IGCSE ICT - Analogue and Digital Data Page 1 of 4

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Section 5.5:
Analogue and Digital Data
Key Concepts of this section:
This section focuses on different types of data, in particular, analogue
data and digital data. # Understand the differences between analogue data and
digital data .
You will also see how and why we sometimes need to convert from
# Understand why it is sometimes necessary to convert
analogue to digital data and vice versa.
between analogue and digital data.

Different types of data Key Words:

Analogue, Digital, Digital
# There are two main types of data that we are going to discuss here: Devices, Smooth, Digits,
# 1. Analogue Data Binary.
# 2. Digital Data

Analogue Data
Definition: "Analogue data use values that change very smoothly."

# A good example of this is an analogue clock. An analogue clock shows

the time with a smoothly moving seconds hand. The change is
continuous.

# Sound is also a good example of analogue data. Sound waves change in a very smooth
way.

This image shows you an example of a

smoothly changing sound wave:
Smoothly changing hands of an
analogue clock.

Analogue Devices

# All analogue devices use analogue data. Examples of analogue devices

include:

• Microphone
• Headphones
• Loud Speaker
• Sensors (temperature, pressure etc)

Digital Data
Definition: "Digital data jumps from one value to the next in a step by step
sequence ."

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A good example of this is a digital clock. A digital clock jumps from

one second to another in clear steps. The change is not smooth
or continuous.

Digital clocks 'jump' from one second to another.

Digital Devices

# All digital devices use digital data. Examples of digital devices

include:

• Computers/Laptops/IPads
• Mobile Phone
• MP3 Player
• Digital Camera

# The name "Digital" is given to all devices that store and process
data in the form of 'digits' (numbers).

# These digits are known as 'Binary'.

What is Binary?

# All computer data is really a number known as a Binary Digit (often shortened to
just binary).

# Binary is represented by the numbers 1 and 0.

# Different combinations of these 1's and 0's are used to represent all the different kinds
of data that can be stored and processed within a digital device (such as a computer).

For example:-
The word 'Hello' is stored as the binary combination of
0100100001100101011011000110110001101111

Analogue and Digital Conversion Key Words:

ADC, DAC, Conversion.
# Analogue values can only be used by analogue devices.

# Digital values can only be used by digital devices.

# If we want to use analogue values with a digital device or digital values with an
analogue device we need to use data conversion.

There are two types of data converters:

# 1. Analogue to Digital Converter (ADC)
# 2. Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC)

Analogue to Digital Converter (ADC)

NOTE!
# If we try to attach an analogue device (like a microphone) to a computer we will
need to convert the analogue data to digital before the computer can use it.
In this example the ADC that
# The microphone is used to pass the analogue sound waves through the ADC which converts the analogue values to
will convert the sound from analogue to digital. digital would be the computer's
sound card.
#

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The ADC then passes the converted digital data into the computer where the
sound can be stored and edited.

The image below will help explain this process:

Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC)

NOTE!
# If we want to listen to digital music (like mp3's) we would need to attach an analogue device
such as loud speakers or headphones to our computer.
Computer sound cards can
# The computer will pass the digital sound values through a DAC (located on a sound card) perform both types of data
which will convert the digital data to analogue. conversion (ADC and DAC).

# The DAC then passes the converted anologue data onto the analogue loud speaker which we
would then hear as sound waves.

The image below will help explain this process:

Another example of Data Conversion

# Imagine we had a greenhouse and we wanted a way to control the temperature inside automatically. We could do this using a
range of analogue and digital devices and ADC's/DAC's to convert all of the data.

# This is how it would work:

#1. Analogue thermometer is used to gather smoothly changing temperature data
#2. Analogue data is converted to digital using a ADC and fed into a digital computer
#3. Computer reads the digital data and decides if the temperature is too hot or too cold
#4. Computer sends data to a DAC built into a heater with 1 of 2 instructions:
#### If the temperature is too hot, the heater will be turned off
#### If the temperature is too cold the heater will be turned on.

# Look at the image below for an example:

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Activity!
Analogue and Digital Data - Task

Click the above task and follow the

instructions given on the sheet. Make
sure that you complete all tasks on the
sheet.

Previous - Types of Databases Next -

Links to Theory Units:

Section 1: Types and Components of Computer Systems Section 2: Input and Output Devices Section 3: Storage Devices and Media
Section 4: Computer Networks Section 5: Data Types Section 6: The Effects of Using ICT
Section 7: The Ways in which ICT is used Section 7: Part 2 Section 8: Systems Analysis and Design

Links to Practical Units:

Section 9: Communication Section 10: Document Production Section 11: Data Manipulation
Section 12: Integration Section 13: Output Data Section 14: Data Analysis
Section 15: Web site Authoring Section 16: Presentation Authoring

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