I plan on building receivers and a simple frequency counter is needed.
Say 4 to 6 digits, up to about 50 Mhz.


I have seen approaches using:
74HCxxxx logic IC's could be made for $20 but lots of wiring

PIC - not much experience except with 16f84.
how to build programmer for lastest PIC's?


Anyone know of a demo or free digital simulation software with CMOS 4XXX
library? I have Microcap 7 demo but digital library is scarce.

So much has progressed since the MC14553 3 digit counter chips. Do they
even make them?



What frequency range , how accurate, and what do you think of as
inexpensive ?
I have not looked lately but there used to be some that would work up
to about 1.5 Ghz around $ 125 or so that would get you to within a
couple of hundred Hz at 150 mhz.