Developing Good Practice in Metrology Applications

30th November 2005 - NPL

The purpose of the seminar was to invite feedback from those attending on their concerns about the use of Digital Signal Processing in metrology. This was to help determine the contents of our forthcoming Good Practice Guide. The day included technical presentations and software demonstrations; it ended with a panel discussion where the audience could present questions.

Scope

Signal conditioning and processing, both analogue and digital, are ubiquitous in modern metrology. However, it is not always clear what contribution to measurement uncertainty arises from the signal processing methods and algorithms that we employ. The current Software Support for Metrology programme is producing a Good Practice Guide on signal processing for metrologists. As part of this process, individuals were invited to attend a one-day seminar to hear how NPL and industry tackle a range of important measurement problems that incorporate signal processing challenges, and contribute their own experiences.

Proceedings

09:30	Registration and coffee
10:00	Introduction and welcome
10:10	Signal processing and the Software Support for Metrology programme: helping ensure good practice ( PDF, 167 kB)	Trevor Esward, NPL
10:30	When DSP meets measurement science: a sound example ( PDF, 1.25 MB)	Andrew Hurrell, Precision Acoustics
The Fast Fourier Transform and its Limitations
11:15	Digital sampling and application of the DFT: good practice and pitfalls ( PDF, 695 kB)	Paul Wright, NPL
11:45	Virtual FFT analyser for identification of harmonics and inter-harmonics: metrological aspects ( PDF, 1.49 MB)	Jerzy Korczynski, Politechnika Lódzka, Poland
12:15	An introduction to the analysis of non-repetitive signals using joint time-frequency distributions and wavelets ( PDF, 1.20 MB)	Paul Wright, NPL
12:45	Lunch and software demonstrations
Sampling and Filtering
14:00	Sampling and filtering requirements of data acquisition systems ( PDF, 251 kB)	Dimitrios Georgakopoulos, NPL
14:30	Pulses and parameters in the time and frequency domains ( PDF, 643 kB)	David Humphreys, NPL
15:45	Algorithms, applications and systems for Digital Signal Processing ( PDF, 6.15 MB)	Patrick Gaydecki, Manchester University
15:30	Tea and Coffee
15:45	Panel discussion with questions from the floor
16:20	Summary and close: the next steps