Configuring an FP-CTR-500/502 Module Using FieldPoint Explorer

This document consists of step-by-step instructions for configuring an FP-CTR-500/502 counter module using FieldPoint Explorer. Use this document in conjunction with the FP-CTR-500 Operating Instructions or the FP-CTR-502 Operating Instructions.

Configuring Count-Input Channels (Channels 0-7)

To configure the FP-CTR-500/502 count-input channels, follow these steps:

1. Launch FieldPoint Explorer.

2. Click the + sign to the left of the FP-CTR-500 @1 module to see all the channels on the FP-CTR-500 module. Channels 0–7 are the count input channels. Channels 8–11 are the discrete input channels. Channels 12–15 are the discrete output channels. Right-click the FP-CTR-500 module and select the Edit this Device to configure the FP-CTR-500 module as shown in the following figure.


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3. In the Device Configuration dialog box, click Channel Configuration.



4. In the Channel Configuration dialog box, select Type 1: Count input from the Channel menu. Check the checkbox next to the channel you want to configure.


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5. In the Channel Attributes area, select Terminal Count from the Attribute menu. You can select multiple channels by unchecking the One channel at a time checkbox.


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6. In the Value field, enter the terminal count value. The Terminal Count Value can be any integer number from 0 to 65535. When the counter reaches the Terminal Count Value and receives a count trigger, the counter resets to 0 and triggers any outputs with which it is associated. Click Create Item to configure the ability to programmatically control the attribute.



When you click Create Item for the attributes and commands, you are creating items that you can control programmatically. Refer to the FieldPoint Explorer Online Help for more information on the FP-CTR-500/502 ranges, attributes, and command values. If you want to view the information for an item you have already created, go to the Item Configuration dialog box by right-clicking the item in the main window of FieldPoint Explorer and selecting Edit this item.


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7. In the Channel Attributes area of the Channel Configuration dialog box, select Count Source from the Attribute menu. The Count Source identifies the source of the pulses to be counted by the counter.

8. Select one of the following count sources from the Value menu and click Create Item to configure the ability to programmatically control the attribute:

• External Count Input—Select this value if there is an external device generating the pulses to be counted.
• Previous Channel—Select this value to count the number of times the previous counter channel reaches its terminal value.
• 1 kHz Reference—Select this value to enable a 1 kHz internal count.
• 32 kHz Reference—Select this value to enable a 32 kHz internal count.
  

9. Select Gate Source from the Attribute menu. The Gate Source defines the signal that is used for counting.

10. Select one of the following gate sources from the Value menu and click Create Item to configure the ability to programmatically control the attribute:

• Gate Input 0—Select this value to use the corresponding discrete input channel for the gate source.
• Gate Input 1—Select this value to use the corresponding discrete input channel for the gate source.
• Gate Input 2—Select this value to use the corresponding discrete input channel for the gate source.
• Gate Input 3—Select this value to use the corresponding discrete input channel for the gate source.
• Always Disabled—Select this value to keep the disable the gate.
• Always Enabled—Select this value to keep the gate enabled at all times.
  

11. Select Read Reset Mode from the Attribute menu.

12. Select one of the following modes from the Value menu and click Create Item to configure the ability to programmatically control the attribute:

• Don't Reset On Read—Select this mode if you do not want the counter to reset each time the FieldPoint network module reads the counter.
• Reset On Read—Reset On Read configures the counter to reset each time the FieldPoint network module reads the counter. The counter also resets any outputs associated with the target channel.
  

13. Select Noise Rejection from the Attribute menu. If you selected External Count Input as the value for the Count Source in step 8, the Noise Rejection attribute configures the counter lowpass filter.

14. Select on of the following frequencies from the Value menu and click Create Item to configure the ability to programmatically control the attribute:

• 200 Hz—Pulses of 2.5 ms or greater activate the count input.
• 50 kHz—Pulses of 10 µs or greater activate the count input.
  

15. In the Channel Commands area, select Increment from the Action menu if you want to increment the counter counts by one. Select Reset from the Action menu if you want to reset the counter. Click Create Item to configure the ability to programmatically control the command. Click Send.


16. Repeat steps 4–15 until you have configured all of the count input channels you want to configure.

Configuring Discrete-Input Channels (Channels 8-11)

You do not need to configure the discrete input channels. You can use the discrete input channels as gate source inputs to start and stop the counting process.


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Configuring Discrete-Output Channels (Channels 12-15)

To configure the FP-CTR-500/502 discrete-output channels, follow these steps:

1. Launch FieldPoint Explorer.

2. Click the + sign to the left of the FP-CTR-500 @1 module to see all the channels on the FP-CTR-500 module. Channels 0–7 are the count input channels. Channels 8–11 are the discrete input channels. Channels 12–15 are the discrete output channels. Right-click the FP-CTR-500 module and select the Edit this Device to configure the FP-CTR-500 module as shown in the following figure.


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3. In the Device Configuration dialog box, click Channel Configuration.



4. In the Channel Configuration dialog box, select Type 3: Discrete output from the Channel menu. Check the checkbox next to the channel you want to configure. You can select multiple channels by unchecking the One channel at a time checkbox.


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5. In the Channel Attributes area, select Output Source from the Attribute menu.


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6. Select one of the following output sources from the Value menu and click Create Item to configure the ability to programmatically control the attribute:

• Counter Channel 0—Select this value if you want the discrete output channel to operate as an output for channel 0.
• Counter Channel 1—Select this value if you want the discrete output channel to operate as an output for channel 1.
• Counter Channel 2—Select this value if you want the discrete output channel to operate as an output for channel 2.
• Counter Channel 3—Select this value if you want the discrete output channel to operate as an output for channel 3.
• Counter Channel 4—Select this value if you want the discrete output channel to operate as an output for channel 4.
• Counter Channel 5—Select this value if you want the discrete output channel to operate as an output for channel 5.
• Counter Channel 6—Select this value if you want the discrete output channel to operate as an output for channel 6.
• Counter Channel 7—Select this value if you want the discrete output channel to operate as an output for channel 7.
• Discrete Data—Select this value if you want to use this channel as a discrete data output. You only affect the output state when you write discrete data to a discrete output channel if you select discrete data for the channel.

7. In the Channel Attributes area, select Output Mode from the Attribute menu.

8. Select one of the following output modes from the Value menu and click Create Item to programmatically control the attribute:

• Toggle, Reset Off—In Toggle, Reset Off mode, the discrete output channel starts low and goes high when the terminal count is exceeded. The output channel returns to low the next time the terminal count is exceeded. The following figure shows a discrete output channel in Toggle, Reset Off mode with the terminal count equal to 4.

• Toggle, Reset On—In Toggle, Reset On mode, the discrete output channel starts high and goes low when the terminal count is exceeded. The output channel returns to high the next time the terminal count is exceeded.The following figure shows a discrete output channel in Toggle, Reset On mode with the terminal count equal to 4.

• On Pulse—In On Pulse mode, the discrete output channel starts high and goes low when the terminal count is exceeded. The output channel returns to high after one count. The following figure shows a discrete output channel in On Pulse mode with the terminal count equal to 4.

• Off Pulse—In Off Pulse mode, the discrete output channel starts low and goes high when the terminal count is exceeded. The output channel returns to low after one count. The following figure shows a discrete output channel in Off Pulse mode with the terminal count equal to 4.

9. Repeat steps 4–8 until you have configured all of the count input channels you want to configure.
Related Links:
Measure Frequency with LabVIEW and FieldPoint Using FP-CTR-500/502

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