Analogue & Digital Data
- Analogue data is continuous and varies smoothly over time
- Digital data is discrete and represented in binary form (0s and 1s)
Differences between Analogue & Digital Data
- Analogue data can have any value within a range, while digital data has a limited set of values
- Digital data is less prone to noise and distortion compared to analogue data
- Digital data can be easily manipulated, stored, and transmitted by computers
Converting Analogue to Digital Data
- Analogue data must be converted to digital data so it can be processed by a computer
- This process is called analogue-to-digital conversion (ADC) and is performed by an analogue-to-digital converter
Converting Digital to Analogue Data
- Digital data must be converted to analogue data so it can be used to control devices
- This process is called digital-to-analogue conversion (DAC) and is performed by a digital-to-analogue converter
Worked example
A greenhouse is used to grow plants and is computer controlled. Give two reasons why data from the sensors need to be converted for use by a computer.
[2]
Two of:
So that the data from the sensor can be understood by the computer [1]
The output from a sensor is analogue [1]
The input to the computer is digital [1]
