MODENT

USERS
GUIDE

ICATS
ICON Suite, 58 Princes Gate
Exhibition Road, London SW7 2PG
www.icats.co.uk
[email protected]

MODENT

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MODENT

CONTENTS
1. OVERVIEW
2. MODENT FILES
3. USING MODENT
3.1 WINDOWS Menu
3.2 MAIN Menu
3.3 SETUP Menu
3.4 HELP Menu

4. FRF GENERATION, NOISE ELIMINATION & MIFS

4.1 GENERATE FRF
4.2 CLEAN-UP FRF
4.3 SIMO mode indicator functions
4.4 MIMO mode indicator functions

5. MODAL ANALYSIS
5.1 Single-FRF modal analysis
5.1.1 CIRCLE FIT
5.1.2 LINE FIT
5.1.3 NON-LINEAR SDOF
5.1.4 MDOF PEAK-PICKING
5.1.5 IDENT
5.2 SIMO & MIMO MFRF modal analysis
5.2.1 GLOBAL-M, GRF-M, NLLS1-M, NLLS2-M analyses
5.2.2 FDLS MIMO-FIT Menu
5.2.3 MODAL DIALOG BOX

6. OPERATIONAL (OUTPUT-ONLY) MODAL ANALYSIS (OMA)

6.1 Time-domain OMA
6.2 Frequency-domain OMA

7. COLLATE .MOD FILES

8. ASSESS MODAL ANALYSIS QUALITY
9. REFERENCES

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MODENT

WARRANTY
With respect to the physical diskette(s) and physical documentation enclosed herein,
ICATS warrants the same to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a
period of 30 days from purchase. In the event of notification within the warranty period
of defects in material or workmanship, ICATS will replace the defective diskette or
documentation or both. The remedy for breach of this warranty shall be limited to
replacement and shall not encompass any other damages, including but not limited to
loss of profit, special incidental, consequential or other similar claims.

DISCLAIMER
ICATS specifically disclaims all other warranties, expressed or implied, including but not
limited, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose with
respect to defects in the diskettes and documentation. In no event shall ICATS be liable
for any loss of profit or any commercial damage, including but not limited to special,
incidental, consequential or other damages.

TRADEMARKS
MODENT is a trademark of ICATS.
All product names mentioned in this document are trademarks of their respective
companies, and are hereby acknowledged.

COPYRIGHT 1988-2008 ICATS

No part of this document may be stored, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means without the prior written consent of ICATS.

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MODENT

MODENT
1. OVERVIEW
MODENT will run on Intel & compatible CPU microcomputers with Win NT,
Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista. It can be used for the
following tasks:
generating Frequency Response Function (FRF) files from modal
(natural frequency, damping, modal constant), spatial (mass,
stiffness and damping matrices) or eigen (natural frequencies and
mode shapes) data,
analysing single and multi FRF data, the latter in both MIMO &
SIMO format, to extract the modal properties such as natural
frequency, damping and modal constant,
analysing time- and frequency-domain response data for unknown
excitation, the so-called output-only modal analysis. The output
consists of natural frequencies, damping values and un-normalized
mode shapes.
calculating a number of mode indicator functions for a measured
data set
assessing the quality of modal analysis using the reciprocal vector
method.
collating results from individually-analysed FRFs into a consistent
modal data base and creating EIGEN files,
filtering noise from FRF data by means of singular value
decomposition.
This manual does not aim at teaching modal analysis and the interested
reader is referred to MODAL TESTING: Theory and Practice, 2nd edition,
Research Studies Press, London 2001 by D. J. Ewins. However, the basic
operations of modal analysis are implemented in a step by step manner
and the user is encouraged to teach him or herself live on the computer. A
basic understanding of the Windows operating system is assumed,
although this requirement is kept to a minimum. Finally, references for the
various curve-fitting algorithms are given in Section 4.

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MODENT

Current Limits:
Number of points per FRF: 16,384
Max number of FRFs per global analysis run: 1,024
Max number of modes per global analysis run: 40
Default window size/shape
The default window for MODENT is square with optimized size for current
resolution. The defaults can be changed by editing file MOD.CFG.
Colour coding:
Blue is used for keywords, dialog box options, menu bar options, mouse
operations.
Bold blue is used for program names.
Dark blue is used for headings.
Bold orange is used for program menus.
Green is used for user tips.
Magenta is used for warnings.

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2. MODENT FILES
MODENT works with seven types of files:
FRF data (.FRF) files which contain the frequency response function
data.
COMBINED RESPONSE DATA (.CRD) files which contain the
names of individual FRF files to be analysed globally.
TIME data (.TIM) files which contain the raw measured time domain
data. All responses are written into a single file.
DISPLAY data (.DSP) files which contain the connectivities and
geometry of the structure to be displayed.
EIGEN data (.EIG) files which contain data from an eigensolution or
full modal analysis.
PROJECT data (.PRJ) files which contain .CRD, .TIM. .EIG and
.DSP file names associated with a particular measurement set.
SPATIAL data (.MKD) files which contain the mass, stiffness and
damping matrices of a particular system.
MODAL data (.MOD) files which contain the extracted modal
properties of a given FRF file. These files usually have the same root
name as the corresponding .FRF file.
All data files are in ASCII and their formats are given in Appendix C.
MODENT also supports some common universal format files (UFFs). See
Appendix D.
The initial default sub-directory is \ICATS\FRF. After a modal analysis is
performed, the default directory becomes the last working sub-directory.

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MODENT

3. USING MODENT
As described in the Introduction manual, MODENT can be run
by selecting the MODENT button from Main Panel
by double-click on data file
by selecting an analysis type from Main Panel
by using a batch file script, or as a command from the command line
Once the program is loaded successfully, you will see
a copyright and licensing message,
a series of menu titles at the top of the screen, and
memory and disk space available, current I/O path and the date.
MODENT Opening Menu has the following options.

3.1 Windows Menu

The Windows Menu contains the standard Windows
tools, such as Cut, Cut all, Copy and Print. Cut and
Cut all store the selected area from the main window
into memory. Copy copies the stored area to the
clipboard. Print queues the main window to the
systems printer. These utilities can be used from any
location in the program.

If Cut is selected, the menus will be disabled until a region is selected

and Copy ed to clipboard.

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MODENT

3.2 Main Menu

GENERATE generates an FRF from existing MODAL (.MOD files), EIGEN

(.EIG files) or SPATIAL (.MKD) files. Note that a number of sample files are
provided with the distribution CD and that the various file formats are given in
Appendix C. You will be taken to the GENERATE Menu that deals with FRF
manipulations and plotting.
CLEAN-UP FRF has several options to remove noise from measured FRF
data. A first option uses singular value decomposition based principal
component analysis. Only the most significant components are retained,
hence filtering out the smallest of contributions, which are usually
associated with noise. A second option allows the smoothing of FRF data.
A third option does the filtering in the time domain and converts the data
back to frequency domain.
SIMO & MIMO MODE INDICATOR FUNCTIONS offer tools to calculate
various mode indicator functions, two of which are based on principal
response functions.
SINGLE FRF MODAL ANALYSIS prompts the user to open a .FRF file
and invokes the Single-FRF Dialog Box.
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MULTI FRF MODAL ANALYSIS invokes the Multi-FRF Dialog Box. Both
SIMO & MIMO analyses are possible.

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MODENT

TIME DOMAIN OMA allows the modal analysis of output-only time-domain

response data. The user must provide the time domain data in a .TIM file
whose format is given in Appendix C.
FREQUENCY DOMAIN OMA allows the modal analysis of output-only
frequency-domain response data. It is, of course, possible to analyse true
FRF data using the frequency-domain OMA option.
COLLATE .MOD FILES creates an EIGEN file from existing modal data
resulting from separate analyses of several individual FRFs. The default
I/O path, \ICATS\COLL will be changed automatically to the last working
sub-directory. The result of each analysis is contained in a single .MOD
file. Before entering the COLLATE .MOD FILES, you must create a .CMD
file. It is unlikely that you will have to use this option which pre-dates
modern analysis methods and fast hardware. Simultaneous global modal
analysis of all measured FRFs is the usual procedure.
ASSESS MODAL ANALYSIS QUALITY uses the reciprocal modal vector
analysis for assessing the quality of the modal analysis results.
Orthogonality checks are carried out between the raw measurements and
modal analysis results.
3.3 Setup Menu

DEFAULT FRF DISPLAY FORMAT allows the user to define linear or log
modulus as the default FRF display format.
OUTPUT IN ICATS FORMAT and OUTPUT IN UFF control the data file
format for output operations such as FRF and .EIG file creation. See
Appendix C for file formats and Appendix D for UFF support.

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MODENT

3.4 HELP Menu

ICATS HOME PAGE invokes the default
browser and displays the ICATS home
page: www.icats.co.uk
MODENT USERS GUIDE invokes the
default browser and displays the MODENT
Users Guide. All documentation is in
\ICATS\HELP in .PDF format.
INTRODUCTION invokes the default
browser and displays the Introduction
Users Guide. All documentation is in
\ICATS\HELP in .PDF format.
APPENDICES invokes the default browser and displays the Appendices.
All documentation is in \ICATS\HELP in .PDF format.
GUIDED TOUR invokes the default browser and displays the Guided Tour
Users Guide. All documentation is in \ICATS\HELP in .PDF format.
CREATE A DATA FILE runs Windows Notepad and opens a template of
the data file to be created (.MKD file only). The user must edit the data file
according to the format given in Appendix C.
CALENDAR displays a Calendar.
Any date between 1900 and 2199
may be displayed.
ABOUTBOX displays
about the programs.

information

The Help Menu is available during

any MODENT analysis.

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MODENT

4. FRF GENERATION, NOISE ELIMINATION & MIFS

4.1 GENERATE FRF
Once GENERATE FRF is selected, the user is asked to select a file type,
i.e. SPATIAL, EIGEN or MODAL data.

The user is next prompted with default values of the necessary data such
as the starting frequency, the frequency increment and the number of
frequency points. He/she must provide the response and excitation
locations and directions. These default to the first defined node in the
model and to the X direction respectively. The response and excitation
locations can be expressed in either absolute global ordering (which refer
to the position of a specific element in the FRF matrix) or in user-given
order which refers to the node and direction information stored in the .EIG
file. If the connectivity information is available, the user prompt will be of
the form:

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MODENT

If the connectivities are not available, absolute the co-ordinate ordering is

used.

The MODAL data consist of .MOD files which contain the modal
parameters of single FRFs. If this option is chosen, the user does not
need to enter the response and excitation data. Only the frequency
sweep parameters must be provided.
The SPATIAL data consist of .MKD files containing user-defined
mass, stiffness and damping matrices. In this case the user must
provide the excitation and response positions for the required FRF.
The FRF generation is performed via matrix inversion with checks on
the condition of the matrix. If the connectivities are available in the
.MKD file, the excitation and response information must be entered
into the above dialog box.
The EIGEN data consist of .EIG files containing natural frequencies
and real or complex mode shapes for the system under study. The
data may be the result of a modal analysis or may be transferred
from a finite element program. For instance, ANSYS files may be
translated straight away using the utility program RD_ANSYS.EXE.
In this case, the FRF generation is performed via modal summation.
If the connectivities are available in the .MKD file, the excitation and
response information must be entered into the above dialog box.

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The following options are available from the GENERATE Menu.

FROM .MKD allows the user to open a new .MKD file.

FROM .EIG allows the user to open a new .EIG file.
FROM .MOD allows the user to open a new .MOD file.
SAVE FRF allows the user to save the current FRF.
NEW FRF FOR .MKD allows the user to generate a new FRF using
existing data. It is possible to generate FRFs at further response points (all
with respect to the excitation point specified for the first run) without having
to re-compute them. A column (or row) of the FRF matrix is kept in
memory/written to file and the new FRF is displayed immediately without
further calculations involving matrix inversion. This option is available only
when an .MKD file is currently open.
BACK TO MAIN returns to the MAIN Menu.
While within this option, the
FRF plot is controlled via the
FRF PLOT & FORMAT and
PLOT SETTINGS menus.
These two menus are shared
with the OVERLAY option of
MODESH.

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4.2 CLEAN-UP FRF

The aim of this option is to remove, as much as possible, unwanted
measurement noise from measured FRFs. The user must first open a
.CRD file containing the measured data set. The reference FRF, initially set
to the point FRF, is plotted.
The SVD filter option can be used to view the singular values of a
measured data set. The SVD smoothing attempts to remove noise via
smoothing and it must be used with caution because of the amount of
damping it may introduce. The most advanced option, Noise elimination,
is based on performing the filtering in the time domain. It is the
recommended method for most data sets, though it is computationally
intensive.
The following options are available under this menu.

OPEN .CRD allows the user to open a new .CRD file for a different set of
measurements.
NEW REFERENCE FRF another FRF for the main display.
SVD FILTER is the first of the three filtering options. The principal
components of an FRF data set are determined via singular value
decomposition analysis and the user has the option of including/excluding
those until he/she is satisfied with the FRF reconstruction.
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The user must first select an analysis frequency range. The procedure is
driven by a main panel where the principal components are listed together
with their cumulative weight to the FRF construction. If all are selected, the
reconstructed FRF is identical to the original one. The idea is to omit higher
components which are believed to be due to noise. An example is given
below.
Include/exclude as many Principal
Components as necessary.

Reconstruct the FRF.

Define reconstruction
threshold.

The user has then the following options:

If accepted, the original FRFs are replaced by the filtered ones.

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MODENT

SVD SMOOTHING is the second of the three filtering options. The FRF
data set is subjected to a singular value decomposition and a smoothing
procedure is applied to the singular vectors. The user must first select an
analysis frequency range. MODENT will automatically identify the
resonances and prompt the user with the following dialog box:

The mode locations must be known because no smoothing is performed

within a certain vicinity, usually 5 points, as entered in the next dialog box.
Fixed points are kept the same before and after smoothing.
Smoothing parameters must be selected next. The default values are
adequate in most cases.

The no of iterations controls the final smoothness, more iterations yielding

a smother appearance. The relaxation factor is a numerical parameter that
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influences the shape of the fit. The number of points across resonance
indicates how many points will remain unchanged in the vicinity of a
resonance. The aim is not to affect the damping values around the
resonance.
The user has then the following options:

If accepted, the original FRFs are replaced by the filtered ones.

NOISE ELIMINATION allows the user to eliminate noise in a systematic
manner. The user must first input an approximate number of modes.

The algorithm will compute the singular values of a Hankel matrix formed
by the impulse response function (IRF) of the FRF under study. The user
must enter a cut-off value:
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MODENT

Filtering is carried out according to the selected cut-off value. The user has
the option of changing the value, or filtering the remaining FRFs using the
same cut-off value.

SAVE FILTERED DATA allows the user to save the filtered FRFs. A twocharacter prefix, say F_, must be given so that the new .FRF and .CRD
files are saved in the format F_xxxxxxx.FRF where xxxxxxx is the original
FRF filename.
BACK TO MAIN returns to the MAIN Menu...

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MODENT

4.3 SIMO MODE INDICATOR FUNCTIONS

The MIFs are helpful to pinpoint the resonances which are indicated by
sudden sharp drops that are automatically evaluated. Please note that
MIFs are normally normalized to 1 and plotted as (1-MIF) so that
resonances are indicated by dips.
Upon entering this option, the user must open a .CRD file, the FRFs of
which will be plotted on the upper half of the screen. A different colour is
allocated to each co-ordinate direction.

The following pull-down menu is then displayed:

OPEN .CRD can be used to open a new combined
response data (.CRD) file.
The IMAG MIF and COMPLEX MIF functions can
be used to compute the various mode indicator
functions for the current FRF set. Denoting the
complex-valued FRF by ij, where i and j are the
response and excitation positions respectively, the
MIFs can be obtained via spatial summation over
the number of response points:
MIF IMAG = (Im(ij)) 2
MIF CMPLX = (ij) 2
HYBRID MIF computes a MIF of all FRFs in the set
using both the real and imaginary parts.
MIFHYBRID =

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Re(

Re(

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ij

ij

)2

) 2 + Im( ij ) 2

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MODENT

RATIO MIF computes a MIF of all FRFs in the set using both the real part
and the modulus.
MIFRATIO =

Re(

ij

) ij
2

ij

MODULUS SUM computes the sum of the moduli for all FRFs in the set.

PLOT ALL MIFS produces an overlay of all MIFs.

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MODENT

PRF COMIF [11] provides a PRF-by-PRF mode indicator function in the

sense that several curves, each with a number of possible modes, are
plotted. The sum of all curves will revert back to PRF MIF. Two formats,
cascade and overlay, are available. The rank for COMIF is an initial
guess of the number of modes within the range. The no of COMIFs
refers to the actual number of individual COMIF curves that will be
plotted.
The number of
curves is
equal to the
estimated
effective rank
of the
measurement
matrix. Each curve has local
minima at the natural frequencies,
with the deepest trough at the
natural frequency of the
corresponding dominant mode. A
visual inspection of PRF CoMIF
curves reveals the number of modes active in a given frequency band
and the dominant mode in each PRF CoMIF curve. The component wise
analysis allows a better understanding of the contribution of each mode
to the dynamics of the system.
For noisy data and for structures with high modal density, an overlay of
the CoMIF curves becomes difficult to interpret, so that a single-curve
mode indicator function may be preferable.
The dialog box options are as follows:
NEW FREQ RANGE allows the user to select a new frequency window.
NEW MIF RANGE resets the MIF range on the Y axis.
TRACK COMIF allows the user to track the COMIF curve values via the
mouse.
PLOT SINGULAR VALUES plots the singular values of the FRF data
set.
EXIT COMIF exits the COMIF analysis.
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MODENT

PRF MIF [12] performs a principal response function analysis.

The dialog box options are as follows:
NEW FREQ RANGE allows the user to select a new frequency window.
NEW MIF RANGE resets the MIF range on the Y axis.
TRACK FREQUENCY enables to track MIF & frequency values with the
mouse.
RESET RANGE resets the frequency and MIF ranges.
PRINT VALUES allows the user to print the frequency information.
SAVE MIF saves the mode indicator function as an FRF.
EXIT MIF exits the MIF analysis.
PRF MIF not only
calculates
the
principal response
functions
(PRFs)
from the frequency
response functions
but also displays a
MIF [10, 11].
On entry to this
option, the default
analysis range will
be
the
full
measurement
range for the FRFs.
A smaller window
may be selected
for
subsequent
analyses. Once an
approximate
number of possible modes in the range is selected, the highest and lowest
PRFs will be shown in red while the rest will be plotted in blue. The PRF
plots indicate the number of true independent measurements and those
measurements that are close to the noise floor.
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The dialog box options are as follows:

NEW FREQ RANGE allows the user to select a new frequency
window.
NEW MIF RANGE resets the MIF range on the Y axis.
TRACK FREQUENCY enables to track MIF & frequency values with
the mouse.
SAVE PRF MIF saves the PRF mode indicator function.
SAVE PRFs saves the most significant principal response functions
as FRFs for subsequent SFRF SDOF modal analysis. Such a route
will provide accurate values for natural frequencies and damping
factors but the modal constants should be discarded.
PLOT SINGULAR VALUES plots the singular values of the FRF data
set.
EXIT PRFMIF exits the PRF analysis.
BACK TO MAIN returns to the MAIN Menu.
Notes:
The mode indicator functions (MIFs) rely on consistent data.
Variations, such as natural frequency shifts between one FRF and
the next, may cause problems and lead to erroneous conclusions.
Any MIF can be saved in FRF format. The real part will contain the
actual MIF values and the imaginary part will be zero. When viewing
the MIF, it is best to use the MODULUS format.
The recommended way to work is to save MIFs and overlay them in
MODESH in order to detect the overall behaviour.

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4.4 MIMO Mode Indicator Functions

As mentioned earlier, the MIFs are helpful to pinpoint the resonances
which are indicated by sudden sharp drops that are automatically
evaluated. Please note that MIFs are normally normalized to 1 and plotted
as (1-MIF) so that resonances are indicated by dips.
Upon entering this option, the user must open a .PRJ file. Once the MIMO
FRFs are read, the user can select the following MIMO MIFs [8]. The main
advantage of MIMO MIFs is their ability to detect multiple modes from the
MIMO FRFs.

OPEN .PRJ can be used to open a new .PRJ file.

POWER AVERAGE is defined as:
P ( ) =

H ( ) H ( )

Inputs Outputs

COMPLEX MIF at each frequency is given by the squared summation of

the singular values of the corresponding FRF matrix.
MULTIVARIATE MIF is defined by the eigenvalues of the following eigen
system:
[ A]{ f } = ([ A] + [ B]){ f } where [ A] = [ H Re al ]T [ H Re al ]

& [ B] = [ H Im ag ]T [ H Im ag ]

The size of the system is the number of inputs (excitations) and hence
there will be as many MMIF plots as inputs to the system.
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MODENT

REAL MIF is defined by the eigenvalues of the following eigen system:

[ H Im ag ] [ H Re al ]{ f } = { f } where is the pseudo inverse operator.

The size of the system is the number of inputs (excitations) and hence
there will be as many MMIF plots as inputs to the system. This MIF is
different from the others in the sense that only positive zero crossings
indicate possible modes.
BACK TO MAIN returns to the MAIN Menu.
See the SIMO MIFs for an explanation of MIF Dialog Box options.

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5. MODAL ANALYSIS
There are two main modal analysis options, namely Single-FRF and MultiFRF.
If SINGLE-FRF MODAL ANALYSIS is chosen from MAIN and there
is no displayed FRF on the screen, the user must open a .FRF file.
One of the CIRCLE FIT, LINE FIT, NON-LINEAR FIT, PEAK
PICKING, or IDENT options must be chosen next to start analysis.
These are covered in detail in the next section.
If MULTI-FRF MODAL ANALYSIS is chosen from MAIN, both SIMO
(single input, multi output) and MIMO (multi input, multi output)
analysis are possible. The former is when a single measured column
(or row) of an FRF matrix is available. The latter requires multiexcitation, or multi-response to a single excitation.
SIMO requires a .CRD or a .PRJ file, while MIMO requires a .PRJ
file. The .CRD contains the names of individual FRF files grouped
together for global analysis. The .PRJ file contains the name of one
or more .CRD files, as well as the name of a geometry file, .DSP. Any
.CRD file can be converted to a .PRJ file by setting the number of
.CRD files to 1. Both .CRD and .PRJ file formats are given in
APPENDIX C.
If a SIMO analysis is chosen, one of the MFRF modal analysis
options GLOBAL-M, GRF-M, NLLS1-M, NLLS2-M must be selected.
If MIMO is chosen, the MIMO-FIT menu will be selected
automatically. These modal analysis techniques are described in
detail in the following sections.
Both SIMO and MIMO analysis methods do their own book-keeping
when saving the .EIG files which contain the results of the modal
analysis. The modal data may be viewed by choosing SEE MODE
option from any of the GLOBAL-M, GRF-M, NLLS1-M, NLLS2-M
and MIMO-FIT menus. The modal parameters extracted by singleFRF methods can be seen via LIST SAVED MODES option.
Suggested Modal Analysis procedure:
The choice of the correct analysis technique is of paramount importance for
a successful modal analysis. We suggest the following procedure:
(i) PEAK PICK option will provide very quick but relatively approximate
results. Nevertheless this option may be useful when dealing large volumes
of data.
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(ii) Normally, a modal analysis should start with single-FRF procedures to

acquire a feel for the structure. If possible, choose a point-measurement
FRF.
Well-separated modes. Use IDENT for a quick analysis. If the
regeneration is not successful in the vicinity of certain modes, reanalyse them using CIRCLE-FIT or LINE-FIT. Check the quality of
the regeneration after SDOF analyses.
Close modes, but clean data. Use CIRCLE-FIT with SIM ON 1 option.
Close modes with noisy data. Use LINE-FIT with SIM ON option.
(iii) Analyse 3-5 FRFs using the procedure above to get a feel for the
modes of the system.
As an alternative approach, even in the case of systems with close modes,
it is possible to start with a MDOF IDENT analysis and obtain a first
approximation for the modal parameters for as many modes as possible.
Further refinements/ adjustments are then possible using the various
available SDOF techniques. At this second stage, it may be beneficiary to
activate SIM ON to deal with close modes. However, it should be born in
mind that the latest analysis of a given mode overwrites the previous one
so that care should be taken before using IDENT which will overwrite all
previous values of the MODAL LIST.
(iv) After Steps (ii) or (iii) above, create a .CRD (or .PRJ) file and use GRFM (or GLOBAL-M or NLLS1-M or NLLS2-M) to analyse all FRFs
simultaneously. If you have measurements of several rows (or columns),
use the MIMO-FIT option. The critical decisions, such as the number of
modes on a given frequency range, should be based on the previouslyobtained results during steps (ii) & (iii).
Modal analysis of UFF FRF files defined in local co-ordinates
The modal analysis will be carried out in local co-ordinates and the
resulting .EIG file will also be in local co-ordinates. However, provided
the .DSP file contains the local co-ordinate information, i. e. contains
Type 18 data, the animation, both in MODENT and MODESH, will be in
global co-ordinates.

SIM ON is a procedure whereby the effects of neighbouring (already analysed)

modes are subtracted from the mode under study. Available in CIRCLE-FIT and
LINE-FIT options.
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MODENT

5.1 Single-FRF Modal Analysis

Single-FRF Modal Analysis is useful as a preliminary and/or detailed
assessment of the modal properties. The following options are accessed
via the SFRF Main Panel which is invoked upon selecting SINGLE-FRF
MODAL ANALYSIS from the MAIN Menu.

Methods
CIRCLE-FIT and SDOF LINE-FIT are single-FRF, SDOF modal analysis
procedures.
SDOF NON-LINEAR FIT provides a powerful means of assessing any nonlinear behaviour in the measured FRFs.
PEAK PICKING provides a simple modal analysis tool by quickly analysing
all resonances of a given FRF. It finds the natural frequencies and
associated damping factors only.
IDENT is a single-FRF MDOF modal analysis procedure.
Tools
FREQUENCY RANGE allows changing the frequency range. In many
cases, it may be desirable to zoom into the region of interest before
selecting an analysis option.
REGENERATE FRF allows the regeneration of the FRF from measured
and analysed data. When this option is selected, the user must input the
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low and high, i. e. out-of-range, modes frequencies and MODENT will

evaluate the corresponding residuals. Basically, the algorithm will force the
regenerated curve to pass through these two points and hence their choice
may play an important role in the quality of the curve-fit. The user has the
option of not including the residuals but this is not recommended and
should be used with caution.
The FRF regeneration is based on the following formula:
() = Low residual +

pr 1r

r=1 r (1+ ir) -

+ High residual

where is the FRF to be generated, N is the number of analysed modes,

r, r , are the identified natural frequency, damping and mode shape
values. The two points entered by the user are used to determine the high
and low residuals: the summation term is subtracted from the measured
FRF at these two points so that two equations are formed for the two
(complex) unknowns, the residuals. Since the remaining parameters , ,
are all known from the modal analysis, the above equation can then be
used to calculate the regenerated FRF .
LIST SAVED MODES lists the modal parameters for any mode that has
either been detected or analysed.
Some operational notes will be given in the following sections. The
references at the end of this guide should be consulted for further details
on methodology and implementation.
SAVE *.MOD is used to save current modal data under the corresponding
FRF filename but with extension .MOD.
Modal data base
During SFRF modal analyses, the modal database, containing natural
frequencies, damping factors and modal constants, is updated with the
results. IDENT, NON-LINEAR and PEAK PICKING always overwrite
previous results, though a warning is given. CIRCLE-FIT and LINE-FIT
modify the database and overwrite one mode at a time by storing the
results of the last analysis.

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5.1.1 CIRCLE FIT

CIRCLE FIT performs the classical single-degree-of-freedom modal
analysis to extract the modal parameters of a given mode of the current
FRF. Upon entry, the current FRF is plotted on the top left hand corner of
the screen, all possible resonances are identified and CIRCLE FIT menu is
invoked. CIRCLE FIT will either create a new MODAL LIST (active data
found), or will create one (no active data).
OPEN .FRF will open a new .FRF data file
and initialise the MODAL LIST.
ADD MODE can be used to add further
resonances to those already displayed.
DELETE MODE can be used to delete any
of the displayed resonances.
CHOOSE MODE allows the user to choose
the mode to be analysed. The screen will
display 21 FRF data points (10 on either
side of the resonant point) in NYQUIST
format. The user must then choose the first
and last points required for circle fitting. If
the cursor is dragged out of the Nyquist box
without clicking, all 21 points will be used.
MODENT will fit a circle to the selected points,
calculate the resonance point by estimating the arc
lengths, and calculate the modal damping based
on all the data points included in the circle fit. The
modal data are displayed in a table at the bottom of the screen. The variation in
damping estimates can be assessed by the third 3D graphical display shown on the
lower left part of the screen. A flat damping plot shows little variation in damping and
hence a reliable estimate of the modal properties. A distorted damping plot can indicate
noisy data or a systematic error due to the effect of non-linearity or another close mode.

NEXT MODE option allows the user to analyse the next mode without
having to select it by using the mouse via CHOOSE MODE. It can also be
used to start the analysis on the first displayed mode. This option is
recommended unless a specific mode is of particular interest.
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MOVE RESONANCE option allows the user to change the position of the
resonance along the maximum arc length and observe the change in the
3D damping plot.
MOVE DAMPING PLOT allows the user to view the 3D damping plot from
various angles by rotating it about the damping (vertical) axis.
DO SIM is useful for analysing close modes by subtracting the effects of all
analysed modes from the current mode under investigation. Note that only
previously analysed modes can be subtracted. The procedure is best used
iteratively between the close modes by analysing them several times in
turn one after the other.
PLOT REGENERATED FRF switches the regenerated modulus FRF plot
display on/off.
MODAL LIST displays a list of the modes identified/analysed modes so far.
OPEN *.MOD is useful if an existing .MOD file needs to be updated with
further modal analysis. It is automatically assumed the corresponding .FRF
file has already been loaded. All current modal data will be lost if a .MOD
file is opened.
SAVE *.MOD saves the current MODAL LIST.
SINGLE-FRF MAIN PANEL brings up the SFRF Main Panel, for either
using a tool option, or selecting another method.
BACK TO MAIN returns to the MAIN Menu.
Notes:
For options ADD MODE, DELETE MODE and CHOOSE MODE, the
user must click right under the displayed resonance number.
For options ROTATE 3D PLOT and MOVE RESONANCE, the
required value must be chosen from SLIDE BAR Dialogue Box.

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5.1.2 LINE FIT

LINE FIT offers a very useful alternative to the classical SDOF circle fit
technique by extracting the modal parameters from the inverse of the FRF,
this particular format describing a line rather than a circle. Once selected,
the current FRF is plotted on the top left hand corner of the screen, all
possible resonances are identified and SDOF LINE FIT menu is invoked.
LINE FIT will either create a new MODAL LIST (active data found), or will
create one (no active data).
OPEN .FRF will open a new .FRF data file and
initialise the MODAL LIST.
ADD MODE can be used to add further
resonances to those already displayed.
DELETE MODE can be used to delete any of
the displayed resonances.
CHOOSE MODE allows the user to choose the
mode to be analysed. The screen will display
21 FRF data points (10 on either side of the
resonant point) in NYQUIST format. The user
must then choose the first and last points
required for circle fitting. If the cursor is
dragged out of the Nyquist box without clicking,
all 21 points will be used.
NEXT MODE option allows the user to analyse the next mode without
having to select it by using the mouse via CHOOSE MODE. It can also be
used to start the analysis on the first displayed mode. This option is
recommended unless a specific mode is of particular interest.
DO SIM is useful for analysing close modes by subtracting the effects of all
analysed modes from the current mode under investigation. Note that only
previously analysed modes can be subtracted. The procedure is best used
iteratively between the close modes by analysing them several times in
turn one after the other.

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PLOT REGENERATED FRF switches the regenerated modulus FRF plot

display on/off.
MODAL LIST displays a list of the modes identified/analysed modes so far.
OPEN *.MOD is useful if an existing .MOD file needs to be updated with
further modal analysis. It is automatically assumed the corresponding .FRF
file has already been loaded. All current modal data will be lost if a .MOD
file is opened.
SAVE *.MOD saves the current MODAL LIST.
SINGLE-FRF MAIN PANEL brings up the SFRF Main Panel, for either
using a tool option, or selecting another method.
BACK TO MAIN returns to the MAIN Menu.
Note:
For options ADD MODE, DELETE MODE and CHOOSE MODE, the
user must click right under the displayed resonance number.

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5.1.3 NON-LINEAR SDOF

The S-FRF NON-LINEAR SDOF provides a powerful means of assessing
any non-linear behaviour in the measured FRFs. For each mode, it
displays the variation of natural frequency and of the modal damping
values against amplitude. This option is particularly useful if the .FRF file
contains the force information recorded during a sine sweep. If the FRF
was obtained under a different excitation type (e.g. impact), the natural
frequency and damping displays are still useful for indicating unusual
behaviour but a quantitative analysis is more difficult.
Once selected, the current FRF is plotted on the top left hand corner of the
screen, all possible resonances are identified and the S-FRF NON-LINEAR
SDOF menu is invoked. Current MODAL LIST will be overwritten.
OPEN .FRF will open a new .FRF data file
and initialise the MODAL LIST.
ADD MODE can be used to add further
resonances to those already displayed.
DELETE MODE can be used to delete any
of the displayed resonances.
ANALYSE allows the user to select a
frequency range for which values of natural
frequency and damping will be computed
as a function of amplitude. Only one mode
at a time should be included in the range.
SINGLE-FRF MAIN PANEL brings up the SFRF Main Panel, for either
using a tool option, or selecting another method.
BACK TO MAIN returns to the MAIN Menu.
Note:
For options ADD MODE and DELETE MODE, the user must click right
under the displayed resonance number.

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5.1.4 PEAK-PICKING
PEAK PICKING provides a simple modal analysis tool by quickly analysing
all resonances of a given FRF. It finds the natural frequencies, associated
damping factors only and approximate estimates of the modal constants.
Once selected, the current FRF is plotted on the top left hand corner of the
screen, all possible resonances are identified and the S-FRF PEAKPICKING Menu is invoked. Current MODAL LIST will be overwritten.
OPEN .FRF will open a new .FRF data file
and initialise the MODAL LIST.
ADD MODE can be used to add further
resonances to those already displayed.
DELETE MODE can be used to delete any
of the displayed resonances.
PLOT REGENERATED FRF switches the
regenerated modulus FRF plot display
on/off.
MODAL LIST displays a list of the modes
identified/analysed modes so far.
SAVE *.MOD saves the current MODAL
LIST.
SINGLE-FRF MAIN PANEL brings up the SFRF Main Panel, for either
using a tool option, or selecting another method.
BACK TO MAIN returns to the MAIN Menu.
Note:
For options ADD MODE and DELETE MODE, the user must click right
under the displayed resonance number.

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5.1.5 IDENT
IDENT performs the classical multi-degree-of-freedom modal analysis to
extract the modal parameters of the current FRF. It is a powerful technique
which performs a rapid modal analysis over a selected frequency range. It
only utilises a few of the FRF measurement data, enabling the operator to
select frequency regions with good data and to ignore regions of poor or
noisy data. In brief it forms a square matrix whose order is equal to the
number of modes. It then inverts this matrix to obtain the modal
parameters, and regenerates the FRF curve to assess the accuracy of
analysis. A good analysis based on the few selected data points will
successfully predict the entire FRF curve.
Once selected, the current FRF is plotted on the screen and all possible
resonances and suggested test points - normally antiresonances - are
identified. Existing MODAL LIST will be overwritten. Because of 2 out-ofrange modes, the analysis requires 2 more TEST POINTS than MODES.
Depending on the nature of the automatically-selected points, the user is
asked to find either more MODES or TEST POINTS so that MODES+2=
TEST POINTS.
OPEN .FRF will open a new .FRF data file
and initialise the MODAL LIST.
ADD MODE can be used to add further
resonances to those already displayed.
DELETE MODE can be used to delete any
of the displayed resonances.
ADD TEST POINT can be used to add
further test points to those already
displayed.
DELETE TEST POINT can be used to
delete any of the displayed test points.
LOW MODE and HIGH MODE allow the
user to input the low and high mode (out-ofrange modes) frequencies. Default values
are 0 for LOW MODE and 1.5 times the
upper frequency limit for HIGH MODE.
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For many FRFs, the curve is influenced by the effect of modes

outside of the measured frequency range. In particular, if the FRF is
from a freely suspended structure, then there will be rigid body
modes, nominally at 0 Hz, due to the suspension system. At the
higher end of the frequency range, the curve is likely to be influenced
by higher modes.
MODAL LIST displays a list of the modes identified/analysed modes so far.
SAVE *.MOD saves the current MODAL LIST.
NEW IDENT ANALYSIS allows the user to repeat the analysis with a
different selection of points.
SINGLE-FRF MAIN PANEL brings up the SFRF Main Panel, for either
using a tool option, or selecting another method.
BACK TO MAIN returns to the MAIN Menu.
Notes:
For options ADD MODE, DELETE MODE, ADD TEST POINT, DELETE
TEST POINT, the user must click right under the displayed resonance
number. Any number of resonances/test points can be added/deleted
provided the mouse stays in the FRF box.
If the test points and the resonances are chosen to be too close, the
curve-fit algorithm may become ill-conditioned, resulting in poor quality
modal parameters. A safeguard has been implemented to warn the user
in such cases.

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5.2 SIMO & MIMO Multi-FRF Modal Analysis

The following options are accessed via the M-FRF MODAL ANALYSIS
MAIN PANEL which is invoked upon selecting MULTI-FRF MODAL
ANALYSIS from the MAIN Menu.

FREQUENCY
RANGE
allows
changing
the
frequency range. In many
cases, it may be desirable to
zoom into the region of
interest before selecting an
analysis option.
LIST
SAVED
MODES,
which becomes accessible
once a modal analysis is
carried out, provides a list of
modes analysed so far.

There are four SIMO and one MIMO analysis options which will be
described next.
5.2.1 SIMO Methods: GLOBAL-M, GRF-M, NLLS1-M and NLLS2-M
GLOBAL-M, GRF-M, NLLS1-M and NLLS2-M are ideally-suited for SIMO
multi FRF analysis and they have the advantage of producing a consistent
set of modal parameters. They can also produce of a complete eigenfile
(.EIG file) for animation and/or further analysis such as structural coupling.
FREQUENCY-DOMAIN LEAST-SQUARES (FDLS) MIMO-FIT is for
analysing multi-column (or multi-row) FRF measurements. However, it can
also be used for single column FRF measurements by declaring a single
.CRD file in the .PRJ file.
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GLOBAL-M is based on a complex singular value decomposition (SVD) of

a system matrix expressed in terms of measured FRF properties and then
on a complex eigensolution which extracts the required modal properties.
Another advantage of GLOBAL-M lies in its ability to detect very close
modes. Theoretically speaking, a minimum of N FRFs are required to
analyse N modes simultaneously. The modal properties are given as N
sets, each set corresponding to an independent run.
GRF-M is based on the rational fractional method where the modal
parameters are found N times and averaged to yield a single consistent
set. Basically, the FRF is expressed as a ratio of two polynomials, the
zeros of the numerator giving the modal constants and the damping values
while those of the denominator producing the natural frequencies.
Both NLLS1-M and NLLS2-M are based on minimising the difference
between the measured data and a theoretical model containing a given
number of modes using a non-linear least-squares (NLLS) approach.
Both methods require both the number of points in a given range and initial
guesses for the modal parameters of each mode. Such information can
either be provided by a previously-created .MOD file, or on-line PEAK
PICKING SFRF analysis. After the first selection, it is possible to keep on
using the same data via CURRENT DATA Option. CURRENT DATA will
be disabled the first time round, i.e. before any initial guess data have been
defined.

The success of the NLLS methods depends significantly on the initial

guesses for the modal parameters.
NLLS1-M analyses one FRF at a time and collates the results
internally. In that sense it is a local procedure but global consistency
is ensured by all FRFs being required to converge to the same initial
guess.
NLLS2-M analyses all available FRFs in one sweep and it is the most
CPU-intensive modal analysis method. The analysis time may be

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quite large and depends on the number of FRFs and the number of
modes that are simultaneously analysed.
All four multi-FRF SIMO modal analysis options share the same menu
structure.

Once selected, the point FRF of the current .CRD file is plotted on the
screen. If no point FRF is available, a warning message is given and the
first FRF is used. Before the analysis, all FRFs are plotted in the same box.
A different colour is used for each co-ordinate direction and the current
FRF is plotted in red.
OPEN .PRJ can be used to open a new Project (.PRJ) file.
OPEN .CRD can be used to open a new Combined Response Data (.CRD)
file.
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OPEN .DSP must be used to open a display (.DSP) file before animating
an extracted mode shape. The .DSP file must be in the same sub-directory
as the FRF files.
ANALYSE initiates the analysis of the current FRF batch defined in the
.CRD file. The process will start by choosing a frequency window from
which 16 analysis points will be drawn as random sets with statisticallydetermined parameters. The FRF display is set to the Point FRF prior to
selecting the range. There are three ways of choosing the frequency range:
By drag box. The cursor is taken inside the FRF box and the user must
select analysis box by first clicking and then dragging the mouse.
By defining a frequency range. The starting and finishing frequency
values are entered directly.
By defining a block. In this case the block in (i) or (ii) is shifted
automatically in frequency.
ADJUST DAMPING allows the user to take into account the exponential
decay or similar value used by the FFT analyser when acquiring the FRF
data. The input is the a value of the exponential decay curve exp(-at).

Adjusted = Computed

where r and r are the damping value and the natural frequency for the rth
mode. See Appendix E2 for further details.
The before and after values are displayed on the MODAL LIST. If further
modes are extracted after a damping correction, these are not corrected
and a message is displayed to that effect. If a new correction is requested,
the previous correction is removed automatically.
LIST STORED MODES allows the user to display a list of saved modes
and to queue the list to the printer.
DELETE A STORED MODE allows the user to delete a mode from the
current list.
SAVE .EIG allows the user to store all selected modes on disk in .EIG file
format. The user has the option of storing real or complex modes or both.

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MULTI-FRF MODAL ANALYSIS MAIN PANEL allows the user to switch

between GLOBAL-M, GRF-M, NLLS1-M, NLLS2-M and FDLS MIMO-FIT
analyses.
BACK TO MAIN returns to the MAIN Menu.
The various options are controlled from the Settings Menu.

SHOW BODE FIT allows the user to see the fit in Bode (modulus) format
as well as Nyquist format.
PLOT FRFS PRIOR TO ANALYSIS plots all FRFs in the .CRD file. While
useful for the first time to check the quality of the data, the analysis can be
sped up significantly by switching this option off.
PUT MAX RESPONSE MARKER allows the user to display a red dot on
the max response node during the animation.
SET REFERENCE FRF allows the user to change the FRF to which
Nyquist circles are referenced with the message x% OF REF FRF. For
example, when the reference is displayed, the percentage is 100. Initially,
the reference FRF is set to the Point Measurement.
LIST FRF SET produces a list of all FRFs in the current .CRD file.
DO INTERMEDIATE CHECKS allows the user to switch on/off
intermediate numerical checks during the analysis. Execution is
significantly faster when this option is off.

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If the CHECKS option is set to ON, the user is provided with the statistical
information about the extracted modal parameters for GRF & NLLS-1
analyses.
INTERPOLATE UNMEASURED CO-ORDS allows the user to animate, by
interpolation, the motion of the unmeasured degrees of freedom.
In the case of NLLS-1, there is an additional option to calculate the modal
parameters using a weighted average based on modal constant values. In
other words, the frequency and damping values extracted for modes with
large modal constants are given more weight. It is also possible to plot the
damping values against normalized modal constant values.

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5.2.2 FDLS MIMO-FIT Menu

FDLS MIMO-FIT is a frequency-domain least-squares (FDLS) fit to multicolumn FRF data. It has a very similar menu structure to the previouslydiscussed SIMO modal analysis options.

Compared to the previous four SIMO

analyses, there is only additional option:
REFERENCE MIMO COLUMN allows
the user to define the measurement
column/row from which the display FRF
is selected.

The analysis is performed in two distinct phases. During the first phase,
preliminary fits are made using a series of increasing model orders.

The aim is to inspect the consistency of the identified modes from the
stability diagrams, as well as the values of natural frequencies and
damping values for each model order.

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The
listed
natural
frequency and damping
values are plotted for
each model order in the
top right hand corner,
thus providing a further
visual
means
of
assessing
consistency
across model orders.

At the end of the first

phase, the user must
choose a model order.
Here BEST FIT, which is
a
measure
of
the
difference between the
raw FRF and fitted one,
is a good indicator of
which order to choose.
At any time, it is possible
to zoom in/zoom out into
the FRF plot by selecting ZOOM. The menu selection will be disabled and
the cursor will be taken inside the upper LHS FRF box. Left-button drag
box can be used for zooming in and right-button drag box can be used for
zooming out. To exit this mode, the user must click outside the FRF
box.
During the second phase, the user must decide which mode(s) to include
as for the SIMO analyses. This is done via the Modal Dialog Box.

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5.3 Modal Dialog Box

Irrespective of the analysis method used, the results are displayed and
processed via a common Modal Dialog Box.

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Once the modal analysis is completed, a Modal Dialog Box is displayed

with key results such as natural frequencies and mode shapes. A number
of controls are also provided.
The user has the option of inspecting the fit in the Nyquist circle to assess
the quality of the analysis further. To achieve this, any number of modes
can be chosen from the modal dialog box by checking the corresponding
box. A mode can be activated/deactivated any number of times by
successive clicks. The axes of the Nyquist plot are not labelled. However, a
percentage value is displayed each time a new FRF is inspected. This
percentage value is the ratio of the Nyquist area between the reference
and current FRFs. Its value is not limited to 100 since no normalisation
takes place. It is important to obtain good fits when this percentage value is
high since this indicates FRFs at which the mode(s) under analysis are
dominant. Conversely, the quality of the fit is less important for low values
since the mode(s) are not strong in that particular FRF. In this latter case,
the mode may also contain a higher degree of experimental noise.
The user has also the option the check the quality of the Nyquist fit on
further FRFs. The PREVIOUS FRF and NEXT FRF buttons control the
choice of the FRF displayed on the Nyquist box. If the Bode Fit On is
selected from the SETTINGS Menu, the original and regenerated FRFs will
also be displayed in Bode format.
The GOTO FRF box is useful to display any FRF without having to go
through the measurements by successive clicks.
CHECK ALL selects all available modes.
The user can animate or tabulate any mode via the ANIMATE and LIST
MODE buttons. Additionally, LIST MODE plots the selected mode shape in
star burst format to assess its modal complexity.
Similarly, a new reference FRF can be selected using the REF FRF button.
As shown below, ANIMATE has its own control bar menus, the
functionality being very similar to the corresponding ANIMATE option in
MODESH.
The user must click on STORE & EXIT or CANCEL buttons after choosing
the analysis option in order to reactivate the pull-down menu. The STORE
& EXIT button stores all checked modes into an internal buffer (but not as a
permanent hard disk file). The CANCEL button discards all modal analysis
results.
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Starts/stops
animation.

Displays
nodal lines.

Controls
model views.

X-Dir, Y-Dir, Z-Dir & Res

control the motion
Exits
animation.

Wireframe
mesh vs
hidden line
solid
Displays
node
numbers.

User tips:
For best results, when choosing a range, the user should focus on welldefined windows containing one, two or three modes. For consistent
results, it is best not to analyse more than 3-4 modes at a time while
using SIMO methods. More modes can be analysed with FDLS MIMOFIT but, if possible, model orders of over 20 must be avoided.
For GLOBAL-M, the analysis can be repeated N times where N is the
number of independent runs prescribed by the user (Default is 1). Each run
selects a random set of 16 (or less) points from the chosen frequency
range, performs a totally independent analysis and produces a set of modal
parameters. The user must look for consistency of these independent
estimates which will indicate a measure of the reliability of the results.
For GRF-M, the approach is very similar but only one set of results, based
on the average of 20 runs, is presented. The user can request one, two or
three modes and these are ranked on the strength of the statistical
findings. Mode 1 is the one which is found consistently the largest number
of times during these N runs; mode 2 is the second reliable one, etc.
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For NLLS1-M and NLLS2-M, the approach is again similar since a subset
of 16 points is used in the non-linear curve-fitting process. However, the
repeated-run technique is not used. For NLLS1-M, each FRF is processed
individually in the first pass and the global natural frequency and damping
values are determined by averaging. The modes shapes are computed in
the second pass. If the convergence rate is below 50% in the first pass, the
analysis is abandoned. The FRFs for which convergence is not obtained
are listed on the screen. In some cases, these FRFs might indicate
measurement problems.
For NLLS2-M, the analysis is done globally, as for GLOBAL-M & GRF-M.

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6. OPERATIONAL (OUTPUT-ONLY) MODAL ANALYSIS (OMA)

6.1 Time-domain OMA
The user is first prompted for a
.PRJ file which must contain the
names of .TIM & .DSP files.
A Fourier transform of the raw
time signal (lower plot) will yield
the response in the frequency
domain (upper plot). Although the
analysis is done in the time
domain, the results are displayed
in frequency domain format for
ease of referencing.

OPEN .PRJ is used to initiate new

analysis with a new .PRJ file.
OPEN .DSP must be used to open a
display (.DSP) file before animating
an extracted mode shape. The .DSP
file must be in the same subdirectory as the .TIM file.
ANALYSE initiates the analysis of
the current time data. Unlike
frequency domain analyses, it is not
possible to select a frequency range
and the analysis is conducted for all
available time domain data.
SET MAX DAMPING defines the
upper range of maximum allowable
damping value. This is useful when discarding computational modes.

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SET TIME RECORD LENGTH allows the user to analyse any chosen part
of the time history. The range is defined via the following box where the two
main options are drag box selection and
direct index entry.
To exit the Drag Box mode, the user
must click outside the FRF box.

LIST STORED MODES allows the user to display a list of saved modes
and to queue the list to the printer.
DELETE A STORED MODE allows the user to delete a mode from the
current list.
LINEAR MODULUS FOR RESPONSE allows the user to see the
frequency response plot in linear modulus. Default is modulus dB.
NEW REFERENCE RESPONSE allows the user to display the frequency
response of another point.
SAVE .EIG allows the user to store all selected modes on disk in .EIG file
format. The user has the option of storing real or complex modes or both.
BACK TO MAIN returns to the MAIN Menu.

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Analysis procedure
There are two phases in TD OMA analysis.
Phase 1 Determine the model order from stability plots
Once the time data are read, the user must select ANALYSE and define
upper and lower limits for the model order.
Once results are available for the
entire model order range, a
particular model order must be
selected in the light of the stability
plots.
Significant noise in time response
produces a noisy frequency domain
response.

Modes that are consistent irrespective of the model order are indicated
by straight dotted lines in the upper plot, and lines converging to the
same damping vs frequency value in the lower plot.

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Phase 2 Select modes

The final mode selection, indicated by red arrows, is made from the Modal
Dialog Box. As for MIMO modal analysis, the Modal Dialog Box allows
the listing, animation and storing of the modes. Therefore, Phase 2 allows
the user to reject modes after inspecting the modeshapes.

Identified
modes
Identified mode
shapes: 1st
bending, 1st
torsion & 2nd
bending

OMA Modal
Dialog Box

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6.2 Frequency-domain OMA

The frequency-domain OMA option is, from a GUI point, very similar to
SIMO modal analyses that are conducted using a .PRJ file, containing the
names of .DSP and .CRD files.
The user is first prompted for a .PRJ file. The data in the .CRD file is read
and displayed in the usual SIMO modal analysis format. At this point, the
user can either start an OMA analysis via ANALYSE or change the default
settings. As both menus are identical to the SIMO modal analysis menus,
they will not be described here.

Upon selecting ANALYSE and defining a frequency range, the principal

response function mode indicator function (PRF MIF) of the FRF set is
displayed and the user is asked to guess the number of modes in the
analysis range.

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Once the number of modes is entered, the PRF MIF is plotted (green curve
with dots) and the composite principal response function (C-PRF) is plotted
under the PRF MIF. The user has the option of adding or deleting modes
from the lower C-PRF plot.

Once the Continue button is selected after adding/deleting modes, the

analysis is completed via the Modal Dialog Box which has already been
described for SIMO modal analyses. The actual modal parameter
extraction is done on the C-PRF using either Circle-Fit or Line-Fit.
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7. COLLATE
The aim of this option is to create a consistent modal database from the
results of several individual modal analyses of single FRFs. The preferred
modal analysis route is multi-FRF processing and hence this option is
unlikely to be used for routine analyses.
The user must first select a .CMD file containing the names of the
individual .MOD files, the modal properties of which are to be collated into
a consistent data base. The .CMD file can be created using MAKE_CMD.
The program first calculates a tolerance value based on the natural
frequency variation for various modes contained in the .MOD files. The
user can accept or override this value, the judicious choice of which is very
important for subsequent calculations. Basically, a high value -which
corresponds to a large frequency span- will force more (individuallydetermined) natural frequencies into the same mode while a smaller value
will keep them as separate modes. Initially, it is probably better to accept
the default value and inspect the results using OVERVIEW or
STATISTICS. Once the modes have been defined, damping and natural
frequency values are averaged for better consistency and the computation
of the eigenvectors is now relatively straightforward since each .MOD file
represents one measurement in one particular co-ordinate direction.
OPEN .CMD allows the processing of a new
measurement set.
OVERVIEW gives a quick pictorial description of the
modal database. If all squares are green (or blue on
some displays) the collation is 100% successful,
since all the modes are identified for all the
measurements. If some squares are red (brown on
some displays), this indicates that some modes are
missing from measurements and the collation is not
100% successful.
STATISTICS conveys the OVERVIEW information in
tabular form.
SEE MODE displays the eigenvector associated with that mode.
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CHANGE SIGN changes the sign of all/some measurements.

SAVE .EIG stores mass-normalised eigenvectors for which the modal
constants of the point FRF measurement are taken as reference values. It
is possible to save complex or real eigenvectors using this option.
BACK TO MAIN returns to the MAIN Menu.

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8. ASSESS MODAL ANALYSIS QUALITY

Once this option is selected, the user is asked to open a .CRD file, the
FRFs of which are plotted on the upper half of the screen. A different colour
is allocated to each co-ordinate direction. Next, the user is asked to open
the .EIG file containing the modal analysis results.

The user is then asked to define an analysis frequency range by using the
mouse, or by defining a block of points.

Modes are indicated by blue ticks.

Note that the location of the modes, read from the .EIG file, is indicated by
blue ticks along the x-axis and the selected range must contain at least
one. Once the range is selected, the user must enter a control parameter to
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guide the solution of the over-determined set of equations. The default

value can be used in almost all cases.
A singular value decomposition is
carried out for each mode in turn
and the results are displayed as a
correlation matrix plot. The actual
values are also listed. The matrix,
formed by the reciprocal vectors,
must be as close to unit matrix as
possible. See reference [9].

The MA Quality option has the following pull-down menus.

OPEN .CRD allows the user to open
a new .CRD file for a different set of
measurements. A .EIG file must be
opened next.
OPEN .EIG allows the user to open a
new .EIG file, say a different modal analysis of the same measurement set.
This option can also be used to analyse a different frequency range.
BACK TO MAIN returns to the MAIN Menu.

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9. REFERENCES
1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

7)

8)

9)
10)

11)

12)

13)

14)

Ewins, D. J
GENERAL
Modal Testing: Theory and Practice
Research Studies Press, London, Second Edition 1995
Kennedy, C. C and Pancu, C. D. P.
CIRCLE-FIT
Use of Vectors in Vibration Measurement and Analysis
J. Aeronautical Sciences 14(11), 1947
Dobson, B. J.
LINE-FIT
A Straight -Line Technique for Extracting Modal Properties from FRF data
Mech. Systems and Signal Processing 1(1), 29-40, 1987
Ewins, D. J. and Gleeson, P. T.
IDENT
A Method for the Identification of Lightly Damped Structures
J. Sound and Vibration, 84(1), 57-79, 1982
Fillod, R. Lallement, G. , Piranda, J and Raynaud J. L. GLOBAL-M
Global Method of Identification
Proc. of IMAC 4, Vol 2, 1145-1151, Orlando, Florida, 1985
Formenti, D. L. and Richardson, M. H.
GRF-M
Parameter Estimation From Frequency Response Measurements Using Rational
Fraction Polynomials
Proc IMAC I, 167-181, Orlando, Florida, 1982
Gaukroger, D. R. Skingle, C. W. and Heron, K. H.
NLLS1-M
Numerical Analysis of Vector Loci
NLLS2-M
Journal of Sound and Vibration, 29(3), 341-353, 1973
Rades, M.
MIFs
A Comparison of Some Mode Indicator Functions
Mech. Systems and Signal Proc. 8(4), 459-474, 1994
He, J. & Imregun, M.
RECIPROCAL VECTOR
Different Forms of Orthogonality for MDOF Systems
Int. J. of Analytical and Exp. Modal Analysis, Vol. 10(3), 131-141, 1995
Pickrel, R. C
PRF
Estimating the Rank of Measured Response Data Using SVD and
Principal Response Functions
Proc DTA NAFEMS conference on Model Updating, Scotland, 89-99, 1995
Rades, M. & Ewins, D. J.
PRF MIF
The Aggregate Mode Indicator Function
Proc IMAC I8, Orlando, Florida, Feb 2000
Rades, M. & Ewins, D. J.
PRF COMIF
MIFs and MACs in modal analysis
Proc IMAC 20, Orlando, Florida, Feb 2002
Sanliturk, K. Y. & Cakar, O.
CLEAN-UP FRF
Noise Elimination From Measured Frequency Response Functions
Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing. 19(3), 615-631, 2005
Lembregts, F., Leuridan, J., Zhang, L. & Kanda H. MIMO-FIT
Multiple Input Modal Analysis of FRFs Based on Direct Parameter
Identification, Proc IMAC4, 589-598, 1986

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