Digital chips have revolutionized the world. While digital chips offer significant advantages in computation, analog chips may be a better choice for power-hungry processes like artificial intelligence.

　　Digital computer chips are the backbone of our current digital age.

　　They are present in almost every device that uses electricity, from refrigerators and cars to mobile phones.

　　But their predecessors—analog chips—may be poised for a comeback.

　　Analog chips once ruled computation, operating within a continuous range of values. While analog computation might seem outdated compared to today's standards, lacking the precision and adaptability of digital chips, it is experiencing a resurgence in areas such as advanced artificial intelligence. But what are they, and how do they work?

　　 What exactly are analog chips?

　　Analog chips, also known as analog integrated circuits (ICs) or devices, are semiconductor devices that process and manipulate analog signals. Analog signals are continuous, time-varying electrical signals that represent real-world phenomena such as sound, temperature, pressure, and light. These chips are used in numerous applications, including consumer electronics, telecommunications, automotive systems, and industrial automation.

　　In other words, analog chips work somewhat similarly to brain cells. Unlike digital chips that use 1s and 0s to process information, analog chips use a continuous range of values, much like a dimmer switch that can be smoothly adjusted.

　　Analog chips are characterized by their ability to process continuous signals, whereas digital chips can only process discrete binary signals (0s and 1s). The basic components of analog chips include transistors, capacitors, resistors, and diodes, which are interconnected to produce specific circuit functions such as amplification, filtering, and signal conversion. As such, analog chips enable seamless interaction between the natural world and the digital realm, ensuring that our electronic systems remain efficient, reliable, and versatile.

　　Despite the increasing prevalence of digital technology, analog chips remain indispensable due to their unique ability to handle real-world signals. The development of mixed-signal ICs, which combine analog and digital circuits on a single chip, further enhances the importance of analog design and expertise. This integration makes electronic systems more compact, efficient, and cost-effective, driving innovation across numerous fields.

　 　What are some examples of analog chips?

　　One of the common types of analog chips is the operational amplifier. An operational amplifier is a versatile component that can perform various functions such as signal amplification, filtering, and mathematical operations. They are integral parts of many electronic systems, ranging from audio equipment to medical devices.

　　Other notable examples of analog chips include analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs). These chips convert continuous analog signals into discrete digital data and vice versa, enabling communication between the analog and digital domains. ADCs and DACs are crucial in digital signal processing, data acquisition, and digital audio and video systems.

　　Voltage regulators are another important type of analog chip. They provide stable voltage levels to various electronic circuits, ensuring that systems operate reliably and efficiently. Voltage regulators are used in a wide range of applications, from power supplies and battery chargers to automotive electronics and renewable energy systems.

　　Analog chips also play a significant role in specialized devices tailored for specific applications, such as sensor interfaces, radio frequency (RF) circuits, and power management ICs. Sensor interfaces are capable of processing and converting signals generated by sensors such as temperature, pressure, or light sensors. RF circuits facilitate wireless communication in mobile phones, Wi-Fi routers, and satellite systems. Power management ICs, on the other hand, regulate and distribute power within electronic systems, optimizing energy consumption and extending battery life.

　　 What are the differences between analog and digital microchips?

　　Analog and digital microchips differ in their functionality, signal processing, and application domains—one of the key differences lies in how each chip processes signals. Analog microchips process continuous, time-varying electrical signals that represent real-world phenomena such as sound, temperature, and light. In contrast, digital microchips process discrete binary signals represented by 0s and 1s. These binary signals perform logical and arithmetic operations within digital systems.

　　Another significant difference is that analog microchips are designed to handle specific functions such as signal amplification, filtering, and conversion. Examples of analog microchips include operational amplifiers, analog-to-digital converters, and voltage regulators. On the other hand, digital microchips can perform complex logical and arithmetic operations based on binary data. Examples of digital microchips include microprocessors, microcontrollers, and memory chips.

　　Applications requiring continuous signal processing or control rely on analog microchips, such as microchips in audio equipment, sensor interfaces, and power management systems. For data processing, storage, and communication, digital microchips are essential, such as microchips in computers, smartphones, and digital communication systems.

　　Circuit components also play a significant role. Analog microchips consist of basic components such as transistors, capacitors, resistors, and diodes, which are interconnected to produce specific circuit functions. On the other hand, digital microchips are composed of digital logic gates built from transistors, which are organized into more complex structures such as flip-flops, registers, and arithmetic logic units.

　　Noise susceptibility is another differentiating factor. Analog microchips are more susceptible to "noise" (small, unwanted variations in voltage) and signal attenuation, as even slight changes in signal levels can affect the overall performance of the system. Digital microchips are less sensitive to noise because they operate at discrete voltage levels, making it easier to distinguish between 0s and 1s. However, analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion processes can introduce noise and quantization errors in mixed-signal systems.

　　 Analog chips may be the future of artificial intelligence

　　Today's artificial intelligence primarily uses the mathematical operation of matrix multiplication, which involves multiplying two rectangular arrays of numbers. This happens when information is passed between artificial brain cells, or neurons. To make quick decisions, many "artificial neurons" must simultaneously send data to many other neurons. This is a massive and complex process. Therefore, Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) that are used to handle these fast, large processes are now widely used in AI development. Powerful GPUs and specialized AI chips have made it possible to create larger neural networks, which consist of thousands of GPUs processing a large number of virtual neurons. While this has greatly benefited AI research and improved the capabilities of AI, there are some problems.

　　Today's GPUs have billions of tiny transistors, which consume a lot of power and generate a lot of heat. Consider how much power and heat it takes to train an AI with thousands of GPUs, and the power needed to keep the equipment cool. This is equivalent to consuming more electricity than several houses in a year, and it takes up a lot of space.

　　In fact, environmentalists and others often point out that artificial intelligence has already had a huge impact on the environment, and this impact will further expand if AI is more widely applied. It is estimated that the environmental impact of training a single AI model is roughly the same as the lifetime production (including its manufacture) of five cars.

　　When AI is ready to perform its work, it still requires a large GPU to handle all the power and heat it generates. This also makes it more difficult to put AI into smaller devices such as cameras or robots, as these devices have little space to accommodate all the power and heat.

　　And this is where analog chips can help. While not as good as digital chips in some ways, analog chips are faster and consume less power when performing a task, such as multiplying a large set of numbers. This makes them a good competitor to digital chips. Special analog AI chips consume less than 10 watts, while GPUs consume over 100 watts doing the same thing. This means we can put AI into small devices where power and heat are critical, such as AI cameras on factory production lines that can identify parts without sending large amounts of data to another system and waiting for an answer.

　　Analog chips cannot replace digital chips and cannot do all the work of artificial intelligence, especially when interacting with people or obtaining information. But combining the advantages of both types of chips can make artificial intelligence better, not only for high-tech products but also for smart devices in homes and factories around the world.