During calibration of a differential pressure transducer, which step improves accuracy across temperature?

• A. Temperature effects are ignored during calibration.
• B. Calibration should be repeated after temperature equilibration.
• C. Only zero offset is calibrated.
• D. Temperature compensation is routinely included during calibration to ensure accuracy across temperature ranges.

Answer: (D)

Temperature swings can change both the zero offset and the sensitivity of a differential pressure transducer. So, the best way to keep accuracy across a range of temperatures is to include temperature compensation during calibration. By measuring how the device’s output shifts with temperature and applying a compensation model (whether a polynomial, table, or hardware/firmware correction), the system can correct the reading in real time as temperature varies. This effectively makes the transducer’s output accurate over the full operating temperature range.

Ignoring temperature effects guarantees error remains, because you’d be calibrating at one temperature and assuming it holds, which isn’t true in practice. Calibrating only the zero offset tackles only part of the drift; the span or sensitivity can still drift with temperature. Repeating calibration after temperature equilibration helps at that specific temperature, but it doesn’t provide a plan to maintain accuracy as temperature changes. Including temperature compensation during calibration, however, directly addresses how the device behaves across temperatures, delivering reliable readings throughout the range.