Estimation of instantaneous frequency using the discrete Wigner distribution

Analytical expressions for the performance of the discrete Wigner distribution (DWD) in estimating the instantaneous frequency of linear frequency modulated signals in additive white noise are derived and verified using simulation. It is shown that the DWD peak provides an optimal estimate at high input signal-to-noise ratios. The applicability of these results to the general case of nonlinear FM signals is discussed.