Analogical Input – what is it and what is it used for?

Presently, Analogical Input components are in use in a wide variety of electronic equipment and serve as interpreters of all the signals enabling digital communication between devices.  ICPC produces and supplies electronic components in high standards, offering unrivalled reliability for every digital solution.  To ensure a continuous and optimal communication between electronic controllers and sensors and computers and smart devices, we provide you the highest level of components.

So, why do we actually need this solution?

We have sensors all around us in every aspect of life.  In security systems, for identification and monitoring measures, for measuring pressure, temperature or speed and for gathering many other data, the electronic infrastructure on which the sensors are based determined their reliability, accuracy and long-term durability.  Nowadays, most sensors transmit their readings using analogical signals.  Nevertheless, processing of the data is done by computer components operating with digital signals.  So, feeding a signal coming from a sensor by way of a computer or exporting it to an analogical controller requires a device that can bridge between the analogical to the digital signal that is handled by the computer.  This bridging device is known as an Analogical I/O Interface. 

How does an Analogical Input component perform the conversion?

When entering an external analogical information to a computer, it should be efficiently quantified digitally.  This transition requires an infinite number of digits.  Since a computer can cope with a limited number of digits, as dictated by the technology of the circuit in it, a solution to bridge over this gap is required.  

The most efficient way to solve this problem is to maintain a number of digits in the common range by rounding or using a bottom or a ceiling threshold.  In other words, this means replacing an amount in a certain range with a representative value.  This operation is named Quantification. 

The technology serves numerous applications

Analogical I/O uses the quantification method and instead of generating a uniform data line, a terraced line is created with which any analogical signal can be expressed using a finite value.  This technology is active in many digital means that we use on a daily basis.  Analogical signals are usually used in communication systems that transfer voice, data, image, signal, or video information by way of a continuous signal.  However, analogical circuits are usually more sensitive to voltage fluctuations.  Minor changes to the voltage level of an analogical signal can generate significant errors during processing.  This is the main challenge to face during conversion.  Therefore, use of a stable Analogical Input with high-level resistance to sound is crucial. 

When and how is Analogical Input used?

Just like with the human body that uses the eyes and ears to take in sensory information, analogical circuits use designated sensors to interface with the real world and electronically capture and process these signals  accurately.  In this sense, the analogical components are the computer's sensory organs.  The Analogical Input is a conversion station, allowing to transfer the sensory inputs to a digital signal that can be processed in the "brain" of the digital solution. 

Common applications

While in the past, analogical signals were common in sound and communication systems, as silicone chips became prevalent and coding, encoding and processing capabilities became increasingly advanced, many of these systems turned to digital signals.  However, no matter how advanced our instrumentation becomes, the real world in which we live is analogical. Data such as lighting, pressure or temperature will always be received analogically, so to efficiently convert this information to a computing means we will always require Analogical Input. 

Here are some of the main applications of this component:

• Audio and video recording
• Picture sensors and facial recognition systems
• Temperature sensors
• Radio signal conversion
• Conversion of speech sounds to a digital signal in cellular phones and conversation software applications
• Control and command systems

Do you wish to move to resilient and smarter conversion solutions?  We in ICPC invite you co contact is even today to learn of the market leading electronic solutions.