front-end processor

American  

noun

Computers.

1. a small computer or other dedicated device that performs preliminary processing of data for a host computer.

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front-end processor British  

noun

1. a small computer that receives data from input devices and performs some initial processing tasks on it before passing it to a more powerful computer for final processing

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Etymology

Origin of front-end processor

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Because these can't be made out of the same materials, such as silicon, as the other critically important chips in the front-end processor, the physical size of your device is much bigger than it needs to be, and along the way, there are losses from going back and forth between radio waves and sound waves that add up and degrade the performance, Eichenfield said.

From Science Daily

"Now, you can point to every component in a diagram of a radiofrequency front-end processor and say, 'Yeah, I can make all of these on one chip with acoustic waves,'" Eichenfield said.

From Science Daily