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Signal

A signal is an electromagnetic or electrical current that carries data from one system to another. There are two main types of signals: analog and digital. Analog signals are continuous with an infinite range of values, while digital signals are discrete and represented by binary digits. Most modern electronic devices use a combination of analog and digital signals, such as converting analog voice signals into digital form for transmission before converting back to analog for output.

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Vineeth C Johnson
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39 views3 pages

Signal

A signal is an electromagnetic or electrical current that carries data from one system to another. There are two main types of signals: analog and digital. Analog signals are continuous with an infinite range of values, while digital signals are discrete and represented by binary digits. Most modern electronic devices use a combination of analog and digital signals, such as converting analog voice signals into digital form for transmission before converting back to analog for output.

Uploaded by

Vineeth C Johnson
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Signal

A signal is an electromagnetic or electrical current that carries data from one system or
network to another.

Characteristics of Signals:

Amplitude: The amplitude of a signal refers to the strength or intensity of the signal at
any given point in time.

Time: Signals are typically functions of time, meaning they vary with respect to time.
The changes in amplitude over time carry the information being transmitted.

Frequency: The frequency of a signal refers to the number of cycles or oscillations the
signal completes in one second. It is measured in Hertz (Hz).

Phase: The phase of a signal represents the position of the signal in its cycle at a
particular point in time. It is often used when dealing with periodic signals and is
measured in degrees or radians.

There are two main types of signals used in electronics: analog and digital signals

1. Analog data or signals are continuous and represent information with a continuous
range of values. In the analog domain, the signal can take on any value within a specific
range.
Common examples of analog signals:
1. Voltage from a potentiometer
2. The sound waves from a microphone
3. The varying voltage levels in traditional telephone lines.

Key characteristics of analog signals are:

● Continuous: the signal can take on any value within a range.


● Infinite Resolution: Analog signals can theoretically have an infinite number of
values, making them suitable for capturing fine-grained details.
● Susceptibility to Noise: Analog signals are more prone to distortion and
interference from external factors like noise and electromagnetic interference.

Advantages of Analog:

● More accurate representation of real-world phenomena due to continuous nature.


● Often simpler and more straightforward to process for certain types of signals
(e.g., audio).

2. Digital data or signals, are discrete and represent information using a series of
discrete values or binary digits (bits), typically represented as 0s and 1s.

Computers and most modern electronic devices operate on digital principles.

This process involves digitizing analog data by sampling it at regular intervals and
representing each sample as a binary number.
Key characteristics of digital signals are:

● Discrete: Digital signals are quantized into discrete levels, and they can only
take on specific values.
● Finite Resolution: Digital signals have a finite number of possible values, which
means they can't represent infinitely fine-grained details.
● Noise Resistance: Digital signals are more resistant to noise and interference,
as long as the noise doesn't significantly alter the signal's binary representation.

Advantages of Digital:

● Less susceptible to noise and interference, leading to better signal quality over
long distances.
● Allows for error detection and correction through techniques like checksums and
error-correcting codes.
● Enables more efficient data storage, manipulation, and transmission using binary
representation.

In practice, many systems use a combination of analog and digital components. For
example, in modern communication systems, analog signals (e.g., voice) are first
converted into digital form for processing and transmission, and then at the receiving
end, they are converted back into analog signals for output (e.g., audio). This integration
of both types allows us to benefit from the advantages of each while mitigating their
respective disadvantages.

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