Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Terms for the Scale Industry

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M

Mass
Property of material that is measure of its inertia and that causes it to have weight in gravitational field.

Maximum Load, Safe
The maximum load in percent of rated capacity which can be applied without producing a permanent shift in performance characteristics beyond those specified.

Maximum Operating Temperature
The maximum temperature at which an instrument or sensor can be safely operated.

Measuring Instrument
Device for ascertaining magnitude of physical quantity or condition presented to it.

Memory
Group of circuit elements that can store data.

Menu
List of options, on screen, from which user can select.

Milligram
A metric unit of weight or measurement equal to 0.001 gram.

N

Negative Value
If the TARE feature is being utilized in conjunction with a container and the container is removed from the scale, the display will show a negative value equal to the weight of the removed container.

Net Weight
Weight remaining after deductions or allowances have been made for weight of container or waste materials, nonessential considerations, etc.

NIST
National Institute of Standards & Technology. NIST is an agency of the Federal government. It provides the National Conference of Weight and Measures (NCWM) secretariat and actually publishes Handbook 44 on its behalf.

Non-Repeatability
The maximum difference between load cell output readings for repeated loadings under identical loading and environmental conditions, expressed as a percentage of the rated output.

Normal Operating Condition
Range of operating conditions within which device is designed to operate and under which operating influences are usually stated.

National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP)
NTEP is a program of cooperation between the NCWM, NIST, Stat Weights & Measures officials and the private sector for determining conformance of weighing equipment with the provision of Handbook 44.

NTEP does not attempt to duplicate or modify Handbook 44 in any way, it is rather a process for testing, examination and/or evaluation of weighing equipment to ensure its compliance with the provisions of Handbook 44.

NTEP is particularly important since the incorporation of Influence Factors requirements into Handbook 44, since compliance with these can only be determined under laboratory conditions.

NTEP provides a set of procedures for the uniform test & evaluation of weighing equipment, has a number of recognized laboratories where testing may be performed, and issues a Certificate of Conformance (CC) as evidence of compliance with the provisions of Handbook 44.

NTEP is a voluntary program in that manufacturers are required to submit their products for evaluation. Likewise, individual states are not required to accept NTEP certificates as a basis for allowing scale products to be used in commerce in their state.

O

Operating Life
The useful operating life of a sensor is an indication of how long it can be expected to function within its specification. It is expressed in terms of time, or in the number of operations or cycles it should successfully endure.

Operator
Person who initiates and monitors operation of computer or process.

Overload
To put too great a load in or on.

Overrange
In weighing systems, exceed capacity of equipment or calibration.

OWM
Office of Weights and Measures at NIST (301 975-4004)

OIML (International Organization of Legal Metrology)
Treaty organization that recommends technical requirements for weighing and measuring equipment prior to the sale or distributor of a model or type within the state.

P

Parity
A technique for testing transmitting data. Typically, a binary digit is added to the data to make the sum of all the digits of the binary data either always even (even parity) or always odd (odd parity).

Parity Check
Check that tests whether number of ones (or zeros) in array of binary digits is odd or even.

Peripheral
Equipment used for entering data into or receiving data from computer.

Port
On communication link, logic circuitry or software at station that determines its communication parameters for particular communication channel.

Potentiometer
1) A variable resistor often used to control a circuit.
2) A balancing bridge used to measure voltage.

Power Consumption
Maximum wattage used by device within its operating range during steady-state signal condition. Note: For power factor other than one, power consumption is stated as maximum volt-amperes used under above stated conditions.

Power Supply
A separate unit or part of a circuit that supplies power to the rest of the circuit or to a system.

Precision
The precision of a device is the degree to which it produces similar results for the same input on a number of occasions. Precision is often used in everyday language to mean accuracy, and hence the two are sometimes confused.

However, in measurement terminology a sensor can be precise, giving a very similar output a number of times when measuring a fixed quantity, out, if there is a large error in the output it is not accurate.

On a specification, precision is usually quoted in general terms (such as a high precision instrument). Repeatability (reproducibility) is a quantified measure of precision, and more likely to be quoted on a specification.

It is important to note there are varying definitions of precision. We use its meaning as defined above. However, in some specifications or other texts it may be referred to as resolution.

Primary Axis
1) The axis along which the transducer is designed to be loaded; normally its geometric centerline.
2) The axis along which the load cell is designed to be loaded.

Primary Element (detector)
First system element that responds quantitatively to measured variable and performs initial measurement operation.

Note: Primary element performs initial conversion of measurement energy. For transmitters not used with external primary elements, sensing portion is primary element.

PROM
Programmable Read-only Memory. Type of ROM that requires electrical operation to store data. In use, bits or words are read on demand, but not changed. As with all ROMs, it is non-volatile random-access memory.

Pull Plate
Load cell attachment which allows tension or compression force to be directed at the center line of a load cell through a threaded center hole.

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