The size of the particles can be traced back to standard particles, usually using polystyrene plastic latex beads (PLS:Polymer LatexSuspensions), which can be traced back to size through scanning electron microscopy. However, it is difficult to have a reliable way to trace the number of particles. The particles detected by the dust particle counter are difficult to capture, there is no effective way to count the number, and they cannot be weighed. Even if every step of sampling is well executed, the counts displayed by different dust particle counters will still be very different. The main reason is that there are differences in the design and performance of dust particle counters from different manufacturers, so the calibration of dust particle counters has always been a hot topic and difficulty in research at home and abroad.

A large number of foreign literature [2-5] mentioned the concept of counting efficiency. The so-called counting efficiency is the ratio of the number of particles displayed by the dust particle counter to the number of standard particles obtained from the aerosol sampled from the air inlet of the dust particle counter. Instruments with a small measurable particle size of <0.2 μm are classified as Class A, and those with a size of >0.2 μm are classified as Class B. Class A particle counter is a condensation nucleus counter or a similar counter with no less than the same performance. The counting efficiency of Class B counter can be obtained by taking Class A counter as the standard. The specific indicators of counting efficiency are:the counting efficiency of dust particle counter under small measurable particle size should be the traceability problem of the particle counter. It is just tacitly recognized by everyone and has not become a benchmark. The literature also mentions the particle size range response voltage. This method requires connecting a multi-channel pulse amplitude analyzer to the output end of the dust particle counter to be tested (the output end of the preamplifier or the input end of the main amplifier). Use a standard particle generator to generate experimental aerosols suitable for standard particles of different particle sizes, analyze the pulse signals corresponding to different particle size ranges, make pulse frequency curves, and determine the response voltages of different standard particles. It also mentions the use of dust particle counters for calibration by comparison method.

Based on the need for traceability of the dust particle counter, JJG547-88 "Dust Particle Counter" was formulated in 1988, using polydisperse standard particles to calibrate the particle size distribution accuracy and monodisperse particle measurement discreteness of the dust particle counter. This regulation avoids direct verification of particle concentration and adopts the partial method. All its indicators are indirect values. In 2008, after years of hard work, the regulation was revised and changed to JJF1190-2008 "Dust Particle Counter" [7]. The main technical indicators of this specification include appearance requirements, insulation resistance, electrical strength, self-cleaning time, flow error, timing error, repeatability, particle size distribution error, and particle concentration indication error, covering the basic performance of the measuring instrument, while also taking into account factors such as the scientific nature and operability of the verification work. This specification innovatively proposes to use a standard particle generator to generate a standard particle aerosol, and use a precision dust particle counter as a standard device to calibrate the indicator that has been avoided but is extremely important:particle concentration indication error. The key to calibrating a dust particle counter is the standard particle generator, precision dust particle counter and data processing.