SN74LS69N - Dual 4-Bit Counter | Texas Instruments | Logic
MPN: SN74LS69N ✓ ActiveSN74LS69N Overview
A binary counter is a synchronous sequential-logic component that records a number as a sequence of binary bits. A 4-bit counter can represent 16 states from 0000 through 1111. As a digital counter IC, the SN74LS69N belongs to the 74LS low-power Schottky TTL family, where digital logic ICs implement counting, timing, and state-sequencing functions within broader control and embedded systems.
The principal verified characteristics include dual 4-bit counter organization, upward counting, 54 ns propagation delay, 5 V nominal operating voltage, 16 terminals, commercial temperature grade, and through-hole DIP construction. These specifications make the device suitable for legacy digital control, event counting, sequencing, and industrial automation systems that accept standard 16-pin DIP logic footprints.
The SN74LS69N provides two counter sections on one package, reducing board area compared with separate single-counter ICs. Its binary outputs can represent the current count directly, allowing external combinational logic, display drivers, memory systems, or control circuitry to interpret each clock interval. The 54 ns delay provides a concrete timing basis for maximum operating frequency and setup/hold requirements, although a complete design should also examine the complete datasheet waveform and load conditions.
Typical applications include industrial batch and piece counting, digital event sequencing, test-equipment timing, legacy process-control interfaces, and educational digital-logic systems. Because the verified listing identifies upward counting and a DIP package, the part is especially relevant to through-hole industrial control boards, repair inventories, and modernization projects that need to preserve an existing 16-pin logic layout.
When designing around the SN74LS69N, verify the complete pin assignment, clock-edge requirements, clear behavior, supply tolerances, and output-drive limits against the manufacturer datasheet before layout release. Decoupling and signal-integrity practices remain important even at 54 ns propagation delay: provide local supply bypassing, maintain short clock traces, and avoid relying on long PCB interconnects where edge-sensitive timing could be affected.
This page combines verified distributor information, the package and timing data available from market listings, practical legacy-logic design guidance, and carefully qualified drop-in alternatives. It is intended to support component selection and sourcing decisions while clearly separating verified facts from information that still requires confirmation from the full manufacturer documentation.
Drop-in alternatives for SN74LS69N — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with SN74LS69N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Count Direction, Counter Width, Logic Family, Mounting Type.
SN74LS69D
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs UnverifiedContact for price
View Datasheet →SN74LS69A
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
SN74LS69B
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
SN74LS69AN
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
SN74LS69BN
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
SN74LS69N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Counter Type | Dual 4-bit binary counter |
| Number of Counter Sections | 2 sections |
| Counter Width | 4 bits per section |
| Count Direction | Up counting |
| Propagation Delay | 54 ns |
| Nominal Supply Voltage | 5 V |
| Logic Family | 74LS series |
| Device Type | Counter IC |
| Number of Terminals | 16 terminals |
| Mounting Type | Through-hole |
| Package Code | DIP |
| Package Shape | Rectangular |
| Temperature Grade | Commercial |
SN74LS69N rectangular Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for SN74LS69N (rectangular package). This digital IC includes GPIO, communication interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C), and power pins. Refer to the manufacturer datasheet for alternate pin functions and configuration options. Essential for embedded system design and PCB layout.
No detailed pinout data available for SN74LS69N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
SN74LS69N is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Event and Piece Counting, Digital Batch Sequencing, Test and Measurement Timing, Legacy Process-Control Interfaces, Educational Digital Logic Systems, Data Acquisition and Sample Division.
Industrial Event and Piece Counting
The SN74LS69N fits legacy industrial event-counting boards because it provides two 4-bit upward-counting sections, a 5 V nominal supply, and a 54 ns propagation delay. One section can count pieces while the other records batches or cycles, giving the controller two parallel binary values without requiring separate counter packages. The 16-pin DIP format supports repair and retrofit work on through-hole control equipment. Timing analysis should include the external sensor-conditioning path and must confirm clock-edge and clear behavior from the manufacturer datasheet. Unlike a microcontroller solution, the dedicated counter operates without firmware, although it offers less programmability and requires external logic to interpret overflow or implement long event totals.
Recommended
Digital Batch Sequencing
The SN74LS69N can provide parallel binary state values for batch sequencing, machine-step indexing, and repeating production cycles. Its dual 4-bit architecture allows one counter to represent the current item and another to track the batch position, while the 54 ns propagation delay supplies a defined response time for feeding gates or latch commands. A 5 V legacy-control system can therefore retain a simple hardware-sequencing architecture rather than adding processor firmware. The design must account for carry or rollover behavior, asynchronous clear requirements, output loading, and the verified operating limits, none of which were fully specified in the supplied market records.
Recommended
Test and Measurement Timing
The SN74LS69N is appropriate for basic test-equipment timing and stimulus sequencing built around a 5 V TTL logic rail. Two independent 4-bit counters can organize test steps, sample divisions, or repeatable timing intervals, with the 54 ns propagation delay allowing the output logic to respond quickly after a clock event. This fixed-function approach is useful in older instruments where replacing a counter with a processor would require substantial firmware and board changes. Before using the device, confirm clock polarity, minimum operating frequency, output timing, and power requirements in the full manufacturer datasheet, and account for any variation in the external reference oscillator and fan-out loading.
Recommended
Legacy Process-Control Interfaces
The SN74LS69N can serve as a counter interface in legacy process-control systems that retain 5 V TTL-compatible boards and 16-pin through-hole logic. It is useful where discrete events, pallets, cycles, or recipe steps must be accumulated before an external controller reads the binary state. The dedicated hardware provides predictable counting without firmware overhead, while its 54 ns delay is generally short compared with many electromechanical process events. However, the commercial temperature grade listed in the verified data does not by itself establish suitability for severe industrial temperature ranges, and exact noise margins, output loading, and supply tolerances must be confirmed before deployment.
Recommended
Educational Digital Logic Systems
The SN74LS69N is well suited to teaching laboratories because it exposes two independent 4-bit counters on an accessible 16-pin DIP package. Students can observe binary count states on a breadboard or trainer, connect external LEDs, and study clocking, rollover, and digital state representation at a 5 V nominal supply. The 54 ns propagation delay also provides a concrete timing parameter for introductory propagation-delay experiments. Because the supplied records do not provide the complete pin map, laboratory work should use the manufacturer datasheet for safe wiring. The device offers a clearer hardware model than a microcontroller-based counter, but it requires external handling for overflow and longer counts.
Recommended
Data Acquisition and Sample Division
The SN74LS69N can divide input events into smaller sample groups in a legacy acquisition system. One 4-bit section can divide a source clock by a selected modulo count, while the second can count completed groups, creating a compact hardware divider with parallel outputs. Its 54 ns propagation delay is relevant to determining combinational settling time around the counter outputs. The 5 V nominal supply also aligns with established TTL-based acquisition boards. Designers should confirm the permitted clock waveform, maximum clock frequency, output timing, and reset behavior, and should add external interlock logic if downstream equipment must not advance while the acquisition subsystem is busy.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for SN74LS69N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | SN74LS69 | SN74LS69A | SN74LS69B | SN74LS69AN | SN74LS69BN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments |
| Package | DIP-16, through-hole | DIP-16, through-hole | DIP-16, through-hole | DIP-16, through-hole | DIP-16, through-hole | DIP-16, through-hole |
| Counter Organization | Dual 4-bit binary counter | Dual 4-bit binary counter | Dual 4-bit binary counter | Dual 4-bit binary counter | Dual 4-bit binary counter | Dual 4-bit binary counter |
| Count Direction | Up counting | Up counting | Up counting | Up counting | Up counting | Up counting |
| Nominal Supply Voltage | 5 V | 5 V | 5 V | 5 V | 5 V | 5 V |
| Number of Terminals | 16 terminals | 16 terminals | 16 terminals | 16 terminals | 16 terminals | 16 terminals |
| Mounting Type | Through-hole | Through-hole | Through-hole | Through-hole | Through-hole | Through-hole |
Key Differentiators
- Combines two independent counters in one package (vs Single-counter 74-series devices)
- Uses a serviceable through-hole legacy footprint (vs Surface-mount counter packages)
- Defined 54 ns propagation delay (vs SN74LS69A and SN74LS69B timing values marked as unavailable)
- Dual 4-bit upward-counting organization (vs Single-section general-purpose counters)
Design Notes
Do not substitute the SN74LS69N solely because a seller describes another 74-series part as an equivalent. Verify the exact counter function, number of independent sections, count direction, clear inputs, clock-edge behavior, output arrangement, supply range, and 16-pin DIP pinout. The supplied cross-reference results did not identify a specific cross-brand part, so using a general 74LS table without opening and comparing the candidate datasheet can introduce timing or logic-state errors.
Preserve the original 16-pin DIP footprint and respect standard DIP row spacing and pin-1 orientation. On legacy boards, inspect socket contacts, oxidation, pin-1 marking, and nearby signal traces before insertion. Maintain a low-impedance ground path and place the local 5 V bypass capacitor close to the device's supply and ground pins. Exact capacitor selection and placement should follow the complete manufacturer datasheet and the surrounding board's switching environment.
Treat clock inputs and binary outputs as timing-sensitive nets even though the verified propagation-delay listing is 54 ns. Keep clock traces short, avoid unnecessary stubs, and locate output loads near the IC when possible. Confirm setup time, hold time, minimum pulse width, maximum clock frequency, and output capacitive loading from the complete datasheet. A nominal propagation delay by itself does not establish safe system operation.
Decouple the 5 V rail locally and verify that the counter's dynamic current demand does not upset neighboring legacy logic. The supplied records did not provide supply-current limits or power dissipation, so use the manufacturer datasheet for ICC and IOL/IOH calculations. In long chains of 74LS devices, account for fan-out loading and use buffering rather than assuming every TTL-compatible output can drive every input directly.
Compliance Information
The supplied market results did not explicitly state RoHS, REACH, lead-free, halogen-free, or conflict-minerals status. AEC-Q100 is recorded as not_applicable because the device is identified as a commercial-grade logic IC rather than an automotive-qualified component.
