[volt-nuts] HP 3458A

[Steve]

Greg, Marv, Bill, et al,

This has been a very enlightening thread and I appreciate everyone's input. From a hobbyist perspective the STE9000 cal is all I'll need unless a contract should come along that would demand MU better than that.

It's too bad the Agilent cal services description isn't as clear as what's available on this list! Of course once the explanations supplied here are applied to the Agilent descriptions they become much clearer.

Best regards,

Steve



On Aug 6, 2011, at 5:14 AM, "gbusg" <gbusg at comcast.net> wrote:

> Steve,
> 
> Both cal versions verify all functions and ranges of the 3458A, and both 
> versions provide test data.
> 
> However the Standards Lab cal (known as a "Golden calibration) utilizes a 
> completely different, more sophisticated procedure and methodology, 
> resulting in significantly lower Measurement Uncertainty for most measurands 
> (compared to the STE9000 calibration).
> 
> If you want to trend your 3458A at specific measurands (e.g., at 10Vdc, 10k 
> ohms and 1V 20kHz, etc.), then you will want the Standards Lab cal - this is 
> because the STE9000 calibration's Test Uncertainty Ratios are too low for 
> you to realize enough meaningful confidence and repeatability of the data 
> for the purpose of trending specific measurands.
> 
> For the same reason you will want the Standards Lab cal if you plan to use 
> Agilent's calibration test report data as correction factors in some 
> state-of-art process you have.
> 
> If neither of these two applications fit you, then the STE9000 calibration 
> will probably suffice for you.
> 
> The more I think about this, I think mostly it's other metrology labs who 
> need the "Golden calibration" (for at least one of their 3458As) and those 
> are the folks who already know what they need and how to order it.
> 
> -Greg
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Steve" <steve-krull at cox.net>
> To: "Discussion of precise voltage measurement" <volt-nuts at febo.com>
> Cc: <volt-nuts at febo.com>
> Sent: Friday, August 05, 2011 2:28 PM
> Subject: Re: [volt-nuts] HP 3458A
> 
> 
> I haven't sent the meter in for calibration yet. Hoping Santa might bring 
> that for Christmas. Our local Agilent rep swore the only difference between 
> the Agilent $550 calibration per incident and the pricier ones offered is 
> the amount of paperwork you receive; the actual calibration is to full specs 
> for all functions and all ranges. The Agilent web site seems to say the same 
> thing, so I'm a bit confused by others saying there's calibration and 
> there's full calibration. I need to go read the information provided by Greg 
> Burnett and then approach Agilent again. When I was in metrology full time, 
> all calibrations were to full specs or you had to clearly note any 
> deviations and get the customer to buy off on them. It was amazing how many 
> would accept things I wouldn't accept for my home lab!
> 
> Steve
> 
> 
> 
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