Chapter 2  Operating Your Universal Counter
Using CHANNEL 1 and CHANNEL 2 Input Conditioning Keys
Operating Guide 2-45
2
While AUTO TRIG: is ON, the Counter will, for each measurement, check 
that the measurement signal(s) are triggering at the current level(s). If no 
triggering is found, the Counter will measure and compute new trigger 
level(s). (While AUTO TRIG: is ON, the Counter also measures and 
computes new trigger level(s) whenever measuring is invoked with the 
front-panel Stop/Single and Run keys, or whenever the auto-trigger 
percentage is updated.)
The menu items under the Trigger/Sensitivity keys also allow you to 
manually:
• select what slope or edge (positive or negative) of an input signal will 
trigger the Counter (SLOPE:  POS  or NEG). 
• select medium, high, or low sensitivity levels (thus, varying the 
hysteresis window or trigger band) for the optimum sensitivity for 
certain measurement applications (SENSTVTY:  MED, HI, or LOW). 
Sensitivity is defined in the paragraph titled “Definition of 
Sensitivity” starting on page 2-46.
• select a common input signal to make a Time Interval (TI) 
measurement (COMMON 1:  ON or OFF). In COMMON 1: ON, 
an input signal applied to CHANNEL 1 is split to allow the Counter to 
use it for both CHANNEL 1 and CHANNEL 2 input amplifiers when 
the Counter is operating in its Time Interval (TI 1 TO 2) measurement 
function. By independently adjusting CHANNEL 1 and CHANNEL 2 
keys, the Counter performs a TI measurement on a single input signal 
as shown in the following figure.
COMMON 1: ON, CHAN 1 SLOPE: POS, CHAN 2 SLOPE: NEG
CHANNEL 1
CHANNEL 2