Pressure calibration is as important today as it has been for a very long time, but the way calibration is performed and the equipment used to do it has changed drastically.
In the past it was a standard practice to use a primary standard for pressure calibration. That standard was normally a dead weight tester or a manometer. Today with more accurate secondary standards available there is a larger choice in what can be used for pressure calibration. What is used normally will depend on the requirements that have to be met and the equipment that is available.
This paper discusses issues that should be taken into consideration when choosing a pressure calibrator from the many that are available today along with some of the challenges involved with performing a calibration or validation with a digital standard.