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Accreditation Scope

Which quantities and ranges a laboratory calibrates under accreditation is stated in the annex to its accreditation certificate. The calibration certificate marks measuring points outside this scope with "*" (not in the accreditation scope).

calServer decides this per measuring point in three steps:

  1. Derive from the annex maintained in the quality specifications.
  2. Freeze at capture, so that a reprint of the certificate says the same as the first print.
  3. Override, in the test plan with accred no or by hand at the calibration.

A laboratory without accreditation maintains no annex. Its points then carry no statement and no "*".

Maintaining the annex

The annex lives under Admin › Requirements › Quality specifications: per provision a header with its measurement ranges below (Requirements). These fields count for the scope:

Field Effect
Holder of the annex Only annexes of the own laboratory count (Own lab or empty), not those of an external lab.
Valid from, Valid until An annex that was not valid on the calibration date does not cover the point. Without dates it always applies.
Unit, Range from / to The nominal value has to lie within the range, in the same base unit; calServer converts prefixes. A row without unit does not count.
Measurement type, otherwise Label If calServer recognises a measuring function there, such as "DCV" or "Gleichspannung", the measuring point needs that function. Otherwise the unit alone counts.
Second range from / to Read as a frequency band in Hz. The measuring point then needs a frequency inside this band, such as @ 50 Hz in the test plan.

A measuring point's function comes from function in the test plan, otherwise from unit and frequency: V without frequency is DC voltage, V with frequency AC voltage.

A range "0 to 10 V" also covers −5 V, as long as no row of the same unit names a negative range. If one does, the ranges of that unit are meant with their sign: "−40 to 0 °C" does not cover −50 °C.

The row's measurement uncertainty (CMC) plays no part in the scope. Whether a measurement row states a smaller uncertainty than the annex allows is still checked by the completion check.

What a measuring point says

Statement When On the certificate
In scope A row of an annex valid on the calibration date covers the point. no mark
Outside scope (*) An annex is maintained, but no row covers the point, or only an annex that was not valid on the calibration date. "*"
No statement No annex maintained, or the step is not a measuring point with nominal value and unit (visual check, question, rating). no mark

The hysteresis follows its two points: if both are in scope, so is it; if one is outside, so is the hysteresis.

Frozen at capture

When a measured value is captured, calServer writes the statement with its reason to the measurement row. It then stays, even if the annex changes. A new certificate of accreditation thus does not silently change a running or finished calibration, and a reprint says the same as the original.

If the annex says something different today than at capture, the bar shows Annex differs today: N, and the completion check points it out. If the change applies to this calibration too, use Derive again; otherwise what applied on the calibration date stays.

Who wins

  1. Set by hand at the calibration, and values from MET/TEAM: they stay at every capture and when deriving again. A transfer from MET/TEAM counts like a choice by hand, because someone decided there.
  2. Test plan with accred no: the point is outside the scope, whatever the annex says.
  3. Annex: the derivation above.

In the test plan: accred no

A test plan can only take points out, never put them in: before the first step all measuring points, on a group its points, on a measuring point that one. That fits a procedure that knows itself it works outside the accredited scope, such as a factory calibration or a set-up that is not accredited.

group "Klimaschrank"
  accred no
  result numeric
  unit °C
  measure 23 "23 °C"

There is no accred yes, because the annex says whether a point is in scope. Details and spelling: calScript, accreditation scope (German).

At the calibration

On the Test steps tab, below the decision rule, is the bar Accreditation scope. It appears as soon as an annex is maintained or a point carries a statement from the test plan, by hand or from MET/TEAM. It shows how many points are in scope, outside scope and without statement, and which annexes apply.

  • Derive again asks the annex once more for all points. Points set by hand and points transferred from MET/TEAM stay, unless Also points set by hand is ticked.
  • Show points opens the table: per measurement row the statement and its origin, such as "From the annex" with the row that covers the point.
  • The pencil on a row opens Set scope of point N: In scope, Outside scope (*), No statement or Derive (annex or test plan), plus the field Why, for the log (up to 200 characters). The dialog also shows what would apply without the choice by hand.

Limits:

  • Only before release. While the certificate awaits release or is released, the bar is locked. Withdraw the process first.
  • Not at the workstation. While the calibration is checked out to a workstation, neither deriving again nor a choice by hand is possible.
  • Log. Every change is in the calibration's change log.

In the completion check

The scope does not hold up the release. In the Completeness area there are two notices, both with Go to accreditation scope:

Notice Meaning
Scope differs by today's annex The annex says something different today for N points than was frozen at capture.
Scope without origin Points carry their statement without origin, usually measurement rows from before the derivation. Derive again asks the annex; set a measurement row without test step by hand.

If a seal rule assigns an accreditation seal, the declaration of the releasing person that the calibration lies within the accreditation scope stays (Release).

Limits

  • Same unit, same range. If two quantities share unit and range, such as a contact thermometer and a climatic chamber in °C, and the annex row names no measurement type, calServer cannot tell them apart. Remedy: measurement type on the annex row, accred no in the test plan, or the choice by hand.
  • Older measurement rows carry the database default "in scope" without origin. They stay until someone derives again at the calibration; with a maintained annex the completion check points them out. There is no run over all calibrations at once.

Interface

Method Path Right
GET /api/v2/calibrations/{ctag}/accreditation-scope view calibrations
POST /api/v2/calibrations/{ctag}/accreditation-scope/derive with include_manual edit calibrations
PUT /api/v2/calibrations/{ctag}/accreditation-scope/points/{row} with scope (in, out, none, derive) and note edit calibrations

Both changes answer 409 (code: release_open) while a process awaits release or is released, and 423 while the calibration is checked out. The JSON dataset calibration-certificate carries accred per measurement row and, from version 1.10, accred_source with its origin (JSON reports).