a/d converter - Computer Definition
(Analog/Digital converter) A device that converts continuously varying analog signals from instruments and sensors that monitor conditions, such as sound, movement and temperature into binary code for the computer. The A/D converter may be contained on a single chip or can be one circuit within a chip. See codec and sampling. A/D Converters Are Everywhere Every digital desk phone and cellphone has an A/D converter that turns electronic sound waves into digital PCM code. Every digital camera, camcorder and scanner uses A/D converters to transform the variable charges captured in CCD and CMOS chips into the binary pixel data that make up a digital image. See modem, DSP, CCD sensor, CMOS sensor, PCM and codec. Contrast with D/A converter.