BIPM KCDB Office Report to the JCRB 1 March 2021

S. Picard and S. Maniguet

KCDB REPORT TO THE JCRB

September 2020 to March 2021

Executive Summary
The KCDB 2.0 was implemented in October 2019, providing search facilities of CMCs and
comparisons, a user platform supporting intra- and intra-RMO reviews, a frame for comparison
registration and publication, and a tool for user-generated statistics.
The CMCs published since the achievement of KCDB 2.0 are still provided via two different paths:
i) CMCs approved on the former JCRB support and imported by the KCDB Office;
ii) CMCs drafted, reviewed, approved and published on the KCDB web platform.
Access to the KCDB 2.0 has been accompanied by making available a variety of guidance material
and demonstrations to users within the frame of the CBKT.
An Application Programming Interface for CMCs registered in the KCDB has been developed and
is presently under beta-testing.

Introduction
This report summarizes the major progress and evolution of the BIPM Key Comparison Database
(KCDB) over the last six months.
The KCDB 2.0 was made available on 29 October 2019. The platform is now being used for CMC
submissions, review and publication, as well as for comparison registration and updates, on a daily
basis.
Nevertheless, the Chemistry and Biology community did not use the tool for CMCs at start. The
first CMCs in Chemistry and Biology were drafted on the platform in November 2020 for their
review Cycle XXII. They have been subject to intra-RMO review and were recently submitted for
JCRB review which will take place at two sessions of the CCQM Key Comparison Working Group
meetings in April 2021.
The status of the database concerning Calibration and Measurement Capabilities are given in
Section 1. In Section 2, recent information concerning comparisons carried out within the frame
of the CIPM MRA is summarized. Section 3 highlights the status of Associates of the BIPM, a short
view on the status of the KCDB 2.0 is presented in Section 4, and the recent development of an
Application Programming Interface is presented in Section 5.
This report reflects the status as of 1 March 2021.

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1. CIPM MRA Appendix C : Calibration and Measurement Capabilities

1.1. CMC status

The new database became accessible in October 2019. The CMCs that presently get published on
the KCDB have two sources:
i) CMCs approved on the former JCRB support and imported by the KCDB Office;
ii) CMCs drafted, reviewed, approved and published on the KCDB web platform.
The delay in publishing CMC data posted on the previous JCRB site has been absorbed, and only a
small number of batches not yet approved remain to publish.

Figure 1. Number of CMCs registered in the KCDB since October 2008.

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There are presently1 25 733 (25 801) CMCs published in the KCDB on 1 March 2021 of which 19
387 (19 238) are in Physics and 6 346 (6 563) in Chemistry and Biology. The total number of
published CMCs have increased by 2.1 % over a one-year period. Estonia, previously Associate,
became Member State in 2021, explaining a part of this increase. The decrease by 3 % of CMCs in
Chemistry and Biology is linked to the successive implementation of broad-scope CMCs.
The repartition of CMCs is available in real-time from the KCDB home page in “CMC statistics”
https://www.bipm.org/kcdb/cmc/statistics/public . The Excel files previously used as a basis for
the CMC statistics are available on the access-restricted JCRB CMC website until 30 June 2021 (cf.
JCRB Report of the 43rd JCRB Meeting).

The status of not yet published CMCs that are placed on the platform is listed in Table 1-a. 2029
(872) CMCs are presently in an “intermediate” state. The numbers show a neat increase of the
activity on the KCDB web platform over the last 6 months.
GULFMET published their first CMCs, 4 CMCs in Time and Frequency (TF) in October 2020.
GULFMET may hence now participate in future JCRB reviews in TF. The distribution of published
CMCs along the RMOs is listed in Table 1-b.

Table 1-a Status of not yet published CMCs in KCDB on 1 March 2021.

1
The numbers given within parenthesis represents the number of CMC reported in end of August 2020.

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Table 1-b Number of published CMCs in KCDB per RMO on 1 March 2021
(follow-up of Action 17/1 of JCRB 2006).

1.2. CMC evolution

The total number of published CMCs during the last 6 months for each metrology area is listed in
Table 1-c. These numbers include revised CMCs and upload of greyed out CMCs, not necessarily
needing a JCRB review. The total number gives the impression that the number of submitted CMCs
have suddenly decreased. However, a larger number of CMCs were published during the previous
6-month period while still compensating for the previous delay (liked to the implementation of
the new software).
The first CMCs for United Arab Emirates were published on 8 October 2020 in Time and
Frequency. Those CMCs were reviewed informally by GULFMET (as GULFMET have Provisional
RMO status) with APMP carrying out the formal intra-regional review on behalf of GULFMET.
The first CMC for CARICOM, involving the Designated Institute of Trinidad and Tobago, was
published in Mass on 12 January 2021, submitted via SIM.

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Table 1-c Number of published CMCs per metrology area on 1 March 2021 since 26 August
2020.

1.3. Greyed out CMCs and reinstatements

There are presently 513 (475) greyed out CMCs. Table 1-f displays all greyed out CMCs where the
most recent events are highlighted in yellow and green for increased and decreased number of
greyed-out CMCs, respectively.

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Table 1-e Status of greyed out CMCs on 1 March 2021.

1.4. Format of uncertainty equations

A request from CCL, supported by CCM, to replace the numerical equation format (presently
applied in the KCDB) by quantity based equations, was approved by CIPM members at the
Consultative Committee President’s meeting in June 2018.
The transition to this new format requests a revision of the uncertainty equations. The JCRB
Executive Secretary and the KCDB Office developed instructions how to carry out such
revision.
The TC-L of EURAMET made the revision May/July 2020 and the revised CMCs were
successfully uploaded by the KCDB Office in July. No other revision has been initiated not
completed.

2. CIPM MRA Appendix B : Key and supplementary comparisons

2.1. Comparison status and evolvement

On the 1 March 2021 the KCDB covered 1706 (1672) comparisons online distributed as listed in
Table 2; 1080 of these are key comparisons and 626 supplementary comparisons. This represents
a total increase of 34 comparisons, all registered by the pilots using the KCDB web platform.

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Table 2 Key and Supplementary Comparisons on 1 March 2021.

Entity KC SC
BIPM 97 1
CC 529 34
AFRIMETS 8 27
APMP 144 119
COOMET 49 117
EURAMET 176 200
GULFMET2 4 20
SIM 73 108
TOTAL 1080 626

Figure 2 shows the evolution of the total number of key (dark blue) and of supplementary (peach)
comparisons registered in the KCDB since September 2003. The annual increase of key
comparisons seems to have stabilized to around some +30. The annual increase of key- and
supplementary comparisons is around 6 %. The ratio of supplementary comparisons, 20 % in 2006,
keeps progressing and constitutes 37 % of all comparisons. The graph include repeats of key
comparisons.

Figure 2. Total number of key comparisons (dark blue) and supplementary comparisons (peach)
registered in the KCDB: evolution since September 2003

2
The GULFMET was approved as an RMO on a provisional basis by the CIPM in October 2015.

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Figure 3. Number of new comparisons registered in the KCDB over the one-year period
ending at the date indicated on the abscissa.

The number of new key and supplementary comparisons registered in the KCDB over the one-year
period ending at the date indicated on the the abscissa is illustrated in Figure 3.

Graphs generated in real-time illustrating the participation in key and supplementary comparisons
are available under the Statistics menu on the KCDB home page:
https://www.bipm.org/kcdb/comparison/statistics/key
https://www.bipm.org/kcdb/comparison/statistics/supplementary.

The following 34 comparisons were registered as new during the last 6 months:

AFRIMETS.AUV.V-K5 CCQM-K169 COOMET.L-S31

AFRIMETS.M.FF-S1 CCQM-K170 COOMET.L-S32
APMP.L-K5.2021 CCQM-K171 COOMET.M.FF-S10
APMP.L-K8.2021 CCQM-K172 COOMET.PR-S12
APMP.L-S10 CCQM-K173 COOMET.RI(II)-S3
CCM.P-K16 CCQM-K174 EURAMET.AUV.V-S1
CCM.P-K17 CCRI(III)-K8.2024 EURAMET.L-S31
CCM.P-K18 CCT-K7.2021 EURAMET.PR-K3.2020
CCQM-K152 COOMET.EM-S25 SIM.QM-S10
CCQM-K154.b COOMET.EM-S26 SIM.T-K6.8
CCQM-K154.c COOMET.L-K4.2021 SIM.T-S11
CCQM-K154.d

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The following 50 reports were published during the last 6 months:

AFRIMETS.T-S2 CCQM-K146 EURAMET.M.FF-S10

APMP.QM-K18.2016 CCQM-K151 EURAMET.M.G-K3
APMP.QM-S12 CCQM-K152 EURAMET.M.H-S1.a.b.c
APMP.QM-S7.1 CCQM-K154.a.1 EURAMET.M.M-K4.2015
BIPM.EM-K14.a and b (SASO) CCQM-K18.2016 EURAMET.M.P-K1.c
BIPM.RI(I)-K1 (BEV) CCQM-K34.2016.1 EURAMET.M.P-K15.1
BIPM.RI(I)-K3 (VNIIM) CCQM-K73.2018 EURAMET.PR-K2.a.2011
BIPM.RI(II)-K1.Ag-110m CCT-K6.2 EURAMET.PR-S5
BIPM.RI(II)-K1.Co-60 (PTB, TAEK) COOMET.M.FF-S9 EURAMET.QM-S12
BIPM.RI(II)-K1.Ge-68 COOMET.M.H-S5 EURAMET.RI(I)-K1.1
BIPM.RI(II)-K1.Na-22 COOMET.M.P-S4 EURAMET.RI(I)-K4.1
BIPM.RI(II)-K1.Ra-223 EURAMET.EM-S41 GULFMET.EM-S5.1
BIPM.RI(II)-K1.Sr-85 EURAMET.EM-S42 GULFMET.M.F-S1
BIPM/RI(I)-K6 (LNE-LNHB) EURAMET.L-K4.2005.1 GULFMET.M.F-S2
CCM.FF-K3.2011.1 EURAMET.M.D-K1.1 GULFMET.M.M-K4
CCM.M-K8.2019 EURAMET.M.FF-K4.1.2016 SIM.QM-S10
CCQM-K143 EURAMET.M.FF-K4.2.2015

On 1 March 2021, 85 abandoned or superseded key and supplementary comparisons were stored
in the KCDB archives (included in the presented statistics).

2.2. Comparisons older than 5 years (Follow-up Action 33/3 of JCRB 2015)

Action 33/3: The BIPM KCDB office, as part of the KCDB report to the JCRB, to identify Key and
Supplementary Comparisons which were started 5 or more years ago and have not reached a
conclusion.
Although the number of unfinished comparison older than 5 years shows a slight decrease from
previous years, the total number seems to have stabilized to roughly half the number compared
before taking any action. The total number is illustrated in Figure 4. A list of the comparisons
concerned may be found in Appendix I.

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Figure 4. Histogram showing the number of incomplete comparisons that

started more than 5 years ago.

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3. Participation of Associates of the CGPM in CIPM MRA activities

Table 3 summarizes the participation of the 40 Associates of the CGPM in CIPM MRA activities as
at 1 March 2021. In particular, CARICOM, via Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards, submitted
their first CMC. Cambodia signed the CIPM MRA and became Associate, while Estonia, former
Associate became member

Table 3. CIPM MRA activity of the NMIs of Associates of the CGPM: number of published CMCs and
participation in key and supplementary comparisons. 3

3
These numbers take into account all comparisons registered in the KCDB, disregarding status, for which at least one
laboratory of the Associate is listed in the participants list.

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The repartition of CMCs and comparisons among Associates is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6.

Figure 5. Graph on the number of CMCs declared by Associates of the CGPM

Figure 6. Graph on the participation of Associates of the CGPM in key and supplementary comparisons

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4. Status of the BIPM KCDB 2.0

• The KCDB 2.0 was made available in October 2019, and the KCDB web platform was
successively made available to the different metrology areas, where now all metrology
areas use the KCDB platform.
• The implementation has been accompanied by providing a variety of guidance material,
cf. https://www.bipm.org/en/about-us/kcdb-help.html, and demonstrations to users
within the frame of the CBKT https://www.bipm.org/en/cbkt/, see also Appendix II and
III. The guidance material is successively enlarged.
• The KCDB 2.0 software is supported by an Application Management contract. Revealed
anomalies are corrected; the software has been updated at a number of occasions since
start. Anomalies and suggestions for improvements may be communicated by the users
by completing the form
https://www.bipm.org/utils/common/pdf/KCDB_2.0/Form_for_declaring_an_anomaly_
or_request.docx.
• The first CMC that has been drafted, reviewed and approved on the KCDB web platform
was published on 2 April 2020 - there are now 326 such CMCs. The average duration of
the JCRB review of 1 CMC is 93 days.

4.1. Quality System

The Quality System underpinning the previous version of the KCDB has been updated and an
internal audit was held in September 2020. The set of procedures will be completed by a document
describing the database. A new internal audit is foreseen 2021.

5. Application Programming Interface for the KCDB

The BIPM has recently developed an Application and Programming Interface for the KCDB (API
KCDB). This interface allows external users to make CMC queries from a support other than the
KCDB web and to collect machine readable data.
The API KCDB is presently being beta-tested by members from NMIs that have indicated their
interest. Adjustments have been made based on their feedback.
The API KCDB will play an important role for Digital Calibration Certificates.

Acknowledgement
The support on testing and constructive feedback received from members of METAS, PTB, VNIIM,
NRC and CENAM is greatly appreciated. We value the collaboration with Sten Bergstrand (JCRB
Executive Secretary). Many thanks also to the BIPM IT team for their continued support.

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APPENDIX I List of uncompleted comparisons older than 5 years

a) Key Comparisons

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(continued…)

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b) Supplementary Comparisons

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APPENDIX II Available support on the KCDB web platform on 1 March 2021

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(continued…)

APPENDIX III Demonstrations given on the KCDB web platform within the frame of
Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer from 27 August 2020 to 1 March 2021

− Demonstration of the KCDB CMC facilities and Q&A to TC Chairs in General Physics: 3
September 2020
− Demonstration of the KCDB CMC facilities and Q&A to TC Chairs in Ionizing Radiation: 10
September 2020
− Demonstration of the KCDB CMC facilities and Q&A to Writers Chem-Bio: 15 October
− Demonstration of the KCDB 2.0 to ILAC : 21 January 2021
− Demonstration of KCDB Comparison tools (All Metrology areas): 3 Feb 2021
− Demonstration and support at numerous CC WG and RMO TC meetings

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