4 ms·

By definition, an analog signal encodes an “infinite” amount of information in whatever value it is taking on at the time point in question, while a digital sig

By definition, an analog signal encodes an “infinite” amount of information in whatever value it is taking on at the time point in question, while a digital signal encodes information in discrete states. For binary that is typically two states, but sometimes you can divide things finer, like multilevel flash cells or PAM4 signaling. Digital the values “round-to-nearest”, so if supply is 1 V, then 0.6 V, 0.9 V, and 1 V all mean logical 1. Whereas for analog those different values mean different things. Also, for digital you want to push the signals to the extremes so they are easier to read, while for analog that would be destroying information, you want to preserve the value. (In practice there are fundamental limits to how much useful information you get out of analog signals due to noise.)

_a_a_a_ 4y ago
The answer's appreciated, but I'm afraid I didn't ask a very good question. What I was really getting at was, from the perspective of an EE, what would make an expert call one type of circuitry digital and the other analog? Clearly the output signal has to be 0 or 1, which must mean the signal is boosted or reduced to an appropriate level (assuming we not trying to encode multiple values onto a signal; I'm just talking binary). So I guess the signal has to be captured (latched?) then modified. I don't think a clock is absolutely necessary as there have been asynchronous digital CPUs, but the presence of a clock clock is very typical as well.
- evancox100 4y ago
  Analog circuits are ones that primarily deal with the processing and manipulation of analog signals, while digital circuits are those that primarily deal with digital signals. Refer to my prior reply for the difference between analog and digital signals. A clock is not necessary in this definition. For example a simple logic AND gate is digital and has no clock. The input is not captured or latched before being modified; nevertheless it is a digital circuit.

_a_a_a_ 4y ago

The answer's appreciated, but I'm afraid I didn't ask a very good question. What I was really getting at was, from the perspective of an EE, what would make an expert call one type of circuitry digital and the other analog? Clearly the output signal has to be 0 or 1, which must mean the signal is boosted or reduced to an appropriate level (assuming we not trying to encode multiple values onto a signal; I'm just talking binary). So I guess the signal has to be captured (latched?) then modified. I don't think a clock is absolutely necessary as there have been asynchronous digital CPUs, but the presence of a clock clock is very typical as well.

evancox100 4y ago
Analog circuits are ones that primarily deal with the processing and manipulation of analog signals, while digital circuits are those that primarily deal with digital signals. Refer to my prior reply for the difference between analog and digital signals. A clock is not necessary in this definition. For example a simple logic AND gate is digital and has no clock. The input is not captured or latched before being modified; nevertheless it is a digital circuit.