Programmable binary counter

Claim 1

A programmable counter for giving an output indication after the count of the incoming signal pulse train has reached a preselected binary real number 2 N where N is any positive integer (0, 1, 2, 3, ..., i), said counter comprising: means for receiving an instruction designating said binary real number 2 N , said instruction using no more than the number of data bits required to represent the maximum selectable value of N; a decoder encircuited with and responsive to the instruction receiving means, said decoder having as many parallel output lines as there are programmable values of N in said instructions, said decoder providing on said output lines electrical potentials representative in binary terminology, the one's complement of said programmed binary number 2 N ; adder means having an input connected to the output lines of said decoder, said adder means being encircuited to provide an output consisting of electrical potentials representing in binary terminology a logic sequence which is one numerical unit more than the complement of said preselected binary real number; a multistage presettable binary counter having a clock line input for accepting counting pulses from an external source, said counter having binary register capacity adequate to store the maximum value of said preselected binary real number 2 N , said counter including an output line carrying an electrical potential which switches from the binary zero logic level to the binary one logic level whenever the registers of said binary counter reach the overflow condition; circuit means for first, presetting all registers of said counter with the binary word sample present on the output lines of said adder means, and second, subsequent to the new word being loaded into counter, restoring the presettable counter to the state whereby clock pulse counting can begin; and means coupled to the output line of said presettable binary counter for providing an indication that said counter has reached the overflow condition.