Editorial Technical Reference

Counter system for cable and wire length: measuring wheel, encoder and preset counter

Length counter systems for cable, wire and strip · Measuring wheel and contact surface, encoder resolution, count frequency, preset counter outputs

A counter system, in the sense used on this page, measures the length of cable, wire, rope, hose or strip as it moves: a measuring wheel pressed against the material turns an encoder or mechanical counter, and a display or preset counter converts pulses into length and switches outputs to slow, stop or cut at a set length. Buyers should check three things first: whether the wheel size and surface grip the material without slipping or marking it, whether encoder pulses per revolution give the resolution needed, and whether the counter accepts the pulse frequency at full line speed.

Length measuring and counting systems for moving cable, wire, rope, hose, extrusions and strip: measuring wheels and pivot arms, encoders, mechanical totalisers and electronic preset counters. Turn counting built into coil winding machines for transformers, reactors and inductors is covered on the Transformer winding machine page. Passenger and people counters, product piece counters and laser non-contact length gauges are outside this page.

CNFX editorial research · Sources checked October 12, 2026 · 3 sources

Choose the wheel Check resolution and frequency

Measuring wheel with an encoder on an aluminium bracket riding on a black cable, beside a wall-mounted display, the cable winding onto an orange take-up drum — Measuring wheel and encoder on a cable feeding a take-up drum

Start with your task

Choose the wheelSize and surface. Check resolution and frequencyPulses and counts.

Choose the measuring wheel size and contact surface

Trumeter's 2600 measuring machine carries a 500 mm circumference, precision-ground measuring wheel on a pivot arm, with a pressure roller, for cable, wire, rope, hose, extrusions or strip of 6 to 76 mm diameter. It lists a maximum travel speed of 1500 metres/min or 3000 counts/min, whichever is lower, an accuracy of ±1%, and polyurethane-covered or knurled aluminium wheels; length shows on a mechanical counter, or an encoder can replace it to drive an electronic preset counter. [1]

Wachendorff's 200 mm circumference measuring wheels fit encoders with a 10 mm shaft. The knurled-metal MR200KR10 is aluminium, 12 mm wide, 60 g, rated −30 to +180 °C and listed for pasteboard, wood, textiles, rubber and soft plastic. The even Hytrel MR200KH10 is 85 to 90 Shore A, 35 g, rated −10 to +70 °C and listed for plastic, painted surfaces, paper, pasteboard, wood, metal and textiles. [2]

Simpson's application note for cutting a light-coloured textile to length uses a 12-inch measuring wheel with an 83A durometer non-marking tyre, because skidding of the measuring device had to be avoided. [3]

Editorial calculation: at 500 mm per revolution, Trumeter's 1500 m/min is 3,000 wheel revolutions per minute, or 50 per second; its ±1% accuracy is ±10 m on a 1,000 m drum. [1]

Give the supplier the material and its surface (jacket compound, coating, finish), diameter or width range, line speed, direction of travel, the length resolution and accuracy needed, the cut or stop actions the counter must drive, and the supply voltage.

Check resolution and count frequency at full line speed

Simpson's note works through a length counter for a feed driven at up to 5.75 inches per second: with 12 inches of travel per wheel revolution the wheel turns at 0.4792 rev/s, and a 600-pulse-per-revolution encoder gives 287.52 pulses per second, well below the encoder's 10 kHz maximum. Using ×4 quadrature, one wheel turn gives 2,400 counts, so each count is 12 / 2,400 = 0.005 inch, which becomes the counter's scaling multiplier. [3]

The same note sets the counter to count down from the set length, switches to low speed for the final 6 inches, stops the motor and fires the shear for 2 seconds at zero, then resets for the next piece; it notes the count may fall below zero depending on how quickly the motor stops. [3]

Editorial calculation: a 200 mm Wachendorff wheel on a 1,000-pulse encoder gives 0.2 mm per pulse, or 0.05 mm per count in ×4 quadrature. At an assumed line speed of 300 m/min (5 m/s) the wheel turns 25 times per second, so each encoder channel outputs 25,000 pulses per second; the counter input must accept at least 25 kHz. Line speed and encoder resolution are assumed examples. [2] [3]

Compare counter system layouts

The reviewed sources describe these arrangements.

Layout	What the source describes	Ask about
Measuring machine with mechanical counter	500 mm wheel, pivot arm, pressure roller, totalising counter with manual lever reset. [1]	Units; reset; direction of travel.
Measuring machine with encoder	Mechanical counter removed; encoder output to an electronic preset counter. [1]	Encoder PPR; counter model.
Wheel on own encoder	200 mm wheels for 10 mm encoder shafts, knurled metal or Hytrel surface. [2]	Mounting arm and spring force.
Preset counter with relays	Quadrature input, 12 V encoder excitation, dual relay for shear and motor speed. [3]	Input frequency; outputs; scaling.

Measuring wheel, encoder and preset counter that turn cable travel into length

Part	Role	Fix in the order
Measuring wheel	Turns with the material; 200 or 500 mm circumference. [1] [2]	Circumference and surface.
Pivot arm and pressure roller	Hold the wheel against the material. [1]	Diameter range; contact force.
Encoder	600 PPR example; A/B quadrature. [3]	PPR, output type, maximum frequency.
Mechanical totaliser	Direct reading with manual reset. [1]	Units of measurement.
Preset counter	Scaling, count direction, relay outputs. [3]	Input frequency; outputs; supply.
Excitation supply	12 V DC for the encoder in the example. [3]	Voltage and current.

Counting speed and accuracy at full line speed

Cable or wire diameter and full line speed set the measuring wheel and the count frequency.

Field	What it means and published values	Ask the supplier for
Counting range (turns)	For length counters, the display range in length units.	Digits and units.
Counting accuracy (%)	±1% listed for one measuring machine. [1]	Accuracy and test method.
Counting speed (turns/min)	1500 m/min or 3000 counts/min, whichever is lower. [1]	Maximum line speed and input frequency.
Supply voltage (V DC)	12 V DC encoder excitation in the example. [3]	Counter and encoder supply.
Power consumption (W)	Counter and encoder.	Value.
Operating temperature (°C)	Wheels: −30 to +180 °C knurled metal; −10 to +70 °C Hytrel. [2]	Range for the whole system.
Storage temperature (°C)	Counter and encoder.	Range.
Relative humidity (% RH)	Counter and encoder.	Range.
Ingress protection	Counter front and encoder.	IP rating.
Sensor input	Quadrature A/B, ×1 or ×4. [3]	Input type and mode.
Display type	Mechanical totaliser or electronic display. [1]	Digits and decimal point.
Weight (kg)	13.0 kg gross for one packed measuring machine. [1]	Weight of arm and wheel.

Send the material, line and control data together

Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.

Material: [type; surface; diameter or width]
Line: [maximum speed; direction]
Measurement: [resolution; accuracy; units]
Wheel: [circumference; surface; arm]
Encoder: [PPR; output; supply]
Counter: [presets; outputs for slow, stop, cut; supply]

See manufacturer records Send an enquiry through CNFX

Buyer questions

How is length resolution worked out?

Wheel travel per revolution divided by counts per revolution; Simpson's example gives 12 in / (600 × 4) = 0.005 in per count. [3]

Which wheel surface should I use?

Wachendorff lists knurled metal for pasteboard, wood, textiles, rubber and soft plastic, and even Hytrel for plastic, painted surfaces, paper and metal. [2]

How fast can a wheel measuring machine run?

Trumeter's 2600 lists 1500 m/min or 3000 counts/min, whichever is lower, with ±1% accuracy. [1]

Sources and what still needs a direct check

Sources checked 2026-10-12. Trumeter, Wachendorff and Simpson are makers publishing data and an application note for their own measuring wheels, machines and counters.

Trumeter — 2600 Series cable, wire and rope measuring machine datasheet ↗ Maker datasheet Return to text ↑
Wachendorff Automation — Measuring wheels MR200KR10 and MR200KH10 data sheets ↗ Maker datasheet Return to text ↑
Simpson Electric — Application note AN-6601: length measurement with S66x counters ↗ Maker application note Return to text ↑

Still to check yourself

Check wheel grip and marking on your material.
Calculate resolution from wheel and encoder PPR.
Check counter input frequency at full speed.
Agree slow-down and stop or cut outputs.
Verify the legal supplier and factory.