Designing a synchronous counter

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around designing synchronous counters using J-K flip-flops, specifically focusing on an up counter that counts through a specific sequence and a down counter that counts backwards. Participants explore the design principles, state transition tables, and the integration of control inputs for up/down counting.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Homework-related
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant asks for help designing a synchronous counter that counts through the sequence 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 0, and a synchronous down counter from 9 to 0.
  • Another participant explains that in synchronous counters, all J-K flip-flops are triggered simultaneously by the clock signal, and discusses the need for AND gates to enable toggling based on preceding flip-flop outputs.
  • A different participant seeks to design a synchronous up/down counter that counts in a specified sequence and asks about the connection of the control input.
  • One participant suggests creating a state transition table to determine the necessary values of J and K for the flip-flops, referring to this as the flip-flop excitation table.
  • Another participant shares their derived equations for the up and down counters but expresses difficulty in merging these designs with the control input.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the principles of synchronous counter design and the use of state transition tables, but there are varying approaches and specific sequences being discussed, indicating multiple competing views on the design methods.

Contextual Notes

Some participants reference the need for truth tables and excitation tables, but the discussion does not resolve the specific methods for integrating the control input into the up/down counter design.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in digital electronics, specifically those working on counter design using flip-flops, may find this discussion relevant.

xtb789
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Hi everyone. There are 2 questions i cannot solve here. So i am hoping someone here can help me out. Here are questions:

(1) Design a synchronous counter using J-K flip flops which will count
through the sequence 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 0.

(2) Design a synchronous down counter using J-K flip flops which counts
backwards from 9 down to zero.
 
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When designing a sync counter. You need to remember that the clock signal hits all the JK FF at once as opposed to a async counter (where the output of one FF is the clock for the other). Remember that all JK must be in toggle mode. We enable each J-K flip-flop to toggle based on whether or not all preceding flip-flop outputs (Q) are "high." To do this we need AND Gates. Read http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_4/chpt_11/3.html and then you may be able to build your counters. It also schematic diagrams for a few counters that you can reference.

One difference between the up and down counter, is the input that's fed into the AND Gate. For a up counter the Q input is fed into the AND Gate and for the down counter the Q(inverted) input is fed into the AND GAte.
 
Last edited:
i'm trying to find out how to design a synchronous up/down counter using JK Flip Flops. Counting up in the sequence 1,3,5,7,4,2 and down count 2,4,7,5,3,1. Also i would like to know how the control input will be connected to the counter?...
 
Start by making a table of : Input and Present-State versus Next-State. This is called the state transition table.

Next you work out what values of J and K are required to make the above transitions. These truth tables (or k-maps) are called the flip-flop excitation tables (maps).

For optimal design don't restrict the JK flip-flops to only toggle function but use the following assignments to determine your flip-flop excitation.

Code:
PS NS   J K (comment)
0  0    0 X (no change or reset)
0  1    1 X (set or toggle)
1  0    X 1 (reset or toggle)
1  1    X 0 (no change or set)
 
Up/down counter

Yeah...I've done all of that and got this.

Up counter>>...Ja=C'+B Ka=BC Jb=A+C Kb=1 Jc=AB Kc=A'
Down Counter>>...Ja=B'C Ka=B'C' Jb=1 Kb=A+C' Jc=A'B Kc=A'B+AB'

Now I'm stuck on how to merge the up and down counter with the control input....please help!
 

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