from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
digital electronics
<electronics> The implementation of {two-valued logic} using
electronic {logic gates} such as {and gates}, {or gates} and
{flip-flops}. In such circuits the logical values true and
false are represented by two different {voltages}, e.g. 0V for
false and +5V for true. Similarly, numbers are normally
represented in {binary} using two different voltages to
represented zero and one.
Digital electronics contrasts with {analogue} electronics
which represents continuously varying quantities like sound
pressure using continuously varying voltages.
Digital electronics is the foundation of modern computers and
{digital communications}. Massively complex digital logic
circuits with millions of gates can now be built onto a single
{integrated circuit} such as a {microprocessor} and these
circuits can perform millions of operations per second.
(2006-01-14)