Department of Technical Education

Andhra Pradesh
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P. Srinivasa Rao
Lecturer
Electronics & Communication Engg.
Andhra Polytechnic, Kakinada
III Semester
Digital Electronics
CM-305
Counters& Registers
100 Mts.
Operation of Ring Counter
PPT. Diagrams
CM305.58 to 59

Objectives
On completion of this period, you would be able to
Know the operation of the 4 bit Ring counter

Know the truth table of Ring counter

Know the timing diagram of Ring counter

CM305.58 to 59

Recap

Programmable counter
Ring counter

CM305.58 to 59

Introduction
A Ring counter is a circular shift register.
At any time only one flip flop being set and all other flip
flops are cleared.
Single bit is shifted from one flip flop to other to produce
the sequence of timing signals.

CM305.58 to 59

Circuit diagram

CM305.58 to 59

Truth table

CM305.58 to 59

Timing diagram

CM305.58 to 59

Operation

Basically the ring part comes from the fact that the
output can be fed back into the input form a ring.
Notice that the outputs Q and Q of each flip-flop are
connected to the next flip-flop.
The outputs of the fourth flip-flop are connected to the
first flip-flop.

CM305.58 to 59

 The clock input is applied simultaneously to all flip-flops.

Initially, a logic 1 is preset into the first flip-flop and the
rest of the flip-flops are cleared.
Then the output of the counter is given by Q=QDQCQBQA.

CM305.58 to 59

 The single bit logic 1 is shifted with every clock pulse

and circulates back from the fourth flip-flop to the first
flip-flop.
Note that each flip-flop is in the 1 state once for every
four clock pulses.

CM305.58 to 59

10

 From the table we can notice that the 1 is always

retained in the counter and simply shifted around the
Ring advancing one stage for each clock pulse.
The basic operation of this counter is also illustrated in
the timing diagram.
A ring counter can not be used to count clock pulses like
conventional counter.

This is used to sequentially activate a set of devices

one after other
CM305.58 to 59

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Summary
A ring counter is a circular shift register.
In ring counter a high output (logic1) rotate by one bit for
each clock pulse.

This counter can not be used for counting clock pulses

CM305.58 to 59

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Quiz
1.

A counter can be constructed to count any number of

clock pulses is called as

(a) mod-n counter

(b) decade counter
(c) up down counter
(d) mod-8 counter

CM305.58 to 59

13

2.

The counter which is used for basic timing is called

(a) ring counter

(b) decade counter
(c) presettable counter
(d) programmable counter

CM305.58 to 59

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4.

A Ring counter is a ______ register.

(a). Shift left

(b). Shift right
(c). Circular shift
(d). Controlled shift

CM305.58 to 59

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3.

In which counter the output is fed back into the input

to form a ring

(a) ring counter

(b) decade counter
(c) mod-n counter
(d) up down counter

CM305.58 to 59

16

Expected Questions

1.

Draw the circuit of 4 bit Ring counter

2.

Explain the operation of 4 bit ring counter

3. Draw the timing diagram of 4 bit Ring counter

CM305.58 to 59

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