Different modes of electronic counter

Counters which are constructed by logic gates are important devices in digital electronics. Normally they are used for the measurement of time period and frequency. Universal counter, decade counter and electronic counter are examples of counters. In universal counter, logic gates are selected and controlled by a single front panel switch known as the function switch. A decade counter is a circuit made of cascaded flip-flops. When decade counters are used for commercial applications, they are known as electronic counters. The five modes of operation of electronic counter are totalizing, frequency mode, ratio mode, period mode and the time interval mode. In the totalizing mode, totalizing of input pulses are carried out till the time the switch is on.  On exceeding the capacity, overflow indicator of the decade counter is activated and the counting process continues. In frequency mode, rectangular pulse of known duration is applied to the input AND gate. A low frequency signal is used in ratio mode. In period mode, a gating pulse is used as the input signal output clock pulses are counted. The time elapsed between two events is measured in time interval mode.