Frequently Asked Questions

 

What does LSD mean on your certificates?

 

LSD stands for 'least significant digit'. The acronym can be found on our certificates when an uncertainty is quoted. In this context, the LSD designation means that the uncertainty is whatever is quoted, for example 0.2°C, plus any of the next least significant values possible. In this example, the true value could be anywhere from 0.20°C to 0.29°C. This is an unavoidable obstacle in quoting truly and technically accurate uncertainty figures as the units used to make measurement are limited by their level of precision and how many digits they can measure to and display.

 

Why don't the errors add up properly on my certificate?

 

Errors on our certificates are rounded to the number of decimal places that a customer’s unit under test reads to and so if one reads with more precision than the other, a disparity may arise between the error given in the certificate and the true, possibly more precise, error.

 

Can you send me the certificates for the standards used to calibrate my unit?

 

Yes, please contact us via phone or email.

 

Did my unit pass its calibration?

 

Whether a unit passes depends upon a customer's specific requirement or failing that, the manufacturer's specification for the unit. ISO/IEC 17025 stipulates that calibration laboratories should not make such judgements for the sake of impartiality and so we recommend that customers consider their own needs and make judgements accordingly.