Analogvs.

Digital

Diffen Technology Electronics

Analoganddigitalsignalsareusedtotransmitinformation,usuallythrough
electricsignals.Inboththesetechnologies,theinformation,suchasanyaudio
orvideo,istransformedintoelectricsignals.Thedifferencebetweenanalog
anddigitaltechnologiesisthatinanalogtechnology,informationistranslated
intoelectricpulsesofvaryingamplitude.Indigitaltechnology,translationof
informationisintobinaryformat(zeroorone)whereeachbitisrepresentative
oftwodistinctamplitudes.

Comparisonchart
Analog

Digital

Signal Analogsignalisacontinuous
signalwhichrepresentsphysical
measurements.

Digitalsignalsarediscretetime
signalsgeneratedbydigital
modulation.

Waves Denotedbysinewaves

Denotedbysquarewaves

Representation Usescontinuousrangeofvalues
torepresentinformation

Usesdiscreteordiscontinuous
valuestorepresentinformation

Example Humanvoiceinair,analog
electronicdevices.

Computers,CDs,DVDs,and
otherdigitalelectronicdevices.

Technology Analogtechnologyrecords
waveformsastheyare.

Samplesanalogwaveformsinto
alimitedsetofnumbersand
recordsthem.

Data Subjectedtodeteriorationby
transmissions noiseduringtransmissionand
write/readcycle.

Canbenoiseimmunewithout
deteriorationduringtransmission
andwrite/readcycle.

Responseto Morelikelytogetaffected
Noise reducingaccuracy
Flexibility Analoghardwareisnotflexible.

Lessaffectedsincenoise
responseareanaloginnature
Digitalhardwareisflexiblein
implementation.

Uses Canbeusedinanalogdevices
only.Bestsuitedforaudioand
videotransmission.

BestsuitedforComputingand
digitalelectronics.

Applications Thermometer

PCs,PDAs

Bandwidth Analogsignalprocessingcanbe
doneinrealtimeandconsumes
lessbandwidth.

Thereisnoguaranteethatdigital
signalprocessingcanbedonein
realtimeandconsumesmore
bandwidthtocarryoutthesame
information.

Memory Storedintheformofwavesignal

Storedintheformofbinarybit

Power Analoginstrumentdrawslarge
power

DigitalinstrumentdrawSonly
negligiblepower

Cost Lowcostandportable

Costishighandnoteasily
portable

Impedance Low

Highorderof100megaohm

Errors Analoginstrumentsusuallyhave
ascalewhichiscrampedatlower
endandgiveconsiderable
observationalerrors.

Digitalinstrumentsarefreefrom
observationalerrorslikeparallax
andapproximationerrors.

Contents:AnalogvsDigital
1DefinitionsofAnalogvs.Digitalsignals

4ComparisonofAnalogvsDigitalQuality

2PropertiesofDigitalvsAnalogsignals

5DifferencesinApplications

3DifferencesinUsageinEquipment

6References

DefinitionsofAnalogvs.Digitalsignals
AnAnalogsignalisanycontinuoussignalforwhichthetimevaryingfeature(variable)
ofthesignalisarepresentationofsomeothertimevaryingquantity,i.e.,analogousto
anothertimevaryingsignal.Itdiffersfromadigitalsignalintermsofsmallfluctuations
inthesignalwhicharemeaningful.
Adigitalsignalusesdiscrete(discontinuous)values.Bycontrast,nondigital(or
analog)systemsuseacontinuousrangeofvaluestorepresentinformation.Although
digitalrepresentationsarediscrete,theinformationrepresentedcanbeeitherdiscrete,
suchasnumbersorletters,orcontinuous,suchassounds,images,andother
measurementsofcontinuoussystems.

Difference between Analog and Digital | AddOhms #6

PropertiesofDigitalvsAnalogsignals
Digitalinformationhascertainpropertiesthatdistinguishitfromanalogcommunication
methods.Theseinclude
Synchronizationdigitalcommunicationusesspecificsynchronization

Synchronizationdigitalcommunicationusesspecificsynchronization
sequencesfordeterminingsynchronization.
Languagedigitalcommunicationsrequiresalanguagewhichshouldbe
possessedbybothsenderandreceiverandshouldspecifymeaningofsymbol
sequences.
Errorsdisturbancesinanalogcommunicationcauseserrorsinactualintended
communicationbutdisturbancesindigitalcommunicationdoesnotcauseerrors
enablingerrorfreecommunication.Errorsshouldbeabletosubstitute,insertor
deletesymbolstobeexpressed.
Copyinganalogcommunicationcopiesarequalitywisenotasgoodastheir
originalswhileduetoerrorfreedigitalcommunication,copiescanbemade
indefinitely.
Granularityforacontinuouslyvariableanalogvaluetoberepresentedindigital
formthereoccurquantizationerrorwhichisdifferenceinactualanalogvalueand
digitalrepresentationandthispropertyofdigitalcommunicationisknownas
granularity.

DifferencesinUsageinEquipment
Manydevicescomewithbuiltintranslationfacilitiesfromanalogtodigital.Microphones
andspeakerareperfectexamplesofanalogdevices.Analogtechnologyischeaper
butthereisalimitationofsizeofdatathatcanbetransmittedatagiventime.
Digitaltechnologyhasrevolutionizedthewaymostoftheequipmentswork.Datais
convertedintobinarycodeandthenreassembledbackintooriginalformatreception
point.Sincethesecanbeeasilymanipulated,itoffersawiderrangeofoptions.Digital
equipmentismoreexpensivethananalogequipment.

ComparisonofAnalogvsDigitalQuality
Digitaldevicestranslateandreassembledataandintheprocessaremoreproneto
lossofqualityascomparedtoanalogdevices.Computeradvancementhasenabled
useoferrordetectionanderrorcorrectiontechniquestoremovedisturbancesartificially
fromdigitalsignalsandimprovequality.

DifferencesinApplications
Digitaltechnologyhasbeenmostefficientincellularphoneindustry.Analogphones
havebecomeredundanteventhoughsoundclarityandqualitywasgood.
Analogtechnologycomprisesofnaturalsignalslikehumanspeech.Withdigital
technologythishumanspeechcanbesavedandstoredinacomputer.Thusdigital
technologyopensupthehorizonforendlesspossibleuses.

References
Wikipedia:Analogsignal
Wikipedia:Digitaldata

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301 Comments

Sort by Newest

Anonymouscomments(5)
April3,2014,9:16pm

Ipreferdigitalthananalogue.

Add a comment...

82...0

Suresh Priyalal Computing & Information Systems Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka

February7,2014,9:17am

helpfull for my assignment

Analogysignalisacontinuoussignalswhichrepresentsphysical
measurements.......thnxforurguidance

Like Reply Jun 24, 2016 9:48pm

41...118

Mutega Alice IT Technician at National Fisheries Resources

Research Institute, NaFIRRI
thank

April24,2014,3:23pm

Like Reply Jun 8, 2016 4:15am

Thanksforurguidance

Theodor M Kristofa Monitronic College

197...122

nice 1
Like Reply May 26, 2016 1:00am
May18,2014,9:42am

Angel Rajput Engineer at Studying

thanks its vry undrstanding
Like Reply

Thnkalot.......vrynicfrundstanding.
37...125

1 May 12, 2016 9:23pm

Muhammad Akhtar Works at Pak-Arab Refinery

why digital signal used in DCS system.

December28,2012,2:44am

Like Reply May 3, 2016 11:04pm

Digitalgoesouttooeasyandisnotgoodforinhometelevisions.
Windydaysasneeze,walkingpasstheTVanddigitalsignalislost.
Digitalisnottheanswer
forTV.Everyonedonotwanttopayforcableandaparticularcable
companyistotallyridiculousgettingmoneyfromcustomerand
advertiserswhilequietlygoinguponpriceandplayingthesamething
overandoverandover.

Getasew Yirga
digital signal is the best
Like Reply Apr 27, 2016 1:51am

Snr Mustafa Kuvempu University

tnx

174...196

Like Reply Mar 18, 2016 4:31am

Sugar Tone University of Education Winneba. (UEW-K)

very nice instruction. but can i hv a solution to the benefit of
migrating from digital to analog?
Like Reply Feb 14, 2016 11:13am

Guillaume Chalaron CEO/Founder/Owner at Rootmastersound

Good The RM is about enhancing digital audio to analog qualities
Like Reply Feb 13, 2016 2:52pm

Digitec Aerials Lancaster

Getting a decent wideband TV Antenna/Aerial is important for getting
a good reception for digital Tv
Like Reply Feb 11, 2016 3:17am

Mansoor Rehman Internship at NIE(National Institute of

Technology) H-9 Islamabad
good
Like Reply Feb 3, 2016 4:29am

Bruno Amazon Works at IPhone 6

thanks a lot.
Like Reply Jan 5, 2016 9:08pm

Arshad Ahmad University of the Punjab

Pleas tell me applications of analog and digital computer
Like Reply Jan 5, 2016 5:52am

Fahad Naeem M.Sc Electronics.

thanks
Like Reply Dec 25, 2015 8:00am

Mossad S ALbalawi Works at

Not so clear
Like Reply Dec 19, 2015 3:20pm

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