Active-Arm Bridge with Two-Channel DC Voltage Source for Comparison of High-Resistance Standards in 1:1 Ratio

Abstract

In this paper, a guarded active-arm bridge for high-resistance standards with programmable two-channel source of DC voltage is described. Both channels of this source are controlled from a common reference voltage. This ensures a high stability of the voltage ratio of both source channels. The presented results of tests of this source show that its use in the active bridge is more advantageous than the use of the two independent DC voltage sources. The bridge allows high accuracy in the comparison of the high-resistance standards in 1:1 ratio. The current state of knowledge about active-arm bridges is presented, the basics of the bridge operation are given, the two-channel DC voltage source used in the bridge and its test results are described, the measurement process that does not require transposition of the compared resistance standards is described, sample measurement results, and a plan for further work are given. The bridge is used in the resistance standard calibration system at the Central Office of Measures (GUM), Poland, in the range from 100 MΩ to 100 TΩ.

Keywords

• active-arm bridge
• two-channel DC voltage source
• high-resistance standards
• high-resistance measurements