THE GUM TREE DESIGN PATTERN FOR UNCERTAINTY SOFTWARE

The paper describes a simple approach to software design in which the ‘Law of propagation of uncertainty’ is used to obtain measurement results that include a statement of uncertainty, as described in the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (ISO, Geneva, 1995). The technique can be used directly for measurement uncertainty calculations, but is of particular interest when applied to the design of instrumentation systems. It supports modularity and extensibility, which are key requirements of modern instrumentation, without imposing an additional performance burden. The technique automates the evaluation and propagation of components of uncertainty in an arbitrary network of modular measurement components.