A-Law

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What Does A-Law Mean?

An A-law algorithm is a complex algorithm used in audio processing, and in digitizing analog signals. Its use in European engineering is contrasted with the mu-law algorithms used in American and Japanese engineering systems.

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Techopedia Explains A-Law

“A-law” is used to optimize the dynamic range of an analog signal. This type of design can be used to deliver voice or audio data with less bandwidth. These audio compression schemes are maintained by the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T). Some of the benefits of these algorithmic solutions involve the ability to achieve resolution for the lower-amplitude signals while still delivering dynamic range, and the relatively small amount of processing power needed to decode signals compressed with A-law compressions.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Specialist
Margaret Rouse
Technology Specialist

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.