2.

00 Information Systems & Data Formats

By: Alexander H. Rossi

I.

Data Forms:

II.

Analog
Digital

What is Data?

III.

Data is information. We as humans are constantly receiving and processing data. We receive
visual, auditory, and other sensual information from our surroundings.
Humans process analog information.
Computers also process data, but in a different way than humans.
Computers process digital data.

Data Integration:

IV.

Computers also are very effective at the conversion of analog data to digital format.

Analog Data Representations:

V.

Measuring or representing data by means of one or more physical properties that can express
any value along a continuous scale.
In other words, analog data can be any value you can think.

Translate number systems and codes Representations Digital:

VI.

Expressed in discrete values at defined intervals, especially for use by a computer or other
electronic device.

The science of approximation:

VII.

When analog data is converted to digital data, the digital data is an approximation. However, for
most uses an approximation is sufficient.

Computers and Data:

Computer systems are better than most humans at math, and we use that ability to make
processing of large amounts of data manageable.
This unit is about computer hardware and the methods used for data processing.