How to Comply with

ANSI Z540.3
Bob Stern
Agilent Senior Metrologist
NCSLI member delegate
Co-chair, 174 Standards Writing Committee
Member, 171 Z540.3 Handbook Committee
Member, Agilent Cal Cert Working Group
Member, ILAC-P14 compliance project

Calibration Modules

1
2
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Why Calibrate
What is it?

Calibration
Adjustments
Who can do it?

Dec 13

Measurement
Uncertainty
How accurate?

Standards
Compliance
Which ones?

Accreditation
Why it matters?
Nov 13

Jan 15

Z540.3
Compliance

Traceability
Why important?
Dec 13

Feb13

How?

5
6
7

1 Why Calibrate?

YouTube calibration videos

www.YouTube.com/AgilentCalRepair

1 Why Calibrate

http://youtu.be/HwSxBRaxn_4

2 Adjustments

http://youtu.be/IqsLmYgtoOg

3 Accuracy/Uncertainty

http://youtu.be/ENvl8BYzMG0

4 Traceability

http://youtu.be/-eMQ0KakIyQ

5 Standards compliance http://youtu.be/8s2Xx3C0_ds

6 Accreditation

http://youtu.be/SH2wewUBlr8

7 ANSI Z540.3

http://youtu.be/4P8alkNAQ24

9 min

1 Why Calibrate?

What is calibration?

1. Characterize your
device/instrument

Measure the actual performance!

2. How Accurate?

Measurement Uncertainty

3. Pass or Fail?

Statement of Conformance

4. Advise client if found Adjust, if instructed, and repeat

out-of-tolerance.
calibration.

Formal definition at: http://www.bipm.org/utils/common/documents/jcgm/JCGM_200_2012.pdf

3 Measurement Uncertainty

Test point Pass/Fail labeling challenge

TUR=

Span of the tolerance

2U

Upper specification
2U
Span of the tolerance

Nominal

Lower specification

TUR = Test Uncertainty Ratio, paragraph 3.11 ANSI Z540.3

7 Z540.3 Compliance

Power Measurement Uncertainty

U(Pcal) Calibrator output level uncertainty

U(Zs) Power meter zero set uncertainty

U(Zs) Power meter instrumentation uncertainty

U(D) Power meter drift uncertainty

u(Mu) Mismatch uncertainty, sensor & sig-gen

u(Muc) Mismatch uncertainty, sensor & cal output

u(Kb) Sensor calibration factor uncertainty

u(N) Sensor and meter noise uncertainty

u(Pl) Sensor linearity uncertainty

Application Notes 1449 series http://cp.literature.agilent.com/litweb/pdf/5988-9215EN.pdf

Where does the Z540-1 term, 4:1come from?

Test Uncertainty ratio (TUR) should be > 4:1

Z540.2 is the American English version of

the ISO GUM

Source: Z540-1 paragraph 10.2b

7 Z540.3 Compliance

Addressing Global Requirements

ISO/IEC 17025
When statements of compliance are made, the uncertainty

ANSI / NCSL
Z540-1
of measurements
shall be taken into account

paragraph 5.10.4.2

ILAC-G8

ANSI / NCSL Z540.3

EURAMET/cg-15/v.01
(previously EA 04/13)

7 Z540.3 Compliance

Addressing Global Requirements

ILAC-G8 Guidelines on the Reporting of
Compliance with Specification

ISO/IEC 17025

ANSI / NCSL Z540-1

ILAC-G8
Upper Tolerance

ANSI / NCSL Z540.3

Case 1

Case 2

Case 3

Case 4

EURAMET/cg-15/v.01
(previously EA 04/13)

7 Z540.3 Compliance

Addressing Global Requirements

ISO/IEC 17025

ANSI / NCSL Z540-1

ILAC-G8

ANSI / NCSL Z540.3

Where calibrations provide for verification that measurement
quantities
EURAMET/cg-15/v.01
are within specified tolerances, the probability that incorrect
acceptance
(previously
EA 04/13)
decisions (false accept) will result from calibration test shall not exceed 2%...
paragraph 5.3b

7 Z540.3 Compliance

Probability of false acceptance

Paragraph 5.3b: Where calibrations provide
for verification that measurement quantities
are within specified tolerances, the
probability that incorrect acceptance
decisions (false accept) will result from
calibration tests shall not exceed 2% and
shall be documented

Upper specification

Nominal

Lower specification

7 Z540.3 Compliance

Integrate the joint probability density function

Device Population Error

Calibration Process Uncertainty

. . . or get the Z540.3 Handbook

7 Z540.3 Compliance

Get the Z540.3 Handbook

Excellent tutorial on Probability of False
Acceptance (PFA)
Details on 6 compliance methods
Available from the NCSLI on-line store
www.ncsli.org

Hint: If youre new to Z540.3 start reading

In Appendix A.

7 Z540.3 Compliance

www.ncsli.org

7 Z540.3 Compliance

Z540.3 compliance information requirements

NCSLI Z540.3
Handbook
Compliance
Method

Information Requirements
M&TE
Test
Tolerances

M&TE
Test Point
Measurement
Reliability

M&TE
Overall
Measurement
Reliability

Calibration
Process
Measurement
Uncertainty

Test Point Population

M&TE Population

Acceptance Subpopulation

Bayesian

Expanded Uncertainty

Managed Guardband

ISO GUM / Z540.2

7 Z540.3 Compliance

89% Rule compliance method / NASA

>89% end-of-period reliability (EOPR) results in < 2% PFA

In use at NASA
MSC & NCSLI papers by Paul Reese, Jonathon Harben, Scott Mimbs, Perry King
March 2012 Measure Magazine article, Risk Mitigation Strategies for
Compliance Testing, contact Jonathan.P.Harben@nasa.gov

7 Z540.3 Compliance

Did you know?

Pass per ILAC-G8 is identical

to a Pass using Z540.3 Handbook
compliance method 5

Source: www.ilac.org Guidelines on Assessment and Reporting of Compliance with Specification ILAC-G8:1996

7 Z540.3 Compliance

Z540.3 cal available now for > 700 instruments

www.agilent.com/find/americas_cal

7 Z540.3 Compliance

Sample calibration certificate

7 Z540.3 Compliance

Agilent N7800 calibration & adjustment software

covers over 190 instruments

www.agilent.com/find/calibrationsoftware

Do new instruments comply with Z540.3 ?

Factory instrument production process flow (simplified)
Every warranted & typical spec
measured vs. Test Line Limit

Load bare
boards/solder

bed of nails
board test

Final
assembly

adjustments

Final test
(EI)

Pass?
Yes
Done

Factory calibration

Courtesy of Ed Dempsey, Santa Rosa. EI is electronic inspection

No

Diagnose

7 Z540.3 Compliance

Setting Specifications at Agilent Technologies

Delta Environmental
and Drift
Production
Margin

Test Line
Limit

Expanded
Measurement
Uncertainty

Specification

New instruments from the factory comply with ISO/IEC 17025, ILAC-G8,
and ANSI/NCSL Z540.3-2006
Source: Setting and Using Specifications, Michael Dobbert, Sept 2010 issue, Measure Magazine

7 Z540.3 Compliance

Where to get more info on Z540.3

www.agilent.com/find/Z540.3

7 Z540.3 Compliance

Summary: How to comply with Z540.3

You need Measurement Uncertainty (Z540.2 / ISO GUM) for your cal procedures
This answers How accurate is this measurement?
Get/read the NCSLI Z540.3 Handbook
Tutorial on PFA
Descriptions & examples for 6 published methods

Pick the method that works best for you.

Prioritize the instruments/families that matter most to your organization.
If you send out your instruments for Z540.3 cal, ask to see example reports
of what youll receive.

7 Z540.3 Compliance

Agilent compliance to Z540.3

If you buy new instruments from Agilent Technologies and. . .

either send your instruments to Agilent for Agilent cal +

Uncertainties + Guardbanding cal service or
use Agilent N7800A Calibration & Adjustment Software. . .
then you comply with Z540.3

Agilent performs Z540.3 calibration for over 700

models today.

1 Why Calibrate?

On Demand Calibration Webcasts:

www.agilent.com/find/calibrationwebcasts
w
4) 13 Feb 2013

How to Comply with ANSI Z540.3

Now On-Demand:
1) 8 Nov 2012 Calibration: Why it Matters to You and What it Should Include

2) 13 Dec 2012 Calibration Traceability & Standards Compliance

3) 15 Jan 2013

De-Mystifying Calibration Accreditation

Questions and Answers