What are standards and guidelines?
The measurement of temperature, in particular with electrical temperature sensors (e.g. Pt100), is described in many technical rules.This defines manufacturer- and country-independent standards that guarantee a certain quality, safety and interchangeability of the temperature measuring devices.
There are national standards (DIN, VDI/VDE), European standards (CEN, CENELEC, ETSI), and international standards (ISO, IEC).
The best-known standards are:
- DIN-Standard
DIN standards are widely used in Germany. These are prepared by the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) and distributed by the Beuth-Verlag. Compliance with DIN standards is not binding. However, it is often required or at least recommended by law in many industries and sectors (e.g. the construction industry, electrical engineering, the automotive industry or medical technology)
The designation of a DIN standard, consists of the 3 letters "DIN", a number and a date of publication:
Example: DIN 43147:1989-06 - DIN EN Standard
The DIN EN standards ("German Industrial Standard European Standard) are European standards that are valid in all EU countries. They are an important part of European harmonization.
These standards are developed in cooperation with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the International Standards Organization (ISO). Existing DIN standards are often taken as a basis and supplemented for the European market.
The designation of a DIN EN standard, consists of the 5 letters "DIN EN", a number and a date of publication:
Example: DIN EN 43147:1989-06 - ISO- Standard
ISO Normen werden von der International Organization for Standardization (ISO) entwickelt und veröffentlicht. These standards are used in many countries around the world.
The designation of an ISO standard, consists of the 3 letters "ISO", a number and a year of publication:
Example: ISO 9001:2015 - VDI/VDE Guidelines
The VDI/VDE guidelines are developed and published. by the Association of German Engineers/Association of German Electrical Engineers. Compliance with VDI/VDE guidelines is recommended or mandatory in many industries and or prescribed. VDI/VDE guidelines are also internationally recognized and are often used as reference standards in other countries. VDI/VDE Richtlinien sind auch international anerkannt und werden oft als Referenznormen in anderen Ländern verwendet. The guidelines are practice-oriented and mainly refer to technical areas, such as measurement and control technology, electrical engineering, environmental technology or information technology.
Current standards for temperature measurement and temperature sensors (Pt100)
As of: 2023
| Standard | Edition | Subject | Link to Beuth-Verlag |
| DIN 1345 | 1993-12 | Thermodynamics; terminology | www.beuth.de/de/norm/din-1345/2180345 |
| DIN 5496 | 1991-05 | Thermal radiation of volume radiators | www.beuth.de/de/norm/din-5496/1691880 |
| DIN 16160 | 1990-11 | Thermometers; concepts | www.beuth.de/de/norm/din-16160/1614113 |
| DIN 43724 | 1979-02 | Electrical temperature sensors; ceramic protecting tubes and holding rings for thermocouple thermometers | www.beuth.de/de/norm/din-43724/624791 |
| DIN 43735 | 2011-06 | Process control technology - Electrical temperature sensors - Replaceable inserts for RTDs and thermocouples | www.beuth.de/de/norm/din-43735/139984483 |
| DIN 43764 | 1986-03 | Measurement and control; electrical temperature sensors; straight thermometers with interchangeable sensor units | www.beuth.de/de/norm/din-43764/1281714 |
| DIN 43765 | 1986-03 | Measurement and control; electrical temperature sensors; threaded-stem thermometers with G 1/2 mounting thread | www.beuth.de/de/norm/din-43765/1281764 |
| DIN 43766 | 1986-03 | Measurement and control; electrical temperature sensors; threaded-stem thermometers with G 1 mounting thread | www.beuth.de/de/norm/din-43766/1281794 |
| DIN 43767 | 1986-03 | Measurement and control; electrical temperature sensors; welded-stem thermometers | www.beuth.de/de/norm/din-43767/1281841 |
| DIN 43769 | 1986-03 | Measurement and control; electrical temperature sensors; thermometers not fitted with protecting tubes | www.beuth.de/de/norm/din-43769/1281877 |
| DIN 43772 | 2000-03 | Control technology- Protective tubes and extension tubes for liquid-in-glass thermometers, dial thermometers, thermocouples and resistance thermometers - Dimensions, materials, testing | www.beuth.de/de/norm/din-43772/23373861 |
| DIN EN 50446 | 2007-04 | Straight thermocouple assembly with metal or ceramic protection tube and accessories; German version EN 50446:2006 | www.beuth.de/de/norm/din-en-50446/96817838 |
| DIN EN 60584-1 | 2015-08 | Thermocouples - Part 1: EMF specifications and tolerances (IEC 60584-1:2013) | www.beuth.de/de/norm/din-en-60584-1-berichtigung-1/238345881 |
| DIN EN 60751 | 2009-05 | Industrial platinum resistance thermometers (e.g. Pt100) and platinum temperature sensors | www.beuth.de/de/norm/din-en-60751/115799593 |
| DIN EN 60770-1 | 2001-09 | Transmitters for use in industrial-process control systems - Part 1: Methods for performance evaluation | www.beuth.de/de/norm/din-en-60770-1/143590642 |
| DIN EN 61515 | 2017-03 | Mineral insulated metal-sheathed thermocouple cables and thermocouples | www.beuth.de/de/norm/din-en-61515/265818519 |
| VDI/VDE 3511 Bl.4 | 2011-12 | Temperature measurement in industry - Radiation thermometry | www.beuth.de/de/technische-regel/vdi-vde-3511-blatt-4/143906950 |
The table makes no claim to completeness. We assume no liability for errors.
The standards can be purchased from Beuth-Verlag.