The applet plots the output/input power response of eight types of microwave receiver, selected from the drop-down menu.
The receiver main design parameters are adjustable using visible scrollbars and optimum designs can be assessed. Output/input SNR values are displayed as a function of input signal power.
The display automatically scales, dependent on the parameter values selected. The tangential signal sensitivity (TSS) line indicates typical sensitivity achieved manually on analogue displays.
The 18-dB output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) line indicates the typical SNR and sensitivity required by digital encoding systems to ensure minimum acceptable parameter measurement corruption at threshold.
Moving the mouse in input power-SNR space displays the plotted values relative to the mouse x-axis value.

User Notes:
Very short pulse widths less than half the video bandwidth will modify the detection sensitivity.
All receiver results assume rectangular-shaped RF and video passbands.
Application is fairly straightforward and accurate for determining the mean sensitivity of wideband systems exhibiting minor ripple (<2 dB peak-to-peak) across the band.
Receiver sensitivity is defined as the input signal required to generate an adequate output signal-to-noise ratio for subsequent analysis. The 18-dB detection line is a guide figure and this corresponding sensitivity occurs where it crosses the blue output signal-to-noise ratio curve.
Different receivers can be compared using the same design parameters by selecting alternative receivers in the drop-down list. When the Vector I/Q receiver (zero-IF or digital FFT receiver types) is selected, one channel only is modeled and the equivalent RF channel bandwidth is double the video processing bandwidth.
When the compressive receiver is selected, the video bandwidth is fixed at one half of the RF bandwidth and the Process Gain scrollbar represents the receiver processing gain or time-bandwidth product.
RF amplifier saturation effects are not modeled.
The detector TSS setting is that required within the set demodulation video band.