Counters

• Counter is a device which stores the number

of times particular event or process has occurred,
often in relationship to a clock signal.
• A Digital counter is a set of flip flops whose state
change in response to pulses applied at the input
to the counter.
• Counters may be asynchronous counters or
synchronous counters.
• Asynchronous counters are also called ripple
counters
• Synchronous counter – all state bits change
under control of a single clock.
• Asynchronous (ripple) counter – changing
state bits are used as clocks to subsequent state
flip-flops.
• Decade counter – counts through ten states per
stage.
2-bit Asynchronous Ripple Counter
3-bit Asynchronous Ripple Counter
1
Q0 Q1 Q2
J Q J Q J Q
CLK C C C
Q' K Q' K Q'
K
Asynchronous Down Counters
 So far we are dealing with up counters. Down
counters, on the other hand, count downward from
a maximum value to zero, and repeat.
 Example: A 3-bit binary (MOD-23) down counter.
1
Q0 Q1 Q2
J Q J Q J Q 3-bit binary
CLK C C C up counter
Q' K Q' K Q'
K

1
Q0 Q1 Q2
J Q J Q J Q 3-bit binary
CLK C C C down counter
Q' K Q' K Q'
K

CS1104-13 Asynchronous Down Counters 10

Asynchronous Down Counters
 Example: A 3-bit binary (MOD-8) down counter.
00
00 0 11
1
1 1
Q0 Q1 Q2
J Q J Q J Q 01 11
CLK C C C 0 0
Q' K Q' K Q'
K
01 10
1 10 1
0
CLK 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Q0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Q1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0

Q2 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

CS1104-13 Asynchronous Down Counters 11