On Binary Probing Signals and Instrumental Variables Receivers for Radar

The so-called merit factor approach (MFA) to radar binary sequence design has led to several theoretical contributions in fairly diverse research areas including information theory, computer science, combinatorial optimization, and analytical number theory. However, the MFA-which basically aims at minimizing the clutter effect on radar performance-implicitly assumes the use of a least squares (LS) receiver that is optimal only when there is no clutter. This problem can be eliminated by using a more general optimal instrumental-variables (IV) receiver in lieu of the LS receiver. The IV receiver can reject clutter more efficiently than the LS receiver. Additionally, the binary sequence design problem associated with the IV approach has an interesting form.