Peak Detector

The Peak Detector is the final filtering stage that isolates dominant target signals from processed data via FFT, STFT, or Wavelet transforms.

It extracts target candidates (local maxima/sharpest peaks) exceeding the threshold, filtering out remaining noise, clutter, and reflections.

This function optimizes system efficiency by transferring only high-probability target candidates to subsequent tracking algorithms.

1. Principles and Detection Process

The extraction process begins by scanning the transformed data array to locate local maxima, identifying data points whose magnitudes are higher than their immediate neighbors.

To ensure reliability, the detector applies strict criteria—such as peak sharpness, minimum peak-to-noise contrast, and temporal continuity across frames—to filter out transient spikes.

Candidates that successfully satisfy these spatial and temporal conditions are then extracted as valid target coordinates and passed to the next stage.