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Metrological Software

Working Group 8.51

Profile

The functionality of electronic measuring instruments used in the context of legal metrology is already mainly realized in software. For these types of measuring instruments, the wide-spread use of innovative information and communication technology (ICT) will be paved by the increasing utilization of embedded systems, different operating system philosophies, and the connection to communication networks. The evaluation of these ICT components and of software based on national and international regulations is one of the cross-sectional tasks, for which the working group 8.51 is responsible as part of the conformity assessment of measuring instruments within PTB.

The working group supports all departments of PTB, which are specialized in the examination of the physical properties of such instruments, intensively. The working group advises the industry, other groups within PTB, and market surveillance authorities. The working group also develops practical instructions to evaluate innovative technologies and submits them to national, European, and international harmonization and standardization bodies. Members of the working group are active in national and international bodies that deal with software in legal metrology.

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Research/Development

The working group is concerned with the development of software requirements based on the European Measuring Instruments Directive MID and the National Weights and Measures Act (see working group 9.21). This includes both requirements for the software of the measuring instruments themselves (product requirements) and for the processes involved in their production, the making available on the market and surveillance during operation (process requirements). In connection therewith, the working group develops software test procedures and software test instructions adapted to the conditions in the legal metrology. If necessary, the employees of various other departments of PTB are instructed and trained in the application of the test procedures.

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Services

Software Examination

In the context of the type approval and certification processes in legal metrology, software tests are conducted by the working group in different test depths – from checklist based document review up to source code analysis. In areas other than legal metrology, the members of the working group also have years of experience in analytical software quality assurance (software testing) and in the field of preventive quality assurance (evaluation and improvement of software development processes). Other groups at PTB can also perform software tests themselves. When doing so, they are supported and advised by working group 8.51.

Advisory services for the industry and for market surveillance authorities

The working group provides experts for audits in accordance with the MID-modules D, G, H and H1, evaluators of software technology as part of the accreditation process of the DAkkS, and representatives for the DIN committee for software and systems engineering.

Participation in Harmonization and Standardization Bodies

  • AGME AA Elektrizitätsmessung
  • WELMEC WG7
  • OIML TC5/SC2
  • DKE AK 461.0.14 Gateway und Datenübertragung 
  • DKE AK 353.0.8 Nutzerautorisierung für Ladeinfrastruktur
  • DVGW G-PK-1-5-2-1 Digitale Schnittstelle für Gasmessgeräte
  • DVGW G-PK-1-5-7 Zukunft RLM-Gas

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Information

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