Guideline of Uncertainty Calculation Document ID 343_1

Service category 3.4.3

Basic information

Quantity
Instrument or Artifact
Instrument Type or Method
Measurand Level or Range
Number of measurements

Time interval
Stopwatch
Time interval measurement
0.01 to 1E5 s
10

Instruments

Cesium Atomic Clock (Model : Agilent 5071A)

Frequency Distribution Amplifier (Model : HP 5087A)
Universal Counter (Model : Agilent 53131A)
Stopwatch Calibrator (Model : NML-SIRIM)

Measurement configuration
10 MHz Reference

Universal Counter
start

Frequency Distribution
Amplifier

stop

Stopwatch Calibrator
start

Cesium Clock

Stopwatch

List of uncertainties
1. UTC uncertainty
2. UTC-UTC(NMI) Link Uncertainty
3. UTC(NMI) Uncertainty
4. Cesium Uncertainty
5. Cable Uncertainty
6. Frequency Distribution Amplifier Uncertainty

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stop

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Guideline of Uncertainty Calculation Document ID 343_1

7. Universal Counter Uncertainty
8. Stopwatch Calibrator Uncertainty
9. Display Resolution of Stopwatch

Details of Uncertainty Calculations

1) Using both d and u given in BIPM Circular T Section 4 (Circular T 272), we get the values of d
and u given as 5.2E-15 and 0.4E-15, respectively. In this case UTC uncertainty is calculated as
follows:
u UTC d 2 u 2
(5.2 10 15 ) 2 (0.4 10 15 ) 2
5.2 10 15

2) This uncertainty is multiply by 2 , considering that the uncertainty of TAI link both start and
end points of the measurement. In this case the uncertainty is calculated as follows:
uA
5 2
86400 5
2 10 9

5 2
86400 5
1.5 10 14

ulink

3) From the data given in Circular T, as shown in the Appendix as Figure 1, the calculated standard
deviation and average of UTC-UTC(MNFS) for MJD55214 to 55439 are 516.6E-15 and
-23.9E-15, respectively. The uncertainty is calculated as follows:
u predict

(516.6 10 15 ) 2 5 ( 23.9 10 15 ) 2

1.2 10 12

4) Values taken from Agilent 5071A (High Performance) specifications.

5) Referring to Appendix in Figure 3, we extrapolate using a line with slope -1 to get the
uncertainty of the cable in the worst case event of 7C change at 100000 s observation time.
6) From the measurement results at 100000 s observation time which are shown in Figure 5 in the
appendix.
7) Calculated based on equation and value taken from Agilent 53131A specifications, as follow:
15mV (1% Start Trigger Level Setting)
Input Slew Rate at Start Trigger Point
15mV (1% Stop Trigger Level Setting)

Input Slew Rate at Start Trigger Point

15mV (1% 2.5V) 15mV (1% 2.5V)

4V
4V
47.68s
8.4 s

Trigger Level Timing Error

4.77 10 7 8.40 10 8
5.61 10 7 s

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Guideline of Uncertainty Calculation Document ID 343_1

Differential Channel Error = 1.5ns
RMS Resolution

t 2res (Start Trigger Error) 2 (Stop Trigger Error) 2

(750ps) 2 (5.96 10 7 s) 2 (1.05 10 -7 s) 2

6.05 10 7 s
2

Start Trigger Error

Einput Estart signal

Input Signal Slew Rate at Start Trigger Point

1mV 2 0.05V 2
4V
47.68 s

5.96 10 -7 s
2

Stop Trigger Error

Einput Estop signal

Input Signal Slew Rate at Stop Trigger Point

1mV 2 0.05V 2
1.05 10 7 s
4V
8.4 s

t res 750 ps

Note : The signal slew rate of the calibrator output pulse were measured using a digital oscilloscope.

Universal Counter Measurement Error = (Trigger Level Timing Error) + (Differential

Channel Error) + 2(RMS Resolution)
= (5.6 x 10-7) + (1.5 x 10-9) + 2(6.1 x 10-7)
= 1.78 x 10-6s
8) The calibrator is an in-house developed unit, the uncertainty value of its trigger delay was
determined from the measurement.
9) The uncertainty of the stopwatchs time display is obtained from the smallest resolution of
displayed time (typically 0.01 or 0.001 seconds).

Uncertainty Budget Table

An example for stopwatch calibration (with 0.001 s resolution) at 100000 s measurement time and
traceable to UTC
The degree of freedom for Type A is greater or equal to 9. Whilst, the degree of freedom for Type B
is a large value and may toward to infinity.
Uncertainty Source
1) UTC Uncertainty

Type

Value
s

Distribution
Factor

Sensitivity
Coefficient

Standard
Uncertainty s

5.2E-15

5.2E-10

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Guideline of Uncertainty Calculation Document ID 343_1

x
100000
2) UTC-UTC(NMI) Link
Uncertainty

1.5E-14
x
100000

1.5E-9

3) UTC(NMI) Uncertainty

1.2E-12
x
100000

1.2E-7

4) Cesium Uncertainty

5E-13
x
100000

5E-8

5) Cable Uncertainty
(Worse Case : 7 0C
temperature change over
100000 s)

4E-15
x
100000

4E-10

6) Frequency Distribution
Amplifier
( 2 0C temperature
change over 100000 s)

4E-15
x
100000

4E-10

7) Universal Counter
Uncertainty

1.78E-6

1E-6

8) Stopwatch Calibrator
Uncertainty

2E-7

2E-7

9) Rresolution of
Stopwatch

5E-4

2.9E-4

1
3

Combined Uncertainty = 2.9E-4 s

Expanded Uncertainty (k=2) = 5.8 x 10-4 s < 0.001 s (round-up)

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Guideline of Uncertainty Calculation Document ID 343_1

APPENDIX
Cable Uncertainty
This is an economical solution on creating a significant temperature changes, we used a
25 watt lighting bulb and a timer to ON and OFF the bulb. The bulb was place inside the
polystyrene box with the cable under test (CUT). A thermocouple was attached to the
cables skin and the data acquisition records its temperature at 1 s interval. The
measurement set-up diagram, temperature records and measurement results
(Overlapping Allan deviation) are shown as in Figure 1, 2 and 3:
10 MHz from Caesium
Frequency Standard

External Reference In

Agilent 53131A
Records phase
comparison
measurement at
1 s gate time

Lighting Bulb

Polystyrene Box

The cable under test is a

BNC-type with a 1672 cm
length.

Figure 1 : Measurement set-up for estimating the uncertainty of BNC cable in phase
comparison in the worst case event of 7C change over 1 day.

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Guideline of Uncertainty Calculation Document ID 343_1

Figure 3 : Temperature measurement at 1 second interval over 1 day

Figure 4: By using extrapolation of slope -1, we found that the uncertainty of cable in the worst
case event of 7C change over 100000 s is 4 x 10-15.
Frequency Distribution Amplifier Uncertainty
Figure 2 : Temperature measurement at 1 second interval

Figure 3: By using extrapolation of slope -1, we found that the uncertainty of cable in
worst case event of 7C change over 100000 s is 4 x 10-15.

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Guideline of Uncertainty Calculation Document ID 343_1

Frequency Distribution Amplifier Uncertainty

The measurement set-up diagram and measurement results (overlapping Allan deviation)
are shown as in Figure 4 and Figure 5 :
Malaysian National Frequency
Standard (Agilent 5071A High
Performance)
External Reference In
1 MHz

10 MHz and
5 MHz

Agilent 53131A
Records phase
comparison
measurement at 1 s
gate time

Frequency Distribution Amplifier

(HP5087A)
1 MHz

Figure 4 : Measurement set-up for estimating the uncertainty of Frequency Distribution

Amplifier (HP5087A) in the event of 2C change over 3 days

Figure 5: The uncertainty of HP5087A in the event of 2C change over 3 days

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Guideline of Uncertainty Calculation Document ID 343_1

History
2012-06-01 first version (created by SIRIM).

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