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Typically, we saw a lot of different types of circuits, and you probably see the terms “analog and digital circuits” thrown around a lot. The motivation of a circuit or a system is to process information or energy. Processing information usually includes : Information Translation, Storage or Computation.
The following table highlights the major differences between analog circuits and digital circuits :
Parameter | Analog Circuit | Digital Circuit |
|---|---|---|
Definition | Circuit that processes analog signals | Circuit that processes digital signals, defined by voltage levels(0’s and 1’s Binary) |
Input Signal | Input is a continuous time signal/analog signal | Input is a discrete time signal(happens at discrete intervals) |
Output Signal | Produces Analog Signals | Outputs digital signals |
Components | Uses Resistors/Inductors/Capacitors | Uses Logic Gates(CMOS/TTL usually) |
Conversion | Often doesn’t require signal conversion | Often requires ADC(Analog Digital Converter) or DAC(Digital Analog Converter) to interface |
Noise Immunity | More susceptible to noise | More immune(not completely immune) |
Power Consumption | Generally consumes more power | Relatively little power consumption |
Form of Information Storage | Stores information in the form of waves | Information stored in binary(data bits) |
Logical Operations | Relatively complex to perform efficiently | Logical operations are fundamental and easy(AND, OR, NAND, XOR |