A New Method of Assessing Receiver Performance in the Presence of Impulsive Noise

A new method is proposed for assessing the performance of a radio receiver in the presence of impulsive noise. It involves selecting a criterion of performance, appropriate for the system under consideration (e.g., BER in data communication systems), and measuring isodegradation curves with respect to that criterion. A direct estimate of system performance can then be obtained using the noise amplitude distribution (NAD), one method being via the overlay technique. To demonstrate the validity of the method, three VHF/FM receivers have been tested in the laboratory. Results show that isodegradation curves in the new form give a better insight into performance degradation than those using the established criterion 20 dB quieting. It is suggested that receiver specifications should include a parameter related to performance in impulsive noise.