SPL Sense on SPL Documentation

Installation and updates

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Platforms

Platform	Operation
Windows	Desktop app
macOS (Apple silicon and Intel)	Desktop app
Linux on ARM and ARM64, e.g. Raspberry Pi	Web server: operated in the browser, also from a tablet or phone on the same network

The features are the same everywhere. The only exception: you can calibrate the sensor only in the desktop app.

Installation

Platform	Download
Windows (64-bit)	SPLSenseSetup.exe
macOS with Apple chip (M1 and newer)	SPLSense-osx-arm64-Setup.pkg
macOS with Intel processor	SPLSense-osx-x64-Setup.pkg
Linux (Raspberry Pi)	see SPL Sense for Linux

Open the downloaded file and follow the installer. To find out which Mac you have, go to Apple menu › About This Mac: “Chip” means Apple chip, “Processor” means Intel.

User interface and search

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Status bar

The status bar is at the top of every page:

Logo and path: the logo leads to the overview, the path next to it back to higher-level pages.
Device status: shows at a glance what is happening:
- Measurement running (green, with the current LAeq 1 s): a click opens the live screen.
- Measurement stopped or Sensor disconnected (red): a click opens the active measurement.
- No measurement loaded
Connected devices: sensor, leveler and cloud connection, each with its state. If remote control from SPL Cloud is allowed, this is shown here too.
Search (magnifying glass), Help (question mark, opens this documentation) and Settings (gear).

Overview

The overview lists all open measurements as cards. Each card shows the state of the measurement and the values of the last four measurement days, coloured according to the thresholds of the value profile. Below are the completed measurements as a short list.

Measurements

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

A measurement stands for one measuring point. It contains its settings (value profile, day boundary, offsets, leveler) and all recorded data. A measurement can run over many days and be started and stopped as often as you like.

Flow

create / import
        │
        ▼
     open ──activate──▶ active ──Start──▶ running ──Stop──▶ active (stopped)
        ▲                  │                │ sensor gone   ▲
        │             deactivate            ▼               │ sensor back
        └──────────────────┘           interrupted ─────────┘
        │
    complete ──▶ completed ──re-open──▶ open

Activate: at most one measurement is active at any time; SPL Sense records only into it. You can only switch when the active measurement is stopped.
Start and stop: Start needs a connected sensor. Stop asks for confirmation. If the leveler is active, SPL Sense points out that it will be switched off when stopping.
Interrupted: if the sensor is unplugged or delivers no values for 20 seconds (for example because the computer was asleep), the measurement is interrupted. When the sensor delivers data again, it continues by itself. You end an interrupted measurement with Stop.
Deactivate: Measurement menu › Deactivate. The measurement remains open but is no longer active.
Restart of SPL Sense: after a restart, no measurement is active. If a measurement should continue automatically, use autonomous mode.

Create

On the overview, New measurement:

Measurement data

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The measurement page looks the same in SPL Sense and in SPL Cloud. What is described here applies to both; differences in the reports are listed at the end.

Measurement days and chart

The data is organized by measurement days; a measurement day ends at the measurement’s day boundary. Each day shows the values of the value profile, coloured according to the thresholds: yellow for Notification, orange for Warning, red for Limit. Show all days displays older days.

Value profiles

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

A value profile defines which values a measurement calculates and from when they count as too loud. It determines the colours on the overview and in the chart, the deviations and the alarms in SPL Cloud.

Structure

A value profile consists of one or more values. Each value has:

Part	Options
Integration Type	Leq (equivalent continuous level) or MaxF (highest level with time weighting Fast)
Weighting	A, C or Z
Time	1 to 60 minutes
Notification, Warning, Limit	thresholds in dB, each optional

Examples: Leq, A, 60 minutes gives LAeq 60′; MaxF, C, 1 minute gives LCFmax 1′.

Live screen and kiosk

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The Live Screen shows the current values large and easy to read, for example on a second display for the DJ or the technicians. You open it on the measurement page with Live Screen or by clicking the device status in the status bar.

Choosing a screen

Choose the screen at the top right of the live screen. SPL Sense remembers per measurement which one was used last.

Leveler

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The leveler automatically keeps the level below a limit. SPL Sense measures the sound level with the sensor, receives from the leveler device the level of the signal it is currently outputting (line level), and calculates how much the volume must be reduced (gain reduction). The leveler device applies the reduction in the signal path.

The leveler belongs to the measurement: each measurement has its own leveler settings. You find them in the Measurement menu › Leveler Settings.

Sensor and calibration

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Sensor information

Under Settings › Sensor Information (or by clicking the sensor on the overview) you see:

Device Information: serial number, hardware revision, MCU ID, firmware version, quality check
Voltage and MCU Temperature, refreshed with Refresh measured values
Calibration: date, by whom, valid until
Weather Protection: the compensation filter that is set

Always connect only one sensor to a computer running SPL Sense. If you change the sensor during a measurement (unplug, plug in another), SPL Sense continues measuring with the new one; the affected minute is marked in the data.

Autonomous mode

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

In autonomous mode, SPL Sense activates and starts a specific measurement by itself as soon as SPL Sense starts. This is intended for permanently installed systems, for example in a club or on a Raspberry Pi: after a power failure or restart, the system continues measuring without intervention.

Setup

Settings › Autonomous Mode.
Set Automatically run a measurement when running to On.
Choose the Measurement. Only open measurements are offered.
Save. If SPL Sense is stopped and a sensor is connected, SPL Sense offers to start the measurement right away.

Behaviour

When SPL Sense starts: the chosen measurement is activated and started. If no sensor is connected, the measurement is Interrupted and starts recording as soon as the sensor is there.
Stopping: you can stop the measurement at any time. It then stays stopped until SPL Sense starts the next time.
Completing: when the measurement is completed, autonomous mode switches itself off.
Calibration: with the automatic start, SPL Sense does not ask, even if the calibration has expired. The events show the reason Automatically started as autonomous measurement.

For unattended operation

Combine autonomous mode with:

Settings

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Open the settings with the gear at the top right. Each row shows the current state.

Group	Settings
Measuring	Value Profiles, Live Screens, Autonomous Mode
Device	Sensor Information, Leveler, Update
Access and connections	Operator PIN, Cloud, API, Language
About	Version, release notes, contact, privacy, open source licenses

Operator PIN

An operator PIN protects SPL Sense against changes. Without a PIN, anyone with access to SPL Sense can change everything.

Settings › Operator PIN.
Enter a New PIN (4 to 8 digits) and repeat it.
Save.

With a PIN set: