Analysis of a Simplified Radar Simulator for Measuring Probability of Detection

This paper describes a simplified radar target simulator that can approximate the output of a pulse radar receiver so that the detection capabilities of amplitude-sensing video target detection devices can be measured. The simplified simulator uses only video frequency components; therefore, its output is not identical to that from a radar. However, an analysis of the simulator output gives the probability density function for signal plus noise and the equation for the probability of detection. A comparison of the probability of detection for the simplified simulator and an actual radar receiver is made and some results are plotted. Therefore, the output of the simplified radar simulator can be used to measure the probability of detection of amplitude-sensing video target detectors because the results can be related to the case of an actual radar receiver. Although the example discussed involves a radar receiver, the analysis is general in its application to all narrow-band AM receivers using envelope detection.