Performance Analyses For Peak-Detecting Laser Radars

In 2-D pulsed imager and 2-D Doppler imager laser radars, the intermediate frequency return signals are generally filtered, envelope detected, and peak detected in a pre-processor sub-system. Because the input to the peak detector is often thresholded, these systems are subject to dropouts. Because laser radar targets commonly exhibit speckle statistics, these systems are prone to detecting anomalous peaks. This paper presents results for the dropout, anomaly, and accuracy performance of peak detection pre-processors. The impact of the pre-processor on reflectivity determination is also analyzed. The essential features of the theory are verified through peak-detector reflectivity measurements made with the MIT Lincoln Laboratory 2-D pulsed imager laser radar test bed.