Build a complete sound & vibration test setup

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:

If you want reliable measurements, you’ll need to make sure your hardware is communicating reliably with your DAQ solution.
 

1. Connect your Fusion-LN or LAN-XI module to a computer using the supplied LAN cable. LED indicators will show that your system has power and is working correctly. 
   
   
2. Launch BK Connect. It will automatically scan for connected hardware and display available modules.
   
   
3. Check that your module appears in the hardware list and has a green connection status. The software displays the device serial number, channel count, and firmware version so you can confirm that everything is communicating properly.

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:

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.

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:

*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:

1. 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.

2. Press RECORD - this begins the time recording of your signals

3. Monitor data quality during the recording - watch for overload warnings

4. 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.