Signal chain, or signal-processing chain is a term used in
signal processing
Signal processing is an electrical engineering subfield that focuses on analyzing, modifying and synthesizing ''signals'', such as sound, images, and scientific measurements. Signal processing techniques are used to optimize transmissions, ...
and
mixed-signal system design to describe a series of signal-conditioning electronic components that receive input (data acquired from
sampling either real-time
phenomena or from stored data) sequentially, with the output of one portion of the chain supplying input to the next.
Signal chains are often used in signal processing applications to gather and process data or to apply system controls based on analysis of real-time phenomena.
Definition
This definition comes from common usage in the
electronics industry and can be derived from definitions of its parts:
[Sippi, C. & Sippi, P., Computer Dictionary and Handbook, 1972, Bobbs-Merrill, New York, ]
*Signal: "The event, phenomenon, or electrical quantity, that conveys information from one point to another".
[
*Chain: "1. Any series of items linked together. 2. Pertaining to a routine consisting of segments which are run through the computer in tandem, only one segment being within the computer at any one time and each segment using the output from the previous program as its input".][
The concept of a ''signal chain'' is familiar to ]electrical engineers
Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the ...
, but the term has many synonyms such as ''circuit topology''. The goal of any signal chain is to process a variety of ''signals''[Kories, R., Electrical Engineering: a pocket reference, 2003, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, ] to monitor or control an analog-, digital-, or analog-digital system.
See also
*Audio signal flow
Audio signal flow is the path an audio signal takes from source to output. The concept of audio signal flow is closely related to the concept of audio gain staging; each component in the signal flow can be thought of as a gain stage.
In typical h ...
*Daisy chain (electrical engineering)
In electrical and electronic engineering, a daisy chain is a wiring scheme in which multiple devices are wired together in sequence or in a ring, similar to a garland of daisy flowers. Daisy chains may be used for power, analog signals, digit ...
* Feedback
References
External links
Signal Chain Basics
fro
www.planetanalog.com
Signal processing systems
{{electronics-stub