Detection and mitigation of hidden outlier interference

What is it about?

This paper is the first in a series of articles focused on the practical methodology and tools, including their analog and digital implementations, for real-time mitigation of outlier interference in general and ``hidden” outlier noise in particular. In addition to ever-present thermal noise, various communication and sensor systems can contain significant amounts of interference (noise) with outlier characteristics. Such outlier noise may be tricky to observe and even harder to track and quantify, especially when it is a part of complex interference compositions. It also waxes and wanes, or hides and reappears, as the signal conditions change. However, such noise is “special” because its outlier structure enables in-band, real time mitigation of this noise beyond levels otherwise attainable. In this paper, we discuss the many challenges and misconceptions associated with state-of-art treatment of outlier noise, and introduce the key methodology and tools for its efficient mitigation.

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Why is it important?

This approach is intended as the “first line of defense” against interference, performed in the process of analog-to-digital conversion. It addresses complex practical interference scenarios and achieves real-time mitigation levels unattainable by linear filtering, with the results, depending on particular interference compositions, ranging from “no harm” to spectacular. It will benefit many diverse military, scientific, industrial, and consumer systems that can be affected by intentional and/or unintentional interference from a variety of sources.

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