Why, surrounded by screens and smart devices, we feel a deep connection to the analog—vinyl records, fountain pens, Kodak film, and other nondigital tools. We’re surrounded by screens; our music comes in the form of digital files; we tap words into a notes app. Why do we still crave the “realness” of analog, seeking out vinyl records, fountain pens, cameras with film? In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, Robert Hassan explores our deep connection to analog technology. Our analog urge, he explains, is about what we’ve lost from our technological past, something that’s not there in our digital present. We’re nostalgic for what we remember indistinctly as somehow more real, more human. Surveying some of the major developments of analog technology, Hassan shows us what’s been lost with the digital. Along the way, he discusses the appeal of the 2011 silent, black-and-white Oscar-winning film The Artist; the revival of the non-e-book book; the early mechanical clocks that enforced prayer and worship times; and the programmable loom. He describes the effect of the typewriter on Nietzsche’s productivity, the pivotal invention of the telegraph, and the popularity of the first televisions despite their iffy picture quality. The transition to digital is marked by the downgrading of human participation in the human-technology relationship. We have unwittingly unmoored ourselves, Hassan warns, from the anchors of analog technology and the natural world. Our analog nostalgia is for those ancient aspects of who and what we are.

An expert guide through the complex tapestry of analogue and digital worlds, "Analogue and Digital Communication" navigates the broad terrain of communication technologies and serves as a guide through the tapestry. This book sheds light on the fundamental concepts that are responsible for the transmission of information in an age that is characterized by connection. It provides readers with an in-depth and easily accessible investigation of the dynamic interaction that exists between analogue and digital communication systems. The book takes the reader on a trip through time that reveals the historical development of communication technology. It begins with the earliest types of telegraphy and ends with the most cutting-edge inventions of the digital era. The readers will be able to see the development of analogue communication systems, which include amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, and pulse modulation. Each of these methods is a demonstration of the inventive ways in which mankind has attempted to bridge distances and communicate messages over time and space. Concurrently, the book goes into the digital frontier, covering topics such as the complexities of encoding, modulation schemes, and the robust processes that are used for error detection and repair. This investigation provides readers with a comprehensive grasp of the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications that support current communication systems. It lays the framework for a comprehensive appreciation of the area as a whole.

This book brings together in one place important contributions and state-of-the-art research in the rapidly advancing area of analog VLSI neural networks. The book serves as an excellent reference, providing insights into some of the most important issues in analog VLSI neural networks research efforts.

This book highlights key design issues and challenges to guarantee the development of successful applications of analog circuits. Researchers around the world share acquired experience and insights to develop advances in analog circuit design, modeling and simulation. The key contributions of the sixteen chapters focus on recent advances in analog circuits to accomplish academic or industrial target specifications.

This text addresses the design methodologies and CAD tools available for the systematic design and design automation of analogue integrated circuits. Two complementary approaches discussed increase analogue design productivity, demonstrated throughout using design times of the different design experiments undertaken.

Analog Signal Processing brings together in one place important contributions and state-of-the-art research results in this rapidly advancing area. Analog Signal Processing serves as an excellent reference, providing insight into some of the most important issues in the field.

Emphasises the practical side of electronics For Advanced GNVQ, A-Level and BTEC National Companion to 'Practical Digital Electronics for Technicians'

IS THE TOPIC ANALOG TESTING AND DIAGNOSIS TIMELY? Yes, indeed it is. Testing and Diagnosis is an important topic and fulfills a vital need for the electronic industry. The testing and diagnosis of digital electronic circuits has been successfuIly developed to the point that it can be automated. Unfortu nately, its development for analog electronic circuits is still in its Stone Age. The engineer's intuition is still the most powerful tool used in the industry! There are two reasons for this. One is that there has been no pressing need from the industry. Analog circuits are usuaIly small in size. Sometimes, the engineer's experience and intuition are sufficient to fulfill the need. The other reason is that there are no breakthrough results from academic re search to provide the industry with critical ideas to develop tools. This is not because of a lack of effort. Both academic and industrial research groups have made major efforts to look into this problem. Unfortunately, the prob lem for analog circuits is fundamentally different from and much more diffi cult than its counterpart for digital circuits. These efforts have led to some important findings, but are still not at the point of being practicaIly useful. However, these situations are now changing. The current trend for the design of VLSI chips is to use analog/digital hybrid circuits, instead of digital circuits from the past. Therefore, even Ix x Preface though the analog circuit may be small, the total circuit under testing is large.

The book is suitable to be used as a one-semester senior-level course for the undergraduate engineering technology program. However, the book could also be useful as a reference for undergraduate engineering students, science students, and practicing engineers.

Mixed-Mode Simulation and Analog Multilevel Simulation addresses the problems of simulating entire mixed analog/digital systems in the time-domain. A complete hierarchy of modeling and simulation methods for analog and digital circuits is described. Mixed-Mode Simulation and Analog Multilevel Simulation also provides a chronology of the research in the field of mixed-mode simulation and analog multilevel simulation over the last ten to fifteen years. In addition, it provides enough information to the reader so that a prototype mixed-mode simulator could be developed using the algorithms in this book. Mixed-Mode Simulation and Analog Multilevel Simulation can also be used as documentation for the SPLICE family of mixed-mode programs as they are based on the algorithms and techniques described in this book.