Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Errors
Errors
1|Page
Notes by Sichangi A.
Lecture notes on Electromagnetic Distance Measurement
2|Page
Notes by Sichangi A.
Lecture notes on Electromagnetic Distance Measurement
Most short-range EDM instruments have values for /2 equal to 10 m. A simple arrangement for
the detection of cyclic error which has proved satisfactory is to lay a steel band under standard
tension on a horizontal surface. The reflector is placed at the start of a 10-m section and the
distance from instrument to reflector obtained. The reflector is displaced precisely 100 mm and
the distance is re-measured. The difference between the first and second measurement should be
100 mm; if not, the error is plotted at the 0.100 m value of the graph. The procedure is repeated
every 100 mm throughout the 10-m section and an error curve produced. If, in the field, a
distance of 836.545 m is measured, the cyclic error correction is abstracted from point 6.545 m
on the error curve.
Scale error (proportional to distance)
Scale errors in EDM instruments are largely due to the fact that the oscillator is temperature
dependent. The quartz crystal oscillator ensures the frequency ( f ) remains stable to within 5
ppm over an operational temperature range of 20C to 50C. The modulation frequency can,
however, vary from its nominal value due to incorrect factory setting, ageing of the crystal and
lack of temperature stabilization. Most modern short-range instruments have temperature-
compensated crystal oscillators which have been shown to perform well. However, warm-up
effects have been shown to vary from 1 to 5 ppm during the first hour of operation.
Diode errors also cause scale error, as they could result in the emitted wavelength being different
from its nominal value.
The magnitude of the resultant errors may be obtained by field or laboratory methods.
The laboratory method involves comparing the actual modulation frequency of the instrument
with a reference frequency. The correction for frequency is equal to
A simple field test is to measure a base line whose length is known to an accuracy greater than
the measurements under test. The base line should be equal to an integral number of modulation
half wavelengths.
The base line AB should be measured from a point C in line with AB; then CBCA = AB. This
differential form of measurement will eliminate any zero error, whilst the use of an integral
3|Page
Notes by Sichangi A.
Lecture notes on Electromagnetic Distance Measurement
number of half wavelengths will minimize the effect of cyclic error. The ratio of the measured
length to the known length will provide the scale error.
4|Page
Notes by Sichangi A.