Accuracy
A reading from a DMM can differ from the actual input. Accuracy represents the uncertainty of a given measurement and can be defined in terms of the deviation from an ideal transfer function, as follows:
y = mx + b
where
x is the input
m is the ideal gain of a system
b is the offset
Applying this example to a DMM signal measurement, y is the reading obtained from the DMM with x as the input, and b is an offset error that you may be able to null before the measurement is performed. If m is 1, the output measurement is equal to the input. If m is 1.000001, then the error from the ideal is 1 ppm or 0.0001%.
The following table shows some ppm to percent conversions.
| ppm | Percent |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.0001 |
| 10 | 0.001 |
| 100 | 0.01 |
| 1,000 | 0.1 |
| 10,000 | 1 |
Most high-resolution, high-accuracy DMMs describe accuracy in units of ppm (DC functions) and percentage (AC functions). Therefore, DC and AC accuracy specifications commonly appear as ±(ppm of reading + ppm of range) or ±(% of reading + % of range), respectively. The reading component is the deviation from the ideal m, and the range component is the deviation from the ideal b, which is zero. The b errors are most commonly referred to as offset errors.
Hence, accuracy is often expressed as:
(% Reading) + Offset
or
(% Reading) + (% Range)
or
±(ppm of reading + ppm of range)
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Note To determine which method is used, refer to the specifications document included with the DMM you are using. |
For example, assume a DMM set to the 10 V range is operating 90 days after calibration at 23 ºC ±5 ºC and is expecting a 7 V signal. The DC accuracy specifications for these conditions state ±(20 ppm of reading + 6 ppm of range). To determine the accuracy of the measurement under these conditions, use the following formula:
Accuracy = ±(ppm of reading + ppm of range) = ±(20 ppm of 7 V + 6 ppm of 10 V) = ±((7 V(20/1,000,000) + (10 V(6/1,000,000)) = ±200 µV
Therefore, the reading should be within ±200 µV of the actual input voltage.
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Note Temperature can have a significant impact on the accuracy of a DMM and is a common problem for precision measurements. The temperature coefficient, or tempco, expresses the error caused by temperature. Errors are calculated as ±(ppm of reading + ppm of range)/ºC or ±(% of reading + % of range)/ºC. Refer to Self-Calibration for examples of these calculations. |