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I always had trouble understanding the terms "digital" and "analog" A digital signal is intended to indicate one of a finite set of discrete states. The number of discrete states is usually two fo...
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#3: Post edited
by
Olin Lathrop
·
2020-09-13T16:04:02Z (over 3 years ago)
- <blockquote>I always had trouble understanding the terms "digital" and "analog"</blockquote>
- A digital signal is intended to indicate one of a finite set of discrete states. The number of discrete states is usually two for implementation simplicity.
- A two-valued digital signal is either high or low, on or off, etc. This is what gives rise to binary number representations in a computer. Each bit (binary digit) can be nicely expressed by a single two-valued digital signal.
- An analog signal has a continuum of values. In theory, an analog signal can express an infinity of values. However, in reality the meaningfully distinguishable values are limited by the signal to noise ratio, and how fast you want to resolve a new value (this was quantified by Shannon and Nyquist).
- Both digital (discrete) and analog (continuous) signals and actuators are around us in common usage. A normal light switch, for example, is discrete in that it is either on or off. There aren't any valid in-between state. A sliding dimmer, on the other hand, could be continuous.
Typical geared transmissions in a car are discrete. You can't put it in 2½ gear, for example. Water faucets are usually continuous. Even small movements of the faucet cause different water flows, and it's perfectly fine to be at any intermediate settings between off and maximum flow.- <blockquote>I was thinking that addition of natural numbers as with 1+1 is a "digital"/"discrete" process</blockquote>
- Yes.
- <blockquote>and that multiplication of natural numbers as with 3*2 is an "analog"/"continuous" process</blockquote>
- No. It's still discrete. Integers are inherently discrete, while real numbers are continuous. The multiplication of any two integers always yields another integer.
- <blockquote>I always had trouble understanding the terms "digital" and "analog"</blockquote>
- A digital signal is intended to indicate one of a finite set of discrete states. The number of discrete states is usually two for implementation simplicity.
- A two-valued digital signal is either high or low, on or off, etc. This is what gives rise to binary number representations in a computer. Each bit (binary digit) can be nicely expressed by a single two-valued digital signal.
- An analog signal has a continuum of values. In theory, an analog signal can express an infinity of values. However, in reality the meaningfully distinguishable values are limited by the signal to noise ratio, and how fast you want to resolve a new value (this was quantified by Shannon and Nyquist).
- Both digital (discrete) and analog (continuous) signals and actuators are around us in common usage. A normal light switch, for example, is discrete in that it is either on or off. There aren't any valid in-between state. A sliding dimmer, on the other hand, could be continuous.
- Typical geared transmissions in a car are discrete. You can't put one in 2½ gear, for example. Water faucets are usually continuous. Even small movements of the faucet cause different water flows, and it's perfectly fine to be at any intermediate settings between off and maximum flow.
- <blockquote>I was thinking that addition of natural numbers as with 1+1 is a "digital"/"discrete" process</blockquote>
- Yes.
- <blockquote>and that multiplication of natural numbers as with 3*2 is an "analog"/"continuous" process</blockquote>
- No. It's still discrete. Integers are inherently discrete, while real numbers are continuous. The multiplication of any two integers always yields another integer.
#2: Post edited
by
Olin Lathrop
·
2020-09-13T16:03:41Z (over 3 years ago)
- <blockquote>I always had trouble understanding the terms "digital" and "analog"</blockquote>
- A digital signal is intended to indicate one of a finite set of discrete states. The number of discrete states is usually two for implementation simplicity.
- A two-valued digital signal is either high or low, on or off, etc. This is what gives rise to binary number representations in a computer. Each bit (binary digit) can be nicely expressed by a single two-valued digital signal.
- An analog signal has a continuum of values. In theory, an analog signal can express an infinity of values. However, in reality the meaningfully distinguishable values are limited by the signal to noise ratio, and how fast you want to resolve a new value (this was quantified by Shannon and Nyquist).
- Both digital (discrete) and analog (continuous) signals and actuators are around us in common usage. A normal light switch, for example, is discrete in that it is either on or off. There aren't any valid in-between state. A sliding dimmer, on the other hand, could be continuous.
Typical geared transmission in a car are discrete. You can't put it in 2½ gear, for example. Water faucets are usually continuous. Even small movements of the faucet cause different water flows, and it's perfectly fine to be at any intermediate settings between off and maximum flow.- <blockquote>I was thinking that addition of natural numbers as with 1+1 is a "digital"/"discrete" process</blockquote>
- Yes.
- <blockquote>and that multiplication of natural numbers as with 3*2 is an "analog"/"continuous" process</blockquote>
- No. It's still discrete. Integers are inherently discrete, while real numbers are continuous. The multiplication of any two integers always yields another integer.
- <blockquote>I always had trouble understanding the terms "digital" and "analog"</blockquote>
- A digital signal is intended to indicate one of a finite set of discrete states. The number of discrete states is usually two for implementation simplicity.
- A two-valued digital signal is either high or low, on or off, etc. This is what gives rise to binary number representations in a computer. Each bit (binary digit) can be nicely expressed by a single two-valued digital signal.
- An analog signal has a continuum of values. In theory, an analog signal can express an infinity of values. However, in reality the meaningfully distinguishable values are limited by the signal to noise ratio, and how fast you want to resolve a new value (this was quantified by Shannon and Nyquist).
- Both digital (discrete) and analog (continuous) signals and actuators are around us in common usage. A normal light switch, for example, is discrete in that it is either on or off. There aren't any valid in-between state. A sliding dimmer, on the other hand, could be continuous.
- Typical geared transmissions in a car are discrete. You can't put it in 2½ gear, for example. Water faucets are usually continuous. Even small movements of the faucet cause different water flows, and it's perfectly fine to be at any intermediate settings between off and maximum flow.
- <blockquote>I was thinking that addition of natural numbers as with 1+1 is a "digital"/"discrete" process</blockquote>
- Yes.
- <blockquote>and that multiplication of natural numbers as with 3*2 is an "analog"/"continuous" process</blockquote>
- No. It's still discrete. Integers are inherently discrete, while real numbers are continuous. The multiplication of any two integers always yields another integer.
#1: Initial revision
by
Olin Lathrop
·
2020-09-13T16:00:53Z (over 3 years ago)
<blockquote>I always had trouble understanding the terms "digital" and "analog"</blockquote> A digital signal is intended to indicate one of a finite set of discrete states. The number of discrete states is usually two for implementation simplicity. A two-valued digital signal is either high or low, on or off, etc. This is what gives rise to binary number representations in a computer. Each bit (binary digit) can be nicely expressed by a single two-valued digital signal. An analog signal has a continuum of values. In theory, an analog signal can express an infinity of values. However, in reality the meaningfully distinguishable values are limited by the signal to noise ratio, and how fast you want to resolve a new value (this was quantified by Shannon and Nyquist). Both digital (discrete) and analog (continuous) signals and actuators are around us in common usage. A normal light switch, for example, is discrete in that it is either on or off. There aren't any valid in-between state. A sliding dimmer, on the other hand, could be continuous. Typical geared transmission in a car are discrete. You can't put it in 2½ gear, for example. Water faucets are usually continuous. Even small movements of the faucet cause different water flows, and it's perfectly fine to be at any intermediate settings between off and maximum flow. <blockquote>I was thinking that addition of natural numbers as with 1+1 is a "digital"/"discrete" process</blockquote> Yes. <blockquote>and that multiplication of natural numbers as with 3*2 is an "analog"/"continuous" process</blockquote> No. It's still discrete. Integers are inherently discrete, while real numbers are continuous. The multiplication of any two integers always yields another integer.