NI cDAQ-9172 User Guide and Specifications 56 ni.com
Channel Z Behavior
Some quadrature encoders have a third channel, channel Z, which is also
referred to as the index channel. A high level on channel Z causes the
counter to be reloaded with a specified value in a specified phase of the
quadrature cycle. You can program this reload to occur in any one of the
four phases in a quadrature cycle.
Channel Z behavior—when it goes high and how long it stays
high—differs with quadrature encoder designs. You must refer to the
documentation for your quadrature encoder to obtain timing of channel Z
with respect to channels A and B. You must then ensure that channelZ is
high during at least a portion of the phase you specify for reload. For
example, in Figure 31, channel Z is never high when channelA is high
and channel B is low. Thus, the reload must occur in some other phase.
In Figure 31, the reload phase is when both channel A and channelB are
low. The reload occurs when this phase is true and channelZ is high.
Incrementing and decrementing takes priority over reloading. Thus, when
the channel B goes low to enter the reload phase, the increment occurs first.
The reload occurs within one maximum timebase period after the reload
phase becomes true. After the reload occurs, the counter continues counting
as before. The figure illustrates channelZ reload w ith X4 decoding.
Figure 31. Channel Z Reload with X4 Decoding
Ch A
Ch B
Counter Value 5 6
A = 0
B = 0
Z = 1
Ch Z
Max Timebase
8 9 0 2 1 7 4 3