Accession Number:

AD0672892

Title:

THE EFFECT OF TONAL COMPONENTS IN SUBMARINE SONAR ON SIGNAL DETECTION AND RECOGNITION

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

NAVAL SUBMARINE MEDICAL RESEARCH LAB GROTON CT

Personal Author(s):

• Harris, Martin S.
• Richards, Alan M.
• Foley, Richard

Report Date:

1968-03-14

Pagination or Media Count:

18.0

Abstract:

Experiments were carried out to determine the effect of various tonal maskers on the sonar operators ability to detect and discriminate signals. Thresholds were obtained for the detectability of 60 Hz and 400 Hz and their respective harmonics to 360 Hz and 3200 Hz in the presence of various white noise bands. Thresholds were also obtained for detection of amplitude modulated and frequency modulated noise signals in the presence of these tones. Finally, data were collected on the ability to detect an amplitude modulated signal in the presence of two of these tones presented simultaneously. It was found that although the tones could be detected even at very low intensities, it took very great levels 100 dB SPL in most cases to mask the ability to discriminate the amplitude and frequency modulated signals. In the presence of multiple tones, the discrimination of an amplitude modulated signal became more difficult. This result is obvious because of the additional masking added by the injection of a second tone.

Descriptors:

• *AUDITORY PERCEPTION
• *SONAR PERSONNEL
• *SONAR SIGNALS
• AMPLITUDE MODULATION
• DETECTION
• FREQUENCY MODULATION
• MASKING
• NOISE
• PERFORMANCE(HUMAN)
• THRESHOLDS(PHYSIOLOGY)

Subject Categories:

• Personnel Management and Labor Relations
• Anatomy and Physiology
• Acoustic Detection and Detectors

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE