Chapters authored
Evaluation of the Long-Term Stability of Metrology Instruments
This chapter aims to emphasize the issue of the long-term stability of instruments used in metrology. This issue is a concern mentioned in the IEC/ISO17025:2017 standard and the JCGM100:2008 guide. Control charts are mentioned in these key documents as tools to assess whether a measurement process is under statistical control or not. Control charts (Shewhart charts, CUSUM chart, EWMA chart) are introduced and tested with simulated and real datasets from metrology instruments that operate at the ionizing department of the BIPM. The interest and the limits of such statistical analysis are discussed. They take their basis in a measurement model composed of Gaussian white noise. Although a measurement monitored over a relatively short period may be consistent with this model, it has been observed that the autocorrelation of the measurement data acquired over a long period limits the relevance of control charts. In this case, time series analysis seems more appropriate than conventional control charts. As an illustration, an optimal Bayesian smoother is introduced to demonstrate how to deconvolve the low-frequency random noise and refine the evaluation of uncertainty according to the measurement model for long-term measurement.
Part of the book: Applied Aspects of Modern Metrology