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Tutorials

The following Tutorials will help you understand, diagnose, and isolate environmental noise.

Sources of Noise

There is a wide array of potentially troublesome noise sources that can exist in even the most benign lab environments. There are natural sources of noise which are native to the environment and man-made sources. Some noise sources are hard to characterize as belonging to either category.

Diagnosing A Noise Issue

Diagnosing and addressing noise issues are more complex than one might think. As we’ve shown, there are many different Sources of Noise which can introduce error into measurements. There are two distinct steps which need to be taken when addressing a noise issue: determining the type of noise you are experiencing and then finding the source of that noise.

Conducting a Site Survey

To perform an informative site survey, it is not enough to just get vibration measurement equipment and start taking measurements. You must take care to control variables and analyze data carefully. Below are some tips for conducting a successful site survey.

Basics of Isolation

The best way to ensure a quiet environment for your sensitive measurements is to choose a quiet environment in the first place. Selecting the proper location can occur at several stages.

Choosing an Isolation System

Before we can discuss the best method for selecting an isolation system, we must define some basic terms.

Active vs. Passive

Some applications require the performance that an active system can provide. Other applications that are not as sensitive can suffice easily with a passive system. So how do you decide which is more appropriate for a given case? The following is a brief examination of the advantages and disadvantages of active and passive isolation.

Cable Management

Vibrations introduced into an isolated system via cabling are a common problem for sensitive instruments. Cables can carry vibrations from an auxiliary piece of equipment, like a pump or fan, into the chassis of a sensitive instrument. Cables can also transmit noise- vibration, acoustic, or EMI- from walls, the ground, or other ambient sources. This type of noise is called parasitic noise.