A frequency counter measures the frequencies of light and sound waves, detecting and displaying frequencies above and below human sensing capability. It receives input signals from various interfaces and can send alerts when frequencies are exceeded. The time base is usually a quartz crystal oscillator or GPS receiver. Frequency counters are used in electronic industries, physics, engineering, and radiation counting. They can also reduce noise on devices and detect leaks in microwave ovens.
A frequency counter is an electronic instrument that measures the frequencies of light and sound waves. Frequency is defined as the amount of times a particular sound or light waveform occurs in a given period of time, and the frequency counter counts these occurrences and their duration. A frequency counter can detect and display frequencies of sound and light waves below and above the sensing capability of human eyes and ears for a full spectrum of each.
The input signal that a frequency counter receives usually comes from one of several types of input/output interfaces. These can be RS232 serial data ports, Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, Ethernet data link connections, or Generic Interface Bus (GPIB) test equipment connections. In addition to notifying frequencies, a frequency counter can send alerts when frequencies have been exceeded. A menu interface can receive settings for allowed frequencies and program the frequency counter to sound an alarm or shut down when frequencies are exceeded for a duration beyond a specified amount of time.
There is an internal oscillator, called a time base, which provides time signals. If the received signal is already in electronic format, a simple connection interface will give the reading. If the input is non-electronic, a transducer in the frequency counter will need to convert the signal and perhaps amplify or filter it to get an accurate reading. Frequency meters, for very high frequency readings of microwave signals and beyond, require an internal prescaler to lower the frequency to a level where normal circuitry can read it.
The time base within a frequency counter is usually a quartz crystal oscillator containing a sealed, temperature controlled chamber for high precision measurements. Global positioning satellite (GPS) frequency receivers may also contain a time base with a rubidium oscillator. Additionally, embedded systems, such as a central processing unit (CPU), can be programmed to become frequency meters of their own operations when external frequency references are provided for self-calibration.
Digital frequency meters are often used as test equipment or test equipment accessories in electronic industries. Physics and engineering efforts related to acoustics, optics and radio waves use them as traditional measuring devices. Counting nuclear pulses from nuclear decay was among the first uses of frequency counters during World War II, and they are still in use for that purpose as radiation counters. They can also be used to reduce noise on cell phones, cameras and wireless networks, and to detect leaks in microwave ovens.
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