Monte Carlo-based uncertainty quantification for conformity assessment and traceable calibration of high-frequency instrumentation

Abstract

Calibrating high-frequency instruments, such as oscilloscopes and frequency counters, presents significant metrological challenges due to complex and hard-to-validate measurement procedures, limited SI traceability for high-frequency signals, and multiple uncertainty sources. This paper presents the development of uncertainty models for traceable oscilloscope calibration, conducted within the Laboratory for Electrical Measurements at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, aligned with Euramet cg-7 guidelines. Using an originally created software at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje—the MonteCalc Uncertainty Toolkit—the study compares the uncertainty evaluation results obtained according to the GUM (Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement) methodology and by the application of the stochastic Monte Carlo method embedded in the MonteCalc Uncertainty Toolkit. These data fusion approaches are applied to experimental data from a high-frequency calibration of diverse types of oscilloscopes for validation purposes. The resulting uncertainty outcomes from both approaches are then used to perform a conformity assessment of the calibrated devices, utilizing integrated decision-making rules within the MonteCalc Uncertainty toolkit, complying with the international guideline ILAC-G8.