The AWSUM filter: a 20-dB gain fluctuation-based processor

The advanced WISPR summation (AWSUM) filter, a natural extension of the WISPR filter for higher filter order numbers, is presented and its performance is compared to the performance of the WISPR filter and the conventional summation processor. It is shown that the AWSUM filter achieves substantial gains in various measures of processor performance above those of the other two processors in spatial and spectral resolution, minimum detectable level (MDL), clutter reduction, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain. The important processing parameters are shown to be the percentage of overlap of the voltage time series and the number of FFT's averaged. SNR gains in excess of 20 dB were shown to be achievable for low-fluctuation amplitude tonals using measured data.