Detectors Based on Conditional Tests

Abstract

The detection of a known signal in additive noise is an important function in many receivers. Nonparametric detectors, such as the sign detector, will result in systems with a constant false alarm rate, but usually suffer from a lower power compared to optimum parametric detectors. In this paper a conditional statistical test is used to obtain nonparametric detectors more powerful but still almost as simple to implement as the sign detector. The technique of conditional testing is therefore useful in obtaining improved detectors for practical use.