Lecturer Notes of Digital Logic Department of Computer Engineering

UNIT:1
INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction to Signal:

A signal is a function that conveys information about a phenomenon. In electronics ,it refers
to any time varying voltage, current or electromagnetic wave that carries information.

There are following two types of Signals:

a) Analog
b) Digital

a) Analog Signal:
Analog signal is a kind of continuous wave form that changes over time. An analog signal is further
classified into simple and composite signals. A simple analog signal is a sine wave that cannot be
decomposed further. On the other hand, a composite analog signal can be further decomposed into
multiple sine waves.
An analog signal is described using amplitude, period or frequency and phase. Amplitude marks
the maximum height of the signal. Frequency marks the rate at which signal is changing. Phase
marks the position of the wave with respect to time zero.

An analog signal is not immune to noise hence, it faces distortion and decrease the quality of
transmission. The range of value in an analog signal is not fixed.

b) Digital Signal:
Digital signals also carry information like analog signals but is somewhat is different from analog
signals. Digital signal is noncontinuous, discrete time signal. Digital signal carries information or
data in the binary form i.e. a digital signal represent information in the form of bits. Digital signal
can be further decomposed into simple sine waves that are called harmonics. Each simple wave
has different amplitude, frequency and phase. Digital signal is described with bit rate and bit
interval. Bit interval describes the time require for sending a single bit. On the other hand, bit rate
describes the frequency of bit interval.

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Lecturer Notes of Digital Logic Department of Computer Engineering

A digital signal is more immune to the noise; hence, it hardly faces any distortion. Digital signals
are easier to transmit and are more reliable when compared to analog signals. Digital signal has a
finite range of values. The digital signal consists 0s and 1s.

Comparison Chart

BASIS FOR
ANALOG SIGNAL DIGITAL SIGNAL
COMPARISON

Basic An analog signal is a continuous A digital signal is a discrete wave

wave that changes over a time that carries information in binary
period. form.

Representation An analog signal is represented by a A digital signal is represented by

sine wave. square waves.

Description An analog signal is described by the A digital signal is described by

amplitude, period or frequency, and bit rate and bit intervals.
phase.

Range Analog signal has no fixed range. Digital signal has a finite number
i.e. 0 and 1.

Distortion An analog signal is more prone to A digital signal is less prone to

distortion. distortion.

Transmit An analog signal transmit data in the A digital signal carries data in the
form of a wave. binary form i.e. 0 and 1.

Example The human voice, analog electronic Signals used for transmission in a
devices is the best example of an computer are the digital signal.
analog signal Computers, CDs, DVDs, and
other digital electronic devices.

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Lecturer Notes of Digital Logic Department of Computer Engineering

Comparison chart of Analog and Digital System:

Basis of Analog System Digital System

Comparison

Technology Analog technology records Samples analog waveforms into a limited

waveforms as they are. set of numbers and records them.

Data Subjected to deterioration by noise Can be noise-immune without

transmissions during transmission and write/read deterioration during transmission and
cycle. write/read cycle.

Response to More likely to get affected reducing Less affected since noise response are
Noise accuracy analog in nature

Flexibility Analog hardware is not flexible. Digital hardware is flexible in

implementation.

Uses Can be used in analog devices only. Best suited for Computing and digital
Best suited for audio and video electronics.
transmission.

Applications/ Thermometer PCs, PDAs

Example

Bandwidth Analog signal processing can be There is no guarantee that digital signal
done in real time and consumes less processing can be done in real time and
bandwidth. consumes more bandwidth to carry out
the same information.

Memory Stored in the form of wave signal Stored in the form of binary bit

Power Analog instrument draws large Digital instrument draws only negligible
power power

Cost Low cost and portable Cost is high and not easily portable

Impedance Low High order of 100 megaohm

Errors Analog instruments usually have a Digital instruments are free from
scale which is cramped at lower end observational errors like parallax and
and give considerable observational approximation errors.
errors.

Due to above comparisons the digital systems are more preferred rather than
analog System.

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Lecturer Notes of Digital Logic Department of Computer Engineering
Advantages of digital system:
• Have made possible many scientific, industrial, and commercial advances that would
have been unattainable otherwise.
• Less expensive
• More reliable
• Easy to manipulate
• Flexibility and Compatibility
• Information storage can be easier in digital computer systems than in analog ones. New
features can often be added to a digital system more easily too.

Disadvantages of digital system:

• Use more energy than analog circuits to accomplish the same tasks, thus producing more
heat as well.
• Digital circuits are often fragile, in that if a single piece of digital data is lost or
misinterpreted, the meaning of large blocks of related data can completely change.
• Digital computer manipulates discrete elements of information by means of a binary
code.
• Quantization error during analog signal sampling.

Applications/Use:
• Very much everything you see nowadays are the application of Digital system.

IMPORTANT QUESTION FROM THIS UNIT FOR PU:

1) Define analog and digital signal? Why digital system is preferred over analog system
2) Differences between analog system and digital system? Write Application of digital
system too.

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