In a world facing climate-driven water stress and uncertainties of supply and quality, pH measuring and monitoring is a vital tool. Sanitation and safe drinking water are essentials to life, and central to UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 . Now, with edge AI and machine learning inference at its core, NXP technology is enabling a new school of thought in pH monitoring.
Hydrating the planet: smarter stewardship of water
More than 40% of the global population still lacks access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation services. With climate variability increasingly affecting water availability, there is a true need for real-time and predictive water quality management. This is now possible using AI-powered pH sensors, with monitoring and data analysis transforming traditional water management into a proactive, dynamic system.
Instead of occasional manual checks, high-resolution sensors continuously track pH levels in real time, with edge-based AI models interpreting the data and triggering automated responses. These systems enable real-time adjustments to water supply and treatment, improving efficiency and responsiveness to changing conditions. By ensuring water is safe for use and discharge, AI-enabled monitoring can help preserve biodiversity, reduce water waste, and promote the responsible allocation of resources.
Powering precision: the NAFE advantage
At the heart of the solution is the NXP Analog Front-End family, including the NAFE13388, designed for precision sensor signal processing. In pH monitoring, the analog front end converts delicate electrochemical readings from the probe into accurate digital data. Fast, precise and reliable pH metering makes real-time water monitoring possible, using ML algorithms for water quality analysis. This gives edge-based AI models the reliable, high-quality data they need to predict, analyze and classify water quality changes with confidence. For water authorities, plant managers and field operators, this offers high-resolution data and deeper trust. For communities, it brings safer, more consistent water management.
Check out our NAFE family product page to see other application areas.
Supporting society: from equity to empowerment
Access to clean water is a matter of global equity and public health. By bringing pH analysis closer to the source, AI-powered systems can be used in locations where traditional sampling and testing are difficult or costly. This approach benefits agriculture, aquaculture and municipal water management, by providing reliable, edge-based data for timely decision-making. This will help communities to improve operational efficiency, reduce water losses and facilitate adaptive water management.
By embedding intelligence and insight into the smallest details of monitoring, NXP is enabling systems that can adapt, scale and respond to the challenges ahead. With every drop of clean water secured, we work toward a future where everyone, everywhere, has safe water and sanitation.
