Upgrading Test Boards

One strategic approach to keeping up with test equipment advancements is to incrementally upgrade key components of existing meter test boards and field test sets.

Reference Standards: The core of every measurement accuracy test system is the reference standard. The reference standard is THE basis for comparison of measurement accuracy. As revenue meters advance in their accuracy and functionality, the reference standard being used to test those meters must be a step ahead. For this reason, the reference standard is the first key component in a test set that should be replaced or upgraded with latest technology.

Sensors and Pickups: Sensors and Pickups are used to automate the timing of a meter test. These devices sense a calibration pulse from a revenue meter. There are many different types of sensors suited for testing electromechanical induction meters and electronic meters.

Counters and Comparators: A counter automates meter testing by counting pulses from a sensor for a specified test length. After counting the set number of pulses, the counter typically stops the standard display allowing the user to calculate the accuracy of the meter under test. A comparator will also count calibration pulses from the reference standard and in many instances performs an automated calculation of meter accuracy.

Test Software: The final stage to incremental upgrade of an existing test set is testing software. Radian PCA-Link Meter Testing Software is used to automate testing and data management for meter testing applications.