[PROJECT REPORT]

BCD COUNTER
[PROJECT REPORT]

[PROJECT REPORT] | 5/3/2011

BCD COUNTER

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

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[PROJECT REPORT] | 5/3/2011 COMPONENTS
 IC’s 7447, 74193, LM555

 Resistor 10k Ω,470 Ω Variable Resistor 100k

 Capacitor 2.2uf

 Seven Segment Display

 Breadboard

 LED

 5v Battery

 Jumper wire

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 CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

[PROJECT REPORT] | 5/3/2011

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EXPLANATION
7447 BCD to 7-Segment Display Driver

The appropriate outputs a-g become low to

display the BCD (binary coded decimal) number
supplied on inputs A-D. The 7447 has open
collector outputs a-g which can sink up to
40mA. The 7-segment display segments must be
connected between +Vs and the outputs with a
resistor in series (470 with a 5V supply). A
common anode display is required.

Display test and blank input are active-low so

they should be high for normal operation. When display test is low all the display segments
should light (showing number 8).

If the blank input is low the display will be blank when the count input is zero (0000). This can
be used to blank leading zeros when there are several display digits driven by a chain of
counters. To achieve this blank output should be connected to blank input of the next display
down the chain (the next most significant digit).

Seven-Segment Display
A seven-segment display, or seven-segment indicator, is a form of electronic display device
for displaying decimal numerals that is an alternative to the more complex dot-matrix displays.
Seven-segment displays are widely used in digital clocks, electronic meters, and other electronic
devices for displaying numerical information.

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 [PROJECT REPORT] | 5/3/2011
The Counter

      There are many different integrated circuit counters.  One popular chip is the 74193
Up/Down counter. Here is the pinout for the chip.  Note that this is a logic chip and that
power is supplied to the corners.

Note the following for this chip:

 Power is supplied to the corners.

 The four bits in the count are A, B, C and D.  A is the LSB and D is the MSB.
 There are two count-controlling input pins, 4 and 5.
o To count up, hold the down pin (#4) high (5v), and put the pulse into
pin 5.
o To count down, hold the up pin (#5) high (5v), and put the pulse into
pin 4.
 Pin 14 is a clear input.  Make this pin a zero (0v) to avoid constantly
clearing the counter!
 Pin 11 is a load input.  This pin is "active low".  Make this pin a zero (5v) to
avoid inadvertantly loading a random count into the counter!

For providing pulse to counter ic I use lm555 timer ic.

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1 Hz Pulse Generator

Here is a 1Hz pulse generator using the popular timer IC 555 which is wired as an Astable

Multivibrator. The output pulses can be indicated visually by the LED. An Astable

Multivibrator, often called a free-running Multivibrator, is a rectangular-wave generating circuit.

Unlike the Monostable Multivibrator, this circuit does not require any external trigger to change

the state of the output, hence the name free-running. This circuit can be used in applications that

require clock pulses

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CONCLUSION

Learning Objectives:
 explain the function of BCD counters;

 complete a truth table to show the signals needed to display a

given character on a common cathode 7-segment display;

 realise that dedicated decoder/driver ICs are available in a

number of formats to drive common cathode / common anode

7-segment displays;

 recognise and analyse the block diagram for a single digit

decimal counting system.