1. A sensor assembly, comprising: a sensor operable to sense a physical parameter and generate an electrical signal responsive to the sensed physical parameter; and a pipeline accelerator having local processing circuitry physically positioned proximate to the sensor and electrically coupled to the sensor, the local processing circuitry including an output port adapted to be coupled to a communications channel and operable to process a first data set from the sensor to generate a second data set and to provide the second data set to a communicatively coupled host processor via the communications channel and output port, said second data set derived from said first data set and having a size less than the first data set such that the second data set is operable to be transmitted through a low-bandwidth channel in less time than the first data set.