7-1

Asynchronous(ripple)counters
Chapter 7
Counters and Registers

Asychronous Counters(Cont.)

Signal Flow

Each FF output drives the CLK input of the next FF.

FFs do not change states in exact synchronism with
the applied clock pulses.
There is delay between the responses of successive
FFS.
It is also often referred to as a ripple counter due
to the way the FFs respond one after another in a
kind of rippling effect.

It is conventional in circuit schematics to draw the

circuits(whenever possible) such that the signal flow
is from left to right, with inputs on the left and
outputs one the right.
In this chapter, we will often break with this
convention, especially in diagrams showing counters.

Example

Example

The counter in Figure 7-1 starts off in the 0000

state, and then clock pulses are applied. Some time
later the clock pulses are removed, and the counter
FFs read 0011. How many clock pulses have occurred?

The counter in Figure 7-1 starts off in the 0000

state, and then clock pulses are applied. Some time
later the clock pulses are removed, and the counter
FFs read 0011. How many clock pulses have occurred?

Answer:
3 or 19 or 163
N*16 + 3 (N is unknown)
5

MOD Number

Frequency division

The counter in Figure 7-1 has 16 distinct states,

thus, it is a MOD-16 ripple counter.
The MOD number can be increased simply by adding more
FFs to the counter. That is
MOD number = 2N
Example
A counter is needed that will count the number of
items passing on a conveyor belt. A photocell and
light source combination is used to generate a
single pulse each time an item crosses its path.
The counter must be able to count as many as one
thousand items. How many FFs are required?

In any counter, the signal at the output of the last FF(i.e.,

the MSB) will have a frequency equal to the input clock
frequency divided by the MOD number of the counter.
Such circuits are known as divide-by-N counters.
8

Example
The first step involved in building a digital clock
is to take the 60-Hz signal and feed it into a
Schmitt-trigger, pulse-shaping circuit to produce a
square wave as illustrated in Figure 7-3. The 60HZ
square wave is then put into a MOD-60 counter, which
is used to divide the 60-HZ frequency by exactly 60
to produce a 1-HZ waveform. This 1-HZ waveform is fed
to a series of counters, which then count seconds,
minutes, hours, and so on. How many FFs are required
for the MOD-60 counter?

10

Review Questions
True or False: In an asychronous counter, all FFs
change states at the same time.
Assume that the counter in Figure 7-1 is holding the
count 0101. What will be the count after 27 clock
pulses?
What would be the MOD number of the counter if three
more FFs were added?

11

12

State Transition Diagram

7-2 Counters with MOD NUMBER <

2N

MOD-6 counter produced by clearing a MOD-8 counter when 13

a count of six occurs.

Example

14

Changing the MOD number

What will be the status of the LEDs when the counter

is holding the count of five?
What will the LEDs display as the counter is clocked
by a 1-kHz input?
Will the 110 state be visible on the LEDs?

Determine the MOD number of the counter in Figure 76(a). Also determine the frequency at the D output

15

Changing the MOD number

16

Decade Counters/BCD counters

Construct a MOD-10 counter that will count

from 0000(zero) through 1001(decimal 9)

Decade counter
Any counter has 10 distinct states, no matter what
the sequence.
BCD counter
A decade counter counts in sequence from
0000(zero) through 1001(decimal 9).

17

18

Example

Review Questions

Construct an appropriate MOD-60 counter.

What FF outputs should be connected to the clearing

NAND gate to form a MOD-13 counter?
True of False: All BCD counters are decade counters.
What is the output frequency of a decade counter that
is clocked from a 50-KHz signal?

19

20

7-3 IC Asynchronous counters

RESET IN OUTPUT
___ ___
Ro1 Ro2 | Qd Qc Qb Qa
-------------------------1
1 | 0 0 0 0
0
X | COUNT
X
0 | COUNT
21

Example

22

Example

Show how the 74LS293 should be connected to operate

as a MOD-16 counter with a 10-kHz clock input.
Determine the frequency at Q3.

Show how to wire the 74LS293 as a MOD-10 counter

23

24

Example

Example
A way to get a MOD-60 counter is shown below. Explain
how this circuit works.

Show how to wire a 74LS293 as a MOD-14 counter

25

Review Questions

26

7-4 Asychronous Down counter

A 2-kHz clock signal is applied to CP

of a 74LS293.
What is the frequency at Q3?
What would be the final output frequency if the order
of the counters were reversed in Figure 7-12?
What is the MOD number of a 74HC4040 counter?
What would the notation DIV64 mean on a counter
symbol?
Which outputs would you connect to an AND gate to
convert the 74HC4024 to a MOD-120 counter?
1

27

28

7-5 Propagation delay in ripple counters

Review Questions
What is the difference between the counting sequence
of an up counter and a down counter?
Describe how an asynchronous down-counter circuit
differs from an up-counter circuit.

29

30

Discussion on Ripple Counter

Review Questions

For proper counter operation, we need

Explain why a ripple counters maximum frequency

limitation decreases as more FFs are added to the
counter.
A certain J-K flip-flop has tpd=12 ns. What is the
largest MOD counter that can be constructed from
these FFs and still operate up to 10 MHz?

Tclock N t pd
Asychronous counters are not useful at very high
frequencies, especially for large number of bits.
Another problem caused by propagation delays in
asychronous counters occurs when the counter
outputs are decoded, as is discussed later.

31

32

7-6 Synchronous(Parallel)
counters

Circuit operation

Synchronous(parallel) counters
All of the FFs are triggered simultaneously by the
clock input pulses.
Overcome the problem caused by FF propagation
delay.

Only those FFs that are supposed to

toggle on that NGT should have
J=K=1 when that NGT occurs.

33

Synchronous
JK FF
J K
Q
0 0 No Change
0 1
0
1 0
1
1 1 Toggle

34

Synchronous Counter Modulo 6

Counter

Q Q J K
0 0
0 d
0 1
1 d
1 0
d 1
1 1
d 0
35

CP
0
1
2
3
4
5
6

Q2
0
0
0
0
1
1
0

Q1
0
0
1
1
0
0
0

Q0
0
1
0
1
0
1
0

J0 K0
1 d

J1 K1
0 d

d 1
1 d
d 1
1 d
d 1

1
d
d
0
0

d
0
1
d
d

J2 K2
0 d
0 d
0
1
d
d

d
d
0
1
36

J0 Q2Q1
Q0
0
1

00

11

Q0

00

Q0

01

11

00

01

10

Q0

11

J2 = Q1Q0

Logic diagram

K0 = 1
00

Q0

01

K2 Q2Q1

10

K1 Q2Q1

J1 = Q2Q0

0
1

J0 = 1

J2 Q2Q1

K0 Q2Q1
00 01 11 10
Q0
d
d
d
d
0

10

J1 Q2Q1

01

11
d

00

01

K
clr

11

Q2
0
0
1
1
0

Q1
0
1
0
1
0

Q0
1
1
1
1
1

J1 K1
1 d

d 0
d 0
d 0

d 1
1 d
d 1

a
clr

J
K

b
clr

clr

K2 = Q0

J0 K0
d 0

10

37

38

J0 Q2Q1
Q0

Synchronous Counter 1 3 5 7 1
CP
0
1
2
3
4

(MSB)

(LSB)
J

CP

K1 = Q0

Qc

Qb

Qa

10

J2 K2
0 d
1 d
d 0
d 1

39

Q0
0

00

01

11

K1 Q2Q1

10

Q0
0
1

J1 = 1
00

01

11

01

J2 = Q1

10
d

K0 = 0
00

01

11

10

Q0
0

11

K2 Q2Q1

10

00

J0 = 1,0

Q0

K0 Q2Q1

10

J2 Q2Q1
0

11

Q0

01

J1 Q2Q1
0

00

K1 = 1
00

01

11

10

K2 = Q1

40

Logic diagram
Qa

CP

(LSB)
K

clr

41

a
set

Qc

Qb

(MSB)

J
K

b
clr

J
K

c
clr

42

 (Synchronous Counter)

43

44

45

46

.....(Synchronous Counter)

Advantage of Synchronous
counters over Asychronous

Example

States are changed simultaneously.

Total delay
FFtpd+ANDgate tpd

Determine fmax for the counter of Figure 7-17(a) if

tpd for each FF is 50ns and tpd for each AND gate is
20 ns. Compare this value with fmax for a MOD-16
ripple counter.
What must be done to convert this counter to MOD-32?
Determine fmax for the MOD-32 parallel counter.

Actual Ics
74ALS160/162, 74HC160/162: Synchronous decade
counters
74ALS161/163, 74HC161/163: Synchronous MOD-16
counters

47

48

7-7 Synchronous Down and

UP/Down counters

Review Questions
What is the advantage of a synchronous counter over
an asynchronous counter? What is the disadvantage?
How many logic devices are required for a MOD-64
parallel counter?
What logic signal drives the J,K inputs of the MSB
flip-flop for the counter of question 2?

49

Example

50

Presettable counters

What problems might be caused if the UP/Down signal

changes levels on the NGT of the clock?

51

Synchronous Presetting

52

Review Questions

Examples of IC counters
74ALS160, 74ALS161, 74ALS612, 74ALS163
74Hc160, 74HC161, 74HC162, 74HC163

What is meant when we say that a counter is

presettable?
Describe the difference between asynchronous and
synchronous presetting.

53

54

Example

The 74ALS193/HC193

55

Example

56

Variable MOD Number using the

74ALS193/HC193

57

Multistage Arrangement

58

Review Questions
Describe the function of the input PL and P0 to P3.
Describe the function of the MR input
True or False: The 74HC193 cannot be preset while MR
is active.
What logic levels must be present at CPD, PL and MR
in order for the 74ALS193 to count pulses that appear
at CPU?
What would be the maximum counting range for a fourstage counter made up of 74HC193 Ics?

59

60

10

7-11 Decoding a counter

Active-High Decoding

Mentally decoding the binary states of the LEDs

Becomes inconvenient as the size of the counter
increases
Electronically decoding
To control the timing or sequencing of operations
automatically without human intervention.
Active-High Decoding
Active-Low Decoding
BCD counter decoding

61

Example

62

Active-LOW Decoding

How many AND gates are required to decode completely

all of the states of a MOD-32 binary counter? What
are the inputs to the gate that decodes for the count
of 21?

63

BCD Counter Decoding

64

Review Questions
How many gates are needed to decode a six-bit counter
fully?
Describe the decoding gate needed to produce a LOW
output when a MOD-64 counter is at the counter of 23.

65

66

11

7-12 Decoding Glitches

Strobing

67

Review Questions

68

Cascading BCD counters

Explain why the decoding gates for an asynchronous

counter may have glitches on their outputs.
How does strobing eliminate decoding glitches?

69

7-15 Shift-Register Counters

70

Starting a Ring Counter

71

72

12

Johnson Counter
Decoding A Johnson Counter

73

74

Review Questions

Which shift-register counter requires the most FFs for a

given MOD number?
Which shift-register counter requires the most decoding
circuitry?
How can a ring counter be converted to a Johnson counter?
True or False:
The outputs of a ring counter are always square waves.
The decoding circuitry for a Johnson counter is simpler
than for a binary counter
Ring and Johnson counters are synchronous counters.
How many FFs are needed in a MOD-16 ring counter? How many
are needed in a MOD-16 Johnson Counter?

75

13