Podcasts · The Hardware Podcast with Fexingo: Chips, Devices, and Electronics Engineering Conversations
Why Chips Are Getting a Dedicated Analog Front End
· 11 min · S2 E68
Episode Why Chips Are Getting a Dedicated Analog Front End
On this episode of The Hardware Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the quiet but crucial shift toward dedicated analog front-end (AFE) chips in modern electronics. With wireless sensor nodes expected to reach 75 billion by 2030, designers are separating analog conditioning from digital processing to cut noise and save power. Lucas breaks down how ADI's AD5941 bio-impedance AFE is being used in wearable health patches, and why the move from integrated ADC to standalone AFEs echoes the earlier transition from general-purpose MCUs to dedicated sensor hubs. The hosts also discuss the challenge of designing AFEs for edge AI—where precision analog must coexist with neural network inference—and why companies like STMicroelectronics and Texas Instruments are investing heavily in configurable AFE architectures. Whether you're an embedded engineer or just curious about how your smartwatch measures stress, this episode explains the chip inside the sensor.
#AnalogFrontEnd #ChipDesign #Semiconductors #WearableTech #EdgeComputing #SensorTechnology #ADI #STMicroelectronics #TexasInstruments #BioImpedance #SignalConditioning #MixedSignal #LowPowerDesign #HealthTech #IoT #HardwareEngineering #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast
Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
Links in the notes 1
Transcript
Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them. Explicit shows are for adult profiles only, and children’s profiles hear only children’s shows. More about this list.