Hello,

Can I please get some help in designing a digital counter circuit?
Here is the problem:


The 74LS161 IC is a 4-bit MOD 16 UP counter. Here is the datasheet:

http://pdf1.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/view/5675/MOTOROLA/74LS161.html

The inputs are clock, CEP , CET, asynch CLEAR', synch LOAD' and 4 input to load data.

The outputs are terminal count and the 4 register outputs.

I want to use 2 of this component to generate an 8-bit MOD 256 UP counter.

How do I connect them together? What external component do I use?

 

Figures 1 and 2 of the original datasheet shows how to do it. It should not need any external components just to count to 256 as the counters are designed to cascade ad infinitum. SInce you want to count to 256, you'll need 2*4-bit counters. Nice.

 

It is explained in the paragraph at the top of page 2 of the datasheet.

Connect the clocks together. Connect RCO of the first stage to ENT of the next stage.