Frye FONIX FP40D - Manual (Page 9)

Introduction 1
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Description
Hearing aid analyzers are designed to give the user accurate information on how much amplifica-
tion the aid provides, which frequencies it amplifies, how loud it can get, and how much distortion
and noise are present. Information is displayed in both graphs and in number tables, and can be
printed as desired.
The FP40 Hearing Aid Analyzer is the third generation of portable analyzers manufactured by Frye
Electronics. It incorporates a tilt-up, wide-angle LCD (liquid crystal display), a quiet, fast thermal
printer, and a convenient, optional battery pack for testing in places where it is not convenient to
use electrical outlets. The lid holding accessories comes off so that the unit looks like a desk model
in your office.
The following test sequences are currently available on the FP40: ANSI (American National
Standards Institute); IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission); JIS (Japanese Industrial
Standard) and ISI (Indian Standards Institute). Your choice of one of these is included in the stan-
dard price. Additional test sequences can be included at a modest cost. Instructions for the ANSI
and IEC test sequences are found in Chapter 5. Instructions for the JIS automated test sequence are
available upon request.
The FP40 comes standard with three types of pure-tone sweeps: normal, fast, and short. The
Composite Options adds three real-time signals: the Composite signal, Digital Speech ANSI, and
Digital Speech ICRA. These signals are described in more detail in Section 1.3.
Indications for use
The FONIX FP40 Hearing Aid Analyzer allows the user to test the characteristics of a hearing
aid using coupler and optional real-ear measurements. These characteristics include: Frequency
response, harmonic distortion, equivalent input noise, battery current drain, and compression.
Coupler measurements are performed inside a sound chamber. Real-ear measurements are per-
formed with a small probe microphone inside the patient’s ear. This manual provides detailed
instructions on the measurement capabilities and user interface of the FONIX FP40.
1.2 Hardware History
Here’s some of the recent hardware changes to the FP40:
In 1994, we introduced the VGA Option that allowed the FP40 to be hooked up to an external color
video monitor for a large, colorful display. (In 1999, this VGA Option became a standard feature.)
At the same time, we introduced the Telecoil Option to allow telecoil testing. It requires separate
hardware such as the ANSI 87 telecoil board or the ANSI 96 telewand.