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Before you start an event, you should use the following checklist to insure that your Term-LAB meter is configured correctly.
Good Practices to Adopt
Always setup your system and test it out a few days PRIOR to your show.
NEVER install new software the night before your event.
If you have never used a Term-LAB meter to judge an event before, it is HIGHLY recommended that you enlist the aid of someone who has experience with the software. Term-LAB offers tremendous capabilities and some practice will be required to utilize the software to it's full potential.
Test your sensor cables BEFORE each event and periodically throughout the show. Damaged sensor cables are the number one hardware problem encountered. To maximize the life of your cables, use wire-loom or rubber hose to protect the cable where it gets slammed in the door.
System Assembly
Attach the Term-LAB power supply module to your white Term-LAB Interface box.
Verify that the red Power LED is illuminated.
Attach the Term-LAB system to your computer.
Verify that the green Status LED is illuminated.
Attach the Lane 1 sensor to the Channel A input on the interface box. If you will be using a Lane 2 sensor, attach it to the Channel B input.
Verify that the green LED in the top left corner of each sensor is illuminated.
Input Gain Setting
The following steps related to Input Gain Setting are only required when using a Term-LAB USB system. The Term-LAB USB system utilizes 2 input gain ranges to maximize the dynamic range of the system. The input gain is determined by the position of the Top slider in Display Options.
When the Top slider in the Display Scale frame is set to 160 or lower, then the Maximum SPL that can be measured is 163 dB. When the Top slider is set to 170 or higher, then the Maximum SPL that can be measured is in excess of 180 dB. If you will be judging cars that are capable of producing over 160 dB, you should set the Top slider to 170 or higher. Otherwsie, leave the Top slider at 160 or lower to improve the resolution of the meter at the lower SPL's.
Input Device Selection
You should always confirm that you have the correct input devices selected for each channel.
An easy way to do this is to look at the SPL readout window for each channel. You will see the currently selected Input Device as well as the configuration file associated with that device at the top of the SPL readout window.
In the example above, you can see that Sensor 1 is the Input Device selected for this channel and Sensor 0001 is the configuration file associated with that device.
You can use the following procedure to make changes to the current configuration if necessary.
Click on the Display Options button.
Click on the Channel A tab.
Verify that the Sensor 1 button is selected in the Input Selector frame.
Repeat this process for each of the other channels in your system. (Channel B should be Sensor 2, Channel C should be Sensor 3, and Channel D should be Sensor 4.)
To change the configuration file (MDF) assignment for a specific device, use the following procedure.
Click on the Hardware tab.
Click on the Input Devices tab.
This image shows the default settings for the Input Devices. In most cases, your settings should be identical.
Use the drop-down list under each device to select the appropriate MDF file for each device. (Sensor 0001 should be used for Sensor 1, Sensor 0002 should be used for Sensor 2, Sensor 0003 should be used for Sensor 3, and Sensor 0004 should be used for Sensor 4.) If you assign the wrong MDF configuration file to a specific input device, then your scores will be incorrect.
MDF Configuration
As mentioned previously, each Input Device is associated with a configuration file that provides Term-LAB with vital information regarding the device. This configuration file is called an MDF file.
It is a good idea to check the values in each Sensor's MDF file prior to starting an event to insure that the values contained within have not been tampered with.
Click on the Hardware tab.
Click on the Input Devices tab.
Click on the Edit button that corresponds to the Input Device MDF file you would like to view or edit.
Verify that the K-factor is set to the exact value specified in your owner's manual. (The sensor's that are currently being shipped also have a sticker with the K-Factor value on the side of the sensor housing.) The K-Factor affects the SPL readout value that is displayed. You should never set this number to any other value except for the one specified in your manual or your scores will be incorrect.
Verify that the Min-SPL value is set to 120. The Term-LAB SPL readout will only display scores when the currently measured SPL is greater than this value.
Verify that the Max-SPL value is set to 180. This value will not affect the measured score, however, when an SPL is higher than this number, the SPL readout window will give you a warning that the current input signal is too high.
New Contest Preparation
Click on the Mode button for the Soundoff Organization you would like to judge.
Click on the Scorekeeping Options button.
Click on the Global Options tab.
Click on the New Contest button. When you press this button, existing results will be deleted. (If you are judging multiple soundoff formats, you must repeat this step for each soundoff organization.)
Click on the Classes tab. Press the Load Defaults button. Enable or disable each class as appropriate. You can also rename a class and/or change the judging time duration.
[ 06-07-2004, 12:13 PM: Message edited by: Wayne Harris ]
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