Experiment 4 - The Mod-6 Counter

In many applications, you need counter with a well-defined number of states and often the number of states is not 2, 4, 8, etc. but, for example, 6 states...

In a mod-6 counter you are using a 3-bit counter that actually has 8 states. However, when the counter reaches the seventh state (Q2 = 1, Q1 = 1, Q0 = 0), you force the counter to return to the state (Q2 = 0, Q1 = 0, Q0 = 0)...

For this you use an AND gate, whose output is connected with the RESET inputs of the flip-flops...

Circuit diagram mod-6 counter.

SET/RESET Input The JK flip-flop on the C-MOS 4027 has, in addition to the J- and K inputs, a SET (S)- and RESET (R) input each... SET (S)- set the output Q = 1 RESET (R)- set the output Q = 0

Illustration states of the Mod-6 binary counter.

With the circuit shown you realize easily that the counter now produces only 6 states...

Circuit mod-6 counter. (Enlarge)

You find a mod-6 counter in many applications where time is "counted".

In addition you find in many applications a mod-10 counter...