ISO 7779:2018

Overview

ISO 7779:2018 - "Acoustics - Measurement of airborne noise emitted by information technology and telecommunications equipment" specifies standardized procedures for measuring and reporting noise emissions from IT and telecom equipment. The standard defines how to determine the A-weighted sound power level and A-weighted emission sound pressure levels at operator and bystander positions. It is intended for type tests and to provide comparable results for manufacturers and testing laboratories.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Primary emission quantity: A-weighted sound power level (for equipment comparison and declaration).
• Measurement environments: Methods for three basic noise emission standards are included:
  • Reverberation test room (based on ISO 3741)
  • Essentially free field over a reflecting plane (ISO 3744, ISO 3745)
  • Operator and bystander sound pressure (based on ISO 11201)
• Applicable noise types: broadband noise, narrow-band noise, discrete-frequency components, and impulsive noise.
• Instrumentation and calibration: requirements for microphones, frequency response, reference sound sources and calibration procedures.
• Microphone positions and measurement surfaces: defined arrangements for repeatable measurements in different test setups.
• Measurement practices: measurement duration, background-noise corrections, and calculation of band and A-weighted levels.
• Discrete tones: methods for detecting prominent discrete-frequency tones (see Annex D).
• Uncertainty and reporting: guidance on measurement uncertainty and detailed information to record and report results for reproducibility.

Practical applications and users

ISO 7779 is used by:

• Manufacturers of servers, printers, routers, switches, telecom equipment - to produce comparable noise declarations.
• Accredited testing laboratories - for standardized type testing and lab-to-lab comparison.
• Acoustical engineers and product compliance teams - to assess product noise performance and identify potential operator/bystander annoyance or hearing risks.
• Procurement and facility planners - to support installation planning (note: results are not intended as installation immission levels but can inform planning).
• Standards bodies and certification organizations - for product labeling and verification programs (used alongside ISO 9296 for noise declaration).

Related standards

• ISO 3741, ISO 3744, ISO 3745 - basic noise emission standards referenced for room and free-field methods
• ISO 11201 - guidance for emission sound pressure at operator positions
• ISO 9296 - noise emission declaration and statistical reporting

ISO 7779 provides a practical, standardized framework for measuring and reporting acoustic emissions of IT and telecommunications equipment, enabling reliable product comparison, declaration, and informed installation planning.