Nova Computer Programs for a Clipped Spectrum Detection Experiment,

In order to compare the performance of various spectral line display and detection schemes, it is desirable to simulate in the frequency domain the outputs of a narrow band spectrum analyzer responding to signals buried in noise. The computer program described herein generates a pseudo-random background noise spectrum, adds randomly occurring signal events, performs automatic detections, and displays on an electrographic recorder the auto-detect files, a gram for operator processing, and a reference spectrum for post-run comparison of detection times. The experiments thus generated may be used to compare the detection performance of human operators and automatic schemes operating on linear and clipped spectral data. Author