Fluke Calibration Blog
Calibration Equipment & Standards and Calibration Software
Dec 15, 2015
Fluke endeavors to build the world’s most accurate, rugged and reliable test equipment. Our products are calibrated to be traceable to the International System of Units (SI) through intrinsic standards or National Metrology Institutes. (Note: It is not possible for some Fluke Biomedical products to be traceable to the SI and in those cases the calibrations are traceable to consensus standards). However, all electronic components and mechanical devices exhibit drift over time. To ensure that...
Aug 25, 2015
To calibrate an industrial temperature sensor like a PRT, RTD, thermistor, or thermocouple, you put the sensor into a stable industrial temperature readout like a dry-well, furnace, or calibration bath, and then compare the sensor’s output to the output of a reference standard probe connected to a thermometer readout. There are many different types of reference standard probes and thermometer readouts, and many ways to combine them, so knowing what to purchase can be a little confusing. We can...
Jul 22, 2015
Coaxial cables are common throughout RF and microwave calibration, representing significant investment as precision cables can be very expensive. Choosing an appropriate cable type is often critical to successfully making accurate, repeatable measurements. Characteristics of the cable, the connectors, and the attachment of the connectors to the cable all contribute. The key characteristics are attenuation, phase shift (delay) and match, and their stability with time, temperature and flexing/...
Jul 09, 2015
Pressure controllers / calibrators, also referred to as pressure controllers, are pressure standards that combine digital reference pressure standards with hardware to automatically set and control pressure. Pressure controllers are typically bench-top systems, but can sometimes be fixed (rack), portable and/or transportable.
Here are six reasons why a pressure controller/calibrator might be just what you need to calibrate pressure:
1) Ease of use – Generating and measuring a pressure is as...
Jun 22, 2015
You’ve got the approval and the budget to purchase a new pressure calibration system. Now how do you find the perfect solution? Asking yourself these six questions is a great way to get started.
1. What is the accuracy or uncertainty of the device to be tested?
Once you know the specifications of your device under test (DUT), you can then look for calibrators that will give you a 4:1 test uncertainty ratio.
2. Where will you be using the calibrator?
If you are taking the calibrator out into...
May 28, 2015
Thermocouples are broadly used in many industrial and scientific applications. But it can be a bit tricky to understand how they work and how to calibrate them.
We've developed a thermocouple application note series created by temperature calibration experts to help you learn what you need to know. The series covers how thermocouples work, choosing calibration equipment, calculating uncertainties, and how to calibrate thermocouples.
There are four application notes in the series:
Thermocouple...
May 26, 2015
World Metrology Day commemorates the signing of the Meter Convention on May 20, 1875. We who are dedicated to metrology, the science of measurement, celebrate the importance of measurements on this day. We also like to use this day to evangelize and talk about measurements and why they are so interesting and important to us all.
The theme for World Metrology Day 2015 is “Measurements and Light,” which got me thinking about Fluke Corporation’s contributions in that area. You might not associate...
Nov 11, 2014
The transconductance amplifier (TA) is a widely used, stable, and accurate source of electrical current. TA’s are commonly used for testing and calibration of current sensors such as shunts, current transformers (CT’s), and Rogowski coils. The TA is also used in basic research applications requiring accurate and stable source of current.
The TA takes a voltage input (and in some cases current) and produces an accurate current that is nearly independent of electrical load impedance...
Jun 26, 2014
The Fluke Calibration brand has grown over the years to encompass a broad range of products and services in electrical, rf, temperature, pressure, and flow calibration, plus calibration software. This infographic tells the story of how our brand has progressed over the years, and what we stand for. You might be surprised to see what we have in common with our colleagues in the Fluke Corporation “industrial” business, and how we’re different.
Download the infographic »
May 19, 2014
Many Fluke Calibration pressure measuring instruments require periodic zeroing of the reference pressure transducer to correct for drift that occurs naturally over time. For the transducers that are intrinsically absolute, the zeroing process is often performed by comparison to local barometric pressure. This is a relatively simple task for laboratories that have access to a precision in-house barometer. With the exception of a few low pressure ranges, zero by comparison to an in...
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