ISO 20109

ISO/FDIS 20109:2024(E)
Date: 2024-12-19
ISO/TC 37/SC 5
Secretariat: DIN
Date: 2025-01-28
Simultaneous interpreting — Equipment — Requirements
Interprétation simultanée — Équipement — Exigences
FDIS stage
ISO/FDIS 20109:2025(en)
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication
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Field Code Changed
Published in Switzerland
ii
ISO/FDIS 20109:2025(en)
Contents
Foreword . iv
Introduction . v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Location of the parties in a communicative event . 5
4.1 General . 5
4.2 Same room . 5
4.3 Separate location . 5
5 Generally applicable requirements . 6
5.1 Requirements relating to sound . 6
5.2 Requirements relating to image . 8
6 Same room . 8
6.1 General . 8
6.2 Latency . 9
6.3 Video display . 9
7 Separate location . 10
7.1 General . 10
7.2 Latency . 10
7.3 Video display . 10
8 Interpreting equipment . 11
8.1 Interpreter interface . 11
8.2 Microphones . 16
8.3 Interpreters’ headphones/headsets . 18
8.4 Additional requirements related to signed language interpreting . 19
9 Interpreting system microphone behaviour . 19
9.1 Interpreter microphone behaviour . 19
9.2 Speaker microphone behaviour . 20
9.3 Ambient microphone . 20
10 Portable interpreting system . 20
10.1 General . 20
10.2 Microphones/transmitters . 20
10.3 Receivers/transceivers . 21
10.4 Transport system . 21
Annex A (normative) Accessibility and usability of hard consoles . 22
Annex B (normative) Requirements for the operation of a conference system. 24
Annex C (normative) Measurement of hearing protection levels . 25
Bibliography . 28

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ISO/FDIS 20109:2025(en)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types of
ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent rights
in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a) patent(s)
which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that this may not
represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 37, Language and terminology, Subcommittee
SC 5, Translation, interpreting and related technology, in collaboration with the European Committee for
Standardization (CEN) Technical Committee CEN/SS A07, Translation and Interpretation services, in
accordance with the Agreement on technical cooperation between ISO and CEN (Vienna Agreement).
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 20109:2016), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— Clause 2 has been updated;
— two different situations regarding the location of the parties have been introduced;
— requirements relating to sound have been aligned with other standards and/or improved as to
assureensure necessary sound quality transmitted to interpreters;
— detailed requirements for video displays have been added;
— specifications on interpreting system microphone behaviour have been added;
— a measurement method for the values pertaining to hearing protection has been added.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
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ISO/FDIS 20109:2025(en)
Introduction
This document specifies equipment for simultaneous interpreting, as well as the quality of sound and image
transmitted to interpreters and from interpreters to the participants of a communicative event. Technological
progress has led to profound changes in how interpreters perform their services. They can interpret in
interpreting booths in the room in which the communicative event takes place, but either the entire team of
interpreters or part of it can also be working from an interpreting hub, or interpreters can perform their
services from an individual environment controlled by themselves. Different equipment can be used in
different situations to optimiseoptimize performance. This document takes these different situations into
account.
Other relevant standards that can be applied in conjunction with this document, as required, are ISO 17651
(all parts), ISO 22259 and ISO 24019.
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ISO/FDIS 20109:2025(en)
Simultaneous interpreting — Equipment — Requirements
1 Scope
This document specifies requirements for the equipment needed for simultaneous interpreting and for the
quality of sound and image transmitted to interpreters and from the interpreters to the audience, irrespective
of the place in relation to speakers, signers, the audience and other interpreters.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 639, Code for individual languages and language groups
ISO 9241-303, Ergonomics of human-system interaction — Part 303: Requirements for electronic visual displays
ISO 9241-410:2008/Amd 1:2012, Ergonomics of human-system interaction — Part 410: Design criteria for
physical input devices — Amendment 1
ISO 22259:2019, Conference systems — Equipment — Requirements
ISO 24019:2022, Simultaneous interpreting delivery platforms — Requirements and recommendations
ISO 24503, Ergonomics — Accessible design — Tactile dots and bars on consumer products
IEC 60268-1:2010, Sound system equipment — Part 1: General
IEC 60268-4, Sound system equipment — Part 4: Microphones
EN ISO 9241-410:2008/A1:2012, Ergonomics of human-system interaction — Part 410: Design criteria for
physical input devices (ISO 9241-410:2008/AMD 1:2012)
ITU-T P.58, Head and torso simulator for telephonometry
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
interpreter
person who interprets
[SOURCE: ISO 20539:2023, 3.1.13]
ISO/FDIS 20109:2025(en)
3.2
interpreting
interpretation
rendering spoken or signed information from a source language into a target language in spoken or signed
form, conveying both the meaning and language register of the source language content
[SOURCE: ISO 20539:2023, 3.1.11]
3.3
simultaneous interpreting
mode of interpreting (3.2) performed while a speaker (3.5(3.6)) or signer (3.6(3.7)) is still speaking or signing
[SOURCE: ISO 20539:2023, 3.4.12]
3.4
signed language interpreting
interpreting (3.2) between two signed languages or between a signed language and a spoken language
[SOURCE: ISO 20539:2023, 3.4.3]
3.5
speaker
person addressing others using spoken language
[SOURCE: ISO 20539:2023, 3.4.5]
3.6
signer
person addressing others using signed language
[SOURCE: ISO 20539:2023, 3.4.6]
3.7
communicative event
encounter between two or more parties during which information is transmitted
[SOURCE: ISO 20539:2023, 3.4.32]
3.8
booth
simultaneous interpreting booth
self-contained unit enclosing the interpreter’s (3.1) workspace
Note 1 to entry: One of the purposes of booths is to provide insulation, both from the noise transmitted from the booth’s
external environment into the booth itself and vice versa, and from noise passing from one
...

PROJET FINAL
Norme
internationale
ISO/FDIS 20109
ISO/TC 37/SC 5
Interprétation simultanée —
Secrétariat: DIN
Équipement — Exigences
Début de vote:
Simultaneous interpreting — Equipment — Requirements 2025-02-12
Vote clos le:
2025-04-09
LES DESTINATAIRES DU PRÉSENT PROJET SONT
INVITÉS À PRÉSENTER, AVEC LEURS OBSERVATIONS,
NOTIFICATION DES DROITS DE PROPRIÉTÉ DONT ILS
AURAIENT ÉVENTUELLEMENT CONNAISSANCE ET À
FOURNIR UNE DOCUMENTATION EXPLICATIVE.
OUTRE LE FAIT D’ÊTRE EXAMINÉS POUR
ÉTABLIR S’ILS SONT ACCEPTABLES À DES FINS
INDUSTRIELLES, TECHNOLOGIQUES ET COM-MERCIALES,
AINSI QUE DU POINT DE VUE DES UTILISATEURS, LES
PROJETS DE NORMES
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NORMES POUVANT
SERVIR DE RÉFÉRENCE DANS LA RÉGLEMENTATION
NATIONALE.
Numéro de référence
ISO/FDIS 20109:2025(fr) © ISO 2025

PROJET FINAL
ISO/FDIS 20109:2025(fr)
Norme
internationale
ISO/FDIS 20109
ISO/TC 37/SC 5
Interprétation simultanée —
Secrétariat: DIN
Équipement — Exigences
Début de vote:
Simultaneous interpreting — Equipment — Requirements
2025-02-12
Vote clos le:
2025-04-09
LES DESTINATAIRES DU PRÉSENT PROJET SONT
INVITÉS À PRÉSENTER, AVEC LEURS OBSERVATIONS,
NOTIFICATION DES DROITS DE PROPRIÉTÉ DONT ILS
AURAIENT ÉVENTUELLEMENT CONNAISSANCE ET À
FOURNIR UNE DOCUMENTATION EXPLICATIVE.
DOCUMENT PROTÉGÉ PAR COPYRIGHT
OUTRE LE FAIT D’ÊTRE EXAMINÉS POUR
ÉTABLIR S’ILS SONT ACCEPTABLES À DES FINS
© ISO 2025 INDUSTRIELLES, TECHNOLOGIQUES ET COM-MERCIALES,
AINSI QUE DU POINT DE VUE DES UTILISATEURS, LES
Tous droits réservés. Sauf prescription différente ou nécessité dans le contexte de sa mise en œuvre, aucune partie de cette
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Publié en Suisse Numéro de référence
ISO/FDIS 20109:2025(fr) © ISO 2025

ii
ISO/FDIS 20109:2025(fr)
Sommaire Page
Avant-propos .v
Introduction .vi
1 Domaine d’application . 1
2 Références normatives . 1
3 Termes et définitions . 1
4 Localisation des parties lors d’un événement de communication . 4
4.1 Généralités .4
4.2 Interprétation dans la même salle .5
4.3 Interprétation dans une salle séparée .5
5 Exigences globalement applicables. 5
5.1 Exigences relatives au son .5
5.1.1 Généralités .5
5.1.2 Entrée et sortie numériques .5
5.1.3 Niveau de pression acoustique.6
5.1.4 Réponse en fréquence .6
5.1.5 Distorsion .7
5.1.6 Bruit et ronflement.7
5.1.7 Cohérence du niveau sonore .7
5.1.8 Protection auditive .7
5.2 Exigences relatives à l’image .8
5.2.1 Qualité de l’image .8
5.2.2 Synchronisation du son et de l’image . .8
6 Interprétation dans la même salle . 8
6.1 Généralités .8
6.2 Latence .8
6.3 Écran vidéo .8
7 Interprétation dans une salle séparée . 9
7.1 Généralités .9
7.2 Latence .9
7.3 Écran vidéo .10
8 Équipement d’interprétation . .10
8.1 Interface d’interprétation .10
8.1.1 Généralités .10
8.1.2 Console matérielle .10
8.1.3 Console logicielle . 15
8.2 Microphones . 15
8.3 Écouteurs (Casque)/micro-casque pour interprète .17
8.3.1 Casque .17
8.3.2 Micro-casques .18
8.4 Exigences supplémentaires relatives à l’interprétation en langue des signes .18
8.4.1 Caméra .18
8.4.2 Microphone.18
8.4.3 Arrière-plan .18
8.4.4 Images d’entrée.18
8.4.5 Son entrant .19
9 Comportement du microphone du système d’interprétation . 19
9.1 Comportement du microphone de l’interprète .19
9.2 Comportement du microphone de l’orateur .19
9.3 Microphone d’ambiance .19
10 Système d’interprétation portable .20
10.1 Généralités . 20

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ISO/FDIS 20109:2025(fr)
10.2 Micro-émetteurs . 20
10.3 Récepteurs/Émetteurs-récepteurs . 20
10.4 Système de transport . 20
Annexe A (normative) Accessibilité et utilisabilité des consoles matérielles .21
Annexe B (normative) Exigences relatives au fonctionnement d’un système de conférence .23
Annexe C (normative) Mesure des niveaux de protection auditive .24
Bibliographie .26

iv
ISO/FDIS 20109:2025(fr)
Avant-propos
L’ISO (Organisation internationale de normalisation) est une fédération mondiale d’organismes nationaux
de normalisation (comités membres de l’ISO). L’élaboration des Normes internationales est en général
confiée aux comités techniques de l’ISO. Chaque comité membre intéressé par une étude a le droit de faire
partie du comité technique créé à cet effet. Les organisations internationales, gouvernementales et non
gouvernementales, en liaison avec l’ISO participent également aux travaux. L’ISO collabore étroitement avec
la Commissi
...