Test & Measurement Requirements Guide

Different instrument classes solve the same measurement to very different tolerances and prices. Defining the quantity, its range and the accuracy you actually need narrows the field before any model is discussed.

Selection Requirements to Establish

Work through what you can. Anything still undecided is exactly what a conversation with our engineers is for.

01What is being measured

  • The physical quantity: voltage, current, power, impedance, frequency, time
  • Expected range, from the smallest reading to the largest
  • Accuracy or uncertainty the result has to hold to
  • Resolution needed to distinguish the changes that matter
  • Whether the measurement is a spot check or continuous over time

02Signal and bandwidth

  • DC, low frequency, audio, RF or microwave
  • Frequency span and, for RF, dynamic range and noise floor
  • Channel count, and whether channels must be sampled simultaneously
  • Isolation, common-mode voltage and measurement category
  • Sensors or transducers in the chain and their conditioning needs

03Use and compliance

  • Bench, rack, portable or permanently installed
  • Automation interface: SCPI, LabVIEW, Python, LXI, USB or GPIB
  • Data logging, reporting and archive requirements
  • Standards the results are used to demonstrate
  • Calibration interval and traceability expectations
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