Calibrating Audiometers

Audiometer Power Supply Requirements

ANSI S3.6 specifies a standard for the main power supply which is referred to as the "Mains operation".  Mains operation refers to the power source for the audiometer which can be in the form of a supply voltage, battery power or combination of the two.  

For short term voltage reductions, the mains supply can be reduced by up to 100% for a time that is no more than 10 ms, 50% for 20 ms or 20% for 50 ms, as long as the next drop in power is 10 s or more.  

If a longer periods of power fluctuations occur, audiometers are required by ANSI S3.6 section 5.3.1 to operate within manufacturer specifications within a +/- 10% supply voltage variation or +/- 5% if battery power or a combination of battery power is being used.    

If a battery powered audiometer is being used, the limits of battery voltages within the manufacturer specifications needs to be provided.  According to ANSI 3.6 section 5.3.3, audiometers that operate on batteries needs to included a voltage indicator to ensure that the device is operating within the allowable limits.      

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