Difference between Analogue, Digital, and Power Electronics
Hey, in this article we are going to discuss the difference between Analogue, Digital, and Power Electronics. Although those all are related to electronics engineering there is a big difference between them.
Before going to understand the difference, let's look at a glance at the difference between electrical and electronics,
Electrical engineering deals with electrical power generation, transmission, and conversion with high voltage and high current whereas Electronics engineering mainly deals with electrical power control, rectification, and amplification with low voltage and low current.
Difference between Analogue, Digital, and Power Electronics
| Analog Electronics | Digital Electronics | Power Electronics |
| Part of Electronics Engineering | Part of Electronics Engineering | Part of Electrical Engineering |
| Work with continuous variable (analog) signal | Work with two-state (digital) signal | Work with all sinusoidal (AC), constant(DC), analog, and digital signals |
| Works with low voltage and low current | Works with extremely low voltage and low current | Works with high voltage and high current |
| Mainly deals with the amplification, wireless transmission, and rectification of electronic signals | Mainly deals with switching, analyzing, multiplexing, mixing, and processing of electronic signals. | Mainly deals with the control, conversion, inversion, and rectification of small to large electrical power. |
| It uses mostly passive components but sometimes active component-Transistor | It uses active components only | It uses both active and passive components. |
| High noise and distortion | Very low noise and distortion | Low noise and distortion |
| Low power loss | No power Loss | Comparatively high power loss |
| It helps to capture data from a system | It helps to analyze the data of a system | It helps to operate the system |
| Very low electrical safety hazard | No electrical safety hazard | High electrical safety hazard |
| Example: FM Radios, Televisions, Telephones | Examples: Computers, Smart Phones, Digital clocks | Example: UPS, Battery Charger, SMPS, VFD |
Read the Full Article to Better Understand
What is Electronics?
When we work with only the flow of current or flow of electrons it can be called electrical, but when it comes to more precise controls over the flow of electrons and the flow of electric charge then it is called electronics. Electrical engineering deals with passive components only(Resistor, Inductor, Capacitor) whereas electronics engineering deals with both passive and active components(Transistors, Diodes).
What is Analogue Electronics?
The branch of electronics engineering, where we work with a continuous variable signal or analog signal is called Analogue Electronics.
Analog electronics mainly deals with the amplification, wireless transmission, and rectification of electronic signals. The concept of Radio Frequency, Microwave, etc only comes with analog electronics engineering. Analog electronics use passive components only, in some cases they use the active component Transistor only.
Analog electronics also deals with the ground-level devices of an automation system such as different types of Transducers, and sensors because those transducers and sensors can produce only analog signals.
Example: FM Radios, Televisions, and Telephones are examples of analog electronics.
Advantages of Analogue Electronics
1. It deals directly with the physical quantities, devices, and objects where Digital Electronics can not be applied.
2. The rectification, amplification, and wireless transmission of electronic signals are only possible with Analogue electronics.
3. Analogue electronics help to collect more data from a system, device, environment, etc.
4. Analogue electronics deals with the controlling of supply current, voltage, and power of any electronic circuits (it may be analog or digital circuits). Voltage regulation, voltage step up, and step down for an electronic circuit come under analogue electronics. Those features are not possible with digital circuits. Actually, I mean to say digital electronics always need help from analog electronics.
Limitations of Analogue Electronics
1. Although analogue electronics help a lot to collect data, but analyzing, mixing, and multiplexing of data does not give a good result.
2. Analogue signals consisting of noise, and distortion. Analog signals got affected by electromagnetic waves during transmission.
3. Analogue circuits are bigger in size, and it uses also bigger devices compared to digital circuits.
4. Analogue devices produce more electrical power loss and they are slower than digital devices. Also, they consume more power than digital devices.
5. Output and visualization with analog electronics is not so much good as Digital Electronics.
Applications of Analogue Electronics
Audio amplifier circuits, FM Radio, Televisions, Telephones, and RADAR communications are the applications of Analogue Electronics.
What is Digital Electronics?
In the field of electronics engineering, where we work with a two-level signal or digital signal is called Digital Electronics.
Digital electronics deals with switching, analyzing, multiplexing, demultiplexing, mixing, and processing of electronic signals. The fundamentals of digital electronics are based on the Binary Number System. Digital electronic circuit is mainly made with active components it does not use passive components.
Examples: Computers, Smart Phones, Digital clocks, etc.
Advantages of Digital Electronics
1. Digital electronics help a lot to analyze and process electronic signals.
2. Digital electronics help to control a lot of devices together from a small single device.
3. Digital circuits are much faster than analog circuits, in digital technology we can process a lot of electronic data, and information within a second.
4. Digital circuits consume very low power than analog circuits, there is almost no power loss occurs. Digital devices are also compact, and smaller in size.
Limitations of Digital Electronics
1. Digital electronics do not come into use when we need to do direct communication with physical devices or collect data from physical devices or any system.
2. Processing of signals is easy, but amplification, the rectification of electronic signals is not possible with digital electronics.
3. Signal transmission in the digital system through wires, and optical fiber gives very good results but wireless transmission is not possible in digital electronics.
Applications of Digital Electronics
Computers, Smartphones, LED TVs, and digital watches are the applications of digital electronics.
What is Power Electronics?
In the field of electrical engineering, where we use electronic components and devices to control, switch, and rectify electrical power is called Power Electronics.
Remember that, Power Electronics is a part of electrical engineering, not electronics engineering. Power electronics deals with the control, conversion, inversion, and rectification of small to large electrical power. Power electronics uses solid-state semiconductor devices such as SCR, IGBTs, Power MOSFETs, etc.
Power Electronics helps to digitally control the large electrical power. It helps to interface a large power system with digital circuits or computers from where we can easily monitor, analyze, and control the power system.
Applications of Power Electronics
There are huge applications of power electronics in every consumer electronic device, industrial panels, and power factor panels.
AC to DC converter or rectifier circuits, DC to AC converter or inverter circuits, DC to DC converter or Chopper Circuits, UPS, Battery Charger, SMPS, and VFD(Variable Frequency Drive) all are great applications of power electronics.
Power electronics not only helps to control the electrical power it also helps to give smart protection and safety system to an electrical system. A snubber circuit is an example of a protection system for surge voltage.
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Difference between Analogue, Digital, and Power Electronics
Reviewed by Author
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November 02, 2020
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Reviewed by Author
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November 02, 2020
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