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Thermal EMF in Connections: What Is Offset Compensation?

Offset compensation is a technique used in digital multimeters (DMMs) to reduce errors caused by thermal EMFs, or thermocouple voltages, in low resistance measurements. Thermal EMFs are unwanted voltages generated by dissimilar metals in connections that vary with temperature and can cause errors in measurements. Offset compensation measures the total voltage with test current applied and then again with no current to isolate the thermal EMF voltage, then takes the difference to obtain an accurate resistance measurement without thermal EMF interference. Several Keithley instruments, including various 2000 and 2700 series models and SourceMeter products, incorporate this offset compensation feature.

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23 views

Thermal EMF in Connections: What Is Offset Compensation?

Offset compensation is a technique used in digital multimeters (DMMs) to reduce errors caused by thermal EMFs, or thermocouple voltages, in low resistance measurements. Thermal EMFs are unwanted voltages generated by dissimilar metals in connections that vary with temperature and can cause errors in measurements. Offset compensation measures the total voltage with test current applied and then again with no current to isolate the thermal EMF voltage, then takes the difference to obtain an accurate resistance measurement without thermal EMF interference. Several Keithley instruments, including various 2000 and 2700 series models and SourceMeter products, incorporate this offset compensation feature.

Uploaded by

Shorav Suriyal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is Offset Compensation?

Offset compensation is a measuring technique that reduces or eliminates thermal


EMFs in a low level resistance measurements. The presence of thermal EMFs
can adversely affect low resistance measurement accuracy.

Thermal EMF in Connections


Equivalent
signal source

DMM

Connections

RS
EMF C 2

VS

V IN
EMF C 1

Example:
Every connection made with dissimilar metal creates
an unwanted thermocouple.

Every connection made with dissimilar metals creates an unwanted


thermocouple in the measurement circuit. Each of these unwanted
thermocouples generates an error voltage that varies with temperature gradients
in the system. These can be on the order of many microvolts that can cause
significant errors in thermistor, RTD, strain gauge, and low-ohms measurements.
One method of minimizing thermal EMF errors is by using the offsetcompensated ohms measurement technique. Using this technique, test current
is applied to the circuit and the resulting voltage measurement will include the
desired DUT measurement as well as the effect of thermal EMFs.
During the second half of the cycle, however, test current is turned off. The
resulting voltage measurement is therefore attributable only to the thermal EMFs
present in the circuit. The desired measurement is the difference between the
two values. The microprocessor in the DMM compensates for the offset voltage.

Thermal EMF Offset


Compensated Ohms
a. Offset compensation
measurement cycle
One
measurement
cycle
On
Source
Current
Thermal offset
measurement
b. Voltage measurement with
source current on

c. Voltage measurement with


source current off

V EMF

VEMF
V M1

VM2

IS

RS

RS

VM1

V EMF + IS RS

V M2

V EMF

V M = (VM1 V M2 ) = I S R S

Keithley products which provide this offset compensation feature include: 580,
2010, 2001, 2002, 2700, 2750 and the 2400 SourceMeter Series.

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