Analog to Digital Conversion

In order to convert the data measured from the real world to values that computers can use, it needs to be digitised. We experience the world as an analog place. There are infinite positions between any two points. This is valid both in time and space. There are infinite time steps between any other two. This infinite precision is not representable on a digital computer. For computers to be able to use the data it has to be discretely sampled and have discrete (finite precision) values.

The process by which these conversions take place is called analog to digital conversion (done by an analog to digital converter) and is usually abbreviated to A/D conversion. The reverse process is called digital to analog conversion and is usually abbreviated to D/A conversion.