| Select Answer Mode | |
|---|---|
| Operation | |
| Performance Limits | |
| Calibration Deviation | |
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User Guide
This multi-function tool can be easily adapted to calculate all the main parameters required by users when setting up, configuring and calibrating the different types of temperature sensors with added signal conditioning.
Answer Modes
Operation
These answer modes will help you determine the exact input temperature or output reading for an entered measurement based on the selected temperature range and signal conditioning output type corresponding to your temperature sensor. Since temperature sensors are mostly scaled in °C or °F, a temperature unit converter is also provided to convert a temperature reading to alternative units.
As an example, this is how you would set-up the tool for determining the expected output reading from a -62 to +232 °C range with a 0 to 10 volt output temperature sensor.
Performance Limits
These choices will help you convert the manufacturers performance specification into directly relatable values for temperature and output. Manufacturer’s mainly define performance characteristics as a proportion of range, temperature or output units, and these answer modes will allow you to convert these accuracy limits to a temperature uncertainty, output deviation or proportion of full scale.
To demonstrate how you would use this tool to compare the manufacturer’s stated performance with actual measurements, this is how you would configure the calculator to convert a 1% full scale accuracy to a temperature error for a -62 to +232 °C range temperature sensor.
Calibration Deviation
Use these answer modes when calibrating your temperature sensor rationalised output to determine the deviation of the output from the ideal value for a particular calibration set-point, as a proportional error or in units of output or pressure.
If you were calibrating a -62 to +232 °C range temperature transmitter with a 4 to 20 milliamps output, this is what you would enter to determine the temperature error if the output is 12.32 mA for a 50% calibration setpoint of +85 °C.
Parameters
Temperature
This is the temperature which is measured by the temperature sensor, you can either enter a value to see what output to expect from a temperature sensor with rationalised signal conditioning, or you can enter the value verified by a calibration reference and compare it to the actual output to determine the calibration error.
Conversion
Temperature sensors are often scaled in °C or °F measurement units, but used to measure temperature in other units. You can use this converter to check the value of any temperature value in other units.
Low Limit
This is lowest temperature which the sensor will measure, and is used to define the lower limit of the temperature measurement range, that also corresponds to the lowest output value.
High Limit
This is highest temperature which the sensor will measure, and is used to define the upper limit of the temperature measurement range, that also corresponds to the highest output value.
Output
This is what a temperature sensor with signal conditioning sends out in the form of an analogue output or as readings via a digital interface. The readings will typically vary proportionally with the measurement range as a straight line, although there will be slight deviations due to the accuracy limitations of the temperature sensor.
Accuracy
This the proportion of the temperature sensor output range which represents the amount of deviation from a perfect measurement. It is used to define the specification limits of temperature sensors on manufacturers product data sheets and brochures, and also to calculate calibration errors.
Temperature Error
This is the amount of temperature deviation from a perfectly accurate measurement, and represents the scope of uncertainty in the output of the temperature sensor, expressed in temperature units.
Output Error
This is the amount of output deviation from a perfectly accurate measurement, and represents the scope of uncertainty in the output of the temperature sensor.