PUNE INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, PUNE - 411043

Department of Electronics & Telecommunication

CLASS :

S.E. E &TC

SUBJECT : EIT

EXPT. NO. : 6

DATE :

TITLE

: STUDY OF FREQUENCY COUNTER

OBJECTIVE

: 1. Measurement of frequency, time period, frequency

ratio & external counter (Totalizer)
2. Connect frequency generator to frequency counter.
Set frequency of generator to 100Hz, 1KHz, 10KHz,
100KHz, 1MHz & measure frequency and time period.
3. Connect two frequency sources A & B to frequency
counter & measure ratio of them.
4. Check function of timer & counter using start & stop
control of frequency counter.

APPARATUS

: Frequency Counter and Function generator

THEORY

For measurement of frequency, time interval, phase event counting and

many other related signal parameters the ideal instrument to use is an
electronic counter or the frequency and time interval analyzer. Electronic
counters can offer more than just a frequency measurement. When a
counter additionally offers a few simple functions, such as period, the
reciprocal of frequency, the instrument is sometimes called a
multifunction counter. When two channel functions, such as time
interval, are provided the instrument is usually called a universal
counter. This name reflects this instruments wide variety of applications.

Block diagram of frequency counter:

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PUNE INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, PUNE - 411043

Department of Electronics & Telecommunication

1. Input Circuitry:
It is mainly intended as a signal conditioner. It converts the analog input
signal into a form compatible with the logic circuitry in the rest of the
digital counter. Such an input channel consists of mainly of the following
stages.
a. AC/DC Coupling Circuitry
b. An input attenuator
c. A voltage limiter for circuit protection
d. An impedance converter with level adjustment
e. A Schmitt Trigger
2. Main Gate:
The signal conditioned in the input circuit is passed to the main gate
which is mostly a standard dual-input logic gate. One of the inputs is for
the information signal while the other receives the gate control signal.
When the gate is turened ON; the incoming pulses pass through the
gate to the next stage, the decimal counting unit.
3. Decimal counting unit and display:
It consists of a number of counter decades in cascade. Each decade
consists of five basic units
i. A decade counter
ii. A memory
iii. A BCD to decimal decoder,
iv. A numerical indicator driver
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PUNE INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, PUNE - 411043

Department of Electronics & Telecommunication

v. The numerical / indicator.
4. Time base circuitry:
Frequencies are measured basically by counting a number of input
pulses during a precisely defined time interval. Thus for both frequency
and time measurements a time reference of great accuracy and stability
is needed. The basic time reference is generally a very stable crystal
oscillator, which is followed by decade scalars.
5. Control unit:
The control unit exercises the following functions
a. Control of the main gate.
b. Generation of the reset pulses
c. Control of the display time
d. Generation of the memory transfer pulse
e. Generation of the clock pulses needed for dynamic display
f. Control of the devices connected to BCD output
Measurements using frequency counter:
1. Totalizing or counting of electrical input events
2. Frequency measurement
3. Frequency ratio measurements
4. Single / multiple period measurement
5. Time-interval measurement
6. time-interval averaging
7. Pulse-width measurements.

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PUNE INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, PUNE - 411043

Department of Electronics & Telecommunication

Plug in units of counter
1. Prescalars are modules that scale the input down to a frequency
range that can be accommodated by digital counters (upto 1.5 GHz)
2. Frequency converters are used to extend the upper range of
frequencies that can be measured with electronic counters. They use
the heterodyne principle. (50 MHz 30 GHz)
3. Transfer oscillators constitute another group of plug in modules that
provide frequency measurement capabilities ranging from 50 MHz up
to 100 GHz.
4. Automatic dividers represent a special form of the transfer oscillators
generally divide the input frequency by a factor of 100 or 1000. their
frequency range goes up o the X band.
5. Time interval modules are used to convert a basic frequency counter
(without time interval mode) into an instrument for the accurate
measurements of time intervals.
6. Preamplifier modules are used to facilitate the measurement of low
level signal.
7. Preset modules are devices that provide a means of manipulating a
counters time base; it input frequency or its decimal counting unit to
provide a readout bearing any arbitrarily selected relationship to a
particular input.
8. Digital voltmeter modules convert a frequency counter into a DVM.
Programming units are also available as plug-in modules for electronic
counters that have provision for external programming.
Accuracy in digital counter:
The errors to which digital counters are liable may be divided into two main
categories
1. Inherent errors
a. The 1 count error: it is due to the fact that the two signals
applied to the main gate are not usually synchronized.
b. Time base error : instability of the time base (Inaccuracy of the
clock) are due to following factors:
i. Trimming
ii. Drift : due to temperature, long and short term stability
and supply voltage variations.
2. Errors dependent on the functional mode
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PUNE INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, PUNE - 411043

Department of Electronics & Telecommunication

a. Frequency mode errors: these errors are due to AM, FM, noise
and other interfering signals.
b. Period mode errors : trigger window error
c. Time interval mode errors
Trigger error = peak noise voltage / signal slope
d. Pulse width mode errors
e. Ratio mode errors.
Operating Basics:

Model No. hp 53132A Universal Counter

Make: Hewlett Packard
225 MHz, 150 ps

53131A /132A / 181A high-performance counters give you fast, precise

frequency measurements at an affordable price. These counters feature an
intuitive user interface and one-button access to frequently used functions
so you can make accurate measurements quickly and easily. Real-time
digital signal processing technology is used to analyze data while
simultaneously taking new readings, speeding measurement throughput.
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PUNE INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, PUNE - 411043

Department of Electronics & Telecommunication

The technology, developed for high-end line of modulation domain
analyzers, allows the counters to gather more data for each measurement,
so you get higher resolution measurements in a fraction of the time it takes
other counters. The 53131A/132A/181A counters offer built-in statistics
and math functions so you can scale measurements and simultaneously
measure and track average, min/max and standard deviation. Automated
limit testing lets you set upper and lower limits for any measurement. An
analog display mode lets you see at a glance whether a measurement is
within pass/fail limits. The counters flag out-of-limit conditions and can
generate an output signal to trigger external devices when a limit is
exceeded. For quick access to frequently used tests, a single keystroke
recalls up to 20 different stored front-panel set-ups. For computercontrolled systems applications, each counter includes a standard GPIB
interface with full SCPI-compatible programmability and a data transfer
rate of up to 200 fully formatted measurements per second. The standard
RS-232 talk-only interface provides printer support or data transfer to a
computer through a terminal-emulation program.
hp 53132A Universal Counter
The two-channel 53132A counter offers 12 digits per second of frequency/
period resolution and a bandwidth of 225 MHz. Time interval resolutions is
specified at 150 ps. An optional third channel provides frequency
measurements up to 3 GHz, 5 GHz, or 12.4 GHz. Standard measurements
include frequency, period, ratio, time interval, pulse width, rise/fall time,
phase angle, duty cycle, totalize, and peak voltage.

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PUNE INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, PUNE - 411043

Department of Electronics & Telecommunication

Observation table:
CH 1 input : ______________________________
CH 2 input : ______________________________
Parameter

Frequency counter display

Freq 1
Freq 2
Ratio freq 1 to 2
Ratio freq 2 to 1
Period 1
POS width 1
NEG width 1
Rise time 1
Fall time 1
Duty cycle 1
Voltage peaks

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PUNE INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, PUNE - 411043

Department of Electronics & Telecommunication

Input frequency

Gate time

Totalize

Conclusion:

Reference
1. Helfrick and Cooper, Modern Electronic Instrumentation and Measurement.
Tata Mcgraw Hill
2. http://www.used-line.com/c6889733s0-Agilent_HP_53132A.htm
3. http://www.4gte.com/EquipmentPages/53132Auniversalfrequencycounter.h
tm

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