Glossary
G-4 Getting Started Guide
Glossary
microinch—One millionth of an inch.
micrometer—One millionth of a meter (39.37 microinches).
micron—See micrometer.
near end of travel—The point in a measurement setup when the
measurement optics are closest to each other.
NMTBA—National Machine Tool Builders Association. Now known as
the Association of Manufacturing Technology (AMT).
parts per million (ppm)—A means of standardizing an error by
comparing your error against one million of those error units. (It is usually
a high-resolution percentage.)
pitch—The angular motion (of a carriage or slide designed for linear
motion) that is perpendicular to the desired linear motion and
perpendicular to the yaw of the carriage.
ppm—Parts per million.
referent—The point or object that is used as a reference. (For example,
the position of the interferometer.)
repeatability—The range among a group of measurements at a target
position.
resolution—The smallest increment of a scale.
retroreflector—A mirror assembly that reflects the light beam parallel
to the incoming beam. Also known as a cube corner.
roll—The rotational movement about a lengthwise horizontal axis (see
Figure G–1).
rotation (of the laser head)—Tilting the laser head to direct the laser
beam as required for your measurement.