Rion NL-22 User manual

3-20-41 Higashimotomachi, Kokubunji, Tokyo 185-8533, Japan
http://www.rion.co.jp/english/
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Sound Level Meter
NL-22 / NL-32

i
Organization of the NL-22/NL-32 Documentation
The documentation for the Sound Level Meter NL-22/NL-32 consists of
three separate manuals.
Instruction Manual (this document)
Describes operating procedures for the Sound Level Meter NL-22/
NL-32, connection and use of peripheral equipment such as a level
recorder and printer, and use of the memory card.
Serial Interface Manual
Describes how to use the serial interface built into the Sound Level
Meter NL-22/NL-32. The manual covers the communication protocol,
use of control commands for the sound level meter, format of data
output by the sound level meter, and other topics.
Technical Notes
This document provides in-depth information about the circuit con-
guration and performance of the sound level meter, microphone
construction and characteristics, inuence of extension cables and
windscreen on the measurement, and other topics.
* Company names and product names mentioned in this manual are usually
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

ii
The product described in this manual is in conformity with the
following European standards.
EN61326:1997 + A1:1998 + A2:2001 + A3:2003
To conform to the EU requirement of the Directive
2002/96/EC on Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment, the symbol mark on the right is shown
on the instrument.

iii
Organization of This Manual
This manual describes the features, operation and other aspects of the Gen-
eral-Purpose Sound Level Meter NL-22 and High-Precision Sound Level
Meter NL-32.
The manual contains the following sections.
Outline
Gives basic information about the conguration and features of the unit,
and also contains a block diagram.
Controls and Functions
Briey identies and explains the controls and connectors and all other
parts of the unit.
Preparations
Gives information about power supply, pre-use checks, installation, con-
nections, key settings etc.
Reading the Display
Explains the symbols and other information appearing on the display of
the unit.
Power On/Off
Explains how to turn the unit on and off.
Measurement
Explains how to perform measurement.
Comparator Output
Describes the comparator output function.
Store Operations
Explains how to store measurement results in the memory of the unit.

iv
Memory Card
Explains how to use memory cards with the unit.
Default Settings
Lists the factory default settings of the unit.
Output Connectors
Explains the output connectors of the unit.
Optional Accessories
Explains how to use external equipment for example to store measurement
data.
Messages
Explains the various messages that may appear on the screen.
Specications
Lists the technical specications of the unit.

v
FOR SAFETY
In this manual, important safety instructions are specially marked as shown below.
To prevent the risk of death or injury to persons and severe damage to the unit or
peripheral equipment, make sure that all instructions are fully understood and ob-
served.
Caution
Important
Disregarding instructions
printed here incurs the risk of
injury to persons and/or dam-
age to peripheral equipment.
Disregarding instructions
printed here incurs the risk of
damage to the product.
Mentioned about the tips to
use this unit properly. (This
messages do not have to do
with safety.)
Note

vi
Precautions
Operate the unit only as described in this manual.
Protect the unit from shocks and vibration. Be especially careful not to
touch the microphone membrane to avoid damage. The membrane is an
extremely thin metal lm which can be damaged easily.
Do not use the unit with a different microphone/preamplier from the
one indicated on the name plate of the unit.
Ambient conditions for operation of the unit are as follows: temperature
range -10 to +50°C, relative humidity 10 to 90%.
Protect the unit from water, dust, extreme temperatures, humidity, and
direct sunlight during storage and use. Also keep the unit away from air
with high salt or sulphur content, gases, and stored chemicals.
Always turn the unit off after use. Remove the batteries from the unit if
it is not to be used for a long time. When disconnecting cables, always
grasp the plug and do not pull the cable.
Before using the microphone and before putting it away, always check that
the microphone grid has not become loose. If this has happened, refasten
the microphone grid rmly and then use or store the microphone.
Clean the unit only by wiping it with a soft, dry cloth or, when neces-
sary, with a cloth lightly moistened with water. Do not use any solvents,
cleaning alcohol or cleaning agents.
Do not try to disassemble the unit. In case of an apparent malfunction, do
not attempt any repairs. Note the condition of the unit clearly and contact
the supplier.
Do not tap the LCD panel or other surfaces of the unit with a pointed
object such as a pencil, screwdriver, etc.
Take care that no conductive objects such as wire, metal scraps, conduc-
tive plastics etc. can get into the unit.
To ensure continued precision, have the unit checked and serviced at
regular intervals. At the time, please contact your supplier.
When disposing of the unit, be sure to observe all applicable legal regula-
tions and guidelines in your country and community.

vii
Quantier Notation of Sound Level Meter NL-22/NL-32 According to
International Standards and JIS
(Excerpts from ISO 1996, 3891, IEC 61672-1:2002, JIS Z 8202, 8731)
Description Frequency
weighting
ISO
notation
IEC
notation
JIS
notation
NL-22 / 32
notation
Sound level FLAT
LpLp
LP
A-weighted sound level
Lp
A
Lp
A
A
LA
C-weighted sound level C
LC
Equivalent continuous sound
level FLAT
LPeq
Equivalent continuous A-weighted
sound level A
L
Aeq,
TL Aeq,
TL
Aeq,
T
LAeq
Equivalent continuous C-weighted
sound level C
L
Ceq,
T
LCeq
Sound exposure level FLAT
LPE
A-weighted sound exposure level A
L
AE
L
AE,
TL
AE
LAE
C-weighted sound exposure level C
LCE
L
A5,
T
LA05
L
A10,
T
LA10
Percentile A-weighted sound
level
L
A
N
,
T
A
L
A
N
,
TL
A50,
T
LAN LA50
L
A90,
T
LA90
L
A95,
T
LA95
Maximum A-weighted sound
level A
LAmax
Minimum A-weighted sound
level A
LAmin
LCpk C-weighted peak sound level C
L
Cpeak
L
A5,
T
L
A10,
T
L
A50,
T
L
A90,
T
L
A95,
T

viii
Contents
FOR SAFETY.................................................................................v
Outline............................................................................................1
Controls and Functions ...................................................................4
Front View ................................................................................4
Operation Keys .........................................................................5
Bottom View .............................................................................8
Rear View .................................................................................9
Preparations ..................................................................................10
Power Supply ..........................................................................10
Windscreen (WS-10) ...............................................................13
Tripod Mounting .....................................................................13
Memory Card, Program Card .................................................14
Microphone Extension Cables (EC-04 series) .........................15
Connection to a Printer (DPU-414, CP-11, CP-10) ..................17
Connection to a Level Recorder
(LR-04, LR-06, LR-07, LR-20A) ............................20
Connection to a Computer ......................................................20
Setting the Date and Time ......................................................21
Backup battery.........................................................................22
Measurement in Dark Locations .............................................23
LCD Contrast .........................................................................24
Calibration ..............................................................................25
Language selection .................................................................30
Reading the Display ......................................................................31
Display screen ........................................................................31
Power On/Off................................................................................45
Measurement.................................................................................47
Sound level Measurement .......................................................47
Equivalent Continuous Sound level (LAeq) Measurement .........50
Sound Exposure Level (LAE) Measurement .............................55

ix
Maximum (Lmax) and Minimum (Lmin)
Sound level Measurement ........................................60
Percentile Sound level (LN) Measurement ...............................65
Measurement of Auxiliary Processing Values
(Lpeak, LCpeak, LCeq, LAtm5, LAI, LAIeq) ......................71
Back-Erase Function ...............................................................77
Comparator Output .......................................................................79
Store Operations ...........................................................................81
Manual Store ..........................................................................83
Auto 1 .....................................................................................91
Auto 2 .....................................................................................97
Memory Card.............................................................................. 105
Memory Card .......................................................................105
Data size ...............................................................................106
Store Data Format..................................................................108
Default Settings........................................................................... 113
Output Connectors ...................................................................... 114
AC Output ............................................................................ 114
DC Output ............................................................................ 115
I/O Connector ....................................................................... 116
Optional Accessories................................................................... 117
Microphone Extension Cables EC-04 Series ......................... 117
Printer DPU-414/CP-11/CP-10 .............................................. 118
Level Recorder LR-04/LR-06/LR-07/LR-20A ......................126
Program Cards ......................................................................128
Messages.....................................................................................132
Specications ..............................................................................137

x

1
Outline
The Sound Level Meter NL-22 and NL-32 are designed for sound level mea-
surements according to the IEC standard.
The following measurements can be made:
Equivalent continuous sound level Leq
Sound exposure level LE
Maximum sound level Lmax
Minimum sound level Lmin
Percentile sound level LN(ve selectable settings)
Sound level Lp
C-weighted peak sound level LCpeak
FLAT peak sound level Lpeak
Impulse sound level LAI
Impulse equivalent continuous sound level LAIeq
Takt-max sound level LAtm5
Measurement settings and results (level values and bar graph) are shown on
the backlit LCD panel.
Measurement data (sound level, processed data, measurement parameters)
can be stored in the internal memory of the unit or on a memory card (Com-
pactFlash card optional). The serial interface allows sending measurement
data to a printer or computer. USB allows sending measurement data to a
computer.
By loading an optional lter program, the unit can be used for 1/1 octave
or 1/3 octave analysis with a 3rd-order Butterworth high-pass and low-pass
lter.
Recorded data can be further processed on a computer.

2
Outline
The following accessories are optional, to cover a wide range of application
requirements.
Printer DPU-414
Serves to produce hard copy of measurement data (including data
stored in memory).
Level recorder LR-07/LR-20A
Serves to record sound level changes over time.

3
Outline
NL-22 / NL-32 Block Diagram
MIC / Preamp
AMP 1 AMP 2
AMP 6
AMP 7
AC OUT
DC OUT
FILTER OUT
KEY SW
ATT
OVER LOAD DET.
Start
Stop Store Mode
Pause
Cont
Fast Slow
Menu Page Range
Recall
Freq
Light Print
Power
Recall data
Down
Cal adj
Cal
Up
AC
FLAT
E2PROM CLK RS-232-C
POWER SUPPLY
LCD RAM
DSP
CPU
A/D
CONV.
A
FLAT
AMP 3
C
FLAT
AMP 4
AMP 5
A/D
D/A
CONV.
AC DC OUT
DATA BUS
ADDRESS BUS
DATA BUS
CARD
INTERFACE
AMP 8 AMP 10
Vref.
ADDRESS BUS
AMP 9
CAL.SIG.
ATT is placed on only NL-32.
USB

4
Controls and Functions
Front View
Microphone/preamplier
The microphone and preamplier are congured as an integrated assembly.
The assembly can be removed from the sound level meter and connected
via an optional extension cable, for measurements a distance.
Display
This backlit LCD shows the sound level as a numeric reading and a bar
graph. The display also shows the operation mode of the sound level meter,
the selected measurement parameters, warning indications etc.
Hand strap
Makes the unit easy to carry and hold on your palm.
Start
Stop Store Mode
Pause
Cont
Fast Slow
Menu Page Range
Recall
Freq
Light Print
Power
SOUND LEVEL METER
Recall data
Down
Cal adj
Cal
Up
ACFLAT
NL-22
Microphone/preamplifier
Display
Operation keys
Hand strap

5
Controls and Functions
Operation Keys
Start/Stop key
Press to start or stop the sound level measurement (including the various
processing functions).
Store key
Press to start auto store or store measurement data using manual store.
Mode key
This key is used for reading the measurement results. With each push
of the button, the display format is switched according to the processing
types selected from the menu.
Pause/Cont key
During a measurement, this key can be used to exclude unwanted por-
tions from processing. Pressing the key again causes processing to be
resumed.
It is also possible to use the key for excluding an interval of up to 5 sec-
onds before the key was pressed.
Start
Stop Store Mode Pause
Cont
Fast Slow
Menu Page Range
Recall
Freq
Light Print
Power
SOUND LEVEL METER
Recall data
Down
Cal adj
Cal
Up
ACFLAT
NL-22

6
Controls and Functions
Menu key
When this key is pressed, the menu screen 1/5 appears on the display. Press-
ing the key again switches the display back to the original condition.
Menu pages are switched with the Page
Down Up
keys to the right of
the key.
A/C/FLAT key
Sets frequency weighting to A, C or FLAT.
Fast/Slow key
Sets the time weighting to Fast or Slow.
Level Range , keys
Select the level range for the measurement.
The following six settings are available:
20 to 80, 20 to 90, 20 to 100, 20 to 110, 30 to 120, 40 to 130
With the lter function activated, the following seven settings are available:
10 to 70, 20 to 80, 30 to 90, 40 to 100, 50 to 110, 60 to 120, 70 to 130
Recall key
Serves to recall data stored in the memory of the unit.
Recall Data , keys
When the display shows the measurement screen and the manual store
mode is selected, these keys select the data number in which to store
data next.
When the display shows data from memory, the keys select the data num-
ber to be displayed. When the lter function is active, this key serves to
switch lter frequencies.
Light key
This key activates the backlight for easier viewing of the display in low-
light conditions. To turn the backlight off, press the key once more.
When the automatic light out function was selected from the menu, the
light will turn itself off automatically after 5 minutes.

7
Controls and Functions
Print key
When the optional printer DPU-414, CP-11, or CP-10 is connected, press-
ing this key initiates a printout.
Cal key
Pressing this key activates the built-in oscillator for electrical calibration
of the unit or for level matching of the unit and connected equipment.
Power key
Turns the unit on and off when you hold the key down for more than
1 second.
Hand strap
Attach the carrying strap to the unit as shown below. The strap makes
it easier to carry the unit and serves as a precaution against dropping it.
Pass the strap over your wrist, as shown in the illustration.
Carrying strap
attachment notch
Carrying strap
Using the hand strap

8
Controls and Functions
Bottom View
Cover
This cover protects the connectors on the bottom during transport or stor-
age. Removing the cover gives access to the connectors shown above.
External power supply jack
The optional AC adapter NC-98 series or NC-34 series can be connected
here for powering the unit from an AC outlet.
Important
To prevent the risk of damage, do not use any
AC adapter other than the specied type.
AC/DC output jack
The signal selected on menu screen 3/5 is output here.
AC: AC signal (with frequency weighting)
DC: DC signal corresponding to sound level
I/O connector
This input/output connector serves for input of control signals and input/
output of measurement data. A printer, level recorder, or computer can
be connected here.
POWER
AC DC
OUT IO
Cover
External power supply jack
AC/DC output jack
I/O connector