Abstract <p>The paper presents improved methods for diagnosing and analyzing the residual life of mechanisms and equipment using acoustic emission measurement algorithms. A laboratory facility was also created, in which direct studies of the trigger effect during impact destruction in the nanosecond time range were conducted. The micromechanical model of acoustic emission was improved and theoretically substantiated. In addition, the applicability of the laboratory results under real conditions was demonstrated, which opens prospects for practical use. The results make it possible to reduce calculation error and more accurately determine the margin of safety and structural stability under external loads. It was found that the frequency range affects the energy range of destruction and must be controlled. Given the strong dependence of the attenuation coefficient on frequency, the frequency range should correspond to the characteristic dimensions of the object under inspection. The possibility of recording acoustic emission signals against a noise background is analyzed. The frequency ranges and magnitudes of acoustic emission and noise signals were determined, which made it possible to estimate the probability of their separation from the general background.</p>