Chapter 8 Counters
NI USB-621x User Manual 8-36 ni.com
Figure 8-31.  Filter Example
Enabling filters introduces jitter on the input signal. For the 125 ns and 
6.425 μs filter settings, the jitter is up to 25 ns. On the 2.56 ms setting, the 
jitter is up to 10.025 μs.
Refer to the KnowledgeBase document, Digital Filtering with M Series and 
CompactDAQ, for more information about digital filters and counters. To 
access this KnowledgeBase, go to 
ni.com/info and enter the info code 
rddfms.
Prescaling
Prescaling allows the counter to count a signal that is faster than the 
maximum timebase of the counter. USB-621x devices offer 8X and 2X 
prescaling on each counter (prescaling can be disabled). Each prescaler 
consists of a small, simple counter that counts to eight (or two) and rolls 
over. This counter can run faster than the larger counters, which simply 
count the rollovers of this smaller counter. Thus, the prescaler acts as a 
frequency divider on the Source and puts out a frequency that is one-eighth 
(or one-half) of what it is accepting.
Figure 8-32.  Prescaling
Prescaling is intended to be used for frequency measurement where the 
measurement is made on a continuous, repetitive signal. The prescaling 
counter cannot be read; therefore, you cannot determine how many edges 
have occurred since the previous rollover. Prescaling can be used for event 
counting provided it is acceptable to have an error of up to seven (or one). 
Prescaling can be used when the counter Source is an external signal. 
1 2 3 1 4 1 2 3 4 5 
PFI Terminal
Filter Clock 
(40 MHz) 
Filtered Input 
Filtered input goes high 
when terminal is sampled 
high on five consecutive 
filter clocks. 
External Signal 
Counter Value 
Prescaler Rollover 
(Used as Source 
by Counter) 
0 1