Adaptive threshold suppression of impulse noise

Abstract

Impulse noise suppression upstream of digital processing circuitry contains a sample and hold mechanism which samples the input signal and stores a plurality of sequential sample values respectively representative of the amplitude of the input signal at successive sample times. The contents of the sample and hold mechanism are compared with an input signal sample to determine whether or not the there are abnormal amplitude variations which potentially constitute impulse noise. In one embodiment the comparison is referenced to the average magnitude of the input signal. In another embodiment the input signal is coupled to a cascaded arrangement of sample and hold circuits which sample and store a plurality of sequential sample values. The time differentials between successive sampling times are such there is little likelihood of occurrences of impulse noise spikes during any two successive sample intervals. The contents of the last sample and hold circuit of the cascaded plurality are compared with the contents of each of selected other sample and hold circuits of the cascaded chain. If the (earliest in time) sampled value stored in the last sampled and hold circuit is determined to be larger (by a system thermal noise offset) than the sampled value of any of the selected samples, then this sample is identified as being a potential noise impulse sample and is prevented from being coupled to downstream processing circuitry. Otherwise it is coupled through a downstream lowpass filter for subsequenty signal analysis.