Definition
An electronic device that processes information in discrete numerical form (typically binary digits — ones and zeros) by following a stored set of instructions. In modern aircraft, digital computers receive inputs from sensors, perform calculations, and send outputs to displays, flight control systems, and other onboard equipment.
Plain English
A small electronic 'brain' inside the aircraft that takes in numbers from sensors, does math on them, and sends results to the displays and systems that need them.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of modern aircraft instruments, automated systems, and equipment that calculates or controls aircraft functions.
Derivation
Digital' comes from the Latin digitus, meaning 'finger' — fingers were the original counting tools, so 'digital' came to mean 'expressed in discrete numbers.' This contrasts with 'analog,' which represents information as a continuous physical quantity (like a needle's position). Knowing this helps you see why digital systems are so precise: they work with exact numbers rather than continuously varying signals.
Why Pilots Care
Digital computers enable precise automated control, rapid data handling, and integrated cockpit displays that reduce workload and improve accuracy.
Intuition Check
A digital computer does not have to mean a laptop or desktop computer. In an aircraft, it may be a built-in unit inside an instrument, engine system, or control system.
Example Sentence 1
The aircraft's digital computer takes pitot and static pressure inputs and calculates airspeed, altitude, and vertical speed for the primary flight display.
Example Sentence 2
Pilots monitor outputs from the digital computer on the primary flight display during instrument approaches.