Audio feedback test
View Patent ↗Methods and systems provide automated testing of computer facilitated audio input and output devices. A tone is converted from a digital to analog signal and is sent to a sound mixing device. At the sound mixing device, the analog tone is looped back through a recording line to an analog to digital converter. The recorded tone is converted from a time domain to a frequency domain using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis. The frequency, and if desired, the intensity of the recorded tone is compared against the known frequency and at the desired intensity of the played tone. If the recorded tone is the same as the played tone, the ability of the sound card to play the tone is designated as passing.
1. A computer-implemented method for testing a record gain associated with a computer sound card having a wave table synthesizer and a memory storing a sample of a pre-produced digital tone, the method comprising executing a diagnostic application program on a computer containing the computer sound card, the diagnostic application program, when executed by the computer, configured to:
utilize the wave table synthesizer of the computer sound card to play the pre-produced digital tone from the sample stored in the memory of the computer sound card at a first volume intensity and a second volume intensity;
convert the pre-produced digital tone at each of the first and second volume intensities to analog format tones;
pass the analog format tones to a mixer of the computer sound card;
after the analog format tones are received at the mixer, loop the analog format tones through an internal loopback mechanism of the computer sound card to a recording audio channel of the computer sound card;
convert the analog format tones to second digital format tones at each of the first and second volume intensities;
record the second digital format tones at each of the first and second volume intensities;
convert each of the recorded second digital format tones from a time domain to a frequency domain;
calculate a first record gain value for the recorded second digital format tone at the first volume intensity;
calculate a second record gain value for the recorded second digital format tone at the second volume intensity; and
if the first record gain value varies from the second record gain value in proportion to a variation between the first volume intensity and the second volume intensity, designate the recording audio channel as passing a record gain test.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein converting the second digital format tones from a time domain to a frequency domain comprises converting the second digital format tones from a time domain to a frequency domain via a Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT).
3. A system for testing a record gain associated with a computer sound card in a computer, the system comprising:
a computer sound card comprising a mixer, a recording channel, a wave table synthesizer, and a memory storing a sample of a pre-produced digital tone;
a processor; and
a system memory operatively coupled to the processor and containing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to
utilize the wave table synthesizer to play the pre-produced digital tone from the sample at a first volume intensity and a second volume intensity,
convert the pre-produced digital tone at each of the first and second volume intensities to analog format tones,
pass the analog format tones to the mixer,
loop the analog format tones through an internal loopback mechanism of the mixer to the recording channel,
convert the analog format tones to second digital format tones at each of the first and second volume intensities,
convert each of the second digital format tones from a time domain to a frequency domain via a fast Fourier transformation,
calculate a first record gain value for the second digital format tone at the first volume intensity,
calculate a second record gain value for the second digital format tone at the second volume intensity, and
if the first record gain value varies from the second record gain value in proportion to a variation between the first volume intensity and the second volume intensity, designate the recording channel as passing a record gain test.
4. A computer storage medium, containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:
utilize a wave table synthesizer of a computer sound card to play a pre-produced digital tone from a sample stored in a memory of the computer sound card at a first volume intensity and a second volume intensity;
convert the pre-produced digital tone at each of the first and second volume intensities to analog format tones;
pass the analog format tones to a mixer of the computer sound card;
loop the analog format tones through an internal loopback mechanism to a recording channel of the computer sound card;
convert the analog format tones to second digital format tones at each of the first and second volume intensities;
convert each of the second digital format tones from a time domain to a frequency domain via a fast Fourier transformation;
calculate a first record gain value for the second digital format tone at the first volume intensity;
calculate a second record gain value for the second digital format tone at the second volume intensity; and
upon determining that the first record gain value varies from the second record gain value in proportion to a variation between the first volume intensity and the second volume intensity, designate the recording channel as passing a record gain test.