diff --git a/software/glasgow/applet/all.py b/software/glasgow/applet/all.py
index f8178f8f5..4d40bf522 100644
--- a/software/glasgow/applet/all.py
+++ b/software/glasgow/applet/all.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 from .interface.jtag_svf import JTAGSVFApplet
 from .interface.ps2_host import PS2HostApplet
 from .interface.sbw_probe import SpyBiWireProbeApplet
+from .interface.freq_counter import FrequencyCounterApplet
 
 from .memory._24x import Memory24xApplet
 from .memory._25x import Memory25xApplet
diff --git a/software/glasgow/applet/interface/freq_counter/__init__.py b/software/glasgow/applet/interface/freq_counter/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1c4a867c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/software/glasgow/applet/interface/freq_counter/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,202 @@
+#
+# notes:
+#    - does not play nicely with slow edges or analog signals (e.g: sine wave)
+#      will produce very inaccurate and inconsistent results
+#    - max runtime is ~89 sec, at which the max freq is ~48 MHz
+#    - given a max freq of ~100 MHz, the max sensible runtime is ~42 sec
+#    - given the diminishing returns in precision past a few seconds of runtime, long runtimes aren't actually that helpful
+#        - a  1 sec runtime will give a precision of +/- 1.000 Hz (max freq of ~4.2 GHz)
+#        - a  2 sec runtime will give a precision of +/- 0.500 Hz (max freq of ~2.1 GHz)
+#        - a  5 sec runtime will give a precision of +/- 0.200 Hz (max freq of ~858 MHz)
+#        - a 15 sec runtime will give a precision of +/- 0.066 Hz (max freq of ~286 MHz)
+#        - a 20 sec runtime will give a precision of +/- 0.050 Hz (max freq of ~214 MHz)
+#        - a 30 sec runtime will give a precision of +/- 0.033 Hz (max freq of ~140 MHz)
+#        - given the crossover, a hard limit of 20 seconds has been put on the runtime
+#
+
+import enum
+import asyncio
+import logging
+from nmigen import *
+
+from ....gateware.pads import *
+from ....gateware.ripple import *
+from ....support.si_prefix import num_to_si
+from ... import *
+
+
+class _Command(enum.IntEnum):
+    GO = 0x00
+
+
+class FrequencyCounterSubtarget(Elaboratable):
+    def __init__(self, pads, clk_count, edge_count, running, out_fifo):
+        self.pads = pads
+        self.clk_count = clk_count
+        self.edge_count = edge_count
+        self.running = running
+        self.out_fifo = out_fifo
+
+    def elaborate(self, platform):
+        m = Module()
+
+        trigger = Signal()
+        m.d.comb += [
+            self.out_fifo.r_en.eq(self.out_fifo.r_rdy),
+            trigger.eq(self.out_fifo.r_en & (self.out_fifo.r_data == _Command.GO)),
+        ]
+
+        clk_count = Signal.like(self.clk_count)
+        with m.If(trigger):
+            m.d.sync += clk_count.eq(self.clk_count)
+        with m.Elif(clk_count > 0):
+            m.d.sync += clk_count.eq(clk_count - 1)
+            m.d.comb += self.running.eq(1)
+
+        m.submodules.ripple = RippleCounter(
+            rst=trigger,
+            clk=self.pads.i_t.i,
+            clk_en=self.running,
+            width=32,
+        )
+        m.d.comb += self.edge_count.eq(m.submodules.ripple.count)
+
+        return m
+
+class FrequencyCounterInterface:
+    def __init__(self, applet, device, interface):
+        self.applet = applet
+        self.device = device
+        self.lower = interface
+
+    async def configure(self, duration=2.0):
+        ctr = int(self.applet.sys_clk_freq * duration)
+
+        # this is broken (see comment below)
+        #await self.device.write_register(self.applet.__reg_clk_count, ctr, width=4)
+
+        await self.applet.set_clk_count(ctr)
+
+    async def start(self):
+        await self.lower.write([ _Command.GO ])
+        await self.lower.flush()
+
+    async def is_running(self):
+        return await self.applet.get_running()
+
+    async def wait(self):
+        while await self.is_running():
+            await asyncio.sleep(0.1)
+
+    async def get_result(self):
+        clk_count = await self.applet.get_clk_count()
+        edge_count = await self.applet.get_edge_count()
+
+        sample_duration = clk_count / self.applet.sys_clk_freq
+        signal_freq = edge_count / sample_duration
+
+        precision = self.applet.sys_clk_freq / clk_count
+
+        return signal_freq, precision
+
+    async def measure(self, duration=2.0):
+        await self.configure(duration)
+        await self.start()
+        await self.wait()
+        return await self.get_result()
+
+class FrequencyCounterApplet(GlasgowApplet, name="freq-counter"):
+    logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+    help = "frequency counter"
+    description = """
+    Simple frequency counter, based on a ripple counter.
+    """
+
+    @classmethod
+    def add_build_arguments(cls, parser, access):
+        super().add_build_arguments(parser, access)
+
+        access.add_pin_argument(parser, "i", default=True)
+
+        parser.add_argument(
+            "--duration", metavar="DURATION", type=float, default=2.0,
+            help="how long to run for, longer gives higher resolution (default: %(default)s)")
+
+    def build(self, target, args):
+        self.mux_interface = iface = target.multiplexer.claim_interface(self, args)
+
+        reg_clk_count,  self.__reg_clk_count  = target.registers.add_rw(32)
+        reg_edge_count, self.__reg_edge_count = target.registers.add_ro(32)
+        reg_running,    self.__reg_running    = target.registers.add_ro(1)
+
+        subtarget = iface.add_subtarget(FrequencyCounterSubtarget(
+            pads=iface.get_pads(args, pins=("i",)),
+            clk_count=reg_clk_count,
+            edge_count=reg_edge_count,
+            running=reg_running,
+            out_fifo=iface.get_out_fifo(),
+        ))
+
+        self.sys_clk_freq = target.sys_clk_freq
+
+    @classmethod
+    def add_run_arguments(cls, parser, access):
+        super().add_run_arguments(parser, access)
+
+    async def run(self, device, args):
+        self.device = device
+
+        iface = await device.demultiplexer.claim_interface(self, self.mux_interface, args, pull_low={args.pin_i})
+        freq_ctr = FrequencyCounterInterface(self, device, iface)
+
+        return freq_ctr
+
+    async def interact(self, device, args, freq_ctr):
+        signal_freq, precision = await freq_ctr.measure(args.duration)
+        print('signal frequency: {:>7.3f} {:1}Hz'.format( *num_to_si(signal_freq) ))
+        print('precision:   +/-  {:>7.3f} {:1}Hz'.format( *num_to_si(precision) ))
+
+    # TODO: for some reason, accessing the registers from the FrequencyCounterInterface
+    #       class will raise an odd / malformed AttributeException... as below. This exception
+    #       isn't raised by GlasgowHardwareDevice.write_register(), but appears to occur on the
+    #       return - wrapping below with a try / except / pass effectively resolves the issue,
+    #       but A) that's disgusting, and B) it still breaks assignment / register_read() calls.
+    #
+    #       for the moment, I've put proxy functions here, but I'd like to remove them...?
+    #
+    #   $ glasgow run freq-counter -V 3.3
+    #   I: g.device.hardware: device already has bitstream ID 171709aadf51812cc9d1e3e54e881a43
+    #   I: g.cli: running handler for applet 'freq-counter'
+    #   I: g.applet.interface.freq_counter: port(s) A, B voltage set to 3.3 V
+    #   Traceback (most recent call last):
+    #     File "/home/attie/proj_local/glasgow/venv/bin/glasgow", line 11, in <module>
+    #       load_entry_point('glasgow', 'console_scripts', 'glasgow')()
+    #     File "/home/attie/proj_local/glasgow/glasgow/software/glasgow/cli.py", line 857, in main
+    #       exit(loop.run_until_complete(_main()))
+    #     File "/home/attie/.bin/python3.8.2/lib/python3.8/asyncio/base_events.py", line 616, in run_until_complete
+    #       return future.result()
+    #     File "/home/attie/proj_local/glasgow/glasgow/software/glasgow/cli.py", line 650, in _main
+    #       task.result()
+    #     File "/home/attie/proj_local/glasgow/glasgow/software/glasgow/cli.py", line 600, in run_applet
+    #       iface = await applet.run(device, args)
+    #     File "/home/attie/proj_local/glasgow/glasgow/software/glasgow/applet/interface/freq_counter/__init__.py", line 136, in run
+    #       signal_freq = await freq_ctr.measure(args.duration)
+    #     File "/home/attie/proj_local/glasgow/glasgow/software/glasgow/applet/interface/freq_counter/__init__.py", line 85, in measure
+    #       await self.configure(duration)
+    #     File "/home/attie/proj_local/glasgow/glasgow/software/glasgow/applet/interface/freq_counter/__init__.py", line 60, in configure
+    #       await self.device.write_register(self.applet.__reg_clk_count, ctr, width=4)
+    #   AttributeError: 'FrequencyCounterApplet' object has no attribute '_FrequencyCounterInterface__reg_clk_count'
+
+    async def get_clk_count(self):
+        return await self.device.read_register(self.__reg_clk_count, width=4)
+    async def set_clk_count(self, value):
+        await self.device.write_register(self.__reg_clk_count, value, width=4)
+
+    async def get_ctr(self):
+        return await self.device.read_register(self.__reg_ctr, width=4)
+
+    async def get_edge_count(self):
+        return await self.device.read_register(self.__reg_edge_count, width=4)
+
+    async def get_running(self):
+        return bool(await self.device.read_register(self.__reg_running, width=1))
diff --git a/software/glasgow/gateware/ripple.py b/software/glasgow/gateware/ripple.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0a7ae36c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/software/glasgow/gateware/ripple.py
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import logging
+from nmigen import *
+
+__all__ = ["RippleCounter"]
+
+class RippleCounter(Elaboratable):
+    def __init__(self, clk, clk_en=None, rst=None, width=8, logger=None):
+        self.logger = logger or logging.getLogger(__name__)
+        self.clk    = clk
+        self.clk_en = clk_en
+        self.rst    = rst
+        self.width  = width
+        self.count  = Signal(width)
+
+    def elaborate(self, platform):
+        if not hasattr(platform, "get_ripple_ff_stage"):
+            raise NotImplementedError("No Ripple Counter support for platform")
+
+        m = Module()
+
+        clk_chain = self.clk
+
+        for i in range(self.width):
+            d_out = Signal()
+            clk_en = self.clk_en if i == 0 else None
+            m.submodules += platform.get_ripple_ff_stage(d_out, clk_chain, clk_en, self.rst)
+            m.d.comb += self.count[i].eq(d_out)
+            clk_chain = d_out
+
+        return m
diff --git a/software/glasgow/platform/ice40.py b/software/glasgow/platform/ice40.py
index 3ea742375..dae192bf0 100644
--- a/software/glasgow/platform/ice40.py
+++ b/software/glasgow/platform/ice40.py
@@ -116,3 +116,34 @@ def f_out_diff(variant):
             i_RESETB=~ResetSignal(pll.idomain),
             i_BYPASS=Const(0),
         )
+
+    def get_ripple_ff_stage(self, d_out, clk, clk_en=None, rst=None):
+        """
+        a single stage of a ripple counter
+
+        d_out should be used as the clock for the following stage, and as the data output
+        """
+        if clk_en is None:
+            clk_en = Const(1)
+        if rst is None:
+            rst = Const(0)
+
+        m = Module()
+        d_in = Signal()
+
+        m.submodules += [
+            Instance("SB_LUT4",
+                p_LUT_INIT=Const(0x00FF, 16),
+                i_I0=0, i_I1=0, i_I2=0, i_I3=d_out,
+                o_O=d_in
+            ),
+            Instance("SB_DFFNER",
+                i_D=d_in,
+                o_Q=d_out,
+                i_C=clk,
+                i_E=clk_en,
+                i_R=rst,
+            ),
+        ]
+
+        return m
diff --git a/software/glasgow/support/si_prefix.py b/software/glasgow/support/si_prefix.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e8b296a20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/software/glasgow/support/si_prefix.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+def num_to_si(num, long_prefix=False):
+    prefixes = [
+        (  3, 'G', 'Giga'  ),
+        (  2, 'M', 'Mega'  ),
+        (  1, 'k', 'Kilo'  ),
+        (  0, '',  ''      ),
+        ( -1, 'm', 'mili'  ),
+        ( -2, 'u', 'micro' ),
+        ( -3, 'n', 'nano'  ),
+    ]
+    try:
+        factor, tshort, tlong = next(filter(lambda x: num >= (1000 ** x[0]), prefixes))
+    except StopIteration:
+        factor, tshort, tlong = prefixes[-1]
+    prefix = tlong if long_prefix else tshort
+    return num * (1000 ** -factor), prefix