Instrument specification document vs instrument data sheet

 Instrument specification document vs instrument data sheet

What is the difference between a device specification and a device data sheet? The terms instrument specification and instrument data sheet are used interchangeably by some practitioners. Both are referred to as documents or information sheets that specify details about the device. You often see manufacturers use the word "specification" in their product sheet, and sometimes you get a "data sheet" in another manufacturer's product sheet.

For those involved in the project, the instrument specification and the instrument data sheet are two different documents. A device specification is a document that limits the boundaries of a device. It tells the general rule how to specify the tool to use. Meanwhile, the information in the data sheet is much more detailed and much more specific to suit the application.

The following example shows how the specification and data sheet talk about the scope of the device:

Specification: "The range of the instrument must be chosen so that the maximum value of the process variable does not exceed 90% of the calibrated range"

Data sheet: "0 - 100 barg" (in which case the maximum process pressure is 90 barg)

First, the device specification is generated and based on this document we can derive the data sheet and obtain additional information from other documents when preparing the device data sheet.