Method of calibrating an instrument, a self-calibrating instrument and a system including the instrument

1. An instrument comprising:

at least one of an output unit that generates an output signal and a measurement unit that performs a measurement to produce a measurement result;

a device that produces at least one of a reference time and a reference frequency;

a transducer that converts the at least one of the reference time and the reference frequency to a reference signal; and

a calibration module that adjusts at least one of the output signal generated by the output unit and the result of a measurement taken by the measurement unit based on the reference signal.

2. An instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the device that produces at least one of a reference time and a reference frequency comprises one of:

a generator that generates the at least one of a reference time and a reference frequency, and

a receiver that receives at least one of a time and a frequency to produce the at least one of a reference time and a reference frequency respectively.

3. An instrument according to claim 2 , wherein the generator comprises at least one of:

an atomic beam frequency standard;

a vapor cell atomic frequency standard; and

a stable oscillator.

4. An instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the transducer comprises at least one of:

a single Josephson junction device;

a Josephson junction array device;

a single charge transfer device;

a single frequency electromagnetic field source; and

a multiple frequency electromagnetic field source.

5. An instrument according to claim 4 , wherein the single frequency electromagnetic field source comprises a laser, the multiple frequency electromagnetic field source comprises at least one of a frequency comb generator and an optical frequency comb generator.

6. An instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the reference signal comprises at least one of:

a signal having an AC and DC voltage;

a signal having an AC and DC current;

a single frequency electromagnetic field; and

a multiple frequency electromagnetic field.

7. A system comprising:

an instrument comprising:

at least one of an output unit that generates an output signal and a measurement unit that performs a measurement to produce a measurement result;

a device that produces at least one of a reference time and a reference frequency;

a transducer that converts the at least one of the reference time and the reference frequency to a reference signal; and

a calibration module that adjusts at least one of the output signal generated by the output unit and the result of a measurement taken by the measurement unit based on the reference signal.

8. A system according to claim 7 , wherein the device that produces at least one of a reference time and a reference frequency comprises one of:

a generator that generates the at least one of a reference time and a reference frequency, and

a receiver that receives at least one of a time and a frequency to produce the at least one of a reference time and a reference frequency respectively.

9. A system according to claim 8 , further comprising a network to which the instrument is connected, and wherein the receiver receives the at least one of the time and the frequency from the network.

10. A system according to claim 9 , wherein the network comprises a synchronized network and the frequency produced by the receiver is one of syntonized and synchronized to the frequency available on the synchronized network.

11. A system according to claim 9 , wherein the network comprises a network with a network protocol implemented thereon and the frequency produced by the receiver is one of syntonized and synchronized to the frequency available as part of the network protocol.

12. A system according to claim 7 , wherein the instrument further comprises another output unit that outputs at least one of the reference time and the reference frequency.

13. A system according to claim 12 , further comprising a network to which the instrument is connected and wherein the at least one of the reference time and the reference frequency comprises at least one of a reference time and a reference frequency that is output onto the network using at least one of a synchronized network technology and a network protocol.

14. A method of calibrating an instrument comprising:

one of generating an output signal and making a measurement to produce a measurement result;

one of generating at least one of a reference time and a reference frequency, and receiving at least one of a time and a frequency to produce at least one of a reference time and a reference frequency respectively;

converting the at least one of the reference time and the reference frequency to a reference signal; and

adjusting, using a calibration module, at least one of the output signal and the measurement result based on the reference signal.

15. A method according to claim 14 , wherein generating the at least one of a reference time and a reference frequency comprises generating at least one of a reference time and a reference frequency that is one of syntonized and synchronized to a frequency available on a network to which the instrument is connected to.

16. A method according to claim 14 , wherein receiving at least one of a time and a frequency comprises receiving the at least one of the time and the frequency from a network to which the instrument is connected to.

17. A method according to claim 14 , further comprising outputting at least one of the reference time and the reference frequency.

18. A method according to claim 17 , wherein outputting the at least one of the reference time and the reference frequency comprises outputting at least one of a reference time and a reference frequency onto a network using at least one of a synchronized network technology and a network protocol.