Measurement Specialties PCI-2513 - Manual (Page 25)

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Chapter 5
Calibrating the PCI-2513
Every range of a PCI-2513 device is calibrated at the factory using a digital NIST traceable calibration method.
This method works by storing a correction factor for each range on the unit at the time of calibration. For analog
inputs, the user can adjust the calibration of the board while it is installed in the acquisition system. This does
not destroy the factory calibration supplied with the board. This is accomplished by having two distinct
calibration tables in the PCI-2513 on-board EPROM—one which contains the factory calibration, and the other
which is available for field calibration.
You can perform field calibration automatically in seconds with InstaCal and without the use of external
hardware or instruments.
Field calibration derives its traceability through an on-board reference which has a stability of 0.005% per year.
Note that a two-year calibration period is recommended for PCI-2513 boards.
You should calibrate the PCI-2513 using InstaCal after the board has fully warmed up. The recommended
warm-up time is 30 minutes. For best results, calibrate the board immediately before making critical
measurements. The high resolution analog components on the board are somewhat sensitive to temperature.
Pre-measurement calibration ensures that your board is operating at optimum calibration values.