Digital/Analog An analog or analog signal is any time continuous signal where some time varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity. It differs from a digital signal in that small fluctuations in the signal are meaningful. Analog is usually thought of in an electrical context, however mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and other systems may also convey analog signals.
An analog signal uses some property of the medium to convey the signal's information. For example, an aneroid barometer uses rotary position as the signal to convey pressure information. Electrically, the property most commonly used is voltage followed closely by frequency, current, and charge.
Any information may be conveyed by an analog signal, often such a signal is a measured response to changes in physical phenomena, such as sound, light, temperature, position, or pressure, and is achieved using a transducer.
For example, in sound recording, fluctuations in air pressure (that is to say, sound) strike the diaphragm of a microphone which causes corresponding fluctuations in a voltage or the current in an electric circuit. The voltage or the current is said to be an "analog" of the sound.
Since an analog signal has a theoretically infinite resolution, it will always have a higher resolution than any digital system where the resolution is in discrete steps. In practice, as analog systems become more complex, effects such as nonlinearity and noise ultimately degrade analog resolution such that digital systems surpass it. In analog systems, it is difficult to detect when such degradation occurs, but in digital systems, degradation can not only be detected but corrected as well.
Disadvantage
The primary disadvantage of analog signaling is that any system has noise - i.e., random variation. As the signal is copied and re-copied, or transmitted over long distances, these random variations become dominant. Electrically, these losses can be diminished by shielding, good connections, and several cable types such as coaxial or twisted pair.
The effects of noise make signal loss and distortion impossible to recover, since amplifying the signal to recover attenuated parts of the signal amplifies the noise as well. Even if the resolution of an analog signal is higher than a comparable digital signal, in many cases, the difference is overshadowed by the noise in the signal
Digital
The term digital signal is used to refer to more than one concept. It can refer to discrete-time signals that are digitized, or to the waveform signals in a digital system. Digital signals are digital representations of discrete-time signals, which are often derived from analog signals.
An analog signal is a datum that changes over time-say, the temperature at a given location; the depth of a certain point in a pond; or the amplitude of the voltage at some node in a circuit that can be represented as a mathematical function, with time as the free variable (abscissa) and the signal itself as the dependent variable (ordinate). A discrete-time signal is a sampled version of an analog signal: the value of the datum is noted at fixed intervals (for example, every microsecond) rather than continuously.
If individual time values of the discrete-time signal, instead of being measured precisely (which would require an infinite number of digits), are approximated to a certain precision-which, therefore, only requires a specific number of digits-then the resultant data stream is termed a digital signal. The process of approximating the precise value within a fixed number of digits, or bits, is called quantization.
In conceptual summary, a digital signal is a quantized discrete-time signal; a discrete-time signal is a sampled analog signal.
In the Digital Revolution, the usage of digital signals has increased significantly. Many modern media devices, especially the ones that connect with computers use digital signals to represent signals that were traditionally represented as continuous-time signals; cell phones, music and video players, personal video recorders, and digital cameras are examples.
In most applications, digital signals are represented as binary numbers, so their precision of quantization is measured in bits. Suppose, for example, that we wish to measure a signal to two significant decimal digits. Since seven bits, or binary digits, can record 128 discrete values (viz., from 0 to 127), those seven bits are more than sufficient to express a range of one hundred values.
Summary: Digital communication systems offer much more efficiency, better performance, and much greater the flexibility.
Analog in a watch is where you have to read the numbers. Digital shows the numbers for you.
a digital signal is what a computer system is based around; mainly zeros and ones / or noughts and ones as illustrated.
a zero equates to zero volts approx .
a one ( logic ) is 5 volts +_ a tolerance value.
but there is limited range of signal in between these 2 points.
a measured value of 2.5 volts would not be equal to either a logic 1 or nought .
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when a circuit / usually a transistor device switches on or off the voltage at its terminal usually changes from zero to 5 volts or logic 1 .
the digital circuit only recognizes values at or around these 2 points and interprets them as a logic 1 or 0.
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in the case of the analog signal, the value could change between a negative value to positive or from zero to a positive value, within the supply constraints and
still be recognized.
Oh, honey, let me break it down for you. Digital signals are like texting - they're made up of discrete values like 0s and 1s, while analog signals are more like a good old-fashioned phone call - they have a continuous range of values. So, basically, digital is like speaking in binary code, and analog is like singing a smooth jazz tune. Got it, doll?
A digital signal has just two states, either true or false - or, as in machine language, either 1 or 0 - that are transmitted as two different defined entities. Depending on the system, the entities could either be two different but fixed amplitude levels or two different but fixed signal frequencies.
An analog signal varies in a way that, depending on the system is strictly related to either amplitude changes - as in the AM (Amplitude Modulation) system - or to frequency changes - as in the FM (Frequencey Modulation) system. In either case the instantaneous values of the signal can have any value between fixed limits.
A Signal that can take any value between the two extremes of high and low is an Analogue signal. E.g. any alternating current or voltage signal.
in a Digital system the signal is not allowed to have a value(s) beyond the predefined. Normally there are only two values allowed. they could be any arbitrary values as per the system but normally chacterised as 0 and 1. Forming a what is called the binary system.
Analog signals are continuous while digital signals are discrete
If we discuss the different between these two forms of the signals that is; analog and digital then we should discuss it in different aspects such as working, their architectures, pros and cons as well. The major differences among the two signals are listed below
You need to make a distinction between analog and digital signals, and analog and digital data. Digital data can be sent on an analog signal by using a modem. Digital data sent on a digital signal is done over a wire using voltage pulses at two or more levels. Digital signals can't travel very far without amplifiers, but analog signals can cover huge distances, such as with satellite communications and even communications with deep space probes.
Analog is displayed in a clock like instrument digital is shoun in numbers
DAC - Digital to Analog ConverterADC - Analog to Digital Converter
Analog signals are continuous while digital signals are discrete
analog signals are continuous but digital signals are discreet. Digital signals have only binary value like zero(off state) or one(on state).
AGND means Analog ground & DGND means Digital ground. Due to fast switching of digital signals it is possible for noise generation which affect nearby analog signals.(If common gnd used for both analog & digital). If separate gnd used for both the signals.Noise will not affect the signals.
Digital signals consist of discrete levels representing 0s and 1s, making it easier to distinguish between the two states in the presence of noise. Analog signals vary continuously, making them more susceptible to distortion from noise and interference. Additionally, digital signals are often encoded with error correction codes that can help recover the original data, further reducing the impact of interference.
Analog instrument are interface with digital instrument with the help of analog to digital converter(ADC).ADC converts analog signals to digital signals.
If we discuss the different between these two forms of the signals that is; analog and digital then we should discuss it in different aspects such as working, their architectures, pros and cons as well. The major differences among the two signals are listed below
In chemistry, analog is a compound with a molecular structure closely similar to another. Analog is also relating to or using signals or info represented by a continuously variable physical quantity such as spatial position or voltage. Analog is often contrasted (opposite) of DIGITAL --like a clock showing the time represented by "hands" instead of being Displayed DIGITS.
Transforming analog signals to digital is known simply as analog to digital conversion, sometimes shortened to A-D conversion.
Digital signal is moreefficientimmune to noiseerror freethan analog signal.
The basic difference is that in analog modulation the modulating signal is analog signal and in digital modulation it is in digital form.
Analog can reach higher speeds.
You need to make a distinction between analog and digital signals, and analog and digital data. Digital data can be sent on an analog signal by using a modem. Digital data sent on a digital signal is done over a wire using voltage pulses at two or more levels. Digital signals can't travel very far without amplifiers, but analog signals can cover huge distances, such as with satellite communications and even communications with deep space probes.