The Logical Principles of a New Kind of Binary Counter

In a shifting register or binary counter, there is a real logical requirement for a short term or temporary storage facility. In the counter, this occurs during the interval in which the actual count process is occurring. A positive memory counter is described in which this auxiliary storage is provided by elements which have the same time-indefinite storage property as the principal storage elements of the counter. This leads to a device which has two ranks of storage elements: the "true" and the "false" rank. The behavior of the single-stage and multiple-stage counter of this kind is derived, and the rules of formation for all numbers appearing in the true and in the false ranks are derived. The basic device is then generalized to one with four modes of operation, and the behavior and rules of number formation are discussed. Example of the application of the extended counter to a computing machine is given.