EE345: Introduction to Microcontrollers

Register and Counters

Prof. Ahmad Abu-El-Haija

April 20, 2023Digital System Design 2

Acknowledgement

This presentation is a modified version of lecture notes prepared by Dr. M. Sachdev, University of Waterloo, other slides from unidentified authors, and original slides from the publisher.

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Contents

Registers Shift Registers Ripple Counters Synchronous Counters Other Counters

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Registers

Registers Register is a group of flip-flops. Each flip-flop is

capable of storing one bit of information. n-bit register has n flip-flops. Can hold n bits of binary data. Register may also contain combinational logic that

determines how information is transferred into register.

A counter is essentially a register that goes through a predetermined sequence of states.

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4-Bit Register

• Common clock input triggers all ff’s on positive edge of each pulse, and binary data available at inputs are transferred into register.

• Clear input is asynchronous

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Register with Parallel Load

Specific control signal to load n-bit data

• Load =0, register retains the data

• Load = 1, register accepts new data.

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Shift Register

Capable of shifting data in one or both directions• Clock controls the shift operation Figure shows a simple shift register with left to

right data shifting capability

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Serial Data Transfer

Serial mode Data is transferred one bit at a time

Serial Transfer Example

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Serial Addition

Parallel adders• Faster,• cost more logic Serial adders• Slower• n-bit addition →

n clock cycles• Less hardware

State Table for Serial Adder

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JQ = x yKQ = x’ y’ = (x + y)’S = x y Q

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Second Form of Serial Adder

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Universal Shift Register

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Ripple Counters

Counters are available in two categories: ripple counters and synchronous counters.

In a ripple counter, the flip-flop output transition serves as a source for triggering other flip-flops.

In a synchronous counter, the C inputs of all flip-flops receives the common clock.

Binary and BCD ripple counters

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Ripple (Asynchronous) Counter

Counts the binary sequence

• Negative edge triggered

• Output of one flipflop → clock to the next

• Clock skew adds up

Binary Count Sequence

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BCD Ripple Counter

A decimal counter follows a sequence of ten states and returns to 0 after the count of 9. Counter must reset itself after counting the terminal count.

A decimal counter follows a sequence of ten states and returns to 0 after the count of 9. Counter must reset itself after counting the terminal count.

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Q1 changes state after each clock pulse.

Q2 complements every time Q1 goes from 1 to 0 as long as Q8 = 0. When Q8 becomes 1, Q2 remains at 0.

Q4 complements every time Q2 goes from 1 to 0.

Q8 remains at 0 as long as Q2 or Q4 is 0. Q8 is cleared on the next transition of Q1.

BCD Ripple Counter

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Three-Decade Decimal BCD Counter

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Synchronous Counter

Common clock is applied to all ff’s.

Clock skew does not add up. Faster than ripple counters. Design of synchronous binary

counter is so simple that there is no need to go through sequential logic design process, but can be used.

FF in least significant position is complemented with every pulse. A ff in any other position is complemented when all the bits in lower significant positions = 1.

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Up-Down Counter

Can count up (0000 →1111) or down (1111 → 0000) binary sequence

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Synchronous BCD CounterDesign a synchronous BCD counter with T flip-flops

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4-Bit Binary Counter with Parallel Load

Count is inhibited when is Load enabled

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4-Bit Binary Counter with Parallel Load

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BCD Counter with Parallel Load

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A circuit with n flip-flops has 2n states• We may have to design a counter with a given sequence (unused states)• Unused states may be treated as don’t care or assigned specific next state• Outside noise may cause the counter to enter unused stateMust ensure counter eventually goes to the valid state

Counter with Unused States

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Counter with Unused States

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Ring Counter

A ring counter is a circular shift register with only one flip-flop being set at any particular time, all others are cleared.

The single bit is shifted from one flip-flop to the next to produce the sequence of timing signals.

The timing signals can be generated also by a 2-bit counter that goes through four distinct states.

To generate 2n timing signals, we need either a shift register with 2n flip-flops or an n-bit binary counter together with an n-to-2n-line decoder.

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Generation of Timing Signals

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Johnson Counter

A k-bit ring counter circulates a single bit among the flip-flops to provide k distinguishable states.

The number of states can be doubled if the shift register is connected as a switch-tail ring counter.

A switch-tail ring counter is a circular shift register with the complement output of the last flip-flop connected to the input of the first flip-flop.

In general, a k-bit switch-tail ring counter will go through a sequence of 2k states.

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Construction of a Johnson Counter

Number of states of a ring counter can be doubled

Other Counters

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A 2-Bit Asynchronous Counter

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3-Bit Asynchronous Counter

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Clocked Asynchronous Decade Counter

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A Synchronous 3-Bit Binary Counter

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4-Bit Synchronous Binary Counter

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3-Bit Counter