REDSTONEPEDIA › Circuits › Memory and counters
Counter: counts pulses and reacts on a set count
every 4th pulse · 6 blocks
The output's on/off pattern repeats every 4 input pulses: on for 2 of them, off for the other 2.
made of comparator, copper bulb · fits in 4×2×1
39 versions, 2 to 576
Every size 39
The best design for each size: pick one to see it.
| size | blocks | numbers |
|---|---|---|
| every 2nd | 3 blocks | |
| every 3rd | 11 blocks | |
| every 4th (this page) | 6 blocks | |
| every 5th | 19 blocks | |
| every 6th | 14 blocks | |
| every 7th | 25 blocks | |
| every 8th | 9 blocks | |
| every 9th | 23 blocks | |
| every 10th | 22 blocks | |
| every 11th | 23 blocks | |
| every 12th | 17 blocks | |
| every 13th | 23 blocks | |
| every 14th | 28 blocks | |
| every 15th | 23 blocks | |
| every 16th | 12 blocks | |
| every 17th | 23 blocks | |
| every 18th | 26 blocks | |
| every 19th | 23 blocks | |
| every 20th | 25 blocks | |
| every 21st | 23 blocks | |
| every 22nd | 23 blocks | |
| every 23rd | 23 blocks | |
| every 24th | 20 blocks | |
| every 25th | 23 blocks | |
| every 26th | 23 blocks | |
| every 27th | 23 blocks | |
| every 28th | 23 blocks | |
| every 30th | 23 blocks | |
| every 32nd | 15 blocks | |
| every 33rd | 23 blocks | |
| every 34th | 23 blocks | |
| every 36th | 29 blocks | |
| every 38th | 23 blocks | |
| every 39th | 23 blocks | |
| every 40th | 28 blocks | |
| every 45th | 23 blocks | |
| every 48th | 23 blocks | |
| every 100th | 23 blocks | |
| every 576th | 23 blocks |
Try it
Hold IN under the view for a long press, tap it for a short one: tap it 4 times and OUT goes through one on-off cycle (the box marked OUT turns red while the output is on). Press play under the view to watch a demo on a loop; touch any other control to take over.
How this design does it: The input toggles bulb 1, its comparator toggles bulb 2 on every second pulse, and bulb 2's comparator is the output: on for two pulse windows, off for two (level style, period 4; the same build divides by 2 as a toggle stream).
Build it
Download .litematic Download the design as text
The .litematic opens in Litematica (Minecraft 26.3): every block of the design in one region. The text file is the same build written as plain text, block by block.
Blocks used: comparator copper bulb stone
Details: how it works, measurements and properties
In depth
It counts input pulses: the output's state repeats every 4 input pulses: after each pulse it is on for 2 of them and off for the other 2. In other words, it divides the number of pulses by 4.
Use it to do something every 4th time, or to slow a fast clock down 4 times.
How to try it
Press play under the view to watch the demo on a loop (the badge reads demo with the step it is on; the same sequence is drawn as a timing diagram below). Touch any control to stop it and try the circuit yourself.
To try it: press and hold the IN button of the bar (or the cell tagged IN) to power that input; a quick tap sends a short 2-tick pulse.
Inputs are tagged in lime; the output is tagged OUT: the redstone lamp in that cell (the view adds it to show the output) lights while the output is on (the output strip by the demo badge shows its last 40 game ticks, 2 seconds). Drag to look around, pinch or scroll to zoom, step one game tick at a time with the step button.
Inputs and output over time
The input follows this schedule (the 3D view's demo plays the same). Lime: an input is on; orange: the output is on (taller = a stronger signal, 1 to 15). Time runs left to right in game ticks (20 ticks = 1 s).
Swipe the diagram sideways: the whole sequence lasts 703 ticks (35.15 s).
Step by step (17 lines)
pulse 1: output 1 (level 15), changed pulse 2: output 1 (level 15) pulse 3: output 0 (level 0), changed pulse 4: output 0 (level 0) pulse 5: output 1 (level 15), changed pulse 6: output 1 (level 15) pulse 7: output 0 (level 0), changed pulse 8: output 0 (level 0) pulse 9: output 1 (level 15), changed pulse 10: output 1 (level 15) pulse 11: output 0 (level 0), changed pulse 12: output 0 (level 0) pulse 13: output 1 (level 15), changed press 1 20: output 1 (level 15) press 2 30: output 0 (level 0), changed press 3 200: output 0 (level 0) press 4 20: output 1 (level 15), changed
Measurements
| metric | value | what it means |
|---|---|---|
| N | 4 | how many input pulses one output cycle takes |
| output | level every 4 pulses | how the output shows the count: toggles (flips every N), pulses (one pulse every N) or level (its state repeats every N) |
| counts | one pulse per N | |
| on | 2 of 4 |
Notes from its designer
The input toggles bulb 1, its comparator toggles bulb 2 on every second pulse, and bulb 2's comparator is the output: on for two pulse windows, off for two (level style, period 4; the same build divides by 2 as a toggle stream).
Properties
| Study | Memory and counters |
|---|---|
| Kind | Counter: counts pulses and reacts on a set count |
| Blocks placed | 6 (not counting the input levers or buttons and the lamp the view adds) |
| Box | 4×2×1 (8 blocks of space) |
| Made of (the blocks that change state) | comparator, copper bulb |
| Inputs / outputs | IN (repeater) / OUT |
| Flags | several versions of one mechanism |
| Design file | counter4-bulb2 |
The design file
Design file (15 lines)
# Counter: every 4th pulse · 6 blocks # https://vjeux.github.io/redstonepedia/circuits/memory/counter4-bulb2.html name: counter4-bulb2 circuit: counter 4 port input: -1 1 0 port output: 4 1 0 origin: 0 0 0 palette: S minecraft:stone W minecraft:waxed_copper_bulb[lit=false,powered=false] C minecraft:comparator[facing=west,mode=compare,powered=false] layer 0: .S.S layer 1: WCWC