In system performance analysis, most often Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) and system resolution (via MTF) are analyzed separately. In this paper we advocate the use of a joint measure, namely, the Noise Equivalent Reflectance Difference (NERD) as a function of the Spatial Resolution (SR). We demonstrate that the NERD vs. SR captures most of the essential properties of the system's performances and is therefore a useful tool in system evaluation. We demonstrate how various tradeoffs affect the NERD vs. SR curve in some not so trivial way.

Date Published: 25 August 2008
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 7087, Remote Sensing System Engineering, 708705 (25 August 2008); doi: 10.1117/12.794632

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7087:
Remote Sensing System Engineering
Philip E. Ardanuy; Jeffery J. Puschell, Editor(s)