Frequency, Rate, or Period
Time Base Crystal calibrated to ±2 ppm
Span tempco ±1 ppm/°C (typ)
Long-term Drift ±5 ppm/year (typ)
Industrial Electronic Digital Counters
Rate, Totalizer with Functions
Time Base Crystal calibrated to ±2 ppm
Span tempco ±1 ppm/°C (typ)
Long-term Drift ±5 ppm/year (typ)
Pulse Input Totalizer
Time Base Crystal calibrated to ±2 ppm
Span tempco ±1 ppm/°C (typ)
Long-term Drift ±5 ppm/year (typ)
Analog Input Totalizer
Time Base Crystal calibrated to ±2 ppm
Span tempco ±1 ppm/°C (typ)
Long-term Drift ±5 ppm/year (typ)
Batch Controller Pulse Input
Time Base Crystal calibrated to ±2 ppm
Span tempco ±1 ppm/°C (typ)
Long-term Drift ±5 ppm/year (typ)
Batch Controller Analog Input
Time Base Crystal calibrated to ±2 ppm
Span tempco ±1 ppm/°C (typ)
Long-term Drift ±5 ppm/year (typ)
AC Phase, Angle, and Power Factor
Time Base Crystal calibrated to ±2 ppm
Span tempco ±1 ppm/°C (typ)
Long-term Drift ±5 ppm/year (typ)
Quadrature Encoder Input
Time Base Crystal calibrated to ±2 ppm
Span tempco ±1 ppm/°C (typ)
Long-term Drift ±5 ppm/year (typ)
Electronic Counters: Digital Panel Meters for Pulse, Rate, and Total Measurement
An electronic counter is a digital panel meter purpose-built for pulse-based measurement — counting events, deriving a rate from pulse timing, accumulating a running total, or driving batch control from a count. Where a standard digital panel meter reads a continuous signal like voltage or temperature, an electronic counter's input is discrete: pulses from a flow sensor, an encoder, a tachometer, or a switch. Laurel's counters are built on the same 1/8 DIN modular platform as the rest of the Laureate Series — a main computer/display module, isolated power supply, and a signal conditioner board — with a crystal time base calibrated to ±2 ppm and a 6-digit LED display across every configuration.
Eight Counter Configurations
- Frequency, rate, or period: Measures cycles, events per time unit, or the duration of a single cycle.
- Rate and totalizer with functions: Combines rate display with dual-channel math — A+B, A-B, A×B, A/B — for comparing two related inputs.
- Pulse input totalizer: Dual-channel pulse accumulation at rates up to 1 MHz.
- Analog input totalizer: Integrates an analog signal into a totalized count, with optional square root extraction for flow applications.
- Batch controller, pulse input: Precise batch control with dual relay outputs for fast-fill and slow-approach stages.
- Batch controller, analog input: Proportional dosing control driven by analog feedback.
- AC phase angle and power factor: Measures phase relationships and power quality from AC zero-crossing timing.
- Quadrature encoder input: Bidirectional position and rate tracking at counting rates up to 250 kHz.
Core Specifications
- Time base: Crystal calibrated to ±2 ppm, with ±1 ppm/°C temperature coefficient and ±5 ppm/year long-term drift.
- Display: 6-digit LED with customizable scaling.
- Power: Universal AC/DC power supply with full isolation.
- Expandability: Optional relay, analog output, and digital communication boards.
Key Industries Served
- Bulk material and bottling: Batch controllers for fill operations needing fast-fill plus precise slow-approach cutoff.
- Water and wastewater treatment: Flow totalizing from pulse-output or analog flow transmitters.
- Manufacturing and production lines: Production counting and dual-channel rate comparison for synchronized processes.
- Motion control and robotics: Quadrature encoder-based position and rate tracking.
- Power generation: AC phase angle and power factor measurement for generator synchronization.
Electronic Counter Frequently Asked Questions
What distinguishes an electronic counter from a standard digital panel meter?
A standard panel meter measures a continuous analog signal and displays its value. An electronic counter instead processes a pulse train — counting pulses, timing them to compute a rate, or totalizing them into a running sum — a fundamentally different kind of input and internal processing even though both share the same panel-mount case format.
What does the dual-channel math function (A+B, A-B, A×B, A/B) actually let me do?
It lets the counter compute a relationship between two separate input channels rather than just displaying one rate on its own — useful for applications like comparing inflow against outflow, calculating a mixing ratio, or synchronizing two related process rates.
What's the difference between the pulse input totalizer and the analog input totalizer?
The pulse input totalizer counts discrete pulses directly from a sensor that already outputs pulses, at rates up to 1 MHz. The analog input totalizer instead accepts a continuous analog signal and integrates it into a totalized count, with optional square root extraction useful for flow measurement from a differential-pressure-based sensor.
Why does a batch controller need dual relay outputs?
One relay handles the primary fast-fill on/off control, while the second triggers a slow-approach stage shortly before the target is reached, reducing flow rate for a more accurate final cutoff. Splitting the cycle into a fast stage and a controlled finish improves batch accuracy compared to a single on/off relay.
How fast can the quadrature encoder input track position changes?
The quadrature configuration tracks counting rates up to 250 kHz, which supports the position and rate tracking needs of most length-cutting, positioning-table, and drilling-depth applications encountered in industrial motion control.
How is AC phase angle actually derived by the counter?
The counter times the interval between zero-crossings of two AC signals, typically voltage and current, and derives phase angle from that timing; power factor follows as the cosine of the resulting angle.
Can these counters output their readings to a PLC or SCADA system?
Yes, with the appropriate option board, a counter can retransmit its rate or total as a scaled analog output, trigger relay outputs from configurable setpoints, and communicate over RS-232, RS-485, or other supported digital protocols.
Electronic Counter Questions From the Field
My totalized count is consistently a fixed percentage off from what I calculate manually — what should I check?
Confirming the pulse scaling factor configured in the counter matches the actual output of the connected sensor (such as pulses per gallon or pulses per revolution) is the first step, since an incorrect scaling factor produces a total that's proportionally off rather than randomly wrong.
My batch controller's final weight or volume consistently overshoots the target — what should I check?
Confirming the slow-approach relay's trigger point gives the system enough lead time to actually slow the flow before final cutoff is the first step, since overshoot commonly traces to that point being set too close to the target rather than a counter fault; valve or pump response lag should factor into where that point is set.
My dual-channel math function is giving an unexpected result — what should I check?
Confirming both input channels are scaled correctly and that the configured function (A+B, A-B, A×B, A/B) actually matches what the application needs is the first step, since a correctly functioning math operation applied to incorrectly scaled inputs produces a plausible-looking but wrong result.
My quadrature encoder reports the correct count but the wrong direction — what should I check?
Confirming the A and B channel wiring hasn't been swapped is the first step, since quadrature direction sensing depends on the phase relationship between the two channels, and reversing them inverts the reported direction even though the count magnitude stays correct.
My analog input totalizer's reading seems off specifically on a differential-pressure flow signal — what should I check?
Confirming whether square root extraction is enabled and correctly configured is the first step, since differential-pressure flow signals are inherently non-linear with flow rate, and a totalizer reading that signal linearly (without square root extraction) will produce a progressively larger error as flow increases.
My AC phase angle reading seems unstable at low line frequencies — why?
Phase measurement is based on timing between zero-crossings, and at lower frequencies each cycle takes proportionally longer, which can make the measurement more sensitive to small timing variations or waveform distortion; confirming the input signal is clean and free of noise is the standard first check.
My counter isn't communicating with my PLC or SCADA system — where should I start?
Verifying the communication protocol, baud rate, and address settings configured in the counter match what the PLC or SCADA system expects is the standard first check, since a mismatch in any one of these will prevent communication even when the physical wiring is correct.
