ABSTRACT
Signal conditioners, including amplifiers, adapt sensor signals to the requirements of the receiver to which they are to be connected. The functions to be performed by the signal conditioner derive from the nature and properties of both the signal and the receiver. Signals from sensors can be analog or digital. Digital signals come from position encoders, electromechanical or magnetic switches, or oscillator-based sensors connected to frequency counters or time-to-digital converters. The amplitude for digital signals must be compatible with logic levels for the digital receiver, and their edges must be fast enough to prevent any false triggering. The dynamic range for the input or output of any signal-processing stage can be defined as the quotient between the corresponding voltage range and the resolution, often determined by noise.
