Digital Communication: Exploring its advantages and disadvantages

A digital communication system transfers information from a digital source ( which produces a finite set of possible messages ) to the destination.

Advantages of Digital Communication:

1). Digital communication systems are cheaper to implement. It is possible to manufacture very high speed embedded circuits due to advancements in VLSI technology in cost effective manner . Such circuits are used in digital communications.

2). Digital communication allows  re-generation the digital signal in long distance transmission which reduces noise effect.

3). Good processing techniques are available for digital signals such as source coding (data compression), channel coding (error detection and correction), equalization etc.

4). Easy to mix signals and data using digital techniques.

5). Privacy is preserved by using data encryption. Using data encryption. only permitted receivers can be allowed to detect the transmitted data. This is very useful in military applications.

6).High speed computers and powerful software design tools are available. They make the development of digital communication systems flexible.

7). Internet is spread almost in every cities and towns. The compatibility of digital communication systems with Internet has opened new area of applications.

Disadvantages of Digital Communication:

1). Generally, more bandwidth is required than that for analog systems.

2). Synchronization is required.

3). High power consumption (Due to various stages of conversion).

4). Complex circuit, more sofisticated device making is also drawbacks of digital system.

5). Introduce sampling error

6). As square wave is more affected by noise, That’s why while communicating through channel we send sin waves but while operating on device we use squire pulses.