Companies display new calibration products at NCSLI conference
NCSL International Workshop and Symposium, Orlando, FL, www.ncsli.org/conference/2008.
Martin Rowe, Senior Technical Editor -- Test & Measurement World, 8/6/2008 11:45:00 AM
Metrologists are typically not impressed by the latest technology because they consider it unproven. Thus, the exhibit hall at the annual NCSL International (NCSLI) conference often has the same equipment year after year. Nonetheless, new product sometimes appear, as was the case during this year's gathering (August 3-7, Orlando, FL).
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Hart president Chris Juchau explained that the calibrator’s black disk target is radiometrically calibrated using a pyrometer traceable to PTB, the national laboratory in Germany . The calibrator's blackbody has a 95% emissivity, but you can program it for different emissivity. The calibrator will display the temperature that the IR thermometer under test should read. For example, if the plate's temperature is 50ºC at 95% emissivity, it will display a different temperature if you change the emissivity setting even though the temperature doesn’t change.
Hart also displayed its latest dry-well temperature calibrator, the Model 9144, capable of temperatures from –25ºC to 660ºC. This calibrator can accept inputs from thermocouples, thermistors, RTDs, or probes with integrated 4-mA to 20-mA process outputs.
Fluke also introduced the A40B line of AC current shunts. The series include models that you can use for measurements from 1 mA to 100 A. The shunts are designed with elements that dissipate heat, then minimizing resistance change due to self-heating.
Ametek displayed a dry-well calibrator from its JOFRA ATC series with a temperature range of –90ºC to 650ºC. The instrument works with an eight-channel scanner so you can calibrate more than one probe at a time. Three scanners can be connected to form a 24-channel calibrator.
Agilent Technologies demonstrated its precision network analyzer (PNA), used as a calibrator for RF devices such as attenuators. Next to the PNA was the E4448 presicsion spectrum analyzer, which can calibrate RF transmitters and perform many other measurements.
Tegam exhibited a new RF power meter, the Model 1830A. Designed to replace the classic HP420, the 1830A can use the same power sensors that you need for the HP420 or newer power meters from Agilent.
Keithley Instruments exhibited the latest addition to its SourceMeter line, the Model 2636. This instrument is designed for low-current, high-resistance measurements. The company also showed its latest bench DMM, the 6-1/2 digit Model 2100. This instrument, which competes with the Agilent 34410A, has a USB port (a first for Keithley) but not GPIB port.
Tektronix showed its DSA8200 digital signal analyzer, which can be used to calibrate rise time in signal sources. The AWG7102 10-Gsamples/s waveform generator can calibrate the rise time on instruments such as oscilloscopes.
Yokogawa exhibited the DL9140L 1-GHz oscilloscope that is used for serial bus measurements on buses such as I2C and RS-232.
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