GATE 2016 CS – Question 18
We want to design a synchronous counter that counts the sequence 0-1-0-2-0-3 and then repeats. The minimum number of J-K flip-flops required to implement this counter is ________.
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Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: 3 to 4
Explanation
The counter cycles through 6 different states, because the value 0 appears three times and each occurrence is followed by a different value, so the three 0 states are distinct. Six states need at least $\lceil \log_2 6 \rceil = 3$ flip-flops. The official key accepts 3 or 4.