[gwbas1c]

> this design, developed in the 1950s, is entirely analog

Uhm, how is this analog? Perhaps "electro-mechanical?" Is there such a thing as a "digital cigarette lighter?"

It's not like the electric circuit is an analog of the act of lighting a cigarette; as opposed to what we commonly use the word "analog" to mean that something in the system is an analog to what's being recorded or processed. (IE, in analog tape the magnetic signal is an analog to the real signal, or in analog TV the signal is an analog to the brightness of the picture at a specific moment in time.)

[ofalkaed]

It is an analog of a traditional burning fuel lighter. But they are using analog to refer to the fact it relies completely on analog circuitry and I suspect they actually wanted to point out the fact that it is 100% passive circuitry relying solely on the electrical and physical properties of a resistor (the coil) which is the interesting thing here, the resistor is its own temperature sensor. They sort of explain this and walk you through it all, probably trying to stick to language suited to their audience.

[gwbas1c]

> it relies completely on analog circuitry

A resistor is not "analog circuitry"

> the resistor is its own temperature sensor

No, the clasp that holds the spring down is a bi-metallic strip that bends when it reaches a temperature. This is not "analog" because there is nothing for it to represent.

The article is merely a case of calling something old "analog" without knowing what the word means.

[ofalkaed]

A resistor is not circuitry, the resistor is a part of a circuit which in this case is analog.

[gwbas1c]

This circuit does not "represent" anything, and thus is not analog.

Look up the definition.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/analog

> of or relating to a mechanism, device, or technology that represents data by measurement of a continuous physical variable, as voltage or pressure.

[ofalkaed]

I am an OED man myself.

>Relating to or operating with signals or information represented by a continuously variable physical quantity, such as voltage, spatial position, etc., which in the case of measuring instruments can be displayed on a dial or other fixed scale. Also: designating a signal represented in this way.

But the bimetal strip represents the data that is the temperature of the coil and the coil represents the data of the current. We can use both as sensors and we do, the bimetal strip was ubiquitous in thermostats until the rise of the digital thermostat and still used, resistors as sensors are still common and used all over the place in electronics.

[throwup238]

> Is there such a thing as a "digital cigarette lighter?"

Yes: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Flameless-Cigarette-Lighter-USB-R... :-)

[moolcool]

It's a valid distinction of the author to make. I don't know if there's such thing as a cigarette lighter which uses digital circuitry, but there theoretically could be.

The way the lighter in the article works is both analog _and_ electro-mechanical.

[gwbas1c]

No, go look at the definition:

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/analog

> of or relating to a mechanism, device, or technology that represents data by measurement of a continuous physical variable, as voltage or pressure.

[moolcool]

"represents data by measurement of a continuous physical variable"

Did you read the article? The cigarette lighter represents data (pops out) based on measurement of a continuous variable (temperature)

[gwbas1c]

Yes. The latch is a bi-metallic strip that moves.

There is nothing representing the temperature. IE, to meet the definition of analog it would need something like a thermometer resistor where the resistance is used by some electronics to turn off the main heater.

[moolcool]

The pressure provided by the bi-metalic strip is representing the temperature, and it's turning off the main heater by causing the unit to pop out. The "signal" doesn't have to be voltage, it can be pressure or spacial position as well.