On the window selection for three FFT-based high-accuracy frequency estimation methods

Recent studies show that several FFT-based high-accuracy frequency estimation methods achieve very good performance. In this letter, we select three methods, which are the zero-padding, weighted multipoint interpolated DFT, and phase difference approximation respectively, and discuss the window selection for each method. Experiments show that the window selection primarily depends on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). As a result, the optimal window selection for each method and, reversely, the optimal selection of the estimation method for a specific window are discussed as a function of SNR. Consideration on the computational load and the resolution problem is also briefly discussed.