DIGITAL LOGIC DESIGN

SIII EE

COUNTERS-1
INTRODUCTION TO COUNTERS
• Counters are sequential logic devices that
follow a predetermined sequence of counting
states which are triggered by an external clock
(CLK) signal.

2
 INTRODUCTION TO COUNTERS
•Counters are Sequential Circuits
•A digital circuit which is used for counting pulses is
known as Counter
•A Counter counts number of incoming pulses and gives
the number of pulse on its outputs
•Every clock pulse updates or changes the outputs of a
counter
•Its outputs come in a Sequence
•It is a group of flip-flops with a clock signal applied to it
 INTRODUCTION TO COUNTERS(contd)

• Applications of Counters:
• Counting pulses or ‘events’
• Measuring Time periods
• Frequency calculations
• Frequency division etc

4
 INTRODUCTION TO COUNTERS(contd)
• Categories & Types of Counters:
• Categories;
• a) Asynchronous Counters
• b) Synchronous Counters
• Types;
• Up Counter
• Down Counter
• Decade Counter
• Ring Counter
• Modulus Counter etc

5
 Asynchronous Counter
• ‘Asynchronous’ is the opposite of synchronous.
Something that is not existing or not occurring at the
same time.

• An Asynchronous Counter can count using

Asynchronous clock input.

• It means that Clock input is given only to the 1 st F/F

while other F/Fs are Not Synchronized with it.

6
 Asynchronous Counter(Contd)
• In Asynchronous counter, changing state bits(Lo level to Hi
level, Hi to Lo levels and +ve & -ve Edges in between)
are provided as the clock signal to the subsequent flip-flops.
Thus Flip-flops are serially connected together, and the
clock pulse ripples/moves through the F/Fs in the counter.
Due to the ripple clock pulse, it’s also called as
‘Ripple counter’.
An Asynchronous counter can produce 2n outputs and can
count maximum up to 2n - 1 value. For eg, a three bit counter
may produce 8 outputs and can count max up to 8-1 =7

7
 Asynchronous Counter(Contd)
• External clock is applied to the clock input of flip-flop 1 and Q1
output is applied to the clock input of the next flip-flop i.e. FF-2
• Example 1: Made by JK Flip Flops(-ve edge triggered)

8
 Asynchronous Counter(Contd)
• 2 Bit Counter

9
 Counters
Counting Table of a 2 bit counter

CLR CLK Q1 Q0
No
0 0 0 0
1 1 0 1
1 2 1 0
1 3 1 1
 Asynchronous Counter(contd)

Example 2: Made by D Flip Flops(+ve edge triggered):

11
 Counters
Counting Table of a 3 bit counter

CLR CLK Q2 Q1 Q0
No
0 0 0 0 0
1 1 0 0 1
1 2 0 1 0
1 3 0 1 1
1 4 1 0 0
1 5 1 0 1
1 6 1 1 0
1 7 1 1 1
 Asynchronous Counter(contd)

• A 3-bit binary up counter using D flip flops

is a counter circuit used to count from
binary 000 to binary 111, therefore the count
is decimal 0 to decimal 7.

13
 Counters
Counting Table of a 3 bit Down
Counter
CLK Q2 Q1 Q0
No
0 1 1 1
1 1 1 0
2 1 0 1
3 1 0 0
4 0 1 1
5 0 1 0
6 0 0 1
7 0 0 0