Mathematical approach to the validation of surface texture filtration software

A novel method for the validation of surface texture filtration software is introduced. Mathematically traceable reference pairs for linear Gaussian filtration are developed, utilising Fourier series surface definitions in conjunction with the frequency dependent transmission characteristic of the linear Gaussian filter. The novel method is demonstrated using a library of reference pairs to validate the performance of five surface texture analysis software packages. Investigations into the effects of different surface properties are made in relation to the deviation of the software-obtained results from the traceable reference values. Analysis of variance tests are used to verify the statistical significance of the results.