Automatic Gain Control (or Automatic Volume Control). A feature on a hearing aid that automatically adjusts the gain, depending either on the input level (AGC-I) or the output level (AGC-O). Also known as "Compression".

The reponse of a hearing aid in place on the ear. (Also called "In-situ Response".) Subtract the "Unaided Reponse" from the "Aided Response" to get the Insertion Gain Response. When the Aided Response is measured in a real ear (as opposed to a manikin), it is called the "Real Ear Aided Reponse" (or "REAR")

The environmental sounds in a testing area.

A measure of the magnitude of a signal.

A room with little sound reverberation; a room constructed to be acoustically absorptive

American National Standards Institiute. A national organization that determines standards for testing equipment. A section number and date (year) following the initials "ANSI", designate the standeard refferd to.

A false reading.

Automatic Signal Processing. A feature on a hearing aid intended to overcome the effects of background noise, making it easier to understand speech when noise is present. The term ASP is not standardized, and may refer to various forms of signal processing. Ususally, however, ASP refers to a reduction in low-frequency gain in the presence of ongoing background noise.

Short for Averaging. An option on the 6500-CX that uses three puretones and averages them for the screen display.

A battery simulator that conforms to the size and shape of a battery used in a hearing aid. It connects to the Battery Voltage Supply, providing the proper voltage to the hearing aid.

A prescription formula developed by Kenneth W. Berger.

The amplitude of the background frequency used in the Digital-Speech–in-Noise test

The background frequency, acting as noise, when using the Digital-Speech-in-Noise test

A CROS aid that has two microphones, one at each ear, sending both signals to one ear

A characteristic of puretone testing at high levels, that typically shows low frequencies being amplified more than they are under normal use conditions.

A memory location in a computer system. In the 6500-CX, it stores a curve for later use.

The BURST signal (or Short Sweep on FP40 and the FP35) presents short bursts of sound at ten frequencies: 250, 500, 750, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz. (On the FP40 and FP35 200 and 700 Hz are used instead of 250 and 750 Hz.) This signal provides a quick way to determine the maximum output of the hearing aid with minimal discomfort to the patient. It can be used at lower amplitudes, as desired, but its big advantage is for testing maximum output. Since all the output of the aid is concentrated at one frequency at a time, testing with this signal gives you information on the worst-case performance of the hearing aid at each frequency, for any type of input signal. Noise reduction is automatically removed at 85 and 90 dB amplitudes since it is not necessary and makes the measurement take longer. Settling time is not used with BURST.

A sound generator that produces a tone at a precisely controlled frequency and amplitude.

Completely In-the-Canal Coupler.A coupler designed to better handle the unique acoustic qualities of completely-in-the-canal aids. Included with the CIC Coupler is internal software which provides corrections to increase the accuracy of CIC measurements even further.

The major part of the acoustic effect of the pinna, contributing significant energy to the External Ear Effect in the region of 5000 Hz.

Abbreviation for telephone pickup coil.

A patented FONIX test tone consisting of 80 puretones presented simultaneously.

A hearing aid prescription formula, used to convert an audiogram to a target curve. Common formulas are the NAL, Berger, POGO, and the 1/2, 1/3, or 2/3 Gain rules.

Coupler Response for Flat Insertion Gain (or "correction figure"). This is the transformation that, when added to a target insertion-gain response will give the target coupler response. The inverse of "CORFIG" is "GIFROC".

A device that connects a test microphone to a hearing aid to provide an accurate testing situation.

Contralateral Routing of Signal. A type of hearing aid that uses a wired or wireless system to send a signal to the opposite ear.

Cathode Ray Tube. The device in a computer system that projects information onto a display screen.

A marker on a computer screen. On the 6500-CX, it is either a solid vertical line on graphs that marks a selected frequency, or it is a highlighter bar that marks a choice on a menu.

A visual diagram of a measurement using two variables. In testing hearing aids, one variable may be frequency, shown on the horizontal axis of the curve, and the other variable amplitude, shown on the vertical axis of the curve.

Information.

A choice automatically made by a computer program.

A European-standard connector with pins surrounded by a round metal shell.

Elements of a reproduced sound that deviate from the original.

In the Multi-Curve Option, a display of two selected curves with different scales (numbering) on the left and right sides of the graph. One of the curves refers to the scale on the left, and the other curve refers to the scale on the right.

An acoustic property of the earcanal, often characterized by a peak at or near 3000 Hz. Along with the acoustic properties of the head, torso, and pinna, the Earcanal Resonance contributes significantly to the External Ear Effect.

Equivalent Input Noise. The amplitude of internal noise created by a hearing aid

The latitude of inaccuracy in a testing system. It is usually expressed in +/- units and/or percent.

See Unaided Response.

A computer "short-cut" of the FOURIER TRANSFORM method for determining the frequency content of a signal.

Same as UNWEIGHTED, refering to a signal that has equal amplitude at every frequency.

A mathematical procedure that changes "time" information into "frequency" information.

The number of vibrations or cycles per second of a periodic wave. The unit of measurement is Hertz (Hz).

A measure of the output of gain of a device across a range of frequencies of the input signal.

The lowest frequency in a harmonic complex tone, such as the FONIX Composite signal. The fundamental frequency determines the "pitch" of a tone.

A brand name for a modeling clay-like substance used to attach and seal hearing aids to couplers.

The amplification or increase in sound power in a hearing aid. In testing, it results from subtracting the level of the input from the level of the output of the aid.

The inverse of "CORFIG". GIFROC is the transformation that, when added to a coupler response, will give the estimated insertion-gain response.

A grid of lines, with the vertical lines representing one set of information and the horizontal lines representing another. A "Curve" superimposed on a graph grid gives information about test results.

Hearing Aid Industry Conference.

Integral multiples of a puretone. The tone itself is the 1st harmonic, or fundamental frequency; twice the frequency of the tone is the 2nd harmonic; three times the frequency of the tone is the 3rd harmonic; etc.

The presence of harmonics in a reproduced signal that are not present in the original signal.

Refers to the comparative augmentation of high-frequency sound caused by the acoustic diffraction of low-frequency sound by the head and pinna blending to produce a baffle.

High Frequency Average. According to ANSI S3.22-1987, the averaged response at 1000, 1600, and 2500 Hz.

Hearing Level. The amount of decibels above audiometeric zero at which a measured ear barely hears a sound.

Hertz. Unit of frequency, refering to cycles per second.

International Collegium of Rehabilitative Audiology

International Electrotechnical Commission. An international organization that sets standards for measurements.

Earphone whose transducer is joined to the ear by means of a tube attached to a foam eartip that is placed into the outer ear canal; used in finding Real Ear to Coupler Difference (RECD) measurements.

A measure of the acoustic benefit of a hearing aid, measured in a patient's ear. The insertion gain is the difference, at any particular frequency, between the Aided Reponse and the Unaided Response. When considered across a range of frequencies, the measure is called the "Insertion-gain Response". When measured in a real ear (as opposed to a manikin), the insertion-gain response is called the "Real Ear Insertion-gain Response" (or "REIR").

Latin for "in position". In audiometery, it designates measurements taken with the hearing aid "in place" in the ear.

Distortion generated by the faulty mixture of different input frequencies. This is a primary cause of harshness and lack of intelligibility in a hearing aid.

In the Multi-Curve Option, this word appears when there is no curve stored in a selected memory location.

Japanese Industrial Standard; the organization which sets standards for measurements in Japan.

Knowles Electronics Mannequin for Acoustic Research; model, which nearly reproduces the acoustic qualities of an average adult head and torso, that is utilized in the assessment of hearing aid performance.

Light Emitting Diode. A small pilot light on an instrument panel.

An automatic calibration procedure, establishing a "zero line" for measurements, taking into account all the acoustic properties of the test chamber or the testing room.

A list of choices offered by a computer.

A hearing aid system that has a switch to select either a CROS, a BI-CROS, or a Monaural arrangement.

An option for the 6500-CX that allows for storing and comparing curves from several tests.

A collection of curves stored by the Multi-Curve Option of the 6500-CX.

Modified Zwislocki Couplers. Three couplers based on the Zwislocki design, but sturdier; provided with In-Situ and OES options.

National Acoustic Laboratories of Australia.

National Bureau of Standards (U.S.), now known as National Institute of Standards and Technology.

With the 6500-CX, way of producing a more stable reading by averaging many samples.

A frequency response measured inside the earcanal with the hearing aid earpiece in place, but with the hearing aid turned off. This is a measure of how much unamplified sound leaks into the ear through the earpiece (such as with an open fitting). When measured in a real ear (as opposed to a manakin), it is called the "Real Ear Occluded Response" (or "REOR").

Low-frequency intensification in the loudness level of bone-conducted signals resulting from the blocking of the ear canal.

Occluded Ear Simulator. An option on the 6500-CX, using three special couplers, that provides the same data obtained with a standard ear simulator. The OES hardware and software are also used with the In-Situ Option.

A collection of settings within a computer program. In the FONIX QUIK-PROBE Option, these are various ways one can set up the tests.

Prescription Of Gain and Output. A hearing aid prescription formula.

In the 6500-CX, the label "POWER" refers to the output of an aid in dB SPL.

A miniature microphone with a thin, flexible tube that is inserted into an earcanal to measure sound.

A burst of ten pure tones corresponding to standard audometric frequencies. The entire signal lasts for less than two seconds.

A testing tone consisting of only one frequency. Same as SINE TONE.

A special test procedure using a probe microphone and a special instrument capable of measuring sound levels inside an earcanal.

The ability to view instantly the results of hearing aid tests.

Real Ear Aided Response. See "Aided Response".

Real Ear to Coupler Difference. Measurement of the difference in decibels between the output of a hearing aid found with a probe microphone in the ear canal and the output of the aid found in a 2 cc coupler.

Generally, a curve that can be used to compare a test with a curve from another test. In the 6500-CX, a stored curve to be used for comparison.

With the QUIK-PROBE Option, it is the microphone placed above the ear which provides a reference measurement that is compared to that of the probe microphone placed in the earcanal.

The location in a test chamber where the microphone of a hearing aid must be placed for accurate testing. In the 6500-CX, it is the small circle in the center of the test chamber.

Real Ear Insertion-gain Response. See "Insertion Gain".

Real Ear Occluded Response. See "Occluded Response".

The tendency of an acoustic system to reinforce sounds of a certain frequency, the frequency determined by the shapes and sizes of the components of the system.

The high and low points of the frequency range found in the ANSI test sequence.

Real Ear Saturation Response. A special case of the REAR for which the hearing aid is operated at its saturation level. This is akin to the coupler measurement known as the "SSPL-90".

Real Ear Unaided Response. See "Unaided Response".

Root Mean Square. An overall measurement of the signal going in or coming out of a hearing aid. When measuring with Puretones, the RMS level at each individual frequency will be the same as the level shown at each frequency on a response curve. When measuring with a Composite Tone, the (overall) RMS level will be several dB higher than the level at each frequency on a response curve, since all the frequencies are presented at once.

The condition where any further increases in input level will yield no further increase in output level.

A marking of curve titles in the Multi-Curve menu box to show which ones will be displayed.

A testing tone consisting of only one frequency. Same as Puretone.

A "rounding-off" of a curve, removing minor peaks and valleys, to create a more readable curve, using a method that is equivalent to warbling the input signal.

The programming part of a computer system.

Special Purpose Average. According to ANSI S3.22-1987, the averaged response at specially designated frequencies.

Sound Pressure Level. Expressed in decibels (dB), a logarithmic measure of the energy (amplitude) of a particular sound as compared to the energy of a specified reference sound.

Saturation Sound Pressure Level. The greatest SPL that a given amplifier can produce.

Saturated Sound Pressure Level for an input of 90 dB SPL.

A sequence of puretone frequencies, which generates a frequency response curve.

A curve based on an audiogram and a prescription strategy presenting the theoretically optimum response that a hearing aid should have for a particular hearing loss.

Same as COIL. In the 6500-CX, it is an accessory and option that generates a magnetic field for testing the telephone pickup of a hearing aid.

A frequency reponse measured inside the earcanal without a hearing aid in place. Also known as "External Ear Effect", the Unaided Response consists of the combined acoustic affects of the head, torso, pinna, and earcanal. When measured in a real ear (as opposed to a manikin), it is called the "Real Ear Unaided Response" (or "REUR").

A measurement of the amplification (gain) of an aid using an input signal (source) that has equal power across all test frequencies.

A puretone with slight, but rapid, frequency variations.

A measure of the amplification (gain) of an aid, using an input signal (source) that has a spectral shape similar to that of the long term average of speech.

The measurement of amplitude, in SPL, of the output of an aid, using an input signal (source) that has a spectral shape similar to that of the long term average of speech.

A signal composed of all frequencies, which vary randomly in phase, each frequency having equal long-term energy levels.

Computer Hearing Aid Program for Windows. A program designed to interface with FONIX instruments in order to make the storage of information in computer files quick and easy.