ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the architecture of typical, modern measurement systems. It discusses how noise, calibration errors, sensor dynamic response, and nonlinearity can affect the accuracy, precision, and resolution of measurements. The chapter also discusses the contemporary physical and electrical standards used by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. It explores how the standards are used to create secondary standards used for practical calibration of measurement systems. A measurement system is often made part of a control or regulatory system. Accurate measurements require the use of a precision measurement system, which is calibrated against a certified, accurate standard. Errors in measurements can arise from many causes; there are remedies for some types of errors, but others haunt as intrinsic properties of the measurement system under use, and often can be mitigated by system redesign. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
