Why does everyone think that PIC is the only microcontroller or the best
/easiest one? Since PIC needs higher programming voltages and not all PC
serial ports provide enough of it, most of the very easy PIC programmers
dont work. I would suggest you use atmel avr's. A nice programmer for it
can be found here : http://www.xs4all.nl/~sbolt/e-spider_prog.html
A freq counter using avr and logic counters is here :
http://www.myplace.nu/avr/countermeasures/
You can find more stuff when using google.

Cheers,
Ronald

SWbeginner wrote:
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.