About SoftGauges

ISO 5436-2 (2000)[1] introduced into international standardisation the concept of the software measurement standard or softgauge in the context of the measurement of surface texture. The standard defines Type F1 (reference data) and Type F2 (reference software) software measurement standards, and also the file format for Type F1 software measurement standards, for the calibration of the software aspects of instruments for the measurement of surface texture by the profile method as defined in ISO 3274 (1996)[2].

Software measurement standards are used by software developers (as part of instrument manufacture) to test metrology software by helping them locate software bugs and check the correctness of their algorithms. Software measurement standards are also used by users (in manufacturing industry) of the software to give them confidence in the correctness of the algorithms and software in their metrology instruments.

Although material measures or physical artefacts (ISO 5436-1 (2000)[1]) can also be used to check metrology software, they check the measuring procedure as a whole and not just the software in isolation, and will introduce relatively large measurement uncertainties compared to those of software measurement standards.

Type F1 measurement standards are data files, which are a digital representation of a profile. Type F1 measurement standards are used to test software by using them as input to the software under test, and comparing the results from the software under test with the certified results provided with the Type F1 measurement standard.

Type F2 measurement standards are reference software. Reference software consists of traceable computer software against which software in a measuring instrument can be compared. Type F2 measurement standards are used to test software by inputting a common data set into both the software under test and the reference software and comparing the results from the software under test with the certified results from the reference software.