Digital systems are systems that represent and manipulate discrete elements of information represented internally in binary form. A digital system is an interconnection of digital modules.

Any set of finite number of elements contains discrete information. For example set of English alphabets, and set of 52 playing cards have finite number of elements. These discrete elements are digits that lead to the emergence of digital computers.

In digital computers, physical quantities known as signals that represent discrete elements of information. Signals include electrical signals such as voltages and currents. Electrical devices such as transistors implement these signals. The signals that use only two discrete values called called binary signals. Discrete elements of information are represented with group of bits called binary codes.

Examples: Digital telephones, digital computers, digital cameras and digital versatile discs.

Advantages

• Most of the digital systems are programmable. So same hardware can be used for many different applications by writing suitable programs.
• Digital devices are not expensive due to advances in digital integrated circuit technology.
• Digital systems performs at high speed.
• Digital systems are highly reliable thanks to error correcting codes.

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