NIST Temperature Calibration Standards For Temperature Monitoring Systems

The above is a diagram showing a possible traceability path:

Wireless NIST Calibrated Temperature Monitoring Sensors

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is one of the oldest physical science laboratories in the nation. It was established in 1901 and is now part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. NIST is responsible for developing and maintaining many standards, including the U.S. national standards for temperature. They have designed a system of calibrating thermometers and temperature probes, so that they are “traceable” back to NIST.

According to the NIST government website, “traceability can be defined as an unbroken record of documentation…or an unbroken chain of measurements and associated uncertainties.” In order to establish and maintain traceability, a thermometer’s readings must either be compared to a fixed-point temperature, such as the melting point of ice, or a “reference” thermometer at a fixed temperature. This process is also called verification, or calibration. Once the thermometer is calibrated and thereby authenticated, it can be used as a reference to establish traceability for other thermometers. “This process can be continued, providing an unbroken chain of measurements from the final thermometer all the way back to the NIST standards.“

A reliable wireless temperature monitoring system should provide temperature probes that can be NIST calibrated. E-Control Systems offers NIST Traceable Calibration and Re-Calibration available direct from the factory or on-site.