Internet-enabled Precision Impedance Microwave Measurement System (iPIMMS)

In 2005 Agilent Technologies' facility at South Queensferry in the United Kingdom was the first calibration laboratory to be granted ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for an internet-enabled technology to make measurements of complex reflection and transmission coefficient parameters.

By June 2008 this capability had been successfully transferred and expanded in the standards laboratory of Agilent's UK and Ireland service center near Reading. The system is known as iPIMMS and is a service of the UK National Physical Laboratory (NPL).

iPIMMS (Internet-enabled Primary Impedance Microwave Measurement System) was NPL’s first measurement service to make extensive use of the Internet to realize a measurement capability. The Internet forms an extended link between Agilent's measuring instrument -- in this case, an E8364B Precision Network Analyzer (PNA) and an 8510 Vector Network Analyzer -- and NPL’s dedicated software running on their server. The software performs several functions including controlling the measuring instrument, interfacing with the equipment operator and collecting readings from the instrument. It performs corrections during calibration and calculates the measurement results, including evaluation of the measurement uncertainty. The system provides a measurement capability that is comparable in accuracy to that provided by the national metrology institute itself.

Traceability to SI units is obtained through NPL calibration of reference standards, which in this case are short lengths of precision air line. This data is stored on the NPL server and accessed to provide real-time corrections during the measurement process. Consequently, users of the iPIMMS service are able to perform extremely accurate, traceable measurements regardless of their geographical location. In fact, it has been successfully operated by organizations within Europe, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region.

Agilent's service customers can now take advantage of the superior uncertainties provided by the system; equivalent to those provided by NPL but with the timeliness and price advantages associated with a commercial laboratory. Contact the UK Contact Center to request iPIMMS measurement of such equipment as network analyzer calibration and verification kits, attenuators, terminations, air lines and power sensors.

• Click to email:UK Contact Center
• Telephone: +44 (0) 7004 666 666
• Or ask your local Agilent support office via the "Contact Us" link at the top of the page.