Using Modular Instruments to Reduce Costs

Calibration is typically performed with large, expensive standards with multiple modes of operation. These standards can be expensive to ship and difficult to move around. This makes their use in field calibration both difficult and expensive. Modular instrumentation based on standard computer buses, such as PXIe, is now available with specifications which meet or exceed those needed for many calibrations. These modular instruments are typically smaller, more flexible, less expensive, and faster than the equivalent, standalone standard. This paper will analyze several common field service use cases and show the relative merits of both traditional and modular instruments as field calibration standards.