1. A method of interfacing between digital data processing and the statistical processing and pattern recognition provided in a neural processing component and encoding information in an encoder, comprising: receiving a signal representing information using a collection of discrete digits; converting, by an encoder, the received signal into a time-based code, wherein: the time-based code is divided into time intervals, each of the time intervals of the time-based code corresponds to a digit in the received signal, each digit of a first state of the received signal is expressed as a event occurring at a first time within the corresponding time interval of the time-based code, each digit of a second state of the received signal is expressed as a event occurring at a second time within the corresponding time intervals of the time-based code, the first time is distinguishable from the second time, and all of the states of the digits in the received signal are represented by events in the time-based code; and outputting the time-based code to the neural processing component.