Every ounce matters when you’re trying to fly. Plus, when you are up in the air in an emergency situation, intelligible voice communications is a matter of critical safety. These two facts underpin the design and production of any loudspeaker or audio system for the aerospace and aviation industries.
“MISCO has been creating audio solutions for aviation and aerospace for more than 50 years,” says Dan Digre, President and CEO of MISCO. “MISCO is one of only a handful of companies in the world capable of meeting the demands of commercial aviation. In fact, MISCO is so trusted that we were chosen by NASA to build the speakers that go in the Orion spacecraft.” MISCO earned NASA’s business on the Orion spacecraft in part because of the work we did on the speakers for the International Space Station more than 30 years ago.
When searching for an audio solution, companies in aerospace and aviation need to know that their manufacturer can write test plans and reports that meet the requirements of DO-160 (Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Electronic/Electrical Equipment and Instruments) and DO-214 (Audio Systems Characteristics and Minimum Operational Performance Standards for Aircraft Audio Systems and Equipment) as established by the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics. The DO-160 standard considers how a speaker handles altitude and pressure changes, vibrations, radio frequency susceptibility, voltage spikes, and waterproofness. MISCO’s expertise covers all these areas, and we offer a line of products tailor-made for these applications.
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From Industry Know-How to Effective Speakers
Meeting the weight and size limitations for speakers in these industries requires expertise in audio design and material science. MISCO offers a 4-inch speaker that weighs less than 3 ounces, is less than 1.3 inches deep, and has a cone, dust cap, and spider that are all flame retardant. It is designed with a powerful neodymium magnet and an aluminum frame to keep the weight down, yet it still has a sensitivity rating of 90 decibels per watt per meter.
Another ultralightweight, flame-retardant speaker MISCO offers is designed specifically for the 70-volt paging system in an airplane. This 4-inch speaker relies on a circuit board with a series of resistors instead of a much-heavier 70-volt transformer. It also has a high-power neodymium magnet and a high-impedance voice coil, which results in a design ideal for high-intelligibility communications where weight and space must be minimized.
Of course, voice intelligibility is critical in an aircraft where engine noise can create a constant din. MISCO designs and tests all speakers for these industries to ensure they perform well over the frequency response of the human voice (roughly 125 hertz to 7 kilohertz).
“With MISCO’s decades-long experience designing, testing, and manufacturing loudspeakers for aerospace, we have a broad line of existing products and the capability to develop new products to meet the needs that you may have for your unique project,” says Dan. Reach out to the MISCO team if you have any technical questions or want to explore a partnership