Issue link: https://resources.mouser.com/i/1470437
"As analog signal chains are developed into ever smaller devices, low power is required. When a small product is a primary design goal, lower power dissipation and the reduced need for thermal controls are essential." Daniel Schaeffer Hardware Design Engineer, Tektronix Beyond this, components with power-saving modes should be selected—for example, sleep and shutdown—which save power by turning off the solution when not in use. Maximum power savings can be achieved when a signal chain can operate autonomously. This means being able to perform threshold detection or identify out-of-bound conditions when looking for a certain signal level, and only waking up the digital host when that threshold has been crossed. One of the largest challenges to achieving low power is the tradeoff with accuracy. Inherently, low-power operation means working with signals of smaller amplitude and low bandwidth. Small signals introduce accuracy challenges, especially in low-power applications, because the contribution of noise to the overall signal is much more significant (i.e., SNR will decrease). Still, applications for which the need for accuracy outweighs the need for low power might exist—for example, medical devices—and signal chain optimizations must be made with precision as the priority. ADI features the following signal chain products that are optimized for precision at low power: • Complete signal chains including amplifiers, ADCs, voltage references, and isolation solutions optimized for power, size, or noise performance • Signal chains that can run autonomously to save overall system power, so the digital host and wireless communications can be held in low-power states for as long as possible • Low-power technologies such as Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) sensors that combine with low-power signal chains to contribute to even more power savings at the system level 21 | Optimizing for Highest Precision at Lowest Power