NASA JSC and Boeing conducted an audio test in July 2000 to recheck audio performance with the Portable Breathing Apparatus and the ISS headset. This test was held at the ISS Systems Integration Lab (ISIL), which is in the Sonny Carter Training Facility in Houston, Texas. I took these pictures (except for the one I'm in) with a 35 mm film camera and scanned the negatives.

Neil Woodward, our Astronaut Office Communications and Tracking representative, wears an ISS headset. Also visible is an Audio Terminal Unit (ATU 2, in rack U-56) at upper right. The white hose used to supply compressed air from a tank (located on the other side of Neil and not visible) to the Portable Breathing Apparatus (PBA) can be seen routed overhead and coiled at lower right. The scrolling marquee at top displayed various names and phone numbers for ISIL facility personnel.

Neil models the Portable Breathing Apparatus. There is a clear plastic protective film over the mask.

Lindsay Nute (left) and Peter Loh of Boeing Houston. ATU 1 is at upper right.

We had the dummy wear the Portable Breathing Apparatus for some tests. The PBA is donned by squeezing the red handles at the lower right. This action pressurizes the tubes, expanding them so that you can put your head inside. Then, when you let go of the red handles, the tubes shrink and grab your head. There is a microphone in the mask, and the earpiece is a little thing that does not enter the ear canal. The cable for the earpiece comes from the other side of the mask, so it seems that it was really intended to be worn on the other side. However, the only working ear on the dummy is the right one--as pictured.

Another view of the dummy wearing the PBA, from the front.

The dummy wearing the PBA and ATU 2 in the U-56 rack. To make noise measurements in this area, I taped a Brüel & Kjær microphone and preamp in front of the ATU.

We had some problems with the dummy, and here I am trying to do some delicate surgery on the dummy's head. (We ended up taking the dummy's head apart twice during this test.) Also pictured: unknown person (left) and JSC/Eddie Burrell (right). ATU 2 is at upper right. I don't know why, but both ATUs were mounted somewhat above eye level, at least for a short guy like me.

There were some ISS audio boxes installed in racks in ISIL. Pictured here is an ACS/UCS Audio Interface (AUAI), I think; it's the box with the caution sticker at upper right. I have a picture of some more audio equipment in a different rack, but it came out blurry.

A workstation (I don't know which one) at ISIL.

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Author: Porter Clark <jpc@suespammers.org>
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Last update: December 31, 2001