The MiniSonic Audio Analyser can operate either as a convenient stand-alone unit or under computer control. By running the OctoLin PC software supplied with every unit the user benefits from a clear control panel which displays both channels on large bar graphs as well as digital readouts to 0.01dB resolution. Other advantages are autoranging, and manual range selection; not practicable using the limited display facilities of the unit itself, and simple keys for things like crosstalk which can only be accessed on the unit by pressing two keys. The oscillator also gains two sets of preset keys for frequency and level, all programmable by the user.

Sequence results can be downloaded to display a page similar to that familiar to LA100 users, with scaleable graphs of frequency response and tabulated results for other parameters (but note that only the sweep results are valid from MiniSonic V1.0 though later software may add segments for noise distortion and crosstalk). Results can of course be printed, or saved to disk.

Great attention has been paid to making OctoLin load and run quickly, so that it behaves more like a hardware unit than a piece of software. This has been achieved through the use of SyncLink, a continuous data stream format that the MiniSonic sends 110 times a second, which tells the software everything about the state of the MiniSonic (function selected, relative level set etc) as well as updating the display fast enough for use as a PPM and limited only by the refresh rate of the PC monitor. Both sets of keys; those on the unit and those on the control panel, and both displays, remain active, so either can be used. The RS232 connection can be plugged and unplugged at any time, and the software locks on within about a second; no waiting for egg-timers!

Screen shots of the control panel and results display: Click for big

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