Calibration
What is standard?
All Dewetron systems are shipped with a certificate of compliance with our published standards for that product. Of course, each system is calibrated at our factory before it is shipped, although the calibration certificates are not provided unless they are ordered (there is a cost for the traceable certificates).
Calibration at Dewetron
Dewetron maintains two top-notch calibration facilities with the same equipment: one at our worldwide headquarters in Austria, and another at Dewetron USA in Rhode Island. You can send your system to Dewetron USA for NIST traceable calibration. Our cal lab is based on the Fluke 5500 series calibrators, and we run the METCAL calibration system, which allows us to automate nearly every process. To arrange to have your system calibrated at Dewetron USA, please contact us at your convenience. When we calibrate your system, it is returned with NIST traceable calibration certificates in hard copy form.
Customer side calibration
Some of our customers have a calibration facility of their own, and prefer to do their own calibration in-house. For this we have several products available for your use - starting with our printed CAL manual, and all the way through complete calibration systems and accessories:
For calibrating DAQP Modules and Mdaq Modules we offer a CAL KIT (see below), as well as a variety of calibration system options for sale:
Note - we do not list prices on the website - please contact Dewetron for an official price quote on any item here.
CAL-KIT
- including CAL-MANUAL and CAL-ADJUST
Download the Kit overview PDF > CLICK
CAL-MANUAL
- Calibration instructions for DEWETRON modules
- CAL-ADJUST Slot extension for module calibration, Includes 30 cm flat ribbon cable
- connector: 9-pin DSUB
Calibration Capacitor
Download the Capacitor PDF > CLICK
Dewetron uses METCAL® - a Fluke metrology system - for calibrating your Dewetron systems. METCAL Procedures for DAQP modules are written to calibrate the modules by means of a Stand-alone CAL-RACK-16 connected by RS232 serial port to the METCAL computer. METCAL will control the module to select ranges while the module is connected to the Calibrator and DMM with the correct cables from the CAL KIT. In this way modules are calibrated outside the system, and therefore the system calibration is performed separatelly by injecting signals to the rack and reading the values thru the A/D card(s) with DEWESoft.
You can also calibrate the modules without the CAL-RACK-16, with just the CAL-KIT & its cables, but not with the METCAL procedure unless you go into the back of the system to disconnect the internal RS232 connection, and then connect that to the METCAL PC - essentially controlling the modules with the METCAL PC. This is more complex and we cannot provide routine support for non-standard hook-ups such as this.
- 16 slot mainframe for calibrating DEWETRON DAQx modules
- Special DAQ motherboard with gold-plated sockets
- 16 BNC sockets for ±5 V output of DAQx-modules on the front panel
- Includes serial interface for DAQP / PAD modules
- Power supply 120/230 VAC with special line filter
- Additional connector for DEWETRON or NI-MIO-16E series A/D boards
(UUT = Unit Under Test)
CALIBRATION Q&A
What certificate do you get for FREE with every Dewetron system?
You get a certificate of compliance with our published specs.
Normally this is the last page in the manual for the main system, or sometimes it is provided loosely.
Does Dewetron provide calibration certificates?
Yes, but not for free - they are available for purchase!! It is best to purchase them up front, i.e., on the purchase order with the instrument!
I already bought a system and it was delivered already - can you just send me the cal certificates?
Sure - but you need to order them via PO or credit card.
I bought the system ?? months ago. Do you have the certs?
We keep all calibration records on file permanently. So if we shipped your system ?? months ago, we can sell you the cal certs no problem!
See the price list.
My system was shipped 11 months ago - can you sell me or give me updated certs?
We can sell you the certs that we did before shipping, but they will be 11 months ago. We cannot just change the dates without re-calibrating!
Does Dewetron calibrate all products?
We calibrate ALL of our products, whether they are made in Austria, the USA, or anywhere!
We have cal labs in the USA as well as several of them in Europe.
What is your recommended calibration interval?
Normally we say 1 year, but MSI interfaces are typically 2 years. But this really is the choice of each customer!
It depends a lot on your environment, level of usage, as well as any regulations in your industry, from your customer, or local/state/federal requirements that your measurements are subject to.
Do you offer NIST traceable calibration?
In the USA we do all calibrations traceable to NIST, yes.
Is your USA calibration NIST and Z540 compliant?
Yes, this info is printed right on the cal certificates generated here in the USA.
(In Europe, the cal certs are traceable back to ISO.)
What kind of system do you use for calibration?
We use a Fluke 5500 and 5520 with various precision voltage meters (e.g., Keithley), with the Fluke METCAL system.
We use METCAL - can you just give me your procedures?
Sorry, we sell them - but they are available for purchase! Also the hardware interfaces that we build for interfacing the MDAQ modules especially are costly to make.
All of these things are in the price list.
I don't have METCAL - and I just want to do calibrations manually - is that possible?
Yes, please buy the CAL-KIT, which contains a manual as well as the little parts you need for most modules.
Could I buy an entire CAL system from Dewetron, with all the Fluke hardware and METCAL software, Dewetron cal fixtures, and procedures?
Yes! We have provided an entire CAL RACK to NASA, as one example. The entire system is approximately $75k, and includes everything you need.
We can make custom quotes depending on what specifically you might need.
For MDAQ based systems, procedures are written to calibrate the entire system together with the MDAQ and A/D card(s). This is done by installing a calibration software DLL into the add-ons directory of DEWESoft, and activating it within the software during calibration only. This DLL is configured as a plugin in DEWESoft on the UUT, and connecting the UUT via RS232 serial to the metcal PC. In this manner METCAL controls DEWESoft on the UUT to step thru the ranges and report back to metcal that it is reading the correct values.
CAL-MDAQ-BNC-SET
- Package including all the specific hardware for calibration of all DEWETRON MDAQ systems with
- BNC connector, consisting of:
- 1 connection panel for MDAQ-SUB-V-200-BNC, MDAQ-V-10, MDAQ-V-100, MDAQSUB-
- ACC-BNC and MDAQ-SUB-ACC-A-BNC
- 1 DEWESoft calibration plugin
- 1 zero-modem cable and RS232 to USB converter
- Additionally required but not included:
- DEWESoft 6.5 (has to be installed on the unit under test)
- appropriate calibration procedure
- MET/CAL® V7.2
- Fluke 5520A calibrator
CAL-PROC-MDAQ-BRIDGE
- METCAL procedure for automatic calibration of all DEWETRON systems with MDAQ-SUB-STG-D or MDAQ-SUB-BRIDGE-D modules.
- Additionally required but not included:
- DEWESoft 6.5 (has to be installed on the unit under test)
- CAL-MDAQ-DB9-SET
- CAL-BRIDGE or CAL-SCAN
- DEWE-30-16-CAL
- MET/CAL® V7.2
- Fluke 5520A calibrator
- Agilent 3458A multimeter
CAL-PROC-MDAQ-V-200
- METCAL procedure for automatic calibration of all DEWETRON systems with MDAQ-SUB-V-200-BNC or MDAQ-SUB-V-200-D modules.
- Additionally required but not included:
- DEWESoft 6.5 (has to be installed on the unit under test)
- CAL-MDAQ-BNC-SET for MDAQ-SUB-V-200-BNC
- CAL-MDAQ-DB9-SET and CAL-BRIDGE or CAL-SCAN for MDAQ-SUB-V-200-D
- DEWE-30-16-CAL for CAL-SCAN
- MET/CAL® V7.2
- Fluke 5520A calibrator
- Agilent 3458A multimeter
CAL-SCAN
- 8-ch scanner with 2 poles for low level signal switching
- switching capacity 10 Volt and 10 mA
- max. thermoelectromotive force 2 μV (0.4 μV differential)
- Break down voltage 450 Vrms (between channel and backplane)
- fully programmable via RS-485
CAL-BRIDGE
- Calibration unit for bridge amplifiers
- strain gage simulation from ±0.01mV/V up to ±300 mV/V
- basic accuracy 0.005%, filter control up to 300 kHz
- two separate 4 ch scanners with 2 poles for low level signal switching
- switching capacity 10 Volt and 10 mA
- max. thermoelectromotive force 2 μV (0.4 μV differential)
- Break down voltage 450 Vrms (between channel and backplane)
- fully programmable via RS-485
- Includes external manual-control box
