Unit 2 — Equipment and Test Setup

TM-CAL-013 — Open Handout TM Chapter: Chapter 3 ELOs: Identify required equipment; understand test configuration Estimated time: 20 minutes

Step 1: Read the TM

Open TM-CAL-013. Read Chapter 3 — Materials and Construction completely.

Then come back here.

Chapter 3 Content

3-1. STANDARD PREPARATION

Cut a section of RG-58 to an exact measured length. Accuracy of the capacitance standard depends directly on length measurement accuracy.

  1. Measure RG-58 section to ±1 mm using steel rule.
  2. Install BNC connectors on both ends. Verify center pin fully seated and dielectric flush with BNC shoulder.
  3. Mark cable: length in cm, calculated capacitance, date.
  4. Short one end (connect center to shield at one BNC).
  5. The other BNC becomes the measurement port.

Equipment Readiness

Review the equipment list in Chapter 3 carefully.

Before beginning any calibration, verify every item on the equipment list is: - Present and in working order - Within its own calibration period (do not calibrate with an uncalibrated reference) - Set up per the configuration specified in Chapter 3

The reference quality is the ceiling on your calibration quality. A reference with unknown accuracy produces a calibration with unknown accuracy.

Self-Check Questions

SC2-1. List the three most important pieces of equipment specified in Chapter 3.

SC2-2. What reference standard(s) does the TM specify for this calibration?

SC2-3. Does Chapter 3 specify any warm-up time or settling requirement? If so, state it.

SC2-4. What is the test configuration? (How is the equipment connected or arranged?)

SC2-5. What would be the consequence of using a reference standard that is itself out of calibration?

Answer Key

SC2-1. See Chapter 3 equipment table or list. Identify the three items that appear first or are marked most critical.

SC2-2. See Chapter 3. The reference standard is the source of known-good values used to check the instrument under test.

SC2-3. See Chapter 3. Warm-up time is often specified for instruments that use oscillators or amplifiers — they need thermal stabilization before measurements are valid.

SC2-4. See Chapter 3. Describe the connection or arrangement in your own words, then verify against the TM.

SC2-5. The calibration error of the reference propagates directly into your calibration result. If the reference is 5% off and you do not know it, your calibration will also be 5% off — and you will not know that either.

Checkpoint

Before proceeding, you must be able to: - List the required equipment from memory - State the reference standard and its specified accuracy

→ Proceed to Unit 3