OPEN-SOURCE EXCEL TOOLS FOR STATISTICAL METROLOGY FOR THE XVIII IMEKO WORLD CONGRESS

Hung-kung Liu, William F. Guthrie, Juan Soto

Abstract

In this paper we introduce an approach for constructing statistical metrology tools with a Microsoft Excel based interface that uses the open source statistical package R as the computational engine. These metrology tools will enable Excel users to access a larger array of specialized statistical tools for metrology. We will describe our general approach and demonstrate one tool - an automated uncertainty calculator. This uncertainty calculator provides users with a simple and flexible tool for estimating measurement uncertainty using the methods outlined in the ISO Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement, popularly known as the ISO GUM. The uncertainty calculator is easy to use for scientists who are comfortable with spreadsheets, can handle a variety of typical correlation structures, and performs a validity check on the results by simulating the coverage probabilities actually attained by the uncertainty intervals.

Keywords

statistical metrology, uncertainty, Excel, R

Download

PWC-2006-TC21-017u.pdf

DOI

-

IMEKO TC

TC21 - Mathematical Tools for Measurements

Back to the proceedings