Face Mask Measurement
A test sequence that compares the response of an artificial mouth when face masks of different construction are mounted on the mouth

The purpose of this sequence is to compare the response of an artificial mouth when face masks of different construction are mounted on the mouth. The sequence assumes a lightweight disposable mask and a heavy multi-layer cloth mask. A stepped sinewave from 10 kHz – 100 Hz is played from the unoccluded mouth and the operator is then prompted to mount and measure the two masks over the mouth. The three mouth responses are then displayed on one x-y graph and the difference curves (unoccluded mouth vs masked mouth) are displayed on another. Finally, the average attenuation created by each mask across the measurement range is displayed on a table.
Note that the curve names are constructed by selecting the “Use Input Data Name” option on the Curves tab of the Analysis editors. The appended text in parentheses (No Mask, Disposable Mask, Cloth Mask) comes from the custom naming of the three Recorded Time Waveforms so if you wish to edit these, it can be done by editing the Waveform names in the Acquisition steps.
Watch video demo:
Hardware
- AmpConnect all-in-one hardware interface Part #4042 OR similar (e,g, audio interface, microphone power supply and
audio power amplifier) - SCM-3 calibrated measurement microphone Part # 4002 or equivalent
- Bruel & Kjaer HATS or 4227 Mouth Simulator or equivalent
Software
- SoundCheck 18.0 or later
Setup & Calibration
1. Calibrate the microphone as instructed in the SoundCheck user manual
2. Calibrate the artificial mouth as instructed in the SoundCheck user manual
3. Connect the hardware as shown in the System Diagram below
You are ready to start the sequence.
Note: The mouth is calibrated so the stimulus level can be entered in dBSPL but by default the EQ is not enabled in the Stimulus editor. You may enable it if so desired but it won’t have an effect on the resulting difference curves.