High Sensitivity Digital Instantaneous Frequency Measurement Receiver for Precise Frequency Analysis

There are numerous applications, such as Radar, that leverage wideband technology. However, the presence of noise introduces certain limitations and challenges. It is crucial to harness wideband technology for applications demanding the rapid and precise transmission of diverse information from one point to another within a short timeframe. The ability to report a signal without tuning within the input bandwidth stands out as one of the advantages of employing a digital wideband receiver. As indicated, a digital wideband receiver plays a pivotal role in achieving high precision and accuracy. The primary distinction between Analog and Digital Instantaneous Frequency Measurement lies in the fact that analog Instantaneous Frequency Measurement (IFM) receivers have traditionally covered extensive input bandwidths, reporting one accurate frequency per short pulse. In the contemporary landscape, digital IFM systems utilize high-sampling-rate Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADC) along with Hilbert transforms to generate two output channels featuring a 90-degree phase shift. This paper explores the improvement of sensitivity in current digital IFM receivers. The optimization efforts target the Hilbert transform and autocorrelations architectures, aiming to refine the system’s ability to report fine frequencies within a noisy wide bandwidth environment, thereby elevating its overall sensitivity.