Analog Signal Processing
Analog Signal Processing (ASP) is a branch of signal processing that deals with continuous-time signals using analog electronic circuits, such as operational amplifiers, resistors, capacitors, and inductors. It involves operations like filtering, amplification, modulation, and demodulation on analog signals without converting them to digital form. ASP is fundamental in applications where real-time processing, low latency, or simplicity in hardware is critical.
Developers should learn ASP when working on embedded systems, audio/video equipment, telecommunications, or sensor interfaces that require direct manipulation of continuous signals. It is essential for designing analog filters, amplifiers, and modulators in hardware, and for understanding the analog front-end before analog-to-digital conversion in mixed-signal systems. Use cases include audio processing in analog synthesizers, RF signal conditioning in radios, and sensor signal conditioning in industrial controls.