Analógica

Analógica is the feminine form of the adjective analógico in Spanish and Portuguese, used to describe things related to analog signals or continuous quantities as opposed to digital, which uses discrete values. The term appears across science, technology, and everyday language to distinguish continuous-domain phenomena from discrete or binary ones.

In electronics and signal processing, una señal analógica varies smoothly over time and amplitude. Analógica systems process information in a continuous domain, such as voltage or current, and are contrasted with digital systems that sample and quantize those values. Common examples include a reloj analógico with hands that move continuously, un termómetro analógico with a continuous scale, and la transmisión analógica de voz through telephone networks.

Cultural and historical applications include analógica recording media like vinilo (vinyl records) and magnet tape, where sound is captured in continuous waveform form. Analógica technology remains pervasive in many domains due to its natural representation of real-world signals and, in some cases, simpler front-end design.

Related concepts include la conversión analógica a digital (A/D) and la conversión digital a analógica (D/A), which describe processes that translate between analog and digital representations. There is also el aprendizaje computacional analógico and la computación analógica, which refer to models and hardware that emulate continuous processes rather than discrete steps, though these approaches are less common today than digital methods.

Overall, analógica denotes a spectrum of continuous, non-quantized phenomena and devices, often favored for fidelity to real-world signals but increasingly complemented by digital technologies.