DIGITAL SYSTEM

• For examples, the letters D, O and G form the

word DOG or GOD. The digits 5, 7 and 9 form a
number 579 or 975.
• Thus, a sequence of discrete elements form a
language, that is, a discipline that conveys
information.
 DIGITAL COMPUTER
• Computer is defined in the Oxford dictionary as
“An automatic electronic apparatus for making
calculations or controlling operations that are
expressible in numerical or logical terms ”.
• It can accommodate many other input and output
devices; it can perform not only arithmetic
computations but logical operations as well and
can be programmed to make decisions based on
internal and external conditions.
Typical Block Diagram of a Digital Computer
 DIGITAL COMPUTER
• A digital computer is an interconnection of digital
modules. To understand the operation of each
digital module, it is necessary to have a basic
knowledge of digital systems and their general
behavior.
• That is why it necessary to introduce the basic
tools of digital design such as binary numbers and
codes, Boolean Algebra, and the basic building
blocks from which electronic digital circuits are
constructed.
 Analog and Digital System Application
• Lots of engineering problems
can be solved using either To Monitoring Station
analog or digital techniques.
• An example is the problem Pulley Output Shaft
of transmitting the water 5.0 m
level in a dam to a remote
monitoring station. Assume a
float mechanism as shown in
2.5 m
the figure is used as a
sensing device.
Water Level
Float Counter 0m
Float
 Analog and Digital System Application
• As the floats move up and
down with the water level, To Monitoring Station
the pulley turns and the
motion is conveyed to an Pulley Output Shaft
output shaft that makes one 5.0 m
revolution over the
maximum possible range of
water level.
2.5 m
• The problem is, "How to
transmit the position of the
shaft to a remote monitoring
station? ” Float Counter 0 m
Water Level Float
 Analog and Digital System Application
• One possible solution is to make the output shaft control the
position of a potentiometer as shown in the figure.
• The resultant output voltage is transmitted by wire to a
voltmeter to a remote monitoring station.
• The voltmeter can be recalibrated to indicate the water level
instead of a voltage.
Transmission Line
 Analog and Digital System Application
• This system is an analog system because the output
voltage can vary continuously between 0 Volt and V
Volts.
• One constraint that is required with this system is that
the value of V should be constant.
• Another thing, because of the distance between the
monitoring station and the float assembly , could be
several kilometers, the transmission line in the system
will have sizeable resistance.
 Analog and Digital System Application

• This resistance will affect the linearity of the output voltage.

• Furthermore, this resistance will not be constant.
Temperature, for example, is one factor that will affect the
resistance. Therefore, the system is prone to error.

Transmission Line
 Analog and Digital System Application
• One possible method of correcting this deficiency is by
replacing the potentiometer with a multi-purpose rotary
switch. The figure shows the new scheme.

Output Shaft