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Software solutions for metrology

A measurement instrument is only as reliable as the software that drives it. VSL’s software development team handles the automation of metrological processes and develops software for all of VSL’s fields of expertise, from hardware control and data processing to certificate generation and standards management.

VSL offers services including auditing, validation and delivery of software solutions for metrology applications.

Software expertise in metrology

Een softwarefout maakt een nauwkeurige meting onbetrouwbaar. Verkeerde formules, foutieve implementaties of een kwaliteitssysteem dat het softwareaspect buiten beschouwing laat: het zijn risico’s die vaak pas zichtbaar worden als het te laat is.

VSL helps organisations manage these risks across all of VSL’s fields of expertise, from mass and flow to vacuum and electricity. This metrological breadth is the foundation of our expertise in software development and quality assurance.

Practical applications of metrology software solutions

Software now determines the accuracy, speed and reliability of measurements in virtually every measurement environment. Our expertise in software for metrology is relevant to every sector, but especially relevant for:

• Calibration laboratories;software quality is a precondition for the accreditation of calibration laboratories. Accreditation in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025 sets concrete requirements for version control, validation reports and change management. We specifically assess the software aspect that is often underexposed in regular audits.
• Metrology software suppliers; strict requirements apply to software validation within metrology. We help software suppliers demonstrate that calculations are correct and traceable, through model testing and practical validation using physical measurements.
• The energy sector (grid operators); as energy infrastructure becomes increasingly digitalised, measurement data is more and more often processed by software that must be demonstrably correct and reliable for billing and grid management.

Our services in the field of software quality in metrology include:

Software quality auditing and consultancy

At VSL, we assess whether software meets the applicable standard and support organisations in getting the software component of their quality system in order.

Software validation and verification

A measurement instrument produces an outcome, but what happens in between – the calculation, the formula, the processing – usually remains a black box to the user. At VSL, we validate exactly what happens inside that black box. We assess whether the underlying calculations, formulas and analysis tools have been correctly implemented, both at model level and through practical tests using physical measurements. We also help define the scope of validation, so the approach stays targeted and verifiable.

Custom software delivery

VSL manages around 200 in-house software solutions developed for metrology applications. Data processing tools, mathematical analysis tools, regression tools and uncertainty calculations are available as existing solutions or as custom builds. Management and support are tailored to each project.

Quality and accreditation

Software that determines measurement results is subject to the same quality requirements as the measurement instrument itself. VSL is accredited in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025, the standard that also sets concrete requirements for software in calibration and testing environments.

As the National Metrology Institute of the Netherlands, VSL combines metrological expertise with in-depth software knowledge. This gives VSL the technical depth and independence to assess and support the software side (version control, validation reports and change management) of that standard.