6 ms·

FWIW, it's digital electronics

by fabatka 3y ago

max_ 3y ago
What other kinds of "electronics" are there?
- Chris2048 3y ago
  analogue
- _Microft 3y ago
  Analog electronics [0] uses a continuously variable signal while digital electronics interprets the signal with thresholds that define states like 0 and 1. Here is a simple example: using a few discrete parts, like two transistors (Darlington pair), a LED and resistor, you can create a simple circuit that shows varying brightness of the LED depending on how close you move your hand or an object to an antenna connected to one of the transistors (forming a sort of proximity sensor). No microcontroller, SBC or even a hint of a digital signal involved at all. [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analogue_electronics https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analogue_electronics
  - rramadass 3y ago
    > Here is a simple example: using a few discrete parts, like two transistors (Darlington pair), a LED and resistor, you can create a simple circuit that shows varying brightness of the LED depending on how close you move your hand or an object to an antenna connected to one of the transistors (forming a sort of proximity sensor) Do you have some book/video/etc. recommendations for this "type" of Electrical/Electronics circuit engineering? I only know how to program a MCU :-(
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- hishamk 3y ago
  Analog, of course.
- IndrekR 3y ago
  Microwave.
- dktnj 3y ago
  Probably the wrong way to look at it. Digital electronics doesn't really exist outside of theoretical spaces. It's all analogue underneath and any experienced digital designer will know that and what the consequences for things like signal integrity, noise immunity and latency.
  - anthk 3y ago
    This. Digital is not that "discrete" as it looks, but just a threshold of values. FFT works on this pretty well, it's the basics.
  - tonmoy 3y ago
    It’s all about layers of abstraction. A web developer doesn’t need to know about analog circuits to program computers
    - II2II 3y ago
      It's better to describe analog and digital electronics as a subset of electronics. For the most part, they look at different domains. Even though they are based upon the same underlying principles, the simplifying assumptions are different. A more dramatic example is with RF electronics. While it may look like you are dealing with the same sort of things as the more common low frequency analog electronics, you are going to have a difficult time coaxing an analog circuit to work in the RF domain. Contrast that to web developers. They are dealing with very different principles from web browser developers, who are mostly working with different principles than operating system developers, who are working with entirely different principles from those who design hardware. It's not that they are working with a different subset of the same thing because one layer of abstraction is directly on top of the one below it and (ideally) the layers below completely hide how they work from the layers above.
    - dktnj 3y ago
      That's a vast difference in the number of layers of abstraction though. Digital electronics is not.
  - dragontamer 3y ago
- donw 3y ago
  Russian.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- tiedieconderoga 3y ago
  "Digital electronics" communicate using discrete values, 1s and 0s. "Analog electronics" communicate using voltage/current/temperature/etc levels. One of the simplest examples is a voltage divider: if you put two resistors across a DC voltage source, like this: V+-[R1]-¢-[R2]-GND The voltage at the ¢ point will be: V+ * (R2 / (R1 + R2)) There are infinite possible values for that voltage, depending on the voltage source and the two resistors. It cannot necessarily be expressed exactly in a digital circuit, and it will fluctuate over time as the environment changes in temperature, humidity, EM noise, and so on. I usually recommend The Art of Electronics as a well-written, beginner-friendly textbook which covers the basic concepts.
- patmorgan23 3y ago
  Analog, Radio and television were both developed before digital electronics was.
  - Animats 3y ago
    Digital systems, using relays, predate analog electronics. There were relays used for railroad signaling in the 19th century. Union Switch and Signal was formed in 1881. The first active electronic device, the deForest Audion, was developed in 1906.
- nudgeee 3y ago
  Analog Electronics Microwave/RF Electronics Power Electronics
- mindcrime 3y ago
  Classifications are messy, but in addition to the other items mentioned already, I would say that some people would break out "power electronics"[1] as its own field. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_electronics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_electronics
- metaphor 3y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronics#Subfields https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronics#Subfields

FWIW, it's digital electronics

max_ 3y ago

What other kinds of "electronics" are there?

Chris2048 3y ago
analogue
_Microft 3y ago
Analog electronics [0] uses a continuously variable signal while digital electronics interprets the signal with thresholds that define states like 0 and 1. Here is a simple example: using a few discrete parts, like two transistors (Darlington pair), a LED and resistor, you can create a simple circuit that shows varying brightness of the LED depending on how close you move your hand or an object to an antenna connected to one of the transistors (forming a sort of proximity sensor). No microcontroller, SBC or even a hint of a digital signal involved at all. [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analogue_electronics https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analogue_electronics
- rramadass 3y ago
  > Here is a simple example: using a few discrete parts, like two transistors (Darlington pair), a LED and resistor, you can create a simple circuit that shows varying brightness of the LED depending on how close you move your hand or an object to an antenna connected to one of the transistors (forming a sort of proximity sensor) Do you have some book/video/etc. recommendations for this "type" of Electrical/Electronics circuit engineering? I only know how to program a MCU :-(
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
hishamk 3y ago
Analog, of course.
IndrekR 3y ago
Microwave.
dktnj 3y ago
Probably the wrong way to look at it. Digital electronics doesn't really exist outside of theoretical spaces. It's all analogue underneath and any experienced digital designer will know that and what the consequences for things like signal integrity, noise immunity and latency.
- anthk 3y ago
  This. Digital is not that "discrete" as it looks, but just a threshold of values. FFT works on this pretty well, it's the basics.
- tonmoy 3y ago
  It’s all about layers of abstraction. A web developer doesn’t need to know about analog circuits to program computers
  - II2II 3y ago
    It's better to describe analog and digital electronics as a subset of electronics. For the most part, they look at different domains. Even though they are based upon the same underlying principles, the simplifying assumptions are different. A more dramatic example is with RF electronics. While it may look like you are dealing with the same sort of things as the more common low frequency analog electronics, you are going to have a difficult time coaxing an analog circuit to work in the RF domain. Contrast that to web developers. They are dealing with very different principles from web browser developers, who are mostly working with different principles than operating system developers, who are working with entirely different principles from those who design hardware. It's not that they are working with a different subset of the same thing because one layer of abstraction is directly on top of the one below it and (ideally) the layers below completely hide how they work from the layers above.
  - dktnj 3y ago
    That's a vast difference in the number of layers of abstraction though. Digital electronics is not.
- dragontamer 3y ago
donw 3y ago
Russian.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
tiedieconderoga 3y ago
"Digital electronics" communicate using discrete values, 1s and 0s. "Analog electronics" communicate using voltage/current/temperature/etc levels. One of the simplest examples is a voltage divider: if you put two resistors across a DC voltage source, like this: V+-[R1]-¢-[R2]-GND The voltage at the ¢ point will be: V+ * (R2 / (R1 + R2)) There are infinite possible values for that voltage, depending on the voltage source and the two resistors. It cannot necessarily be expressed exactly in a digital circuit, and it will fluctuate over time as the environment changes in temperature, humidity, EM noise, and so on. I usually recommend The Art of Electronics as a well-written, beginner-friendly textbook which covers the basic concepts.
patmorgan23 3y ago
Analog, Radio and television were both developed before digital electronics was.
- Animats 3y ago
  Digital systems, using relays, predate analog electronics. There were relays used for railroad signaling in the 19th century. Union Switch and Signal was formed in 1881. The first active electronic device, the deForest Audion, was developed in 1906.
nudgeee 3y ago
Analog Electronics Microwave/RF Electronics Power Electronics
mindcrime 3y ago
Classifications are messy, but in addition to the other items mentioned already, I would say that some people would break out "power electronics"[1] as its own field. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_electronics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_electronics
metaphor 3y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronics#Subfields https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronics#Subfields