An analog delay line is a network of electrical components connected in cascade, where each individual element creates a time difference between its input and output. It operates on analog signals whose amplitude varies continuously. In the case of a periodic signal, the time difference can be described in terms of a change in the phase of the signal. One example of an analog delay line is a bucket-brigade device. With the growing use of digital signal processing techniques, digital forms of delay are practical and eliminate some of the problems with dissipation and noise in analog systems.