Lecture 7

EE 213: Electrical Instrumentation
& measurement
(2 Credit Hours)
Calibration of Measuring Instruments
Principles of Calibration
Calibration consists of comparing the output of the instrument under

test against the output of an instrument of known accuracy when the
same input (the measured quantity) is applied to both instruments.
This procedure is carried out for a range of inputs covering the

whole measurement range of the instrument
Environmental conditions of the calibrated instruments should
be the same under which they were calibrated
For use of instruments under different environmental

conditions, appropriate correction has to be made
Instruments used as a standard in calibration procedures are usually
chosen to be of greater accuracy than the process instruments that
they are used to calibrate
Such instruments are only used for calibration purposes, greater

accuracy can often be achieved by specifying a type of
instrument that would be unsuitable for normal process
measurements
Null-type instruments are often used for calibration duties, as the

need for a human operator is not a problem in these
circumstances
Instrument calibration has to be repeated at prescribed intervals
because the characteristics of any instrument change over a period
Changes in instrument characteristics are brought about by such

factors as mechanical wear, and the effects of dirt, dust, fumes,
chemicals, and temperature change in the operating environment
Determination of the frequency at which instruments should be
calibrated is dependent on several factors that require specialist
knowledge.
The type of instrument, its frequency of use, and the environmental

conditions all strongly influence the calibration frequency necessary,
and because so many factors are involved,
It is difficult or even impossible to determine the required frequency of

instrument recalibration
Instead, practical experimentation has to be applied to

determine the required frequency of instrument recalibration
In many cases, deviations in the form of a simple output bias can be
corrected by a small adjustment to the instrument
In other cases, the output scale of the instrument may have to be

redrawn or scaling factors altered where the instrument output is part
of some automatic control.
In extreme cases, where the calibration procedure shows signs of

instrument damage, it may be necessary to change a damage part
of instrument.
The calibration facilities provided within the instrumentation
department of a company and Instruments used for calibration at
this level are known as working standards.
Working standard instruments are kept by the instrumentation

department of a company solely for calibration duties, and for no
other purpose, then it can be assumed that they will maintain their
accuracy over a reasonable period of time because
use-related deterioration in accuracy is largely eliminated
However, over the longer term, the characteristics of working standard
instruments will drift, mainly due to aging effects in components within
them.
Therefore, a program must be instituted for calibrating working

standard instruments at appropriate intervals of time against
instruments of yet higher accuracy.
The instrument used for calibrating working standard instruments is

known as a secondary reference standard.
This must obviously be a very well-engineered instrument that gives
high accuracy and is stabilized against drift in its performance with
time.
This implies that it will be an expensive instrument to buy.

An international standard now exists (ISO/IEC 17025, 2005),
which sets down criteria that must be satisfied in order for a standards
laboratory to be validated.
These criteria cover the management requirements necessary to

ensure proper operation and effectiveness of a quality management
system within the calibration or testing laboratory and also some
technical requirements that relate to the competence of staff,
specification, and maintenance of calibration/test equipment and
practical calibration procedures used.
The national standards organizations lay down strict conditions that
a standards laboratory has to meet before it is approved.
These conditions control laboratory management, environment,

equipment, and documentation.
As far as the laboratory environment is concerned, proper temperature

and humidity control must be provided, and high standards of cleanliness
and housekeeping must be maintained.
Finally, full documentation must be maintained. This should
describe all calibration procedures, maintain an index system
for recalibration of equipment.
Having met these conditions, a standards laboratory becomes

an accredited laboratory for providing calibration services and
issuing calibration certificates

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EE 213: Electrical Instrumentation

Calibration consists of comparing the output of the instrument under

This procedure is carried out for a range of inputs covering the

For use of instruments under different environmental

Such instruments are only used for calibration purposes, greater

Null-type instruments are often used for calibration duties, as the

Changes in instrument characteristics are brought about by such

The type of instrument, its frequency of use, and the environmental

It is difficult or even impossible to determine the required frequency of

Instead, practical experimentation has to be applied to

In other cases, the output scale of the instrument may have to be

In extreme cases, where the calibration procedure shows signs of

Working standard instruments are kept by the instrumentation

Therefore, a program must be instituted for calibrating working

The instrument used for calibrating working standard instruments is

This implies that it will be an expensive instrument to buy.

These criteria cover the management requirements necessary to

These conditions control laboratory management, environment,

As far as the laboratory environment is concerned, proper temperature

Having met these conditions, a standards laboratory becomes

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