[time-nuts] Calibration procedures - what is normal?

[Scott McGrath]

'Normal' calibration is a performance check and adjustments as required 

Performance checks are applying stimulus and checking instrument response is within the acceptable range.

A Full calibration is adjust each parameter to as close as practicable to ideal value and may include new cal constants and is generally far more expensive than a normal calibration 

Content by Scott
Typos by Siri

> On Feb 12, 2016, at 3:14 PM, Joseph Gray <jgray at zianet.com> wrote:
> 
> I sent my HP 3457A in for cal. I should be getting it back next week.
> I won't mention where I sent it, but it wasn't Keysight (I don't like
> that name). I recently changed the SRAM battery and purposely did not
> save the cal constants. I bought the meter second hand and it wasn't
> in spec when I bought it. I didn't care what the past data was.
> 
> The service manual lists an entire sequence of procedures for
> calibrating this DMM, starting with storing values for zero and full
> scale into the SRAM. All of this is done via the front panel, by
> pushing buttons.
> 
> I just found out that this part of the procedure is not normally done
> (at least by the lab I sent the DMM to). With no pre-existing cal
> constants, the tech I spoke to was rather annoyed that he was having
> to spend the time doing the hookups and pushing buttons for each
> function and range to store the zero and full scale values. I was told
> this added an extra hour to the normal procedure.
> 
> Not knowing what is normally done in the cal lab, I assumed that the
> entire procedure as listed in the service manual would be done. It
> seems that I was wrong.
> 
> In the end, the lab decided not to charge me for the extra time
> involved. I thanked them for that.
> 
> My question is, do any cal labs (including Keysight) normally perform
> the zero and full scale procedures as listed in the service manual?
> 
> Joe Gray
> W5JG
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