| Digital |
Representing a state as 0 or 1 (a bit). Could be False / True or LOW / HIGH or 0 volts / 5 volts. |
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Using groups of 0 or 1 can represent larger quantities. Eight bits (a byte) can represent a (integer) number 0 - 255. Ten bits can represent a number 0 - 1023. |
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| Digital states are discrete and can be counted. | ||
| Analog |
Values are on a continuous scale (with fractions). Analog values are continuous and can be measured. |
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Originally, circuits with valves and transistors worked with analog values (voltages). |
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Modern circuits are overwhelmingly digital. Even analog values are represented digitally. This goes unnoticed because of the high precision possible. |
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