Sensor and detector interfaces are interfaces that connect a processors system to a sensor that reports or detects physical stimulus or state. This forms the bridge between a processor and the real world. There are a wide range of interfaces available, and can include functionality like Data Acquisition and Storage (DAS), signal amplification, signal processing and conversion between analog and digital signals (ADC).

In order to communicate with a processor system, sensor and detector interfaces have digital buses. These are usually serial interfaces like I2C and SPI, but higher speed sensors may require higher speed interfaces (for example analog to digital converters can have high speed LVDS interfaces to cater for high conversion sample rates). Interfaces usually allow the sensor to be physically located independent of the processor board to allow them to be placed physically where they are required. Care must be taken to ensure that noise from the digital interface does not impact the measurement accuracy of the sensor or detector.

Sensors can include ADCs to convert an analog level from a sensor to a digital value for communication to the processor system. Analog measurements can be required in devices like capacitive sensors (proximity, water level, touch), pressure, and temperature sensors. Other detectors may have a detection level that creates an event. An example of this is a smoke detector. Data acquisition requires the integration of memory to store sensor values or detection events. There may be some controls required to configure the sensor, and these are usually set by registers that can be written to by the software driver running on the processor.

Many modern sensors are based upon microelectromechanical systems (MEMs).

These are devices etched in silicon that incorporate mechanical and electrical elements. Such devices include gyroscopes and accelerometers. These tend to have serial interfaces integrated into them. Other devices like reluctance sensors adapt highly variable signals from inductance detection coils to produce digital pulses which can be read by a processors interrupts to derive timing information.

Sensor and detector interfaces are used in many applications, including automotive and industrial markets. Such markets require robust and reliable communications that fit into their standard systems. They can include bus fault monitoring. Some sensors have extremely efficient (but slow) one wire serial interfaces where the serial interface is shared with the power supply of the device.