INSTRUMENTATION

CALIBRATION

CALIBRATION: DEFINITION

The process of adjusting an instrument or equipment to meet the

manufacturers conformance with its specifications.
The process of determining the relationship between the values of the
quantity being measured and that indicated on a measuring instrument.
-

from instrument engineer or technician

A test during which known values of measurand are applied to the

transducer and corresponding output readings are recorded under specified
conditions.
A comparison of measuring equipment against a standard instrument of
higher accuracy to detect, correlate, adjust, rectify and document the
accuracy of the instrument being compared.
- Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society (ISA)

CALIBRATION RANGE
VS
INSTRUMENT RANGE

Calibration Range
Defined as the region between the limits within which a
quantity is measured, received, transmitted, expressed
by stating the lower and upper range values.
Limits are defined by the zero and span values.
Zero value Is the lower end of the range.
Span value Defined as the algebraic difference
between the upper and lower range.

Instrument Range
Refers to the capability of the instrument.
It is often the nameplate rating of the instrument.

INSTRUMENT ERRORS
PERFORMANCE OF AN INSTRUMENT

Repeatability
If an accurate signal is applied and removed repeatedly
to the system and it is found that the indicated reading
is different each time, the instrument has poor
repeatability.

Stability
Instability is most likely to occur in instruments
involving electronic processing with a high degree of
amplification.
Common cause of this is adverse environment factors
such as temperature and vibration.

Reliability
The more reliability it is, less chance it has of going
wrong during its expected life span.
Life span of an instrument

Accuracy
The accuracy of instrument is often stated as a % of the
range or full scale deflection.
Example: A digital thermometer reads from -120 to 300
C. The accuracy is guaranteed to . Determine the
possible temperature range when it indicates 80 C.
Accuracy = 2%(420) = 8.4
Temperature ranges from 71.6 to 88.4 C

CALIBRATION
Two Methods of Calibration

FIELD CALIBRATION
The instrument is not removed from the process.
Field calibration allows the field instrument to be tested
or calibrated at the true process and ambient
conditions.

Bench/ In-Shop Calibration

A procedure where the instrument is calibrated at a
calibration bench using calibration devices to simulate
the process, rather than calibrating the device in the
field using actual process.