What are the recommended jellybean pdip counter chips? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Dabbo56
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2022, 12:19:47 pm
content: Subject title says it all.I'm getting started learning about logic chips and want to start with a binary counter. Ideally PDIP through hole.Not fussed about sync/async etc as intend to learn by doing.Don't want anything exotic - just what everyone else starts with

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2022, 12:30:53 pm
content: See the TTL family for counters like SN7493 (counts up, upto 16), 7492 (counts to 2*6), 7490 (counts up to 2*5), or 74193 reversible, synchronous up/down count with load, etc.http://www.bitsavers.org/components/ti/_dataBooks/1981_TI_The_TTL_Data_Book_For_Design_Engineers_2ed.pdfThey can be as well with N, S, H, LS, HC letters included (denotes the technology), i.e. SN74LS193, or N74S193

author: CaptDon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2022, 02:58:29 pm
content: I would give the same advice as RoGeorge. I would stick with the 74XX series or possibly the 74LSXX series since these are more breadboard friendly. The faster logic can get very glitchy (as can the older versions) when you don't have enough bypass capacitors. The 7400 series stuff works great from those 5vdc USB wall warts although be careful, I have seen some of them put out 5.5vdc with no load. As mentioned, the 7490 divide by ten, the 7492 divide by 12 and the 7493 divide by 16 are great starting places. Sadly, the pinout is different on each. A counter chip coupled to an LED 7 segment driver like 7447 with a 7 segment LED display would give you a visualization of what your counter is doing. The more advanced functions of the 74193 and its relatives will be your next step. If you have any local Ham Radio clubs you may find some of the fellows there have these parts in their junk boxes and would gladly give you lots of building blocks, probably for free. Your clock signal will be a problem for a beginner. using a simple switch will cause contact bounce and you will find your counter may advance 3 to 15 counts with a single button press. You will need to study de-bounce circuits. I think a 7400 nand gate can be used to de-bounce a single pole double throw push button. Also learn how the 7490 when connected divide by 5 as the first stage and divide by 2 as the second stage will give a divide by 10 squarewave output, something it won't do when connected as a normal Binary Coded Decimal counter. Cheers mate, have fun!!

author: Peabody
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2022, 03:09:47 pm
content: Don't forget the CMOS CD4000 series counters. There must be a couple dozen of them. Like the CD4020/4024/4040.

author: Martian Tech
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2022, 05:03:38 pm
content: I'd avoid the 7490 series for their weird pinouts.The '161 or '163 is where I'd start. They're synchronous and presettable and have Vcc and GND in the standard locations.And if you want to count down as well as up, then I'd look at the '193.

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2022, 05:07:44 pm
content: 7490/92/93 are really antiquated designs.With the 74HC161 and 74HC191 you're pretty much covered.For special needs, CD4017/MC14017 might be interesting.

author: Kleinstein
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2022, 05:21:02 pm
content: Today the old style 74LS... or even old original without a letter are pretty hard to get. There is also a slight catch with the output high level in mixing them with the more common 74HC... series. So I would more avoid the old ones. If 74HC is too fast one can still run them from some 3 V to slow them down. At 5 V they can be mixed with the CD4000 / HEF4000 series and many of the more interesting functions are also available as 74HC40xx.There are plenty of counters to choose from - nothing that bad if you start with an odd one. The ones that are still available in DIP are usually the more useful/common ones.For the basics one can use flip-flops like the HC74 as a 1 bit counter.