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Calibration Management Software

I work at a research lab that has approximately 7 test cells.  Each cell has around 50 measurement channels using field point or PXI/SCXI DAQ read by Labview.  Hooked up to those channels are TC's, pressure transducers, flow meters, level sensors.  We have some in-house calibration equipment (PRTD's with dry well's, high accuracy pressure sensors with pressure sources).  In the past calibration was done by comparing the readouts of the calibration equipment with the readouts of the Labview screen by typing the information into Excel, generating curve fits in Excel, and then typing the data into Labview (or maybe even reading a file in Labview) and then the calibration equations are run in the Labview program.  The different calibration points (say 70 oF, then 80 oF) have been set manually by a person watching the operation.  I have gone through and used Labview to automate reading the calibration sensor and changing the setpoint on the source (dry well).  This is a great accuracy improvement and time saver.  The next logical step is to keep the calibration history in a database so that we can evaluate drift over time, etc., instead of decentralized Excel sheets for each channel.  We have found many companies that make "Calibration Management Software" (CMS), though none that do not require extra customization so that I can take the data from my automated Labview Calibration routine and enter it pragmatically into the CMS, and then pragmatically recall calibration coefficients from the CMS.  At my previous employer I saw a software package have this sort of communication with MetCal/Trak, though in talking with the fluke sales man he started talking of extra licensing fees, paying them to write specialized code, etc. beyond just paying for the MetCAL/Trak.  The added cost to get the Labview integration was left an undefined number. 

 

Does anyone have a good solution that they use that they could share some details on?

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Hey James,

 

Sadly, I'm not familiar with any calibration management software that does not require added customization. When you say that you have the calibration history in "decentralized Excel sheets", what exactly do you mean? My thinking is that you can develop your own CMS using the file writing/reading in LabVIEW. If that's not feasible, it seems like you may have to look more into the customized CMS option. 

 

Hope you have a good one!

 

Tim A.
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