subdivisore

Subdivisore is a term used in electronics to refer to a circuit or device that reduces the frequency of an input signal by an integer division ratio n. The output frequency is f_out = f_in / n, producing a slower, periodic signal that can synchronize other circuits or serve as a timing reference. Subdivision is widely used in clock generation, digital communication systems, instrumentation, and timekeeping.

Typical implementations include fixed dividers, which use cascaded flip-flops or counters to create modulo-n dividers, and programmable dividers, where the division ratio n can be set by external inputs. A prescaler is a specialized form of subdivisore designed to handle high division ratios, often implemented as a fast divide-by-2 stage followed by additional stages.

Divisori come in two main classes: asynchronous (ripple) divisors, where a transition propagates through a chain of flip-flops, and synchronous divisors, where all flip-flops are driven by a common clock to reduce glitches. In digital design, many subdivisori are built from counters (binary, decade, Johnson) combined with combinational logic to reset when the count reaches n−1. Dividing by powers of two is straightforward with flip-flops, while other ratios typically require modulo-n counters and additional logic.

Applications include clock generation for microprocessors and digital systems, frequency synthesis in radios and communications equipment, timing references in instrumentation, and data acquisition systems. Subdivisore is often used interchangeably with frequency divider or divider, particularly in Italian technical literature. See also frequency divider, prescaler, phase-locked loop, and digital counter.