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1. Analog vs Digital Signal

1.1 Analog Signals

Analog signals are signals that are continuous — meaning their values can change smoothly without jumps, representing physical quantities from the real world such as temperature, light, sound, and pressure.

Characteristics of analog signals:

  • Values can be any real value within a range.
  • Sensitive to noise (electromagnetic interference, heat, etc.).
  • Interact directly with the real world (sensors, microphones, photodiodes).

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1.2 Digital Signals

Digital signals are signals that are discrete — their values can only be in two conditions: HIGH (1) or LOW (0), usually in the form of a square wave.

Characteristics of digital signals:

  • Only have two values: 0 and 1 (LOW and HIGH).
  • Nearly immune to noise.
  • Used in data transmission and processing within electronic devices.
  • Use less energy.

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1.3 Comparison of Analog and Digital

Aspect Analog Signal Digital Signal
Nature Continuous Discrete
Values All real values 0 or 1
Noise Resistance Low Very high
Primary Use Sensors, real-world actuators Data processing, computing
Examples Microphone sound, LDR output, sensor temperature Serial data, clock signals, PWM
Energy Consumption Relatively larger More efficient

Both complement each other: analog signals capture real-world phenomena accurately, then are converted to digital so they can be processed by computers/microcontrollers.

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