ISO 22232-1:2020

Overview

ISO 22232-1:2020 - Non‑destructive testing - Characterization and verification of ultrasonic test equipment - Part 1: Instruments - specifies methods and acceptance criteria for assessing the electrical performance of digital ultrasonic instruments operating in pulse mode with A‑scan display. It applies to single‑ and dual‑transducer probes, multi‑channel instruments and covers the frequency band 0.5 MHz to 15 MHz. The standard excludes continuous‑wave instruments and phased‑array instruments (see ISO 18563‑1), except where phased‑array units provide dedicated connectors for single/dual probes.

Key topics and technical requirements

ISO 22232‑1 defines structured tests and performance checks organized into groups and clauses. Major technical topics include:

• Scope and definitions: Terminology aligned with ISO 5577 (ultrasonic testing vocabulary).
• Manufacturer’s technical specification: Required data for conformity assessment and user guidance.
• Group 1 tests (electrical performance and stability):
  • Battery operational time, warm‑up stability, and stability against temperature and voltage variation.
  • Time base deviation and digitisation sampling considerations.
  • Transmitter pulse parameters (pulse repetition frequency, output impedance).
  • Receiver characteristics: cross‑talk, dead time, dynamic range, maximum input voltage, input impedance, and time‑corrected gain (TCG).
  • Gates (value, analogue and alarm outputs), response time, and highest digitized frequency.
• Group 2 tests (detailed performance and linearity):
  • Physical inspection, transmitter voltage and pulse rise time/duration, receiver frequency response, noise level, gain linearity and vertical display linearity.
• Acceptance criteria: Defined pass/fail rules for the above tests (see the standard for numeric and procedural details).
• Annex A: Special conditions for instruments with logarithmic amplifiers.

Practical applications

ISO 22232‑1 is used to:

• Establish supplier technical specifications for procurement of ultrasonic instruments.
• Perform factory acceptance, incoming inspection and periodic verification/calibration of manual ultrasonic instruments.
• Support quality assurance, traceability and conformity assessment in NDT programs.
• Provide baseline tests for multi‑channel and certain automated systems (additional automation‑specific tests may be required).

Who should use this standard

• NDT technicians and inspectors performing ultrasonic testing.
• Equipment manufacturers and R&D teams designing or certifying ultrasonic instruments.
• Calibration and testing laboratories validating instrument performance.
• Quality managers and procurement specialists specifying acceptance criteria.

Related standards

• ISO 5577 - Ultrasonic testing vocabulary.
• ISO/IEC 17050‑1 - Supplier’s declaration of conformity.
• ISO 18563‑1 - Ultrasonic phased array testing (phased‑array instruments).

Keywords: ISO 22232‑1:2020, ultrasonic test equipment, non‑destructive testing, A‑scan, digital ultrasonic instruments, acceptance criteria, 0.5–15 MHz.