How does a 3-bit ripple counter work?

From the timing diagram, we can observe that the counter counts the values 00,01,10,11 then resets itself and starts again from 00,01,… until clock pulses are applied to J0K0 flip flop. In the 3-bit ripple counter, three flip-flops are used in the circuit.

How many flip flops are used in a 3-bit ripple counter?

In the 3-bit ripple counter, three flip-flops are used in the circuit. As here ‘n’ value is three, the counter can count up to 2 3 = 8 values .i.e. 000,001,010,011,100,101,110,111. The circuit diagram and timing diagram are given below. Here the output waveform of Q1 is given as clock pulse to the flip flop J2K2.

How many states does a 3-bit ripple counter have?

The 3-bit ripple counter used in the circuit above has eight different states, each one of which represents a count value. Similarly, a counter having n flip-flops can have a maximum of 2 to the power n states. The number of states that a counter owns is known as its mod (modulo) number. Hence a 3-bit counter is a mod-8 counter.