A comparative evaluation of some practical algorithms used in the effective bits test of waveform recorders

A comparative evaluation of programs used in the effective bit test is described. Several methods of determining the best-fit sine wave were tested using computer-generated data contaminated to varying degrees with white noise. These data were supplemented with actual records of sine waves obtained using fast digitizers with 6- to 12-bit resolution and recorded lengths of 512-2000 words. The programs were evaluated for relative accuracy, absolute accuracy, and efficiency, both in terms of how often each method converged and also of how much computer time each method took to converge. It has been found that in some cases the accuracy varies with record length and preliminary investigations of this effect are reported