HP 34401A, User Manual

Page: 223 / 236

To Calculate Total Measurement Error
Each specification includes correction factors which account for errors
present due to operational limitations of the multimeter. This section
explains these errors and shows how to apply them to your measurements.
Refer to “Interpreting Multimeter Specifications,” starting on page 226,
to get a better understanding of the terminology used and to help you
interpret the multimeter’s specifications.
The multimeter’s accuracy specifications are expressed in the form:
(
% of reading + % of range ). In addition to the reading error and range
error, you may need to add additional errors for certain operating
conditions. Check the list below to make sure you include
all
measurement errors for a given function. Also, make sure you apply the
conditions as described in the footnotes on the specification pages.
•
If you are operating the multimeter outside the 23°C
±
5°C
temperature range specified, apply an additional temperature
coefficient error .
•
For dc voltage, dc current, and resistance measurements, you may
need to apply an additional
reading speed error or autozero OFF error .
•
For ac voltage and ac current measurements, you may need to apply
an additional
low frequency error or crest factor error .
Understanding the “ % of reading ” Error The reading error
compensates for inaccuracies that result from the function and range
you select, as well as the input signal level. The reading error varies
according to the input level on the selected range. This error is
expressed in percent of reading. The following table shows the reading
error applied to the multimeter’s 24-hour dc voltage specification.
Range
10 Vdc
10 Vdc
10 Vdc
Input Level
10 Vdc
1 Vdc
0.1 Vdc
Reading Error
(% of reading)
0.0015
0.0015
0.0015
Reading
Error Voltage
≤
150
µ
V
≤
15
µ
V
≤
1.5
µ
V
Chapter 8 Specifications
To Calculate Total Measurement Error
224