IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO SIGNAL RANK DETECTORS

摘要

A signal rank detector for use with a radar receiver consists of two stages, each having a serial shift register 34 and 46 respectively. The first stage compares each received amplitude sample of a radar video signal with preceding and following samples to establish the rank of the sample. If the rank exceeds a first threshold value, a rank signal is generated and the results of the comparisons are passed together with the rank signal to the second stage so as to enable a final output rank signal to be produced. The detector enables weak target signals to be accepted even if a stronger target signal is also present, but without increasing the response of the detector to unwanted noise signals.