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Oasis-Knowledge
Interfaces
Signal Types: Analog and Digital
Analog systems transmit information using a continuous electrical signal. This signal varies over a range of voltage values and is often used in audio and video devices where this continuous signal excels. It is uninterrupted, and can be used to directly power or control devices. A vinyl record player uses an analog interface to convert the physical grooves on the record into sound waves.
Digital communication uses “binary” states, abbreviated 1 or 0. The line either has a signal or it does not, there is no in between. Data is sent in binary format, which is used to encode more complex information. This is the same principle as Morse Code, which gives access to an entire alphabet with dots and dashes. Digital circuits form the foundation of all modern computers, including smartphones, household appliances, and industrial control systems.
These two graphs show the fundamental difference in between these two types of signal transmission methods: one is an immediate all or nothing, the other is a slower range of change. Here, U is a unitless measure of electrical power and t a unitless measure of time.
Analog signals can be approximated by digital signals using binary, which can express any whole number from 0 to infinity. This is done by devices called analog to digital converters; however, it 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, etc. 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 math! This can be turned right back into analog signals and used to drive devices like speakers and motors. While there are significant fundamental differences between both types, virtually no system works with only one of them. Today’s technologies use both types in tandem.
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