Usually the transducer output cannot be directly coupled to the display device.
The main purpose of the signal conditioning section of an instrumentation system is to modify the signal coming from the transducer into a form that is usable by the final stages of the instrumentation system.
Simple signal conditioners may only amplify and filter the signal or merely match the impedance of the transducer to the display.
Often transducer outputs are converted to digital form and then processed by specialized digital circuits or digital computers.
Signal conditioning may compensate for undesirable transducer characteristics.
It may also average repetitive signals to reduce noise.
It may convert information from the time domain to the frequency domain.
The signal conditioner is involved with the transmission and transformation of sensor or transducer response.
Signal conditioning can take any of the following forms :