Is PPM Analog or Digital?
Since I am a huge fan of answering questions when they are asked, here is my answer to "Is PPM Analog or Digita?"
The easiest way to determine if electrical signal (and PPM in case of RC usage is electrical) is analog or digital is to check how many voltage levels are used. If signal consists of 2 levels, like 5V and 0V, or 3.3V and 0V it is digital. Two states, HIGH and LOW, 1 and 0, digital.
If, however, number of voltages/levels is bigger, it still does not mean that we are dealing with analog signal. Analog signal should be "smooth". It's hard to call signal with 3 levels a smooth one. Computers do not work with analog signals. They do not know how to do it. Signals thay can process are always quantified, represented by countable number of bits. Of course, with enough resultion they will appear analog. I'm pretty sure somewhere in The Internet someone is arguing abouth that the very moment you are reading this sentence. I will not participate. If you want to know more about analog and digital, read this article. Bottom line is: with 2 levels, signal is digital.
So, PPM is digital or analog? In case or RC, PPM is a digital signal (or to be more precise digital modulation) that carries/encodes multiple values (channels). Each value (channel) can vary between around 1000 to around 2000. Value of each channel is encoded as number of microseconds between rising and falling edge in specific timeframe associated with this channel number.
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I'm Paweł Spychalski and I do things. Mainly software development, FPV drones and amateur cinematography. Here are my YouTube channels: