A flash analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is a type of electronic device that quickly converts an analog signal, like sound or light, into a digital signal that computers can process. It uses a series of comparators to measure the input voltage against reference voltages, allowing it to produce a digital output in a single step. This makes flash ADCs extremely fast, suitable for applications requiring high-speed data conversion. Flash ADCs are commonly used in applications such as digital oscilloscopes, video processing, and communication systems. Their speed comes at the cost of complexity and power consumption, as they require many components to achieve high resolution.