Ported Speaker Response Spreadsheet

Francis Deck

Why another speaker design program?

To the best of my knowledge, this is the only "open source" speaker analysis tool. But I wrote it mainly to check
my own understanding of speaker theory, and to fiddle with analyses that are not part of standard software.

Is this free?

Of course. Use and enjoy. I am not responsible for errors leading to unsafe designs, equipment damage, wasted
money, broken backs, or bad tone.

What if I find a bug?

It is through suffering that we acquire Truth. Of course I want to know if there are problems with this spreadsheet,
or with the underlying conceptual framework.

What is the structure of this program?

Excel spreadsheet with Visual Basic macros. Some formulas in the macros are generated by a computer algebra
program, based on formulas in my speaker theory documents. You should be able to look at the macro code
from within Excel.

Can't you document it any better than this?

The math behind the macros is documented in the various PDF's at my web page.

Personalpages.tds.net/~fdeck/bass

Given that this spreadsheeet is newer than the PDF's, there may be cases where errors in the PDF's are
corrected here.

What's the general structure of the programs?

1. I started with an equation for cone excursion which was entered into a symbolic math program. Then I let the
math program generate formulas for the real and imaginary parts, which I copied and pasted directly into Visual
Basic. That way, I am not in danger of making any dumb math errors.

2. Everything is based on computing cone displacement as a function of frequency at 1 V input amplitude.

3. SPL and excursion are computed directly from the displacement data

4. Transient response is based on FFT convolution with a unit step function, and represents cone acceleration
which is what we hear.

5. Port calculation formula is derived from the information given at

http://www.diysubwoofers.org/misc/portcal.htm.

Where did that distortion graph come from?

http://www.arcavia.com/kyle/Equations/Distortion.html

It is an estimate of distortion based on the variation of box compliance over the range of travel of the cone.

What are the "waveform" excursion and MaxPower graphs?

The typical excursion graph assumes a sine waveform, thus showing the worst case situation when the
frequency is at the excursion peak. But a real bass signal is a mixture of harmonics. I attempted to form a crude
excursion graph based on my observation (looking at oscilloscope traces) that a bass signal is typically a roughly
equal mixture of the first few harmonics. You can vary the proportion of the first four harmonics in the Harmonic
Series entries.
Where did that distortion graph come from?

http://www.arcavia.com/kyle/Equations/Distortion.html

It is an estimate of distortion based on the variation of box compliance over the range of travel of the cone.

What are the "waveform" excursion and MaxPower graphs?

The typical excursion graph assumes a sine waveform, thus showing the worst case situation when the
frequency is at the excursion peak. But a real bass signal is a mixture of harmonics. I attempted to form a crude
excursion graph based on my observation (looking at oscilloscope traces) that a bass signal is typically a roughly
equal mixture of the first few harmonics. You can vary the proportion of the first four harmonics in the Harmonic
Series entries.

Why did Excel ask me to "enable macros"?

The program contains several macro subroutines, written in Visual Basic.

Where is the Total Q factor in the driver database?

It is redundant, because it can be computed from the two individual Q parameters.

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Date Comment
11/11/2006 First clean version available at my website
11/14/2006 Added revision history
Updated documentation a bit
Added driver databass
Got rid of Qts parameter
1/13/2007 Made the port calculation formulas useful
11/16/2007 Added Max-Power graphs
12/27/2007 Added multiple drivers and multiple ports
Maker Eminence Eminence Eminence Eminence
Model 2512-ii Delta 12LFS2012 2512(old)
Free air resonance Fs Hz 37 51 48 42
Coil series resistance Re Ohms 5.04 6.06 5.1 5.21
Electromagnetic Q factor Qes 0.44 0.51 0.53 0.4
Mechanical Q factor Qms 3.13 7.28 5.5 4.02
Compliance equivalent box volume Vas liters 147 67.9 91 154.5
Effective cone frontal area Sd cm^2 519.5 506.7 519.5 532.4
Excursion limit Xmax mm 4.9 4.9 4.5 2.9
Coil inductance Le mH 0.46 1.45 0.43 0.71
Nominal driver impedance Znom Ohms 8 8 8 8
Rated power Pe W 250
Eminence Wharehouse Guitar Speakers
BP102 WGS15
40 34
5.54 6.1
0.5 0.38
5.5 3.76
64 325
334.5 856
6.2 7.5
1.27 1
8 8
200 300
Cubic feet to liters converter
Box volume in cubic feet
Conversion factor
Box volume in liters
Things in yellow are inputs
Things in blue are useful results
3 ft^3
28.316847 liters/ft^3
84.95054 liters

Liters to cubic feet converter, and box designer

Box volume in liters 60 liters

Box volume in cubic feet 2.11888 ft^3
Box volume in cubic inches 3661.4246 in^3

Front baffle width 14 in

Front baffle height 18 in
Inside depth 14.529463 in

Plywood thickness 0.5 in

Front baffle set back 1.5 in

Outside width 15 in
Outside height 19 in
Outside depth 17.029463 in

Front panel dimensions 14 18 in

Side panel dimensions 19 17.02946 in
Top panel dimensions 14 17.02946 in

Reverse engineering a commercial box

Outside width 24 in From product literature

Outside height 18 in From product literature
Outside depth 14 in From product literature
Front baffle setback 1.5 in Guess
Plywood thickness 0.75 in Guess

Inside width 22.5 in

Inside height 16.5 in
Inside depth 11 in

Box volume in cubic inches 4083.75 in^3

Box volume in cubic feet 2.3632813 ft^3
Box volume in liters 66.920673 liters

Round port figure outer

Box volume 60 liters Table of port end corrections

Number of ports 2 Two flanged ends
Port inside diameter 4 in One flanged, one free (typical)
Port length 8 in Both ends free
Port end correction 0.732
 Stuff from worksheet
Box volume in cubic meters 0.06 m^3 Adiabatic bulk modulus of air
Port diameter in meters 0.1016 m Density of air
Total port area in square meters 0.0162146 m^2
Port length in meters 0.2032
Port angular frequency #REF! 1/s
Port tuning frequency #REF! Hz

Rectangular port figure outer

Box volume 60 liters

Port width 2 inches
Port height 8 inches
Port length 8 inches
Port end correction 0.732

Box volume in cubic meters 0.06 m^3

Port width in meters 0.0508 m
Port height in meters 0.2032 m
Total port area in square meters 0.0103226 m^2
Port length in meters 0.2032
Port angular frequency #REF! 1/s
Port tuning frequency #REF! Hz
 0.85
0.732 This is the typical choice
0.614
#REF! Pa
#REF! kg/m^3