Virtual Corporation Downloads
A Site For Virtual Corporation Audiometric Test System Users
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About The Virtual Corporation
I started this page to help other Virtual equipment users that were looking for software. You will find software installers for the 310, 320, and 322 test systems that you can download. I've also posted results of my recent hardware upgrade experience.
I became acquainted with the Virtual Corporation test instruments while still in graduate school during the mid 80's. I had an opportunity to meet Jon Birck who founded Virtual Corporation. Jon is remembered as the person who developed and sold the first totally computer-driven audiometer. This was during the dawn of the personal computer and the graphic user interface. The Virtual systems were designed to interface with the Macintosh computer.. My first computer was a Macintosh 128K, the first Macintosh made. That a personal computer could be used to drive a graphic interface for audiometric test equipment was an idea well ahead of its time.
Today I feel that there are no better software audiometers or tympanometers than the Virtual Corporation systems. There just isn't anything on the market that compares! I'm a big fan of their test equipment and was sorry to see them leave the industry.
Although Virtual Corporation no longer exists today, their equipment is still in use. I own two audiometers, 322's, and a tympanometer, 310.
Upgrading My Computer System
- I was operating my current test equipment with a PowerBook Duo 2300. This was a sub-notebook that provided me with a very compact portable test system. I wanted to replace this computer with a newer faster system. I did the upgrade in 12/2004.
- Minimum requirements:
- Your Macintosh computer
must have an old fashioned serial port. This can be the older
DB9 or the newer MINI 8 DIN connector. Since the newest Macintosh
no longer use serial ports, you must purchase an older computer.
I tried two vendors, PowerMax
Computers and Operator
HeadGap that specialize in refurbished Macs:
- The folks at PowerMax Computers were located in my state and were an obvious choice because of the quick shipping. Unfortunately, I had problems with the All-In-One G3 system they sent. They were unwilling to exchange the system for a another with a quiet fan. I eventually returned their system.
- Operator HeadGap was a more successful story. They were very interested in helping me.
- Older computer systems,
meaning pre PowerPC, should work fine because they were based
on the Motorola 68000 series chip and they came standard with
two serial ports.
- One of the ports supported Appletalk and printers, and the other was a modem port. Either port will work with the Virtual equipment.
- Rather than using an
earlier generation Macintosh, I wanted to upgrade to the newest
system that would operate the Virtual systems. I found some great
prices on G3's with serial ports. Unfortunately, I could not
get any of my Virtual equipment with work with the G3. I am not
certain, but I think that bus speed was too fast for the Virtual
equipment. I tried several different G3 models with different
OS's ranging from 8.0 through 9.1 but without any success.
- I tried a G3 desktop
and an All-In-One, AIO, G3.
- The AIO G3 had the advantage that the monitor and CPU were built as a single unit making a very compact computer. Aside for the fact that I couldn't get the Virtual equipment to work the AIO, the fans for cooling the computer were so loud that live voice testing was not possible.
- I tried a G3 desktop
and an All-In-One, AIO, G3.
- Systems beyond the G3, such as the G4 and G5, did not come standard with a serial port. These systems will also probably not work. There are some after market serial port cards for the G3 and higher, but I never tried any of them. As a historical note, after the G3 Apple abandoned the serial port in favor of the faster USB and Firewire.
- I am not sure what the
most current MacOS that will support the Virtual Equipment software.
The latest Macs are using OS X, but this newest OS will
typically NOT run on pre G3 Macintosh computers.
- Technical note
- The Virtual software does not install control panel devices or extensions--they weren't used! This was a concern for the HeadGap technical support when they were helping me troubleshoot why the G3 wasn't working with the Virtual systems. Once you run the installer package, the only extra step you might need to do is move the Audio fonts package into the fonts folder in the system folder. The audio fonts package improves printing.
- Technical note
- I've used the Virtual software on Macintosh computers using OS 6 through 9.1. I think they will run on pre OS 6 systems as well, but I didn't test this out. Apple provided system 7 and older for FREE on their site: www.apple.com. If you want to use the older OS's, you can still get them from Apple's site. Systems above OS 7 require a license that must be purchased.
- Your Macintosh computer
must have an old fashioned serial port. This can be the older
DB9 or the newer MINI 8 DIN connector. Since the newest Macintosh
no longer use serial ports, you must purchase an older computer.
I tried two vendors, PowerMax
Computers and Operator
HeadGap that specialize in refurbished Macs:
- What I Purchased
- Eventually I settled on a PowerMac 7300/200 running OS 9.1 from Operator HeadGap
- This system was significantly
faster than the Duo 2300.
- I was able to use an external monitor and standard keyboard. Since I no longer needed a portable system, it was nice to use these larger components.
- Total cost for the computer and keyboard was less than $150.00. I had an external flat panel monitor that I wasn't using.
- Below you can see
the actual setup in our office:
Software Downloads
- In this section,
you will find the most recent software installers that I have
for my test equipment. These are complete archives with the application
and calibration software. The files are in .sit format and will
require an unstuffing tool, such as Stuffit Expander, to decompress. Once expanded,
double click on the installer to automatically begin the install.
You can download these files using a PC or Macintosh, but you
should only decompress them on a Macintosh. Even if you download
the PC version of Stuffit Expander, you should NOT decompress
the .sit archive on a PC. PC users should read the section below
for more information.
- If you are
using a PC to download the software below, you should use your
right mouse button to click on the file link and "Save Target
As" directly to your hard drive. The .sit format could be
decompressed on the PC, but then the installer will not work.
When you decompress a Macintosh file on a PC, part of installer
application that the Macintosh needs is stripped away and deleted.
This means that the file will not work on the Macintosh so DON'T
do this. Instead, you should transfer the downloaded .sit file
to a floppy disc and use PC Exchange on the Macintosh to transfer
the file to the hard drive. Once the .sit file is on the Macintosh
hard drive, decompress the archive with Stuffit Expander.
- If you are
using a PC to download the software below, you should use your
right mouse button to click on the file link and "Save Target
As" directly to your hard drive. The .sit format could be
decompressed on the PC, but then the installer will not work.
When you decompress a Macintosh file on a PC, part of installer
application that the Macintosh needs is stripped away and deleted.
This means that the file will not work on the Macintosh so DON'T
do this. Instead, you should transfer the downloaded .sit file
to a floppy disc and use PC Exchange on the Macintosh to transfer
the file to the hard drive. Once the .sit file is on the Macintosh
hard drive, decompress the archive with Stuffit Expander.
Final Note
- I hope you found this information helpful.
- If you need additional assistance with the information on this page, contact me here by email.
- I don't have any recommendations for hardware repair. If it quits, you'll need to buy something else--sorry. I've been looking at the MedRx and Interacoutics systems.
- I was surprised
at the number of emails that I've received over the past few
months regarding Virtual Equipment. The page was visited approximately
150-175 times a month with 20-30 driver downloads during the
same period. There are many more people accessing this page and
asking me questions than I had anticipated. I am getting frequent
emails asking how to buy new hardware, operation manuals, or
to service existing equipment. I thought this was clear in the
above text, but I am going to repeat it again below. So, for
the record:
- Please do not ask me to make you a copy of software or a manual and ship it to you. I created this page as a courtesy to the hearing health care community. I don't get paid to do this, nor do I want to generate money from sharing the information. If you can't download the software listed on this page, try asking a friend.