Section 8.  Operation 
 
 
8.1.3.1  Pulse Measurement Terminals 
 
P Terminals 
•  Input voltage range = –20 to 20 V 
If pulse input voltages exceed ±20 V, third-party external-signal conditioners 
should be employed. Under no circumstances should voltages greater than 50 V 
be measured. 
C Terminals 
•  Input voltage range = –8 to 16 Vdc 
C terminals configured for pulse input have a small 25 ns input RC-filter time 
constant between the terminal block and the CMOS input buffer, which allows for 
high-frequency pulse measurements up to 250 kHz and edge counting up to 400 
kHz. The CMOS input buffer recognizes inputs ≥3.8 V as being high and inputs 
≤1.2 V as being low. 
Open-collector (bipolar transistors) or open-drain (MOSFET) sensors are 
typically measured as frequency sensors. C terminals can be conditioned for open 
collector or open drain with an external pull-up resistor as shown in figure 
Connecting Switch Closures to C Terminals Configured for Control. The pull-up 
resistor counteracts an internal 100 kΩ pull-down resistor, allowing inputs to be 
pulled to >3.8 V for reliable measurements. 
 
8.1.3.2  Low-Level Ac Measurements — Details 
Related Topics: 
 •  Low-Level Ac Input Modules — Overview (p. 395) 
 •  Low-Level Ac Measurements — Details (p. 372) 
 •  Pulse Input Modules — List (p. 562) 
Low-level ac (sine-wave) signals can be measured on P terminals.  Sensors that 
commonly output low-level ac include: 
•  Ac generator anemometers 
Measurements include the following: 
•  Counts 
•  Frequency (Hz) 
•  Running average 
Rotating magnetic-pickup sensors commonly generate ac voltage ranging from 
thousandths of volts at low-rotational speeds to several volts at high-rotational 
speeds.    Terminals configured for low-level ac input have in-line signal