Configuration – Tones setting
Advantageous in drastically reducing test times, using Multi Sine testing with an appropriately sized shaker will speed up turn-around times for products requiring sine testing. Contact Sentek Dynamics to size a shaker for your Multi Sine testing needs.