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DIN 18723 Specification
for Theodolite Accuracy
S urveyors have seen the expression
“per DIN 18723” associated with
statements of accuracy of theodo-
lites since the introduction of electronic
theodolites. DIN stands for Deutsches In-
stitut für Normung which loosely trans-
lates into the German Institute for Stan-
dards (English language website located at
http://www2.din.de/index.php?lang=en). At
the time the standard was first quoted by
manufacturers (mostly from continental
Europe) as an accuracy specification, it
was actually a draft (~1983). However it
has become widely accepted by manufac-
turers worldwide for specifying the accu-
racy of theodolites. It should be noted
here that DIN accuracy cannot be inferred
from the least count of a theodolite, which
is the finest measurement or count that an
instrument is able to make. In fact, with
the advent of electronic instruments, re-
liance on the least count for anything but
an estimate of precision achievable (not
accuracy) is highly inadvisable.
DIN Spec vs. Accuracy
The standard is equally applicable to
optical theodolites, and in fact has occa-
sionally been used for that purpose. But
whether the theodolite is optical or elec-
tronic, surveyors have tended to assume
that a “5-second” theodolite measures an-
gles with an accuracy of 5 seconds. This
is rarely the case (except by coinci-
dence). The specification is useful for
comparing theodolites however, in that
all theodolites classified as having a DIN
accuracy of 3 seconds, for example, will
be roughly equal in terms of angle meas-
urement performance. For purposes of
survey design, analyzing data after a sur-
vey, especially when trying to apply a
weight to the accuracy of angle measure-
ment, the DIN specification value must
be interpreted in the light of how the in-
strument was used.
If you read the fine print, you are like-
ly to find text in manufacturer’s specifi-
cations that reads something like “stan-
dard deviation of the mean of a face I
DISPLAYED WITH PERMISSION • PROFESSIONAL SURVEYOR MAGAZINE • November 2002 •
. . . One needs to apply
the rules for random
error propagation, for the
particular way you use
your instrument.
and a face II direction.” Understanding
this is key to using the DIN specification
value. If you take a theodolite or total
station with an angle measuring “accura-
cy according to DIN” of 5 seconds, for
example, and observe the horizontal cir-
cle reading to a precise target in face I
(telescope in the direct position) and
then invert the telescope and take anoth-
er horizontal circle reading to the same
target in face II (reversed position), the
specification tells you that the standard
deviation (that is, confidence level of
~68%) of the mean (or average) of the
two directions is ±5 seconds. This how-
ever is not an angle as surveyors are used
to thinking about. To measure a single
angle, we are required to measure two di-
rections (first a backsight, then a fore-
sight). Using the equations for propaga-
tion of random error, the standard devia-
tion of the angle, if measured in face I
and face II and then averaged is 7 sec-
onds! (Take the square root of the sum of
the squares of the errors in each direc-
tion, which in this case simplifies to
–
√2 •5.)
Thus the first lesson to be learned
from this discussion is that one needs to
apply the rules for random error propa-
gation, for the particular way you use
your instrument. For example, if you
measure the angle twice in face I and
twice in face II, the standard deviation of
the angle will be 5 seconds. If, however,
you only measure the angles in face I,
you can expect the angles to have an un-
certainty of 10 seconds.
The second lesson, which may be the
more important, is that the method of de-
termining the accuracy of theodolites us-
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Geomatics Industry Association of America
ing DIN 18723 is actually one that meas-
ures precision. As with surveying, by ac-
counting as well as possible for system-
atic errors, it is possible to arrive at an es-
timate for accuracy. Thus if the angles are
not measured in face I and face II, if col-
limation has not been checked and ad-
justed, if the instrument has not been
leveled properly, if the so-called “height
of standards” adjustment is incorrect, and
so on, then the “fundamental accuracy”
of the theodolite as given by the DIN
spec may not be true at all!
Environmental Influences
In addition to the above-mentioned
sources of error resulting from practices
and instrumentation, there are the influ-
ences of circumstances, mostly environ-
mental (such as atmospheric distur-
bances) and the practices and adjustment
(or lack thereof) of the accessories that
will affect the accuracy that is achieved.
Examples of these are: optical plum-
met(s) adjustment, whether the targets
are prisms or precise traverse targets,
whether these targets are mounted on
tripods or on range poles, or whether the
targets are subject to the problem of
“phase” error, particularly if a pole or mi-
ni-pole is used as the target.
In summary, DIN accuracy values in-
dicated for instruments are not the values
to be assumed that can be obtained
when measuring angles. Depending on
how the instrument is used (ignoring ac-
cessories and conditions), the angle ac-
curacy may be higher or lower than the
specified value. Once the correct value is
computed, however, it must then be
combined with knowledge of practices,
instrumentation and conditions, includ-
ing knowledge of the level of adjustment
of all the component parts of the survey-
ing system and accuracies.
Note: Information for this article was
compiled by the technical staffs of the
GIAA members that manufacture theodo-
lites and total stations.
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