What are the advantages of digital over analog?

Answer 1

The advantage of analog over digital or vice versa , is dependent on the input information type and / or signal amplitude where applicable , also on what the application is and other considerations like information / signal processing , storage , etc. The choice is decided by the advantages as per the requirements.

As a rule the information carried by an analog signal is dependent on its instantaneous magnitude or position.Thus it is highly susecptible to corruption by extraneous noise sources which can affect the magnitude arbitrarily.

On the other hand a digital signal typically carries information as changes in

amplitude level between two ( or more ) arbitrarily predefined levels, arranged

in a predetermined format and grouping ( more familiar as a code ). As long as the digital signal can be retrived without major loss in blocks of code , the original information can be mathematically retrived.

Whenever the information and / or signal level is very small and / or in analog form , invariably some form of analog processing is required before any meaningful conversion to digital format or processing can be done.

Now due to vast processing powers of digital circuits & computers , the advantage of analog is limited to very specialised requirements where the disadvantages of digital format would outweigh any other considertions. So for all purposes it would be invariably advantageous to use digital format and convert to analog whenever required.

The only notable analog format which will always be required is for human sound & visual interface ( or for that matter other senses ) which the body perceives and processes only as analog signals , even the pseudo analog modes of Class D Audio Amplifiers , LCD Displays , Projection , Digital Printing etc. which operate in the Digital mode to simulate analog signal output.

It may be noted that the Morse Code was essentially a digital format,

while Semaphore ( uses Flag & Hand positions to convey information ) was

an analog signal by virtue of hand position.

Answer 2

One advantage of digital over analog is the time it takes to download information. Analog can be very slow at times. Digital also offers a wider range of information that can be transmitted. The use of satellites for digital allows this.