Systems and methods of optimal pulse compression are described. A pulse compression system can include an operations component that can receive a first signal, transmit the signal toward a target, and receive a reflected signal. A processor can correlate the received signal with an optimized signal in order to generate an image, the optimized signal based on an impulse response function of the operations component. The optimized signal can be the first signal. The optimized signal can be a third signal separate from the first signal.
