Signal Types (Analog vs Digital)

Analog systems transmit information using a continuous electrical signal. This signal varies over a range of voltage, and is often used in audio and video devices where this continuous signal is desired. A vinyl record player uses an analog interface to convert the physical grooves on the record into sound waves.

Digital communication works using “binary” states, abbreviated 1 or 0. Digital interfaces send data in binary format, which is used to encode more complex information. Think about how Morse Code gives access to an entire alphabet with dot and dash signals-it’s the same principle! A keyboard connected to a computer uses a digital interface to send keystrokes in binary, except instead of signaling each letter using Morse, the keyboard uses a format called ASCI to encode the alphabet as sequences of ones and zeros. Digital electronic circuits form the foundation of all modern computers, including smartphones, household appliances, and industrial control systems; they are also still used at the most basic level: to indicate an ON or OFF status.

Analog signals can be approximated by digital signals using binary, which can express any whole number from 0 to infinity. This comes with some reduced precision, which is why we see CPUs and analog-to-digital audio converters marketed as 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, 64-bit and up. The number of bits is the number of 1 or 0s that can be combined in binary to represent a whole number, which lets computers do analog math!

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