Describe the term "signal conditioning".

The term "signal conditioning" refers to the process of manipulating a signal to make it suitable for further processing. This can include a variety of operations such as amplification, filtering, converting, and linearization. The main goal is to improve the quality of the signal and make it more acceptable for the next stage in the data acquisition or processing system.

For example, when raw sensor data is collected, it may contain noise, distortions, or be in a format that is not readily usable. Signal conditioning helps refine this data, allowing for accurate interpretation and analysis. It can involve modifying various characteristics of the signal, including its amplitude, frequency, or voltage level.

While other choices mention important aspects related to signal handling, they each represent specific components of signal conditioning rather than encompassing the full scope of the process. For instance, the conversion of analog signals to digital signals is a part of signal conditioning but does not cover all aspects of the process. Similarly, interpreting sensor data and filtering noise are important but are just specific functions that may occur as part of the broader signal conditioning process.