Analysis and review of CMCs in 2003 for Time and Frequency field

Project Description

The Analysis Working Group was established to analyse and review EUROMET CMC tables. The project result will be reviewed CMC tables which will be sent to EUROMET Chairman for interregional review.

Final report 2006-04-05

EUROMET Time & Frequency Technical Committee has prepared internal documents and rules for preapring CMCs in 2002. Prepared CMCs were also reviewed regionally and sent for inter-regional review. The review process was however stopped due to the objection of CCTF stating that the classification of the t&f CMCc is not harmonised yet. On December 2002, WGMRA met during the PTTI Meeting and adopt three Guidelines, defining the classification and content of the t&f CMC tables.

When the new classification was defined in April 2003 t&f TC Meeting in Ljubljana, a new Analysis Working Group (AWG) was elected from its members. It consisted of six time and frequency experts from leading European time and frequency laboratories. A first task of AWG was the review of the new EUROMET CMCs files.
When CMC files had been prepared and collected by TC Chairman, they were distributed among members of AWG to be reviewed. Additionally, with CMCs files an Appendix1 document was prepared by NMIs for each quantity included in the CMCs file. In this document, the laboratory had to specify details regarding the applied quality system, the publications relevant to the given CMCs, peer review or expert visit and other relevant information, and confirming laboratory abilities for specified CMCs. A direct communication between AWG member and the laboratory which CMCs were under the review process was established via e-mail. 16 CMCs files were thoroughly reviewed in three months. These CMCs files were then sent at the end of December 2003 to EUROMET Chairman, who started the process of inter-regional review.The inter-regional review of EUROMET time and frequency CMCs files started in the beginning of 2004. Questions raised from other RMOs were answered directly by laboratories who prepared CMCs. When necessary, CMC files were corrected and updated. Communication was again established through e-mail and the TC Chairman was coordinating activities within EUROMET.

In the 2005, the CMC status was as follows:

• 10 CMC files published in KCDB (AT, BE, DE, HU, IT, NL, SI, SE, CH, and UK)
• 6 CMC files still within inter-regional review (CZ, FI, IR, PL, ES, and TR)
• 4 CMC files completed EUROMET review (BG, LT, RO, SK)
• 1 CMC file still in the EUROMET review process (FR)
   

A more detailed information can be found in the paper:R. Lapuh, F. Cordara, and G. de Jong, "Preparation and Review of EUROMET CMC Files for Time and Frequency," 18th EFTF, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK., 5-7 April 2004