Automatic Calibration of Temperature Sensors by Camera
Temperature calibrations are very time-consuming. If the temperatures of the devices under test also have to be written up manually at all the test points, the time required for the calibration increases even further. That’s where our camera steps in. Let’s have a closer look.
When you calibrate a thermometer or a temperature sensor, in many cases they have a display which indicates the temperature. If a device under test of this kind is calibrated, it cannot be connected directly to the calibrator because the temperature is indicated on the display of the device under test. The calibrator would therefore have to read the display of the device under test during the calibration process – but it can’t, because it doesn’t have any eyes. And that is exactly what we have now changed.
This kind of calibration often takes place at three, five or sometimes even more test points. The user sets the temperatures on the calibrator, is required to return to the calibrator at the end of each test point, to read the temperature from the device under test and to type it in on the calibrator. Sometimes the user shows up to record the temperature, but the test point isn’t ready, so they go away again. Next time, they are busy with another task, and the calibrator waits at the finished test point until the user finally enters the value of the device under test on the calibrator. It is necessary to bear in mind that a temperature calibration can certainly be a drawn-out process. Depending on how many test points are attended, a calibration can easily take a few hours. Downtimes waiting for the user to input the data invariably make the process even longer.
That’s where our camera steps in. The calibrator no longer has to wait for the user to input the data, and nobody needs to return to the calibrator during the calibration process. We give the calibrator its own set of eyes by attaching a simple camera to it. This is aligned with the devices under test before the calibration process begins, and takes photos of the values of the device under test at each test point. All the temperatures can be entered automatically without interruptions, breaks or relying on the user to input the data.
At the end of the calibration process, the photos are displayed to the user on the large touch screen of the calibrator. They can then check the values again and transfer them in full to the calibrator. For many customers, this means a significant streamlining of the calibration process.
And this approach offers another benefit to the customer. In addition to the full calibration certificate, the customer also receives the photos of the devices under test taken by the calibrator. That gives our customers additional proof that the calibration has been carried out correctly, including the actual values of the devices under test.
