Calibration is a protracted work related to maintenance. It must be regularly undertaken on every field instrument in order to ensure smooth functioning and adhere to any regulations.

The duration of calibration can extend from one to four hours for a technician using prevalent techniques. Many large factories and industrial units have thousands of field instruments and hence a substantial part of maintenance time is spent on calibration.

The periodic calibration of instruments is universal. In related spheres where precision instruments are vital to product quality, calibration is generally conducted every six months. Automated calibration processes drastically diminish the time spent on calibration, thereby reducing expenditure.

Radar systems comprise digital, analog, RF, and power electronics that require constant monitoring. Engineers and technicians make use of oscilloscopes, multimeters, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, frequency counters, RF power meters, and power supplies. They range from the latest and the most sophisticated to out-and-out old in their work.

Each test instrument calls for periodic calibration and maintenance. Calibration laboratories specializing in such skills make sure that the test instruments perform the work in a desired manner. Led by experts, such calibration laboratories often calibrate and maintain a large number of instruments. A substantial number of them perform electronic measurements on lab benches, in production test stations, and on-site.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has put in place a Standard Reference Manual (SRM) 2696 Silica Fume to evaluate the preciseness of prevailing laboratory practices and offer a tool for instrument calibration. Experts have lauded this, as it will help reduce flawed testing. This can be achieved through simplifying the test process through standardization, and furnishing the user with trustworthy data.