Not sure where to start with your sound and vibration testing?
Between unreliable data, calibration errors, and over-complicated setups, diving into S&V testing can be intimidating.
But don’t worry. In this guide, we’ll take you through the most important steps involved in setting up an S&V test – and help you avoid some of the pitfalls that could make the process harder.
Sound and vibration testing is crucial for durability, customer experience, and compliance. It provides the data you need to identify potential issues with designs, uncover the root cause of issues during development, and validate the performance of solutions, all while avoiding costly post-launch fixes.
To get reliable S&V results, you’ll need to:
Capture the right signals, cleanly and consistently
Follow a workflow that’s quick to learn and repeat
Use tools that work straight out of the box, without trial and error
This guide walks through the key steps involved in running a complete test using HBK’s Troubleshooting Analyser – a solution built to deliver high-quality results, even without specialist support.
Before running your first test, make sure you have everything in place for reliable measurements:
| Component | What you’ll need | Why it matters |
| Data acquisition | Fusion-LN module | The next generation data acquisition solution for sound and vibration measurement, combining superior performance, exceptional durability, and unwavering reliability. |
| Analysis Software | BK Connect Troubleshooting Analyzer 8404-NS | A comprehensive, flexible sound and vibration engineering software with everything you need to record, manage, share, report and compare measurements straight out of the box. |
| Sensors and cables | Accelerometers or microphones (TEDS or standard), plus any required cables | Robust and reliable sensors that remain accurate in your specific testing environment are essential for accurate testing and measurement. |
| Mounting Hardware | Sensor mounting accessories | Secure mounting is essential for accurate, repeatable measurements, minimising movement or slippage that can affect the accuracy of results. |
| Connection | Standard CAT-6 LAN cable | Provides a direct interface to your PC. |
If you want reliable measurements, you’ll need to make sure your hardware is communicating reliably with your DAQ solution.
If the module fails to appear, don't panic - check the cable seating and power connections first. Diagnostic tools in BK Connect can help you to identify connection faults and recommend next steps, simplifying the troubleshooting process.
Sensor configuration can be a highly error-prone step in measurement setup. Manually configuring your sensors can leave you open to human error, making your measurements less reliable further down the line.
Fortunately, BK Connect’s intuitive workflow can help to minimise these risks by guiding you through the process of setting up and configuring your sensors.
The process follows a logical sequence:
| What you do | What happens | What you see |
| Navigate to ‘Transducer Setup’ | Setup workflow opens | Available channel list |
| Connect sensor to channel | System detects sensor type | Sensor details populate |
| Verify configuration | System validates calibration | Current calibration displayed |
For traditional sensors, BK Connect's extensive sensor library contains parameters for hundreds of accelerometers and microphones. Simply select your sensor model to apply the correct scaling factors.
Explore how the Troubleshooting Analyser helps you reduce testing time and solve noise and vibration issues in minutes - even without in-house expertise.
This quick-read brochure covers everything from plug-and-play DAQ hardware and FFT analysis to real use cases across motors, pumps, and subsystems. Download now to see fast, scalable NVH testing in action.
Now it’s time to choose what kind of information you want to extract from your measurements.
Here's how to match your situation to the right analysis method:
| Your problem | Analysis method | What it reveals |
| Continuous noise or vibration | FFT Analysis | Frequency content and amplitude distribution |
| Intermittent impacts or clicks | Time Capture | Event timing and transient characteristics |
| Speed-dependent vibration | Order Analysis* | Vibration components related to rotation |
| Unknown vibration source | Multi-analysis | Comprehensive data for investigation |
*The tachometer signal needed for Order Analysis can be measured from a dedicated tachometer or synthesized using BK Connect's 'Auto-Tracker' feature"
BK Connect helps you choose the right analysis method and loads proven defaults for frequency, resolution, and averaging. This allows you to get set up faster and uncover the information you need faster.
With BK Connect, you can create templates for any tests you repeat often, such as motor diagnostics, pump analysis, or bearing evaluation.
Templates keep your sensor setup, analysis parameters, and display layout intact, so you don’t have to reconfigure the system every time – a major timesaver for small teams working under pressure.
Now that your setup is complete, you’re ready to start collecting data. Before hitting start, run verification checks to ensure the full signal path is functioning as expected. Verification now can save hours of troubleshooting later.
BK Connect includes tools to verify signal chain integrity before measurement begins, identifying issues like cable faults, sensor damage, or calibration drift that could compromise your results.
With the system set up and verified, you're ready to begin measuring:
Monitor input signal levels before starting data acquisition - keep an eye on those green indicators in the data acquisition hardware and the monitoring graphs in BK Connect to confirm that your system is working effectively.
Press RECORD - this begins the time recording of your signals
Monitor data quality during the recording - watch for overload warnings
Press PAUSE when complete - if you are happy with the recording you can store the data, or you can reset the system to retake the data if needed.
Anti-aliasing is applied automatically at the hardware level, and BK Connect uses preset averaging suited to typical analysis types – so you can focus on capturing clean, reliable data without fine-tuning every setting.
The test duration depends on what you're investigating:
Steady-state signals (like imbalance or tonal gear noise) often benefit from longer recordings to average out fluctuations and confirm repeatability.
Transients (like clicks, impacts, or short-duration events) require high time resolution. But these events can be unpredictable, so recording for as long as needed to capture the event may be necessary.
In most cases, it's better to take a long recording to ensure you have a sufficient amount of data for averaging steady-state signals, or have captured the transient events. BK Connect's post-processing tools allow you to inspect (and even listen to) your recordings and then crop the signals down to just the sections of time needed for the signal analysis.
With your data collected, you now need to interpret what it means in practice.
While the results and analysis will vary depending on your application, here are some findings to look out for:
Sharp peaks at specific frequencies often point to discrete vibration sources, such as rotating components or gear meshing.
A dominant peak at 1× running speed is a common sign of imbalance in a rotating shaft or assembly.
Peaks at 2× running speed may indicate misalignment, especially in shafts or couplings under load.
Multiple harmonics (3×, 4×, 5×) can suggest looseness, poor mounting, or coupling-related issues.
Broad increases across a frequency band typically reflect general wear, looseness, or deteriorating structural integrity.
High-frequency content is often associated with bearings or gears and may signal early-stage damage, impacts, or friction.
BK Connect helps you quantify these findings by comparing overall vibration levels against industry standards and highlighting areas of interest.
Once your measurements are complete, the final step is to report them clearly, consistently, and in a format your team can act on. BK Connect offers built-in export and comparison tools, so you’re not stuck reworking charts or manually saving and comparing multiple charts by eye.
For reporting, you can:
Export directly to PowerPoint, Word, Excel, or PDF
Automatically include calibration data, measurement settings, and test metadata
To support design and maintenance decisions, consider:
Overlaying results from different sessions to track changes over time
Comparing test iterations to confirm the impact of design updates or fixes
This eliminates one of the most significant pain points in S&V testing – inconsistent documentation – and gives you a clear, traceable output that supports compliance, quality reviews, and product validation with minimal overhead.
Our Troubleshooting Analyser combines Fusion-LN – HBK’s trusted data acquisition hardware – with BK Connect software in a solution designed for speed, accuracy, and simplicity.
Everything you need is included:
One software licence with FFT, CPB, time data, order tracking, and reporting
Guided workflows that help you set up correctly on the first try
Support for both TEDS and standard sensors, with built-in tools to prevent scaling errors and validate signal quality
Hardware that integrates straight into your network with standard LAN cable – no drivers, no custom cables
This is S&V testing designed for teams that need answers quickly. It combines the robust performance you need to make confident decisions based on your test results with the flexibility to scale as your needs grow.
And, with one vendor, one system, and one license, it’s easier to manage budgets, avoid procurement delays, and scale your capability up and down as needed.
This will bring together HBM, Brüel & Kjær, nCode, ReliaSoft, and Discom brands, helping you innovate faster for a cleaner, healthier, and more productive world.
This will bring together HBM, Brüel & Kjær, nCode, ReliaSoft, and Discom brands, helping you innovate faster for a cleaner, healthier, and more productive world.
This will bring together HBM, Brüel & Kjær, nCode, ReliaSoft, and Discom brands, helping you innovate faster for a cleaner, healthier, and more productive world.
This will bring together HBM, Brüel & Kjær, nCode, ReliaSoft, and Discom brands, helping you innovate faster for a cleaner, healthier, and more productive world.
This will bring together HBM, Brüel & Kjær, nCode, ReliaSoft, and Discom brands, helping you innovate faster for a cleaner, healthier, and more productive world.
This will bring together HBM, Brüel & Kjær, nCode, ReliaSoft, MicroStrain and Discom brands, helping you innovate faster for a cleaner, healthier, and more productive world.
