Design and Development of Prototype of FMCW Radar for Experimentation and Research Work
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the range, angle, or velocity of objects. Ground-based and airborne Radar Systems have vast application in avionics i.e., area radars, surveillance radars, and approach radars allow controllers to track aircraft within their ar
2025-06-28 16:31:25 - Adil Khan
Design and Development of Prototype of FMCW Radar for Experimentation and Research Work
Project Area of Specialization Electrical/Electronic EngineeringProject SummaryRadar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the range, angle, or velocity of objects. Ground-based and airborne Radar Systems have vast application in avionics i.e., area radars, surveillance radars, and approach radars allow controllers to track aircraft within their area of responsibility; precision approach radars (PAR) provide precision approach guidance for aircraft landing, airborne radars are used for target search & track, ground mapping and weather monitoring.
Radars find numerous applications in military and defense as well i.e., military fighter aircrafts are fitted with air-to-air targeting radars, to detect and target enemy aircrafts.
Unfortunately, Pakistan still lags behind in this industry and almost all of the radars are imported, not only for industrial applications but even for the purpose of lab experimentation in universities.
Although these radars being used in the labs provide students of bachelor's and master's (who want to specialize in radar systems) a platform to understand the theoretical concepts but they are not feasible for further research in this area. Therefore, this project aims to design a modular-based, inexpensive radar that will not only help the students to understand radar systems in terms of their practical implementation but also give them an opportunity to perform their research work keeping our proposed design as a basis.
This modular-based design will help the students to analyse the signal at various points in the transmitter and receiver chain. Another strength of this project is that it is aimed to design it in a modular manner from the transistor level almost all the components that will be used will be available in the local market. This reduces the fear of obsolescence and maintainability cost. Moreover, this modular level radar will be flexible enough that its components can be altered in order to analyse individual components' performance or improve the existing hardware.
In terms of its performance, our designed radar will be able to detect a quadcopter at a range of 15 to 20 meters. The velocity of the target will also be calculated by using radar signal processing algorithms.
- Design of antennas
- Design of RF front end in modular form
- Development of radar signal processing algorithms
- Integration of hardware with PC
- Testing of complete hardware design
- Literature Review to understand the concepts of radar systems.
- High-level system design through mathematical calculation.
- Confirmation of system design through simulations.
- Implementing the design approach on the ultrasonic radar to understand the working of individual components.
- Based on the calculation’s hardware components will be selected for the VHF band FMCW radar.
- After that, the development of Hardware i.e., the transmitter and receiver chain components and their integration will be carried out.
- Once done with Components implementation and testing their integration will be carried out.
- Furthermore, the development of antennas will be started to complete the hardware requirements of the radar, as it will be a bistatic radar two antennas will be developed.
- One hardware will be developed in its full capacity radar signal processing algorithm will be implemented to extract the range and velocity information of the target.
- In the last stage software and hardware integration will be implemented to assure the test the performance of fully HW/SW integrated design.
- Lastly, the compilation of research work and documentation will be carried out.
- Totally indigenous design that can be used for further experimentation and research work.
- Radars are extensively used in military and civil applications in Pakistan but all are imported.
- This project will lay the basis for radars development in the country.
An FMCW lab radar capable of detecting about 3m2 RCS targets up to a range of 15-20m, developed in a modular manner so that signals can be monitored and analysed at all stages.
Final Deliverable of the Project HW/SW integrated systemCore Industry EducationOther Industries Others , Security , Telecommunication Core Technology OthersOther Technologies Shared EconomySustainable Development Goals Quality Education, Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureRequired Resources| Item Name | Type | No. of Units | Per Unit Cost (in Rs) | Total (in Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total in (Rs) | 65000 | |||
| Development of antennas | Equipment | 2 | 3000 | 6000 |
| RF receiver hardware(LNA,filter,mixer,IF amplifier,interconnects etc) | Equipment | 1 | 12000 | 12000 |
| RF transmitter hardware (Oscillator, power amplifier, mixer etc) | Equipment | 1 | 15000 | 15000 |
| DAC (data acquisition card) | Equipment | 1 | 12000 | 12000 |
| Mechanical fixtures | Equipment | 1 | 5000 | 5000 |
| Microcontroller Based Embedded Hardware | Equipment | 1 | 5000 | 5000 |
| Miscellaneous electronic components | Miscellaneous | 1 | 10000 | 10000 |