In this project you will learn how to make a digital counter display which will show you number of pulse applied to its clock pulse. This counter will count up to 999 but you can add more digits to increase count number. We will use CD4026 and 7-segment display for this. You can use the CD4026 alternative that is CD4033. These chips are 5 stage Johnson decade counter with decoded output which convert Johnson count into 7-segment decoded output. This decoded output drives one stage (one digit) in a 7 segment display.

Step 1: Step 1: Gathering the Components

For this project we will need these components.

CD4026 - (as many digit you want)
7-segment display (as many digit you want)

Step 2: Step 2: Create the Circuit

This is the circuit diagram for display decimal counting on every trigger pulse has applied on the clock input of LSB CD4026.

As you can see that in this circuit three CD4026B is cascaded. Carry out pin is connects with clock input of next chip. You can add as many chips as you wish. First chip (U1) drives the display for 1’s place, second chip is for 10’s place and third chip drives the display for 100’s place.
DEI is (Display enable in) kept high to enable the display output. Reset (MR) pins of all chips are individually tied to ground.

You can tie them together and rest the counting form one button or something.

Use common cathode 7-segmetn display. Connect all segment (a…g) pin of CD4026B to segment pins of 7-segment display correctly. Connect common cathode to ground.

On the clock signal you can connect any type of sensor which can give a clock pulse in response to an event. So that you can count how many times that event occurred.