Analog engineers frequently vary resistance and voltage to make analog circuits meet performance specifications. By using potentiometers to control the parameters of circuits, engineers can calibrate or vary critical functions such as the output of a laser diode in a fiber optic communications circuit, the contrast of an LCD display, or the position of a motor in a process control system.

Potentiometers come in two types: Mechanically-controlled and digitally-controlled. Mechanically-controlled potentiometers, or pots, are adjusted by turning a screw: A technician physically turns a screw with a screwdriver while monitoring circuit output on an instrument. A digitally-controlled potentiometer (DCP) is adjusted by giving it a digital value that it converts to a wiper position. In many applications a processor or digital controller monitors the analog function's output and calculates the digital value that is applied to the DCP.

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