Measurement Uncertainty

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has standardized on the following definition of uncertainty: A parameter, associated with the result of a measurement, that characterizes the dispersion of values that could reasonably be attributed to the measurement.

For an RF power sensor, measurement uncertainty can often be caused by impedance mismatch errors between the power sensor and the source that is being measured. Other sources of measurement uncertainty include any uncertainty contributed by other components in the test system, such as transmission lines, noise, and calibration factor uncertainty. More information about how each of these sources of uncertainty is provided in the Measurement Uncertainty topic for each device.