This electrical engineering discipline deals with analyzing and modifying continuous or discrete signals like audio, video, radio waves, and sensor readings. Engineers apply algorithms to clean up noise, isolate specific frequencies, or compress data for transmission. The work bridges heavy mathematics with hardware implementation, relying on transforms and filters to make raw physical measurements usable by digital systems.
The raw sensor data is practically garbage until the signal processing block filters out the 60 hertz mains hum.
Related terms
DSP
Digital signal processing involves manipulating continuous real-world signals in a digital format.
Fourier transform
A mathematical operation that breaks a time-based signal into its constituent frequencies.
Frequency domain
A method of analyzing a signal by looking at its frequency components rather than its changes over time.
Analog-to-digital converter
A mixed-signal circuit component that translates continuous physical voltages into discrete digital numbers.