Abstract
“Digital” has been the buzz word for the last couple of decades. The latest and greatest electronic devices have been marketed as digital and cardiology equipment has been no exception. “Analog” has the connotation of being old and outdated, while “digital” has been associated with new and advanced. What do these terms actually mean and is one really better than the other? By the end of the chapter, the reader should know what analog and digital signals are, their respective characteristics, and the advantages and disadvantages of both signal types. The reader will also understand the fundamentals of sampling, including the trade-offs of high sampling rates and high amplitude resolution, and the distortion that is possible with low sampling rates and low amplitude resolution.
