diff --git a/include/arch/arduino-nano/driver/counter.h b/include/arch/arduino-nano/driver/counter.h
index 9105219f9377735dc6920c751221dee1c0b13420..43ddd153e40cb6b5f9b391f2f040c14ba1ae3300 100644
--- a/include/arch/arduino-nano/driver/counter.h
+++ b/include/arch/arduino-nano/driver/counter.h
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #include <avr/io.h>
 #include <avr/interrupt.h>
 
+typedef counter_value_t uint16_t;
+typedef counter_overflowed_t uint8_t;
+
 class Counter {
 	private:
 		Counter(const Counter &copy);
diff --git a/include/arch/esp8266/driver/counter.h b/include/arch/esp8266/driver/counter.h
index 754f4d698109c69fdb288ca095ebc4874f8d17dc..42f6f1401de0de7fc4ce2b32b728cad2933bc246 100644
--- a/include/arch/esp8266/driver/counter.h
+++ b/include/arch/esp8266/driver/counter.h
@@ -7,26 +7,31 @@ extern "C" {
 }
 #include "c_types.h"
 
+typedef counter_value_t uint32_t;
+typedef counter_overflowed_t uint32_t;
+
 class Counter {
 	private:
 		Counter(const Counter &copy);
 		uint32_t start_cycles;
 
 	public:
-		Counter() : start_cycles(0) {}
+		uint32_t value;
 		uint32_t overflowed;
 
+		Counter() : start_cycles(0), value(0), overflowed(0) {}
+
 		inline void start() {
 			asm volatile ("esync; rsr %0,ccount":"=a" (start_cycles));
 		}
 
-		inline uint32_t stop() {
+		inline void stop() {
 			uint32_t stop_cycles;
 			asm volatile ("esync; rsr %0,ccount":"=a" (stop_cycles));
 			if (stop_cycles > start_cycles) {
-				return stop_cycles - start_cycles;
+				value = stop_cycles - start_cycles;
 			} else {
-				return 0;
+				overflowed = 1;
 			}
 		}
 };
diff --git a/include/arch/msp430fr5969lp/driver/counter.h b/include/arch/msp430fr5969lp/driver/counter.h
index e7f05073e810f520a93b983c890281d13d7cf30a..501808bf210979a20f019ffde01143fb965add37 100644
--- a/include/arch/msp430fr5969lp/driver/counter.h
+++ b/include/arch/msp430fr5969lp/driver/counter.h
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #include <msp430.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 
+typedef counter_value_t uint16_t;
+typedef counter_overflowed_t uint8_t;
+
 class Counter {
 	private:
 		Counter(const Counter &copy);
diff --git a/include/arch/msp430fr5994lp/driver/counter.h b/include/arch/msp430fr5994lp/driver/counter.h
index e7f05073e810f520a93b983c890281d13d7cf30a..21c5ec523eda3feb63b6e4e3629f4206542a52ab 100644
--- a/include/arch/msp430fr5994lp/driver/counter.h
+++ b/include/arch/msp430fr5994lp/driver/counter.h
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #include <msp430.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 
+typedef uint16_t counter_value_t;
+typedef uint8_t counter_overflowed_t;
+
 class Counter {
 	private:
 		Counter(const Counter &copy);
diff --git a/include/arch/posix/driver/counter.h b/include/arch/posix/driver/counter.h
index 6390d140ed563fe910a7164ff3c6748775a0bb63..4f575a8de03bb219cc46028ccda6da124c8cd521 100644
--- a/include/arch/posix/driver/counter.h
+++ b/include/arch/posix/driver/counter.h
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <time.h>
 
+typedef uint64_t counter_value_t;
+typedef uint8_t counter_overflowed_t;
+
 class Counter {
 	private:
 		Counter(const Counter &copy);