Time Interval is the exact elapsed time measured between a start trigger and a stop trigger. In metrology, measuring this interval with extreme precision requires specialized counters and stable reference oscillators. It is a fundamental measurement used to calibrate radar systems, network time protocols, and high-speed digital electronics.
Hook the rubidium standard up to the counter and check the TI on that pulse generator.
Time interval measurements are highly sensitive to trigger level settings and cable lengths, so metrologists must account for cable delay in their uncertainty budgets.
Also heard as
- Time Interval
Related terms
Primary time standard
An atomic clock that realizes the definition of the second without needing external calibration.
Calibration
Comparing an instrument with a better-known standard and recording how its readings line up with the standard's values.
Measurand
The exact quantity a measurement is aimed at, pinned down tightly enough that everyone measures the same thing.