Module 4
4.2
Elements of sequential Circuit
By Prof Neeta Moharkar
ECS Department
Atharva College of Engineering
Counter (It's a sequential circuit)
A Counter is a device which stores (and sometimes displays) the number of
times a particular event or process has occurred, often in relationship to a
clock signal. Counters are used in digital electronics for counting purpose,
they can count specific event happening in the circuit.
Example : AC , TV Machine
● It can create the sequential circuit.
● Mainly used for count clock pulse
● Any flipflop can be used (D/T/SR/JK)
● Edge Trigger used not Level trigger
What is the state at 11 clock cycle?? Ans ….1
Counters are broadly divided into two categories
1. Asynchronous counter
2. Synchronous counter
1. Asynchronous counter
In asynchronous counter we don’t use universal clock, only first flip flop is driven by main clock and the clock
input of rest of the following flip flop is driven by output of previous flip flops. We can understand it by
following diagram-
It is evident from timing diagram that
Q0 is changing as soon as the rising
edge of clock pulse is encountered, Q1
is changing when rising edge of Q0 is
encountered(because Q0 is like clock
pulse for second flip flop) and so on. In
this way ripples are generated through
Q0,Q1,Q2,Q3 hence it is also called
RIPPLE counter and serial counter. A
ripple counter is a cascaded arrangement
of flip flops where the output of one flip
flop drives the clock input of the
following flip flop
Synchronous Counter
Unlike the asynchronous counter, synchronous counter has one global clock which drives each flip flop so output
changes in parallel. The one advantage of synchronous counter over asynchronous counter is, it can operate on higher
frequency than asynchronous counter as it does not have cumulative delay because of same clock is given to each flip
flop. It is also called as parallel counter.
Applications of counters
■ Frequency counters.
■ Digital clocks.
■ Analog to digital convertors.
■ With some changes in their design, counters can be used
as frequency divider circuits.
■ In time measurement.
■ We can design digital triangular wave generator by
using counters.
Shift Register
❖ Flip flops can be used to store a single bit of binary data (1 or 0).
❖ However, in order to store multiple bits of data, we need multiple flip-
flops. N flip flops are to be connected in order to store n bits of data.
❖ A Register is a device that is used to store such information. It is a
group of flip-flops connected in series used to store multiple bits of
data.
❖ The information stored within these registers can be transferred with
the help of shift registers.
❖ Shift Register is a group of flip flops used to store multiple bits of data. The bits
stored in such registers can be made to move within the registers and in/out of the
registers by applying clock pulses.
❖ An n-bit shift register can be formed by connecting n flip-flops where each flip-flop
stores a single bit of data. The registers which will shift the bits to the left are called
“Shift left registers” (multiplication).
❖ The registers which will shift the bits to the right are called “Shift right registers”
(Division).
Types of Shift Registers
● Serial In Serial Out shift register
● Serial In parallel Out shift register
● Parallel In Serial Out shift register
● Parallel In parallel Out shift register
1. Serial In Serial Out shift register
The shift register, which allows serial input (one bit after the other through a single data line) and
produces a serial output is known as a Serial-In Serial-Out shift register.
All these flip-flops are synchronous with each other since the same clock signal is applied to each flip-flop.
2. Serial-In Parallel-Out Shift Register (SIPO)
The shift register, which allows serial input (one bit after the other through a single data line) and produces a parallel
output is known as the Serial-In Parallel-Out shift register.
The clear (CLR) signal is connected in addition to the clock signal to all 4 flip flops in order to RESET them.
3. Parallel-In Serial-Out Shift Register (PISO)
The shift register, which allows parallel input (data is given separately to each flip flop and in a
simultaneous manner) and produces a serial output is known as a Parallel-In Serial-Out shift register. The
logic circuit given below shows a parallel-in-serial-out shift register. The circuit consists of four D flip-
flops which are connected.
4. Parallel-In Parallel-Out Shift Register (PIPO)
The shift register, which allows parallel input (data is given separately to each flip flop and in a simultaneous
manner) and also produces a parallel output is known as Parallel-In parallel-Out shift register. The logic circuit
given below shows a parallel-in-parallel-out shift register. The circuit consists of four D flip-flops which are
connected. The clear (CLR) signal and clock signals are connected to all 4 flip-flops.
Applications of Shift Registers:
❖ They are used in delay lines
❖ data format conversion
❖ data processing, counting
❖ random pattern generation
❖ pulse extending
❖ pattern recognition
❖ interconnection.
Thank You