Counters

Counters

Counters are a specific type of sequential circuit. Like registers, the state, or the flipflop values themselves, serves as the output. The output value increases by one on each clock cycle. After the largest value, the output wraps around back to 0. Using two bits, wed get something like this:
Present State A B 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 Next State A B 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0

00 1 11
2

01
1

10

Benefits of counters

Counters can act as simple clocks to keep track of time. They are used for counting the number of occurrences of an event and are useful for generating timing signals to control the sequence of operations in digital computers. You may need to record how many times something has happened. How many bits have been sent or received? How many steps have been performed in some computation? All processors contain a program counter, or PC. Programs consist of a list of instructions that are to be executed one after another (for the most part). The PC keeps track of the instruction currently being executed. The PC increments once on each clock cycle, and the next program instruction is then executed.

A slightly fancier counter

Lets try to design a slightly different two-bit counter: Again, the counter outputs will be 00, 01, 10 and 11. Now, there is a single input, X. When X=0, the counter value should increment on each clock cycle. But when X=1, the value should decrement on successive cycles. Well need two flip-flops again. Here are the four possible states:

00

01

11

10

The complete state diagram and table

Heres the complete state diagram and state table for this circuit.

00 0 1

1
1 1

01 0 10

Present State Q1 Q0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1

Inputs X 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1

Next State Q1 Q0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0

11

D flip-flop inputs

If we use D flip-flops, then the D inputs will just be the same as the desired next states. Equations for the D flip-flop inputs are shown at the right. Why does D0 = Q0 make sense?
Present State Q1 Q0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 Inputs X 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 Next State Q1 Q0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0

Q1

0 1

1 0 X

Q0 0 1

1 0

D1 = Q1 Q0 X
Q0 0 0

Q1

1 1

1 1 X

0 0

D0 = Q0
6

The counter in LogicWorks

Here are some D Flip Flop devices. They have both normal and complemented outputs, so we can access Q0 directly without using an inverter. (Q1 is not needed in this example.) This circuit counts normally when Reset = 1. But when Reset is 0, the flip-flop outputs are cleared to 00 immediately.

Asynchronous Counters
This counter is called asynchronous because not all flip flops are hooked to the same clock. Look at the waveform of the output, Q, in the timing diagram. It resembles a clock as well. If the period of the clock is T, then what is the period of Q, the output of the flip flop? It's 2T! We have a way to create a clock that runs twice as slow. We feed the clock into a T flip flop, where T is hardwired to 1. The output will be a clock who's period is twice as long.

Asynchronous counters
If the clock has period T. Q0 has period 2T. Q1 period is 4T With n flip flops the period is 2n.

An n bit counter is a register of nflip flops And associated gates that follow a sequence of states according to the binary count of n bits from 0 to 2n-1

3 bit asynchronous ripple counter using T flip flops This is called as a ripple counter due to the way the FFs respond one after another in a kind of rippling effect.

10

Synchronous Counters

To eliminate the "ripple" effects, use a common clock for

each flip-flop and a combinational circuit to generate the next state. For an up-counter, use an incrementer => Incrementer

A3 A2 A1

S3

D3 Q3 D2 Q2 D1 Q1 D0 Q0

S2
S1 S0

A0

Clock
11

Changing states

While going through a sequence of binary numbers, th elower

order bit is complemented after every count and every other bit is complemented from one count to the next count if and only if all the lower order bits are equal to 1.

For eg. 0111 (7). .. 1000 (8) is obtained by a) complementing the LOB b) Complementing the second bit because the first bit of 0111 is 1 c) Complementing the third bit coz first 2 bits are 11 d) Complementing the fourth bit coz the first 3 bits are of 0111
are 1

Henry Hexmoor

12

Synchronous Counters (continued)

Internal details => Incrementer Internal Logic XOR complements each bit AND chain causes complement of a bit if all bits toward LSB from it equal 1 Count Enable Forces all outputs of AND chain to 0 to hold the state Carry Out Added as part of incrementer Connect to Count Enable of additional 4-bit counters to form larger counters

13

An 8-bit counter

As you might expect by now, we can use these general counters to build other counters. Here is an 8-bit counter made from two 4-bit counters. The bottom device represents the least significant four bits, while the top counter represents the most significant four bits. When the bottom counter reaches 1111 (i.e., when CO = 0), it enables the top counter for one cycle. Other implementation notes: The counters share clock and clear signals.

14

A restricted 4-bit counter

We can also make a counter that starts at some value besides 0000. In the diagram below, when CO=0 the LD signal forces the next state to be loaded from D3-D0. The result is this counter wraps from 1111 to 0110 (instead of 0000).

15

Another restricted counter

We can also make a circuit that counts up to only 1100, instead of 1111. Here, when the counter value reaches 1100, the NAND gate forces the counter to load, so the next state becomes 0000.

16

Summary of Counters

Counters serve many purposes in sequential logic design. There are lots of variations on the basic counter. Some can increment or decrement. An enable signal can be added. The counters value may be explicitly set. There are also several ways to make counters. You can follow the sequential design principles to build counters from scratch. You could also modify or combine existing counter devices.

17

Design Example: Synchronous BCD

Use the sequential logic model to design a synchronous BCD
counter with D flip-flops State Table => Input combinations 1010 through 1111 Current State are dont cares Q8 Q4 Q2 Q1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
18

Next State Q8 Q4 Q2 Q1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

Synchronous BCD (continued)

Use K-Maps to two-level optimize the next state equations and
manipulate into forms containing XOR gates: D1 = Q1 D2 = Q2 + Q1Q8 D4 = Q4 + Q1Q2 D8 = Q8 + (Q1Q8 + Q1Q2Q4)

Y = Q1Q8 The logic diagram can be drawn from these equations

An asynchronous or synchronous reset should be added

What happens if the counter is perturbed by a power disturbance or
other interference and it enters a state other than 0000 through 1001?

19

Synchronous BCD (continued)

Find the actual values of the six next states for the dont care combinations from the equations Find the overall state diagram to assess behavior for the dont care states (states in decimal)
Present State Q8 Q4 Q2 Q1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 Next State Q8 Q4 Q2 Q1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0

0 9 14 15 7 6 5
20

1 2 12 3

8
11 13

10

Synchronous BCD (continued)

For the BCD counter design, if an invalid state is entered, return to a valid state occurs within two clock cycles Is this adequate?!

21

Counting an arbitrary sequence

22

Unused states

The examples shown so far have all had 2n states, and used n flip-flops. But sometimes you may have unused, leftover states. For example, here is a state table and diagram for a counter that repeatedly counts from 0 (000) to 5 (101). What should we put in the table for the two unused states?
Present State Q2 Q1 Q0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 Next State Q2 Q1 Q0 0 0 0 1 1 0 ? ? 0 1 1 0 0 0 ? ? 1 0 1 0 1 0 ? ?

000

101

001

100 011
23

010

Unused states can be dont cares

To get the simplest possible circuit, you can fill in dont cares for the next states. This will also result in dont cares for the flip-flop inputs, which can simplify the hardware. If the circuit somehow ends up in one of the unused states (110 or 111), its behavior will depend on exactly what the dont cares were filled in with.
Present State Q2 Q1 Q0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 Next State Q2 Q1 Q0 0 0 0 1 1 0 x x 0 1 1 0 0 0 x x 1 0 1 0 1 0 x x

000

101

001

100 011
24

010

or maybe you do care

To get the safest possible circuit, you can explicitly fill in next states for the unused states 110 and 111. This guarantees that even if the circuit somehow enters an unused state, it will eventually end up in a valid state. This is called a self-starting counter. 110 111
Present State Q2 Q1 Q0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 Next State Q2 Q1 Q0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0

000

101

001

100 011
25

010