Digital signal
Encyclopedia
A digital signal is a physical signal that is a representation of a sequence of discrete values (a quantified
discrete-time signal), for example of an arbitrary bit stream, or of a digitized (sampled
and analog-to-digital converted
) analog signal
. The term digital signal can refer to
A signal that is generated by means of a digital modulation method (digital passband
transmission), produced by a modem
, is in the first case considered as a digital signal, and in the second case as converted to an analog signal.
In computer architecture
and other digital
systems, a waveform
that switches between two voltage levels representing the two states of a Boolean
value (0 and 1) is referred to as a digital signal, even though it is an analog voltage waveform, since it is interpreted in terms of only two levels.
The clock signal
is a special digital signal that is used to synchronize
digital circuits.
The image shown can be considered the waveform of a clock signal.
Logic changes are triggered either by the rising edge or the falling edge.
The given diagram is an example of the practical pulse and therefore we have introduced two new terms that are:
Although in a highly simplified and idealised model of a digital circuit we may wish for these transitions to occur instantaneously, no real world circuit is purely resistive and therefore no circuit can instantly change voltage levels. This means that during a short, finite transition time
the output may not properly reflect the input, and indeed may not correspond to either a logically high or low voltage.
The two states of a wire are usually represented by some measurement of an electrical property: Voltage
is the most common, but current
is used in some logic families. A threshold is designed for each logic family. When below that threshold, the wire is "low," when above "high." Digital circuits establish a "no man's area" or "exclusion zone" that is wider than the tolerances of the components. The circuits avoid that area, in order to avoid indeterminate results.
It is usual to allow some tolerance in the voltage levels used; for example, 0 to 2 volts might represent logic 0, and 3 to 5 volts logic 1. A voltage of 2 to 3 volts would be invalid, and occur only in a fault condition or during a logic level transition. However, few logic circuits can detect such a condition and most devices will interpret the signal simply as high or low in an undefined or device-specific manner. Some logic devices incorporate schmitt trigger inputs whose behaviour is much better defined in the threshold region, and have increased resilience to small variations in the input voltage.
The levels represent the binary integers or logic levels of 0 and 1. In active-high logic, "low" represents binary 0 and "high" represents binary 1. Active-low logic uses the reverse representation.
Quantification
Quantification has several distinct senses. In mathematics and empirical science, it is the act of counting and measuring that maps human sense observations and experiences into members of some set of numbers. Quantification in this sense is fundamental to the scientific method.In logic,...
discrete-time signal), for example of an arbitrary bit stream, or of a digitized (sampled
Sampling (signal processing)
In signal processing, sampling is the reduction of a continuous signal to a discrete signal. A common example is the conversion of a sound wave to a sequence of samples ....
and analog-to-digital converted
Analog-to-digital converter
An analog-to-digital converter is a device that converts a continuous quantity to a discrete time digital representation. An ADC may also provide an isolated measurement...
) analog signal
Analog signal
An analog or analogue signal is any continuous signal for which the time varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity, i.e., analogous to another time varying signal. It differs from a digital signal in terms of small fluctuations in the signal which are...
. The term digital signal can refer to
- a continuous-time waveform signal used in any form of digital communication.
- a pulse train signal that switches between a discrete number of voltage levels or levels of light intensity, also known as a a line codeLine codeIn telecommunication, a line code is a code chosen for use within a communications system for baseband transmission purposes...
d signal, for example a signal found in digitalDigitalA digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
electronics or in serial communicationSerial communicationIn telecommunication and computer science, serial communication is the process of sending data one bit at a time, sequentially, over a communication channel or computer bus. This is in contrast to parallel communication, where several bits are sent as a whole, on a link with several parallel channels...
s using digital basebandBasebandIn telecommunications and signal processing, baseband is an adjective that describes signals and systems whose range of frequencies is measured from close to 0 hertz to a cut-off frequency, a maximum bandwidth or highest signal frequency; it is sometimes used as a noun for a band of frequencies...
transmissionin, or a pulse code modulation (PCM) representation of a digitized analog signal.
A signal that is generated by means of a digital modulation method (digital passband
Passband
A passband is the range of frequencies or wavelengths that can pass through a filter without being attenuated.A bandpass filtered signal , is known as a bandpass signal, as opposed to a baseband signal....
transmission), produced by a modem
Modem
A modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data...
, is in the first case considered as a digital signal, and in the second case as converted to an analog signal.
Waveforms in digital systems
In computer architecture
Computer architecture
In computer science and engineering, computer architecture is the practical art of selecting and interconnecting hardware components to create computers that meet functional, performance and cost goals and the formal modelling of those systems....
and other digital
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
systems, a waveform
Waveform
Waveform means the shape and form of a signal such as a wave moving in a physical medium or an abstract representation.In many cases the medium in which the wave is being propagated does not permit a direct visual image of the form. In these cases, the term 'waveform' refers to the shape of a graph...
that switches between two voltage levels representing the two states of a Boolean
Boolean logic
Boolean algebra is a logical calculus of truth values, developed by George Boole in the 1840s. It resembles the algebra of real numbers, but with the numeric operations of multiplication xy, addition x + y, and negation −x replaced by the respective logical operations of...
value (0 and 1) is referred to as a digital signal, even though it is an analog voltage waveform, since it is interpreted in terms of only two levels.
The clock signal
Clock signal
In electronics and especially synchronous digital circuits, a clock signal is a particular type of signal that oscillates between a high and a low state and is utilized like a metronome to coordinate actions of circuits...
is a special digital signal that is used to synchronize
Synchronization
Synchronization is timekeeping which requires the coordination of events to operate a system in unison. The familiar conductor of an orchestra serves to keep the orchestra in time....
digital circuits.
The image shown can be considered the waveform of a clock signal.
Logic changes are triggered either by the rising edge or the falling edge.
The given diagram is an example of the practical pulse and therefore we have introduced two new terms that are:
- Rising edge: the transition from a low voltage (level 1 in the diagram) to a high voltage (level 2).
- Falling edge: the transition from a high voltage to a low one.
Although in a highly simplified and idealised model of a digital circuit we may wish for these transitions to occur instantaneously, no real world circuit is purely resistive and therefore no circuit can instantly change voltage levels. This means that during a short, finite transition time
Transition time
The transition time \scriptstyle t_t\, is the time a dynamical system needs to switch between two different stable states, when responding to a stable input signal. In a logic circuit undergoing a change of state, it identifies the rise time or the fall time of the output voltage...
the output may not properly reflect the input, and indeed may not correspond to either a logically high or low voltage.
Logic voltage levels
The two states of a wire are usually represented by some measurement of an electrical property: Voltage
Electric potential
In classical electromagnetism, the electric potential at a point within a defined space is equal to the electric potential energy at that location divided by the charge there...
is the most common, but current
Electric current
Electric current is a flow of electric charge through a medium.This charge is typically carried by moving electrons in a conductor such as wire...
is used in some logic families. A threshold is designed for each logic family. When below that threshold, the wire is "low," when above "high." Digital circuits establish a "no man's area" or "exclusion zone" that is wider than the tolerances of the components. The circuits avoid that area, in order to avoid indeterminate results.
It is usual to allow some tolerance in the voltage levels used; for example, 0 to 2 volts might represent logic 0, and 3 to 5 volts logic 1. A voltage of 2 to 3 volts would be invalid, and occur only in a fault condition or during a logic level transition. However, few logic circuits can detect such a condition and most devices will interpret the signal simply as high or low in an undefined or device-specific manner. Some logic devices incorporate schmitt trigger inputs whose behaviour is much better defined in the threshold region, and have increased resilience to small variations in the input voltage.
The levels represent the binary integers or logic levels of 0 and 1. In active-high logic, "low" represents binary 0 and "high" represents binary 1. Active-low logic uses the reverse representation.
| Technology | L voltage | H voltage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMOS CMOS Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor is a technology for constructing integrated circuits. CMOS technology is used in microprocessors, microcontrollers, static RAM, and other digital logic circuits... |
0 V to VCC/2 | VCC/2 to VCC | VCC VCC VCC may refer to:as a three-letter acronym:* Common-collector voltage , plus collector supply line voltage in a common NPN circuit.* Vale of Catmose College, an arts college in England.* Valencia Community College, in Orlando, Florida... = supply voltage |
| TTL Transistor-transistor logic Transistor–transistor logic is a class of digital circuits built from bipolar junction transistors and resistors. It is called transistor–transistor logic because both the logic gating function and the amplifying function are performed by transistors .TTL is notable for being a widespread... |
0 V to 0.8 V | 2 V to VCC | VCC is 4.75 V to 5.25 V |
| ECL Emitter coupled logic In electronics, emitter-coupled logic , is a logic family that achieves high speed by using an overdriven BJT differential amplifier with single-ended input, whose emitter current is limited to avoid the slow saturation region of transistor operation.... |
-1.175 V to -VEE | 0.75 V to 0 V | VEE is about -5.2 V. VCC=Ground |
See also
- Digital signal processingDigital signal processingDigital signal processing is concerned with the representation of discrete time signals by a sequence of numbers or symbols and the processing of these signals. Digital signal processing and analog signal processing are subfields of signal processing...
- Nyquist–Shannon sampling theoremNyquist–Shannon sampling theoremThe Nyquist–Shannon sampling theorem, after Harry Nyquist and Claude Shannon, is a fundamental result in the field of information theory, in particular telecommunications and signal processing. Sampling is the process of converting a signal into a numeric sequence...
- Whittaker–Shannon interpolation formulaWhittaker–Shannon interpolation formulaThe Whittaker–Shannon interpolation formula or sinc interpolation is a method to reconstruct a continuous-time bandlimited signal from a set of equally spaced samples.-Definition:...
- Intersymbol interference in digital communication