How to use counters NI 6363

[MRL2018]

Hi

I got to use the counters on the NI 6363. My problem is, I got a nearly full card.

So my question is. If I use a counter out i.e. CTR 1 OUT, can I use the other pins (CTR 1 Aux/SRC/Gate) for some digital signals? And on the other way the same question if I use CTR 2 Gate?

Did I need to use a Counter out to greate a variable square frequency or does the digital out is enough (fmax<500Hz)?

Thanks

[Kevin_Price]

Tough to answer without a more complete picture of what's already in place, what you want to add (and why), and more detail on the constraints you perceive (I don't exactly know what you mean by "a nearly full card.")

Very generally: your board has 4 counters.  Each counter can be used for only one 1 counter task.  However, many counter tasks do not use all the possible counter input terminals.  And many signal routing options are available for PFI pins such that most counter tasks have a lot of flexibility in where they get their inputs and where they put their output.  Any PFI pins that aren't used by counter tasks are available for on-demand Digital tasks.

A DO task could potentially be used to generate a square wave frequency output.   You would want it to be hardware-timed, however I'm not certain you can change the frequency on the fly.  (AO tasks allow the sample rate to change on-the-fly.  AI and DI tasks don't.  I'm not sure about DO tasks on an X-series.)

A Counter Output task is much more natural for a continuously variable square wave frequency output.  Maybe one of the *other* counter tasks is a better candidate to be moved over to DI or DO?

-Kevin P

[MRL2018]

Hi,

this part of the NI 6363 looks at the moment like

DIO 1 0	digital in
DIO 1 1	digital out
DIO 1 2	digital out
DIO 1 3	digital out
DIO 1 4	digital out
DIO 1 5	digital out
DIO 1 6	digital out
DIO 1 7	digital in
DIO 2 0
DIO 2 1
DIO 2 2	digital out
DIO 2 3
DIO 2 4
DIO 2 5	digital out
DIO 2 6
DIO 2 7

In the other way, I just got 7 analog Ins free for use.

Its to add more funktions on an existing teststand. I have to read PWM signals and give a reaction in form of a frequency. As higher the duty cycle of the input PWM as higher the frequency of my output signal.

[Kevin_Price]

You have enough I/O positions available (6 of the pins that double as DIO port 2 or PFI pins for counter signals).  The remaining question is whether you have 2 counters available -- 1 to measure the incoming duty cycle, 1 to generate a variable frequency output.

If you've got 2 counters available, you'll be able to route signals to use the so-far-unused DIO port 2 pins.  You'll need to refer to them by their corresponding "PFI#" pin designation for counter tasks.

-Kevin P