What will happen to analog signals

An analog signal representing one line of composite video data. Pure audio signals are also analog. The signal that comes out of a microphone is full of analog frequencies and harmonics, which combine to make beautiful music. Digital signals must have a finite set of possible values.

The number of values in the set can be anywhere between two and a-very-large-number-that's-not-infinity. Most commonly digital signals will be one of two values -- like either 0V or 5V. Timing graphs of these signals look like square waves. Or a digital signal might be a discrete representation of an analog waveform. Viewed from afar, the wave function below may seem smooth and analog, but when you look closely there are tiny discrete steps as the signal tries to approximate values:. That's the big difference between analog and digital waves.

Analog waves are smooth and continuous, digital waves are stepping, square, and discrete. Not all audio and video signals are analog. Most communication between integrated circuits is digital. Serial peripheral interface SPI uses many digital signals to transmit data between devices.

Most of the fundamental electronic components -- resistors , capacitors , inductors, diodes , transistors, and operational amplifiers -- are all inherently analog. Circuits built with a combination of solely these components are usually analog.

Analog circuits are usually complex combinations of op amps, resistors, caps, and other foundational electronic components. This is an example of a class B analog audio amplifier. Analog circuits can be very elegant designs with many components, or they can be very simple, like two resistors combining to make a voltage divider. In general, though, analog circuits are much more difficult to design than those which accomplish the same task digitally.

It takes a special kind of analog circuit wizard to design an analog radio receiver, or an analog battery charger; digital components exist to make those designs much simpler.

Analog circuits are usually much more susceptible to noise small, undesired variations in voltage. Small changes in the voltage level of an analog signal may produce significant errors when being processed. Digital circuits operate using digital, discrete signals. These circuits are usually made of a combination of transistors and logic gates and, at higher levels, microcontrollers or other computing chips. Most processors, whether they're big beefy processors in your computer, or tiny little microcontrollers, operate in the digital realm.

Digital circuits make use of components like logic gates, or more complicated digital ICs usually represented by rectangles with labeled pins extending from them. Digital circuits usually use a binary scheme for digital signaling. These systems assign two different voltages as two different logic levels -- a high voltage usually 5V, 3.

Although digital circuits are generally easier to design, they do tend to be a bit more expensive than an equally tasked analog circuit. To convert signals from the analog subsystem to the digital subsystem in the receive path RX , an analog-to-digital converter ADC is used.

To convert signals from the digital subsystem to the analog subsystem in the transmit path TX , a digital-to-analog converter DAC is used. A digital signal processor DSP is a specialized microprocessor chip that performs digital signal processing operations. DSPs are fabricated on MOSFET integrated circuit chips, and are widely used in audio signal processing, telecommunications, digital image processing, high-definition television products, common consumer electronic devices such as mobile phones, and in many other significant applications.

A DSP is used to measure, filter, or compress continuous real-world analog signals. Dedicated DSPs often have higher power efficiency, making them suitable in portable devices due to their power consumption constraints.

A majority of general-purpose microprocessors are also able to execute digital signal processing algorithms. Figure 6 shows ADC operation. An ADC with a higher resolution will have finer step sizes, and will more accurately represent the input analog signal.

The last stage of the ADC encodes the digitized signal into a binary stream of bits that represents the amplitude of the analog signal. The digital output can now be processed in the digital domain. A DAC provides the reverse operation. The DAC input is a binary stream of data from the digital subsystem, and it outputs a discrete value, which is approximated as an analog signal.

As the resolution of the DAC increases, the output signal more closely approximates a true smooth and continuous analog signal see Figure 7. There is usually a post filter in the analog signal chain to further smooth out the waveform.

As with most engineering topics, there are pros and cons for both analog and digital signals. The specific application, performance requirements, transmission medium, and operating environment can determine whether analog or digital signaling or a combination should be used.

Advantages to using digital signals, including digital signal processing DSP and communication systems, include the following:. Disadvantages to using digital signals, including digital signal processing DSP and communication systems, include the following:. Advantages to using analog signals, including analog signal processing ASP and communication systems, include the following:.

Disadvantages to using analog signals, including analog signal processing ASP and communication systems, include the following:. Traditional audio and communication systems used analog signals. However, with advances in silicon process technologies, digital signal processing capabilities, encoding algorithms, and encryption requirements — in addition to increases in bandwidth efficiencies — many of these systems have become digital. They are still some applications where analog signals have legacy use or benefits.

Most systems that interface to real-world signals such as sound, light, temperature, and pressure use an analog interface to capture or transmit the information. A few analog signal applications are listed below:. Although many original communication systems used analog signaling telephones , recent technologies use digital signals because of their advantages with noise immunity, encryption, bandwidth efficiency, and the ability to use repeaters for long-distance transmission.

A few digital signal applications are listed below:. This article introduces some of the basic concepts of analog and digital signals, and their uses in electronics. Did you find this interesting? Get valuable resources straight to your inbox - sent out once per month! I have add question. Please teach me how to set this device set to analog mode. I tested analog mode on EVK. Even when they are pin to pin there are often subtle but consequential Home Article Analog Signal Vs.

Digital Signals. Asked 10 years, 10 months ago. Active 2 years, 7 months ago. Viewed 1k times. Porramate Lim Porramate Lim 2 2 bronze badges. Schmitt-trigger, latch, or comparator? Porramate Lim doesn't have an account here, so he probably can't answer your question.

Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. Some analog signals will ruin some digital regenerators. Community Bot 1. Inverter Vin 1 0 SIN 2. END source: tyblu. Glorfindel 1, 2 2 gold badges 12 12 silver badges 17 17 bronze badges. Just a guess. With a good enough digital regenerator, the wave should look similar. Sirex Sirex Sign up or log in Sign up using Google. Sign up using Facebook.