Signal chain

Signal chain, or signal-processing chain is a term used in signal processing 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) in tandem, 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.