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Chapter One "Test and measurement equipment rely on precision analog signal chain technology for calibration accuracy and repeatability. A reliable signal chain is what makes measurement equipment easier to calibrate, specify, and trust." Daniel Schaeffer Hardware Design Engineer, Tektronix Measuring Precision Analog Signals When designing sensor-based systems, engineers undoubtedly aim to achieve the best performance and highest precision possible. Outside of the sensor itself, the device's analog signal chain is the largest contributor to system performance, along with the power components needed for optimal operation. In any sensor system, the ultimate goal is to take analog data from the real world and convert them to the digital domain for processing and interpretation. To achieve this, most sensor-based systems consist of a similar architecture and sequential process flow that start with the sensor and end with digital data being passed to a microcontroller unit (MCU) or field-programmable gate array (FPGA). A sensor first generates an output signal in response to its environmental conditions. Before the signal can be fed to the digital domain, it must be conditioned through a series of stages. This conditioning often includes switching, filtering, amplification, isolation, and conversion. The series of signal-conditioning electronic components that live between the sensor and the processor is known as the signal chain. The major components and subsystems that can be found within an analog signal chain include amplifiers, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), digital-to-analog converters (DACs), isolation products, voltage references, and more. An analog signal chain's performance can be understood as an aggregate of the individual components' performance, their power management solution, as well as their interoperability and layout. 7 | Measuring Precision Analog Signals