Analog vs. Digital Information Flashcards
1
Q
What are the two types of information?
A
- Inherently continuous (infinitely many values in any range)
- Inherently discrete (finite number of values in any range)
2
Q
Examples of Inherently continous?
A
- Mass
- Temperature
- most other physical properties
- Sound, images, video
3
Q
Examples of Inherently discrete?
A
- Day of the week
- Current study term
- Name of the city
- Number of steps walked
- Text or any other typed or written symbols
4
Q
What are the two main ways to represent information?
A
- Analog data- Analog technology uses data that is continuous and the goal is to capture a likeness of reality. - continuous representation
- Digital Data- Uses sampling to encode the data and then reproduces it as closely as needed.
- discrete representation
5
Q
Examples of digital data?
A
CDs, DVDs, and other digital electronic devices.
6
Q
What is sampling?
A
- converts continuous variation to discrete snapshots
- converting an analog signal to a digital signal.
7
Q
What is quantization?
A
- converts infinite range of values to a finite one
- lossy data compression
8
Q
Why do we use binary and not decimal?
A
- Representing one of only two states benefits cost and reliability
9
Q
Fluctuation in signals?
A
- Analog: Signals continuously fluctuate in voltage up and down
- Digital: Has only two states (high or low)
10
Q
Benefits of signal transmission?
A
- Digital: If the distortion is small enough, can completely regenerate the signal and regain its original shape
- Analog: Degradation of analog signals is permanent; there is no way to determine if the distortion was not present originally
11
Q
Can both analog and digital data be recorded?
A
-Yes they can both be recorded but digital copies are always completely identical to the original
12
Q
Digital Representation Summary
A
- Easier to process digital data
2.Easier to transmit reliably
3.Digital signals can be completely regenerated (if the
distortions are not too severe) - Easier storage and compression
13
Q
When are any losses completely unavoidable?
A
-After digitization is performed
