When you hear terms like “analog circuit design technology” you may think about some outdated technology of the past. After all, we live in a digital age in which everything is numbers and based on computer codes. However, analog technology is still an important part of our lives and it is alive and well in the 21st Century.
What Does Analog Mean?
Analog is the way in which we observe and experience the world today. A musical note produced from an instrument or a record player is an analog signal, because it is real. A video cassette recorder copies sound and video on magnetic tape and it is analog and natural. This leads us to the modern digital age but what is digital?
Digital Format
Digital refers to the numbers a computer uses. Typical computer code is delivered in a series of “on” and “off” or zero and one. This is how computers store and read data. In order to create digital signals, analog signals have to be changed to a digital format. So in reality, without analog signals (to digitize) there would be no digital technology.
Analog Circuit Design and Computers
Did you know computers need analog technology to function? Most cables from “computer to hardware” or “computer to computer” data transfers are analog. They are strands of copper wire running from one source to another. Even though WiFi does not require wires, a wired connection from the Internet source to the modem is required.
Computer Chips and Analog Circuit Design
Today’s sophisticated and miniaturized computer chips are the result of highly developed digital technology. One tiny chip can hold data and circuits which once required mammoth computers. However, even the most sophisticated technology still relies on basic analog signals to be heard or understood. After all, digital is not possible without analog.
