Counters

Industrial automation systems are not based exclusively on analogue correction systems. We often deal with binary signals, which may require product meters on assembly belts as well as counters for length, tachometers, rotational speed counters and velocity indicators. The family of counters is very wide and finds numerous and varying application. The most popular are the simplest progress counters or progress-reversible counters, which count individual impulses detected at the inputs of the device and which, for example, can be used to adjust the status of the monitored equipment.
The more complex counters are designed to work with encoders, where the phase diversification of the pulse train occurrence (quadrature) enables the identification of the direction of movement by the sensor. The number of counted impulses in a time unit can be used to display the rotational speed of a shaft, enabling the rotational speed to be adjusted or to protect the device under or over speed situations.
Pulsers mounted on flowmeter rotors enable (provided that suitable flowmeters are used) the measurement of the current value of flow, as well as drawing up a balance ratio.
The family of counters does not exclusively comprise electronic equipment. Electromechanical equipment (e.g. impulse counters) and typically mechanical equipment (e.g. odometers) constitutes an equally large group. A separate family is comprises time-meters, both electromechanical (e.g. meters of machine working time) and electrical (such as chronographs, clocks etc) types being available. The most commonly used group includes the simple or more complicated controllers or time relays.