Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 22, 2026
The Measurement of Unsteady Surface Pressure Using a Remote Microphone Probe
Published on: December 3, 2016
Pressure reciprocity calibration of a MEMS microphone
Randall P Wagner1, Steven E Fick1
1Engineering Physics Division, Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA randall.wagner@nist.gov, steven.fick@nist.gov.
Abstract:
This article reports the first use of the pressure reciprocity technique to calibrate a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) microphone. This standardized primary calibration method is conventionally used to calibrate laboratory standard microphones. Results for the pressure reciprocity calibration of a MEMS microphone and two laboratory standard microphones are presented for the frequency range 100-10 000 Hz. Because the amplifier in the MEMS microphone package prevents reciprocal operation, this microphone was used only as a receiver of sound. A description of the procedure is presented along with checks of the measurement results and data regarding the uncertainties of these results.
