# 2. Analog to Digital Converter (ADC)

### 2.1 Understanding ADC

**ADC (Analog to Digital Converter)** is a component or circuit that converts analog signals (continuous values) into a digital representation (discrete values in the form of binary numbers) so they can be processed by digital systems such as microcontrollers or computers.

![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/B17jEn_3Zg.png)

### 2.2 Stages of the ADC Conversion Process

In general, the ADC process is divided into **four main stages**:

| No | Stage | Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 1 | **Sampling** | Capturing (sampling) values from an analog signal at specific discrete points in time. The higher the sampling frequency, the more accurate the digital representation. |
| 2 | **Filtering** | Cleaning the signal from noise before conversion to ensure the conversion results are more accurate. _NOTE: This is usually not discussed much in ADC methods_ |
| 3 | **Quantizing** | Converting the analog value at a single discrete point in time into a specific level representation. The number of levels is determined by the ADC resolution (e.g., 10-bit = 1024 levels). |
| 4 | **Encoding** | Converting the level value from quantization into digital binary code per discrete time unit. |

We won't go deep into this process, as you will study it directly in the Telecommunications lab next semester 😂

### 2.3 Illustration of the ADC Process

![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/rJOjS3O3Zx.png)