See Also: Microwave Communications
A Digital Microwave(s) system provides the following advantages over an Analog microwave system.
1. Digital has a higher capacity per channel than analog.
2. Technically, the Substation(s) are being more innovative with smart devices. Digital provides the
capacity to handle these devices as well as giving higher data rates and a faster
system.
3. Analog is becoming obsolete and the product support for the analog devices
may only last until the early 2000’s, whereas the digital communications is an emerging technology with a lot of
product support.
4. The more data applied to an analog system will create more Noise (see Interference) on the system whereas the digital system would allow for the higher data
capacity and would also be a lot quieter. This is only true under continuous
normal operations.
A digital system has the following disadvantages.
1. Digital systems are at least twice the cost of analog systems.
2. The analog system is what Sho-Me employees are used to and know better.
They don’t have a lot of experience with digital so there would be a learning process.
3. The digital system is not as forgiving on fade outs and drop outs as the
analog. This would be under abnormal conditions.
4. The implementation of the digital system would be difficult due to the
coexisting analog system.