The National Physical Laboratory

The National Physical Laboratory upholds the standards of the State of Israel—accurate measuring instruments in the following areas:

• Time
• Mass
• Pressure, vacuum
• Electrical resistance and capacitance

In 1985, the State of Israel signed the Metre Convention. The main principle of the Metre Convention is that measurement results obtained in countries that signed this convention will be traceable to national and international standards. Benchmarks according to the Metre Convention are held in every member state at the National Institute of Metrology (Measurements), and in Israel at the National Physics Laboratory.
This determines the main function of the laboratory: on the one hand, calibration of measuring instruments of calibration laboratories that provide service to industry and commerce in Israel; and on the other, comparing the standards of the State of Israel to the benchmarks of countries signed on the Metre Convention, to ensure equality of measure. This role of the laboratory is one of the components of industrial and commercial infrastructure in the State of Israel.

The National Physical Laboratory participates in the development of new benchmarks, for example in the field of material quantity: systems for measuring acidity and conductivity in solutions, reference materials, etc. The laboratory also organizes inter-laboratory comparisons in Israel (proficiency tests) in various fields of measurement, calibration and testing.
The National Physical Laboratory serves as the exclusive representative of the state in the BIPM International Office responsible for implementing the Metre Convention. The lab is also active in other national and international organizations engaged in measurement, calibration and testing.

The INPL is a key part of Israeli metrology system and key part of its National Quality Infrastructure (NQI).

Objectives and vision

Maintaining national benchmarks and calibrating measuring instruments to ensure traceability to national and international benchmarks.The INPL has the responsibility of developing and maintaining national

measurement standards and disseminating the SI units. To aid international recognition of national measurement standards and the associated measurement capabilities. INPL participate in international comparisons of measurement standards under the CIPM MRA (Mutual Recognition Arrangement.

The functions of the INPL are the follows:

• establishing metrological traceability to the SI, depending on the quantity, either by key comparisons or by keeping, maintaining and continuously improving the national measurement standards that are metrologically traceable to the SI via a foreign institute;
• disseminating the units, which involves providing metrological traceability to the national references for industrial calibration laboratories and directly to the users in industry and to the national critical infrastructure;
• participating in related international activities, e.g. comparisons; 
• ensuring the international recognition of calibrations so as to avoid technical barriers to trade through participation at regional and international levels in the international recognition systems operated by ILAC12 and/or the BIPM;
• carrying out development work on the improvement of national references, where possible, undertaking research activities to prepare for the next generation of metrology standards;
• providing the necessary advice and support to the government, industry, commerce and the public on metrological issues;
• providing a sound metrological basis for the national accreditation scheme, including the provision of experts for assessments. 

The INPL is also the most suitable means for government to provide the public with an independent and impartial source of advice about the validity, credibility and reliability of metrological information. 

The quality infrastructure is required for the effective operation of domestic markets, and its international recognition is important to enable access to foreign markets. It is a critical element in promoting and sustaining economic development, as well as environmental and social wellbeing.
The National metrology system is a key part of National Quality Infrastructure (NQI) because no quantity can be correctly and consistently measured without metrology.
Metrology plays a key role in the adoption of scientific and technological innovations, the design and efficient manufacture of products that comply with the needs of the marketplace, and the detection and avoidance of non-conformities. It provides fundamental support for health and safety testing, environmental monitoring, and food processing. It also provides the basis for fair trading in a domestic economy and international trading in the global market place.

Laboratory goals and tasks

The INPL is a central factor in the national quality system responsible for the national standards and all the measurements that are carried out in the country. 
The laboratory holds national standards for measurements in various fields and is responsible for the accuracy of national standards. 

The laboratory provides accuracy of all measurements carried out in the country by a national traceability chain. National standards are at the top of the national traceability chain. 
The laboratory maintains the traceability of national standards to international standards for measurements in various fields. The traceability of national standards to international standards is carried out through international key comparisons.

The laboratory performs calibration services of measuring instruments against national standards in various fields for customers in Israeli industry and military. 
The laboratory is responsible for developing calibration and measurement procedures in various fields.

Time and Frequency Laboratory of INPL

According to bilateral agreements signed between the State of Israel and the countries of the world on import/export issues, the State of Israel is obliged to have a time laboratory supervised by the international organization BIPM. Israel has signed two international agreements: the Meter Convention and  Mutual Recognition Arrangement  of Israeli products in the global and European market - MRA.
In order to comply with these agreements, the Israeli Knesset enacted in 1992 the "Time Determination Law" which authorizes the National Physical Laboratory to determine the national time in accordance with UTC.
The Time Determination Law defines: Coordinated Universal Time in Israel is  UTC(INPL) is  based on the rate of atomic clock.
Tasks of time and frequency laboratory according to the law of time determination

• To keep the national time based on high precision atomic clocks.
• Be part of a global system for determination of international standard of time TAI and UTC. 
• Be synchronized to UTC. To maintain the traceability of the national standard after the international standard. To keep the offset from the UTC less than 100 ns. 
• To provide customer service in the field of accurate time and frequency measurements.
• The laboratory must meet BIPM's international requirements regarding the accuracy level of the clocks and regarding technical requirements for all  equipment.

National time is formed and stored on the basis of a system of high-precision atomic clocks 5071A manufactured by Microchip. The accuracy of the national scale according to the international comparisons conducted by the BIPM is 7.5 ns. International comparisons of the national UTC(INPL) scale relative to the international UTC scale are carried out continuously using high-precision satellite equipment TTS5. This equipment makes it possible to perform comparisons on three global satellite systems: GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS. Statistical deviations in one series of measurements are only 0.2 - 0.3 ns for GPS and GALILEO constellations, and 20 -30 ns for GLONASS system.

National Time Network

The importance of the national time scale and the national network of precise time for the security of the country and for the national infrastructure has increased over the past decade due to the increase in the number of attacks on digital information systems, as well as attacks on satellite signals (jamming and spoofing).

INPL is involved in solving this problem and participates in the project of protecting the national critical infrastructure from such attacks.