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Digital or Analog?

Although many electronics books commonly confuse the reader, the difference between Digital and Analog is simple. An analog signal is, for example when you talk. Talking in different pitch creates sounds and words. A digital signal is reminiscent of Morse code. Morse code has two different states, known as "discrete intervals", with different patterns of these states, one can find letters and words. Both speech and Morse code are used to communicate, but Morse code has a limited number of states and speech uses different pitch. Much the same, electronic circuits can use digital and analog circuits to communicate with other devices or components. With digital two states, on and off, shown with 1 (on) and 0 (off), different patterns of the states are used to communicate, for example 01000001 is a pattern of 1's and 0's, but this specific pattern is equivalent to the letter "A". With analog, the circuit communicates like speech, where the pitch is now the voltage of the current. Think of it as a high voltage is like a high note, on it's own it does not mean much, but add other notes (other voltages)and you can create words. Analog signals can manipulate a speaker system to make different pitches of sounds because the analog signal directly represents the pitch. However, a digital signal, although also representing the sound, must be interpreted into pitches with a digital to analog converter (known as a DAC for digital to analog converter).

Note: Speech has two variable, pitch (highness and lowness)and decibel (softness or loudness or strength). Similarly, electricity has two main variables, voltage (high and low), and amperes (strength). Also analog signals are not limited to variation in voltage, but also frequency (how often something occurs), and other properties.

Note: There are also ADC's that are analog to digital converters.



This post first appeared on Atomic Relief, please read the originial post: here

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