Comparison between angle interferometer and angle encoder during calibration of autocollimator

Abstract

An angle interferometer was set up using concept ‘ratio of two lengths’ and an angle encoder was set up using concept ‘subdivision of full circle (2π rad=360°)’ at the National Institute of Metrology, China (NIM). For the analysis of the systematic errors of each device, two autocollimator calibration systems were separately set up based on the angle interferometer and the angle encoder with a similar measuring uncertainty (around 0.1″). An autocollimator was calibrated using two systems in the same measurement range (±1000″) and the same measurement step (10″). The systematic errors of each system were found through comparison between their original calibration results. The compensation curves were calculated using the analysis results, and two systems’ original calibration results were compensated according to two systems’ compensation curves. The maximum difference between the compensated calibration results of two systems was 0.05″ which is lower than measuring uncertainty of each system.