Projects - User contributions [en]

Projects:2015s1-21 Inexpensive Portable Radar System

2015-10-22T00:05:54Z

A1608830:

The Inexpensive Portable Radar System project is a continuation of the MIT Coffee Can Radar. The project is now in its third year of development.

This project is primarily being undertaken to expand on team members knowledge on radar and related areas which have previously been unexplored. Such areas include programming, RF design, and power supply systems. The final product shall be used by a continuing honours team next year and eventually as a classroom demonstration tool. With the potential of becoming a teaching instrument, many future students may benefit from the successful completion of this project.
==Project Team==

'''Student Members'''

''Mohammad Hasan''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)(Telecommunications)

''Kieren Nelson''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

''Angus Reid''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)(Electrical and Electronic) with Bachelor of Mathematical and Computer Science

''Wenkai (Kelvin) Zhu''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

'''Academic Supervisors'''

''Dr Brian Ng''
:

''Dr Hong Gunn Chew''
:

==Project Aims and Objectives==

This years Inexpensive, Portable Radar Project team shall focus on three distinct project aims;

:''1. Reduce Cost-'' Produce a final product that is cheaper than last years product of $700.

:''2. Improve Portability-'' Reduce the overall size of the project (~500x200x200mm) by 30%.

:''3. Add new functionality-'' Implement at least one new function to the system.

It was decided to accomplish these aim by undertaking the following objectives:
'''1. Reimplementing Processing Procedure:'''

:An onboard processor shall process all data, removing the need of a laptop and MATLAB licence. The processor will be required to process the radar data and produce images for both the Range and Doppler mode.

'''2. Implementing an Interface:'''

:A small, portable screen shall be used as the output of the system to display data processed by the Raspberry Pi via a customised GUI. A 7inch touch screen is available from last years project.

'''3. Reimplementing RF System:'''

:A new PCB RF system shall replace the current, bulky system as PCB RF components are significantly smaller and cheaper.

'''4. Reimplementing Power Source:'''

:With new system components, it has been found that a new range of voltages may be required for the system. This requires a new power distribution method which is capable of outputting powers of 6 and 12W (potential to change as system design finalised) and is sufficiently powerful enough to run all components.

'''5. Implement Radar Scanning:'''

:A rotation system shall be added onto the radar allowing it to calculate the distance of multiple objects in different directions from a single location.

If these proposed objectives are implemented, the finished product will move closer to its desired final state of being a truly inexpensive, portable radar. Such a radar has the capability of being continued on as a Honours Project with a different focus or becoming a classroom teaching tool for the university.

==History==
Radar is an acronym for RAdio Detection And Ranging. As its name implies, a radar system uses radio waves to detect and capture information regarding distant targets. This information can include the targets range, velocity, or shape. Radar first became industrialised in WWII, however its development began well before then. The first operating radar was built in 1904 by the German Christian Hulsmeyer. This device was a CW radar operating at 650MHz and was capable of detecting ships at sea within 3.2km, however it was unable to determine their distance or movement. The radar was developed concurrently by multiple nations, one of which was the United States. For the US, true progress began in 1934 when Robert M. Page was able to track a plane 1.6km away using a 60MHz pulse radar. With the evolution of the electronics industry, in particular digital to analog converters, the radar has continued to develop to this day. Modern radars are capable of a large number of functions including search, surveillance, target tracking, fire control, and weather monitoring. The use of digital systems has allowed modern radars to increase their sensitivity and overcome performance restrictions from problems such as clutter.

==Radar Principle==
The basic principle of how a radar works is stated below.
*A RF signal is transmitted towards a target.
*If the signal hits the target, it will be reflected or scattered off of it. Some of this reflected signal, or echo, will be directed back towards the radar system.
*The echo is picked up by the receive antenna of the radar system and is processed for the desired information.
The following radar equation shows how specific radar characteristics relate to one another.
Pr = (Pt)G^2*sigma(lambda)^2/((4pi)^3(R)^4)

It can be seen that as the distance of the target R increases the received power, Pr, decreases at a rate of R^4. This indicates that the range of the target plays a crucial role in the radars performance.

==Radar Types==
The functionality and application of a particular radar depends on several factors including which frequency it operates at, what type of waveform is transmitted, antenna style and placement, and scan strategies. Several radar variations are described below.
*Bistatic and Monostatic Radar; A bistatic radar is one where the transmit and receive antenna are seperated by a significant distance (comparable to the target distance). A monostatic radar is one where the transmit and receive antenna are at the same location.
*Passive Radar; A passive radar is one which is able to detect a target by processing reflections from non-cooperative sources such as communication or broadcast towers.
*Planar Array Radar; This type of radar uses a high-gain planar array antenna. All of the elements in the antenna array are in the same plane, and are capable of directing the transmit signal by varying the relative phase of each element.
*Pulse-Doppler Radar; This radar system determines the range of a target using a pulse wave, and uses the Doppler effect of the received signal to determine the object speed. This method combines the features of the pulse and continue wave radars.
*Monopulse Radar; A monopulse radar splits the transmit beam into two beams, resulting in two signals being transmitted from the radar in slightly different directions. The received signals are amplified separately and then compared. The stronger of the receive signals indicates the general direction of the target. This method is capable to be used to track a target and is used by most modern radars.
*Over the Horizon (OTH); OTH radars are systems capable of detecting targets which are beyond an ordinary radars horizon. Two common methods that can be used to achieve this are to reflect the signal off of the atmosphere, or to use low-frequency radio waves that
follow the curvature of the earth due to refraction.

==2015 Honours Radar==
The 2015 Honours radar has the following characteristics;
*FMCW Waveform
*2.4 to 2.5GHz operating frequency
*12 to 12.5cm wavelength
*Monostatic antenna positioning
*1.79m range resolution

===Objective 1; Reimplementing Processing Procedure===

===Objective 2; Implementing an Interface===

===Objective 3; Reimplementing RF System===
'''RF Design'''
The MIT RF system consists of SMA connected components in a simple
design which is easy to manufacture, has few areas of additional interference or noise, and can individually test each component. However, this system is large and costly. To achieve this objective it was decided to implement the RF system onto a PCB. The miniaturization of the RF system from these SMA connected components onto a PCB would reduce the size and cost of this system. The two designs can be seen in Figure 9. The PCB design does introduce many additional factors which can effect the performance of the system. The PCB architecture is based on that of the MIT design with appropriate SMD's replacing their counterpart SMA components.

The design of an analog PCB is critical as there are many factors that can effect the signal in the circuits transmission line. Generally, the circuit will be attempting to amplify and use one particular signal while rejecting all others including any noise present. This section will discuss the design rules, guidelines and optimization techniques used to design and implement a successful PCB circuit. It defines key characteristics and is then broken down into key areas and the design considerations that apply to them.

'''RF Testing'''
The RF system produced accurate results when tested with a cable, thus it was integrated with last years Honours system for full system testing. This included using the antennas. The power was supplied by a bench top power supply thus the testing had to be performed in the Honours labs.

:''Range Mode Testing''
The Range mode results are shown below. The green line in these graphs indicates the distance the target is from the radar.

**Insert Images**

:''Doppler Mode Testing''
The Doppler mode results are shown below. The red in the graph indicates the speed of the target.

**Insert Images**

'''RF Redesign'''

'''Conclusion'''
The tests undertaken on the RF system alone did not provide conclusive data to indicate that the system worked as expected. This may be due to the fact that tests using the signal generator were inconsistent due to the fluctuating VCO frequency, and the tests including the cable were compared against approximate values. When the video amplifier and antennas were incorporated into the testing, the video amplifier initially worked as expected however the antennas introduced a large amount of noise (likely due to the crowded lab environment). When the RF system was integrated with the old video amplifier and the signal was processed and displayed, clear and accurate results were produced. In comparison to the the 2014 Honours radar the results produced were either the same or better.

===Objective 4; Reimplementing Power Source===

===Objective 5; Implementing Radar Scanning===

===Project Outcomes===
Even though this project faced many challenges and set backs, overall it has accomplished the aims which were set out, exceeding these in some areas by introducing the theory required to improve the radars characteristics. This project has also accomplished in greatly improving the depth of RF engineering knowledge, PCB design and testing, and general project management of team members. If this project is continued next year there are many areas which can be improved upon, however this years project team has definitely moved the project forward towards the future goal of this radar being used as a teaching tool.

Projects:2015s1-21 Inexpensive Portable Radar System

2015-10-22T00:04:48Z

A1608830:

The Inexpensive Portable Radar System project is a continuation of the MIT Coffee Can Radar. The project is now in its third year of development.

This project is primarily being undertaken to expand on team members knowledge on radar and related areas which have previously been unexplored. Such areas include programming, RF design, and power supply systems. The final product shall be used by a continuing honours team next year and eventually as a classroom demonstration tool. With the potential of becoming a teaching instrument, many future students may benefit from the successful completion of this project.
==Project Team==

'''Student Members'''

''Mohammad Hasan''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)(Telecommunications)

''Kieren Nelson''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

''Angus Reid''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)(Electrical and Electronic) with Bachelor of Mathematical and Computer Science

''Wenkai (Kelvin) Zhu''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

'''Academic Supervisors'''

''Dr Brian Ng''
:

''Dr Hong Gunn Chew''
:

==Project Aims and Objectives==

This years Inexpensive, Portable Radar Project team shall focus on three distinct project aims;

:''1. Reduce Cost-'' Produce a final product that is cheaper than last years product of $700.

:''2. Improve Portability-'' Reduce the overall size of the project (~500x200x200mm) by 30%.

:''3. Add new functionality-'' Implement at least one new function to the system.

It was decided to accomplish these aim by undertaking the following objectives:
'''1. Reimplementing Processing Procedure:'''

:An onboard processor shall process all data, removing the need of a laptop and MATLAB licence. The processor will be required to process the radar data and produce images for both the Range and Doppler mode.

'''2. Implementing an Interface:'''

:A small, portable screen shall be used as the output of the system to display data processed by the Raspberry Pi via a customised GUI. A 7inch touch screen is available from last years project.

'''3. Reimplementing RF System:'''

:A new PCB RF system shall replace the current, bulky system as PCB RF components are significantly smaller and cheaper.

'''4. Reimplementing Power Source:'''

:With new system components, it has been found that a new range of voltages may be required for the system. This requires a new power distribution method which is capable of outputting powers of 6 and 12W (potential to change as system design finalised) and is sufficiently powerful enough to run all components.

'''5. Implement Radar Scanning:'''

:A rotation system shall be added onto the radar allowing it to calculate the distance of multiple objects in different directions from a single location.

If these proposed objectives are implemented, the finished product will move closer to its desired final state of being a truly inexpensive, portable radar. Such a radar has the capability of being continued on as a Honours Project with a different focus or becoming a classroom teaching tool for the university.

==History==
Radar is an acronym for RAdio Detection And Ranging. As its name implies, a radar system uses radio waves to detect and capture information regarding distant targets. This information can include the targets range, velocity, or shape. Radar first became industrialised in WWII, however its development began well before then. The first operating radar was built in 1904 by the German Christian Hulsmeyer. This device was a CW radar operating at 650MHz and was capable of detecting ships at sea within 3.2km, however it was unable to determine their distance or movement. The radar was developed concurrently by multiple nations, one of which was the United States. For the US, true progress began in 1934 when Robert M. Page was able to track a plane 1.6km away using a 60MHz pulse radar. With the evolution of the electronics industry, in particular digital to analog converters, the radar has continued to develop to this day. Modern radars are capable of a large number of functions including search, surveillance, target tracking, fire control, and weather monitoring. The use of digital systems has allowed modern radars to increase their sensitivity and overcome performance restrictions from problems such as clutter.

==Radar Principle==
The basic principle of how a radar works is stated below.
:A RF signal is transmitted towards a target.
:If the signal hits the target, it will be reflected or scattered off of it. Some of this reflected signal, or echo, will be directed back towards the radar system.
:The echo is picked up by the receive antenna of the radar system and is processed for the desired information.
The following radar equation shows how specific radar characteristics relate to one another.
Pr = (Pt)G^2*sigma(lambda)^2/((4pi)^3(R)^4)

It can be seen that as the distance of the target R increases the received power, Pr, decreases at a rate of R^4. This indicates that the range of the target plays a crucial role in the radars performance.

==Radar Types==
The functionality and application of a particular radar depends on several factors including which frequency it opperates at, what type of waveform is transmited, antenna style and placement, and scan strategies. Several radar variations are described below.
:Bistatic and Monostatic Radar; A bistatic radar is one where the transmit and receive antenna are seperated by a significant distance (comparable to the target distance). A monostatic radar is one where the transmit and receive antenna are at the same location.
:Passive Radar; A passive radar is one which is able to detect a target by processing reflections from non-cooperative sources such as communication or broadcast towers.
:Planar Array Radar; This type of radar uses a high-gain planar array antenna. All of the elements in the antenna array are in the same plane, and are capable of directing the transmit signal by varying the relative phase of each element.
:Pulse-Doppler Radar; This radar system determines the range of a target using a pulse wave, and uses the Doppler effect of the received signal to determine the object speed. This method combines the features of the pulse and continue wave radars.
:Monopulse Radar; A monopulse radar splits the transmit beam into two beams, resulting in two signals being transmitted from the radar in slightly different directions. The received signals are amplified separately and then compared. The stronger of the receive signals indicates the general direction of the target. This method is capable to be used to track a target and is used by most modern radars.
:Over the Horizon (OTH); OTH radars are systems capable of detecting targets which are beyond an ordinary radars horizon. Two common methods that can be used to achieve this are to reflect the signal off of the atmosphere, or to use low-frequency radio waves that
follow the curvature of the earth due to refraction.

==2015 Honours Radar==
The 2015 Honours radar has the following characteristics;
:FMCW Waveform
:2.4 to 2.5GHz operating frequency
:12 to 12.5cm wavelength
:Monostatic antenna positioning
:1.79m range resolution

===Objective 1; Reimplementing Processing Procedure===

===Objective 2; Implementing an Interface===

===Objective 3; Reimplementing RF System===
'''RF Design'''
The MIT RF system consists of SMA connected components in a simple
design which is easy to manufacture, has few areas of additional interference or noise, and can individually test each component. However, this system is large and costly. To achieve this objective it was decided to implement the RF system onto a PCB. The miniaturization of the RF system from these SMA connected components onto a PCB would reduce the size and cost of this system. The two designs can be seen in Figure 9. The PCB design does introduce many additional factors which can effect the performance of the system. The PCB architecture is based on that of the MIT design with appropriate SMD's replacing their counterpart SMA components.

The design of an analog PCB is critical as there are many factors that can effect the signal in the circuits transmission line. Generally, the circuit will be attempting to amplify and use one particular signal while rejecting all others including any noise present. This section will discuss the design rules, guidelines and optimization techniques used to design and implement a successful PCB circuit. It defines key characteristics and is then broken down into key areas and the design considerations that apply to them.

'''RF Testing'''
The RF system produced accurate results when tested with a cable, thus it was integrated with last years Honours system for full system testing. This included using the antennas. The power was supplied by a bench top power supply thus the testing had to be performed in the Honours labs.

:''Range Mode Testing''
The Range mode results are shown below. The green line in these graphs indicates the distance the target is from the radar.

**Insert Images**

:''Doppler Mode Testing''
The Doppler mode results are shown below. The red in the graph indicates the speed of the target.

**Insert Images**

'''RF Redesign'''

'''Conclusion'''
The tests undertaken on the RF system alone did not provide conclusive data to indicate that the system worked as expected. This may be due to the fact that tests using the signal generator were inconsistent due to the fluctuating VCO frequency, and the tests including the cable were compared against approximate values. When the video amplifier and antennas were incorporated into the testing, the video amplifier initially worked as expected however the antennas introduced a large amount of noise (likely due to the crowded lab environment). When the RF system was integrated with the old video amplifier and the signal was processed and displayed, clear and accurate results were produced. In comparison to the the 2014 Honours radar the results produced were either the same or better.

===Objective 4; Reimplementing Power Source===

===Objective 5; Implementing Radar Scanning===

===Project Outcomes===
Even though this project faced many challenges and set backs, overall it has accomplished the aims which were set out, exceeding these in some areas by introducing the theory required to improve the radars characteristics. This project has also accomplished in greatly improving the depth of RF engineering knowledge, PCB design and testing, and general project management of team members. If this project is continued next year there are many areas which can be improved upon, however this years project team has definitely moved the project forward towards the future goal of this radar being used as a teaching tool.

Projects:2015s1-21 Inexpensive Portable Radar System

2015-10-21T23:55:07Z

A1608830:

Projects:2015s1-21 Inexpensive Portable Radar System

2015-10-21T23:52:32Z

A1608830:

Projects:2015s1-21 Inexpensive Portable Radar System

2015-10-21T23:51:24Z

A1608830:

Projects:2015s1-21 Inexpensive Portable Radar System

2015-10-21T23:42:47Z

A1608830:

Projects:2015s1-21 Inexpensive Portable Radar System

2015-08-21T01:03:44Z

A1608830:

Projects:2015s1-21 Inexpensive Portable Radar System

2015-08-21T01:03:11Z

A1608830:

Projects:2015s1-21 Inexpensive Portable Radar System

2015-08-21T00:54:39Z

A1608830:

The Inexpensive Portable Radar System project is a continuation of the MIT Coffee Can Radar. The project is now in its third year of development.

This project is primarily being undertaken to expand on team members knowledge on radar and related areas which have previously been unexplored. Such areas include programming, RF desgin, and power. The final product shall be used by the continuing honours team next year and eventually as a classroom demostration tool. With the potential of becoming a teaching instrument, many future students may benifit from the successful compeletion of this project. Thus this project is motivated by personal gain and the potential to help students get an understanding on the fundamentals of RF engineering. Such a project has vast significance for students as it will help them gain this understanding.
==Project Team==

'''Student Members'''

''Mohammad Hasan''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

''Kieren Nelson''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

''Angus Reid''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)(Electrical and Electronic) with Bachelor of Mathematical and Computer Science

''Wenkai (Kelvin) Zhu''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

'''Academic Supervisors'''

''Dr Brian Ng''
:

''Mr Hong Gunn Chew''
:

==Project Aims and Objectives==

This years Inexpensive, Portable Radar Project team shall focus on three distinct project aims;

:''Reduce Cost-'' Produce a final product that is cheaper than last years product of $700.

:''Improve Portability-'' Reduce the overall size of the project (~500x200x200mm) by 30%.

:''Add new functionality-'' Implement at least one new function to the system. (Lost marks for not providing some funcationality choices)

'''Reimplementing Processing Procedure:'''

:An onboard processor shall process all data, removing the need of a laptop and MATLAB licence. The processor will be required to process the radar data and produce images for both the Range and Doppler mode.

'''Reimplementing RF System:'''

:A new PCB RF system shall replace the current, bulky system as PCB RF components are significantly smaller and cheaper.

'''Reimplementing Power Source:'''

:With new system components, it has been found that a new range of voltages may be required for the system. This requires a new power distribution method which is capable of outputting powers of 6 and 12W (potential to change as system design finalised) and is sufficiently powerful enough to run all components.

'''Implementing an Interface:'''

:A small, portable screen shall be used as the output of the system to display processed images via a customised GUI. A 7inch touch screen is available from last years project.

'''Implement Radar Scanning:'''

:A rotation system shall be added onto the radar allowing it to calculate the distance of multiple objects in different directions from a single location.

If these proposed objectives are implemented, the finished product will move closer to its desired final state of being a truly inexpensive, portable radar. Such a radar has the capability of being continued on as a Honours Project with a different focus or becoming a classroom teaching tool for the university.

==(NOT REQUIRED?) Knowledge Gaps and Technical Challenges==

The topic of radar is one which our group has not had exposure too, especially its underlying workings. This introduces many knowledge gaps and technical challenges which will arise throughout the lifespan of this project. As a group, areas such as radar fundamentals, circuit design and workings, programming and power supply are all areas which shall require additional research. Unique knowledge gaps and challenges refering to each objective, stated in section 1, are outlined below.

'''Objective 1: Reimplementing Processing Procedure'''
''Processing Power:''
:The Raspberry Pi features a 700MHz ARM processor, which is suitable for most applications. However, signal processing requires a large number of calculations (fast fourier transforms specifically) and thus the Raspberry Pi could potentially lack the power to produce results in real time. According to the results of fast fourier transforms at different lengths recorded on the Raspberry Pi, the time taken to perform a FFT with 8192 data points using ARM is approximately 5 seconds. Real-time processing is impossible with the computations taking this amount of time. Fortunately, an alternate method of computing FFTs has been developed. This C library designed specifically for the Raspberry Pi utilizes the GPU to calculate the FFT, speeding up the process by up to 1200%. For a 8192 point FFT, this method only takes and average of 0.7 seconds, allowing for signals to be processed in real time. A caveat of this design slightly reduces precision as single precision floating points are used instead of double precision. Reducing the sampling rate will decrease the time required for calculating the FFT, at the cost of reduced accuracy. Performing FFTs on shorter sequences also reduces the computation time. For example, instead of performing a single FFT over a 1 second period with 8192Hz sampling rate, two 4096 point FFTs can be performed with less overall computation and in therefore less time.

'''Objective 2: Reimplementing RF System'''

''RF PCB Design:''
:RF PCB design is not like regular PCB design and comes with a detailed set of requirements and design suggestions. This type of PCB design requires taking into account difficulties such as impedance matching and transmission line charateristics. Along with reviewing hobbyist designs and design documentation, bridging this knowledge gap shall require continuous practice of the design on Altium Designer.

''RF PCB Soldering:''
:Soldering RF components is unlike regular soldering as the PCB and components are far more sensitive to damage. Due to this, it is possible to attach the RF components onto the PCB using a solder gel. To overcome this difficulty, we shall practice attaching unused components onto an unused PCB.

''RF PCB Components:''
:As we have not designed any system like this before, thus the integration of components shall pose new challenges for us. One such challenge includes the correct use and manipulation of component data sheets. As Altium Designer can test a designed PCB, we are able to ensure our design works correctly before moving on from this stage.

''PCB Construction:''
:The contruction of the RF PCB shall be done on a new machine which we have no knowledge on its operated. The university shall provide appropriate tutorials for us to learn how to operate this machine.

''Altium Designer:''
:The design of a 2 or 4 layer PCB on Altium Designer is also new to us. The Altium libraries may not contain all required components for our design, and thus new footprints must be designed from scratch \cite{altium}. Adelaide University provides tutorials for Altium Deisgner and our technical advisor, Pavel Simcik, will be abe to provide guidance.

'''Objective 3: Reimplementing Power Source'''

''Components Selection:''
:We havent done any project like this before. The components Selection and integration of components will be the new challenges for us. Such as we dont have enough knowledge about the batterys and PCB components, we have to make sure our selections and design correctly. Otherwise, we will waste time and money.

''PCB Design & Construction:''
:The construction of the power source PCB shall be designed by using Altium Designer. But we dont have enough knowledge for this, the University of Adelaide will provide tutorials for the Altium Designer.

'''Objective 4: Implementing An Interface'''

''Graphical Data Output:''
:The output from the radar must be represented in a easy to read, yet meaningful format. This will require learning of C++ graphical implementations. SDL and QT are two possible libraries that could be used, the advantages and disadvantages of both will be considered in terms of performance and funcitonality.

'''Objective 5: Implement Radar Scanning'''

''Components Selection:''
:The main challange of implementing the radar scanning is in choosing the right motor system. As the motor needs to be implemented with the Raspberry Pi, a motor system which is compatable is critical.

''C++ Implementation:''
:As the rotating motor system uses many range calculations, ensuring the Raspberry Pi and the stepper motor are synchronised will be challenging. This will require learning C++ implementations.

Projects:2015s1-21 Inexpensive Portable Radar System

2015-08-21T00:54:00Z

A1608830: /* Project Team */

The Inexpensive Portable Radar System project is a continuation of the MIT Coffee Can Radar. The project is now in its third year of development.

This project is primarily being undertaken to expand on team members knowledge on radar and related areas which have previously been unexplored. Such areas include programming, RF desgin, and power. The final product shall be used by the continuing honours team next year and eventually as a classroom demostration tool. With the potential of becoming a teaching instrument, many future students may benifit from the successful compeletion of this project. Thus this project is motivated by personal gain and the potential to help students get an understanding on the fundamentals of RF engineering. Such a project has vast significance for students as it will help them gain this understanding.
==Project Team==

'''Student Members'''

''Mohammad Hasan''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

''Kieren Nelson''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

''Angus Reid''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)(Electrical and Electronic) with Bachelor of Mathematical and Computer Science

''Wenkai (Kelvin) Zhu''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

'''Academic Supervisors'''

''Dr Brian Ng''
:

''Mr Hong Gunn Chew''
:

==Project Aims and Objectives==

This years Inexpensive, Portable Radar Project team shall focus on three distinct project aims;

:''Reduce Cost-'' Produce a final product that is cheaper than last years product of $700.

:''Improve Portability-'' Reduce the overall size of the project (~500x200x200mm) by 30%.

:''Add new functionality-'' Implement at least one new function to the system. (Lost marks for not providing some funcationality choices)

'''Reimplementing Processing Procedure:'''

:An onboard processor shall process all data, removing the need of a laptop and MATLAB licence. The processor will be required to process the radar data and produce images for both the Range and Doppler mode.

'''Reimplementing RF System:'''

:A new PCB RF system shall replace the current, bulky system as PCB RF components are significantly smaller and cheaper.

'''Reimplementing Power Source:'''

:With new system components, it has been found that a new range of voltages may be required for the system. This requires a new power distribution method which is capable of outputting powers of 6 and 12W (potential to change as system design finalised) and is sufficiently powerful enough to run all components.

'''Implementing an Interface:'''

:A small, portable screen shall be used as the output of the system to display processed images via a customised GUI. A 7inch touch screen is available from last years project.

'''Implement Radar Scanning:'''

:A rotation system shall be added onto the radar allowing it to calculate the distance of multiple objects in different directions from a single location.

If these proposed objectives are implemented, the finished product will move closer to its desired final state of being a truly inexpensive, portable radar. Such a radar has the capability of being continued on as a Honours Project with a different focus or becoming a classroom teaching tool for the university.

==Motivation and Significance==

This project is primarily being undertaken to expand on team members knowledge on radar and related areas which have previously been unexplored. Such areas include programming, RF desgin, and power. The final product shall be used by the continuing honours team next year and eventually as a classroom demostration tool. With the potential of becoming a teaching instrument, many future students may benifit from the successful compeletion of this project. Thus this project is motivated by personal gain and the potential to help students get an understanding on the fundamentals of RF engineering. Such a project has vast significance for students as it will help them gain this understanding.

==(NOT REQUIRED?) Knowledge Gaps and Technical Challenges==

The topic of radar is one which our group has not had exposure too, especially its underlying workings. This introduces many knowledge gaps and technical challenges which will arise throughout the lifespan of this project. As a group, areas such as radar fundamentals, circuit design and workings, programming and power supply are all areas which shall require additional research. Unique knowledge gaps and challenges refering to each objective, stated in section 1, are outlined below.

'''Objective 1: Reimplementing Processing Procedure'''
''Processing Power:''
:The Raspberry Pi features a 700MHz ARM processor, which is suitable for most applications. However, signal processing requires a large number of calculations (fast fourier transforms specifically) and thus the Raspberry Pi could potentially lack the power to produce results in real time. According to the results of fast fourier transforms at different lengths recorded on the Raspberry Pi, the time taken to perform a FFT with 8192 data points using ARM is approximately 5 seconds. Real-time processing is impossible with the computations taking this amount of time. Fortunately, an alternate method of computing FFTs has been developed. This C library designed specifically for the Raspberry Pi utilizes the GPU to calculate the FFT, speeding up the process by up to 1200%. For a 8192 point FFT, this method only takes and average of 0.7 seconds, allowing for signals to be processed in real time. A caveat of this design slightly reduces precision as single precision floating points are used instead of double precision. Reducing the sampling rate will decrease the time required for calculating the FFT, at the cost of reduced accuracy. Performing FFTs on shorter sequences also reduces the computation time. For example, instead of performing a single FFT over a 1 second period with 8192Hz sampling rate, two 4096 point FFTs can be performed with less overall computation and in therefore less time.

'''Objective 2: Reimplementing RF System'''

''RF PCB Design:''
:RF PCB design is not like regular PCB design and comes with a detailed set of requirements and design suggestions. This type of PCB design requires taking into account difficulties such as impedance matching and transmission line charateristics. Along with reviewing hobbyist designs and design documentation, bridging this knowledge gap shall require continuous practice of the design on Altium Designer.

''RF PCB Soldering:''
:Soldering RF components is unlike regular soldering as the PCB and components are far more sensitive to damage. Due to this, it is possible to attach the RF components onto the PCB using a solder gel. To overcome this difficulty, we shall practice attaching unused components onto an unused PCB.

''RF PCB Components:''
:As we have not designed any system like this before, thus the integration of components shall pose new challenges for us. One such challenge includes the correct use and manipulation of component data sheets. As Altium Designer can test a designed PCB, we are able to ensure our design works correctly before moving on from this stage.

''PCB Construction:''
:The contruction of the RF PCB shall be done on a new machine which we have no knowledge on its operated. The university shall provide appropriate tutorials for us to learn how to operate this machine.

''Altium Designer:''
:The design of a 2 or 4 layer PCB on Altium Designer is also new to us. The Altium libraries may not contain all required components for our design, and thus new footprints must be designed from scratch \cite{altium}. Adelaide University provides tutorials for Altium Deisgner and our technical advisor, Pavel Simcik, will be abe to provide guidance.

'''Objective 3: Reimplementing Power Source'''

''Components Selection:''
:We havent done any project like this before. The components Selection and integration of components will be the new challenges for us. Such as we dont have enough knowledge about the batterys and PCB components, we have to make sure our selections and design correctly. Otherwise, we will waste time and money.

''PCB Design & Construction:''
:The construction of the power source PCB shall be designed by using Altium Designer. But we dont have enough knowledge for this, the University of Adelaide will provide tutorials for the Altium Designer.

'''Objective 4: Implementing An Interface'''

''Graphical Data Output:''
:The output from the radar must be represented in a easy to read, yet meaningful format. This will require learning of C++ graphical implementations. SDL and QT are two possible libraries that could be used, the advantages and disadvantages of both will be considered in terms of performance and funcitonality.

'''Objective 5: Implement Radar Scanning'''

''Components Selection:''
:The main challange of implementing the radar scanning is in choosing the right motor system. As the motor needs to be implemented with the Raspberry Pi, a motor system which is compatable is critical.

''C++ Implementation:''
:As the rotating motor system uses many range calculations, ensuring the Raspberry Pi and the stepper motor are synchronised will be challenging. This will require learning C++ implementations.

Projects:2015s1-21 Inexpensive Portable Radar System

2015-08-21T00:52:39Z

A1608830:

The Inexpensive Portable Radar System project is a continuation of the MIT Coffee Can Radar. The project is now in its third year of development.

==Project Team==

'''Student Members'''

''Mohammad Hasan''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

''Kieren Nelson''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

''Angus Reid''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)(Electrical and Electronic) with Bachelor of Mathematical and Computer Science

''Wenkai (Kelvin) Zhu''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

'''Academic Supervisors'''

''Dr Brian Ng''
:

''Mr Hong Gunn Chew''
:

==Project Aims and Objectives==

This years Inexpensive, Portable Radar Project team shall focus on three distinct project aims;

:''Reduce Cost-'' Produce a final product that is cheaper than last years product of $700.

:''Improve Portability-'' Reduce the overall size of the project (~500x200x200mm) by 30%.

:''Add new functionality-'' Implement at least one new function to the system. (Lost marks for not providing some funcationality choices)

'''Reimplementing Processing Procedure:'''

:An onboard processor shall process all data, removing the need of a laptop and MATLAB licence. The processor will be required to process the radar data and produce images for both the Range and Doppler mode.

'''Reimplementing RF System:'''

:A new PCB RF system shall replace the current, bulky system as PCB RF components are significantly smaller and cheaper.

'''Reimplementing Power Source:'''

:With new system components, it has been found that a new range of voltages may be required for the system. This requires a new power distribution method which is capable of outputting powers of 6 and 12W (potential to change as system design finalised) and is sufficiently powerful enough to run all components.

'''Implementing an Interface:'''

:A small, portable screen shall be used as the output of the system to display processed images via a customised GUI. A 7inch touch screen is available from last years project.

'''Implement Radar Scanning:'''

:A rotation system shall be added onto the radar allowing it to calculate the distance of multiple objects in different directions from a single location.

If these proposed objectives are implemented, the finished product will move closer to its desired final state of being a truly inexpensive, portable radar. Such a radar has the capability of being continued on as a Honours Project with a different focus or becoming a classroom teaching tool for the university.

==Motivation and Significance==

This project is primarily being undertaken to expand on team members knowledge on radar and related areas which have previously been unexplored. Such areas include programming, RF desgin, and power. The final product shall be used by the continuing honours team next year and eventually as a classroom demostration tool. With the potential of becoming a teaching instrument, many future students may benifit from the successful compeletion of this project. Thus this project is motivated by personal gain and the potential to help students get an understanding on the fundamentals of RF engineering. Such a project has vast significance for students as it will help them gain this understanding.

==(NOT REQUIRED?) Knowledge Gaps and Technical Challenges==

The topic of radar is one which our group has not had exposure too, especially its underlying workings. This introduces many knowledge gaps and technical challenges which will arise throughout the lifespan of this project. As a group, areas such as radar fundamentals, circuit design and workings, programming and power supply are all areas which shall require additional research. Unique knowledge gaps and challenges refering to each objective, stated in section 1, are outlined below.

'''Objective 1: Reimplementing Processing Procedure'''
''Processing Power:''
:The Raspberry Pi features a 700MHz ARM processor, which is suitable for most applications. However, signal processing requires a large number of calculations (fast fourier transforms specifically) and thus the Raspberry Pi could potentially lack the power to produce results in real time. According to the results of fast fourier transforms at different lengths recorded on the Raspberry Pi, the time taken to perform a FFT with 8192 data points using ARM is approximately 5 seconds. Real-time processing is impossible with the computations taking this amount of time. Fortunately, an alternate method of computing FFTs has been developed. This C library designed specifically for the Raspberry Pi utilizes the GPU to calculate the FFT, speeding up the process by up to 1200%. For a 8192 point FFT, this method only takes and average of 0.7 seconds, allowing for signals to be processed in real time. A caveat of this design slightly reduces precision as single precision floating points are used instead of double precision. Reducing the sampling rate will decrease the time required for calculating the FFT, at the cost of reduced accuracy. Performing FFTs on shorter sequences also reduces the computation time. For example, instead of performing a single FFT over a 1 second period with 8192Hz sampling rate, two 4096 point FFTs can be performed with less overall computation and in therefore less time.

'''Objective 2: Reimplementing RF System'''

''RF PCB Design:''
:RF PCB design is not like regular PCB design and comes with a detailed set of requirements and design suggestions. This type of PCB design requires taking into account difficulties such as impedance matching and transmission line charateristics. Along with reviewing hobbyist designs and design documentation, bridging this knowledge gap shall require continuous practice of the design on Altium Designer.

''RF PCB Soldering:''
:Soldering RF components is unlike regular soldering as the PCB and components are far more sensitive to damage. Due to this, it is possible to attach the RF components onto the PCB using a solder gel. To overcome this difficulty, we shall practice attaching unused components onto an unused PCB.

''RF PCB Components:''
:As we have not designed any system like this before, thus the integration of components shall pose new challenges for us. One such challenge includes the correct use and manipulation of component data sheets. As Altium Designer can test a designed PCB, we are able to ensure our design works correctly before moving on from this stage.

''PCB Construction:''
:The contruction of the RF PCB shall be done on a new machine which we have no knowledge on its operated. The university shall provide appropriate tutorials for us to learn how to operate this machine.

''Altium Designer:''
:The design of a 2 or 4 layer PCB on Altium Designer is also new to us. The Altium libraries may not contain all required components for our design, and thus new footprints must be designed from scratch \cite{altium}. Adelaide University provides tutorials for Altium Deisgner and our technical advisor, Pavel Simcik, will be abe to provide guidance.

'''Objective 3: Reimplementing Power Source'''

''Components Selection:''
:We havent done any project like this before. The components Selection and integration of components will be the new challenges for us. Such as we dont have enough knowledge about the batterys and PCB components, we have to make sure our selections and design correctly. Otherwise, we will waste time and money.

''PCB Design & Construction:''
:The construction of the power source PCB shall be designed by using Altium Designer. But we dont have enough knowledge for this, the University of Adelaide will provide tutorials for the Altium Designer.

'''Objective 4: Implementing An Interface'''

''Graphical Data Output:''
:The output from the radar must be represented in a easy to read, yet meaningful format. This will require learning of C++ graphical implementations. SDL and QT are two possible libraries that could be used, the advantages and disadvantages of both will be considered in terms of performance and funcitonality.

'''Objective 5: Implement Radar Scanning'''

''Components Selection:''
:The main challange of implementing the radar scanning is in choosing the right motor system. As the motor needs to be implemented with the Raspberry Pi, a motor system which is compatable is critical.

''C++ Implementation:''
:As the rotating motor system uses many range calculations, ensuring the Raspberry Pi and the stepper motor are synchronised will be challenging. This will require learning C++ implementations.

Projects:2015s1-21 Inexpensive Portable Radar System

2015-08-21T00:36:58Z

A1608830: /* Knowledge Gaps and Technical Challenges */

==Project Background==

===Project Overview===
The Inexpensive Portable Radar System project is a continuation of the MIT Coffee Can Radar. The project is now in its third year of development.

===Project Team===

'''Student Members'''

''Mohammad Hasan''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

''Kieren Nelson''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

''Angus Reid''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)(Electrical and Electronic) with Bachelor of Mathematical and Computer Science

''Wenkai (Kelvin) Zhu''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

'''Academic Supervisors'''

''Dr Brian Ng''
:

''Mr Hong Gunn Chew''
:

===Definitions===
CPU: Central Processing Unit

FFT: Fast Fourier Transform

FMCW: Frequency-Modulated Continuous-Wave

GPU: Graphics Processor Unit

GUI: Graphical User Interface

ISM: Industrial, Scientific and Medical

MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

PCB: Printed Circuit Board

PRT: Pulse Repetition Time

RADAR: RAdio Detection And Ranging

RF: Radio Frequency

RPi: Raspberry Pi

SAR: Synthetic Aperture Radar

SVN: Apache Subversion

USB: Universal Serial Bus

VCO: Voltage Controlled Oscillator

==Project Aims and Objectives==

This years Inexpensive, Portable Radar Project team shall focus on three distinct project aims;

:''Reduce Cost-'' Produce a final product that is cheaper than last years product of $700.

:''Improve Portability-'' Reduce the overall size of the project (~500x200x200mm) by 30%.

:''Add new functionality-'' Implement at least one new function to the system. (Lost marks for not providing some funcationality choices)

'''Reimplementing Processing Procedure:'''

:An onboard processor shall process all data, removing the need of a laptop and MATLAB licence. The processor will be required to process the radar data and produce images for both the Range and Doppler mode.

'''Reimplementing RF System:'''

:A new PCB RF system shall replace the current, bulky system as PCB RF components are significantly smaller and cheaper.

'''Reimplementing Power Source:'''

:With new system components, it has been found that a new range of voltages may be required for the system. This requires a new power distribution method which is capable of outputting powers of 6 and 12W (potential to change as system design finalised) and is sufficiently powerful enough to run all components.

'''Implementing an Interface:'''

:A small, portable screen shall be used as the output of the system to display processed images via a customised GUI. A 7inch touch screen is available from last years project.

'''Implement Radar Scanning:'''

:A rotation system shall be added onto the radar allowing it to calculate the distance of multiple objects in different directions from a single location.

If these proposed objectives are implemented, the finished product will move closer to its desired final state of being a truly inexpensive, portable radar. Such a radar has the capability of being continued on as a Honours Project with a different focus or becoming a classroom teaching tool for the university.

==Motivation and Significance==

This project is primarily being undertaken to expand on team members knowledge on radar and related areas which have previously been unexplored. Such areas include programming, RF desgin, and power. The final product shall be used by the continuing honours team next year and eventually as a classroom demostration tool. With the potential of becoming a teaching instrument, many future students may benifit from the successful compeletion of this project. Thus this project is motivated by personal gain and the potential to help students get an understanding on the fundamentals of RF engineering. Such a project has vast significance for students as it will help them gain this understanding.

==(NOT REQUIRED?) Knowledge Gaps and Technical Challenges==

The topic of radar is one which our group has not had exposure too, especially its underlying workings. This introduces many knowledge gaps and technical challenges which will arise throughout the lifespan of this project. As a group, areas such as radar fundamentals, circuit design and workings, programming and power supply are all areas which shall require additional research. Unique knowledge gaps and challenges refering to each objective, stated in section 1, are outlined below.

'''Objective 1: Reimplementing Processing Procedure'''
''Processing Power:''
:The Raspberry Pi features a 700MHz ARM processor, which is suitable for most applications. However, signal processing requires a large number of calculations (fast fourier transforms specifically) and thus the Raspberry Pi could potentially lack the power to produce results in real time. According to the results of fast fourier transforms at different lengths recorded on the Raspberry Pi, the time taken to perform a FFT with 8192 data points using ARM is approximately 5 seconds. Real-time processing is impossible with the computations taking this amount of time. Fortunately, an alternate method of computing FFTs has been developed. This C library designed specifically for the Raspberry Pi utilizes the GPU to calculate the FFT, speeding up the process by up to 1200%. For a 8192 point FFT, this method only takes and average of 0.7 seconds, allowing for signals to be processed in real time. A caveat of this design slightly reduces precision as single precision floating points are used instead of double precision. Reducing the sampling rate will decrease the time required for calculating the FFT, at the cost of reduced accuracy. Performing FFTs on shorter sequences also reduces the computation time. For example, instead of performing a single FFT over a 1 second period with 8192Hz sampling rate, two 4096 point FFTs can be performed with less overall computation and in therefore less time.

'''Objective 2: Reimplementing RF System'''

''RF PCB Design:''
:RF PCB design is not like regular PCB design and comes with a detailed set of requirements and design suggestions. This type of PCB design requires taking into account difficulties such as impedance matching and transmission line charateristics. Along with reviewing hobbyist designs and design documentation, bridging this knowledge gap shall require continuous practice of the design on Altium Designer.

''RF PCB Soldering:''
:Soldering RF components is unlike regular soldering as the PCB and components are far more sensitive to damage. Due to this, it is possible to attach the RF components onto the PCB using a solder gel. To overcome this difficulty, we shall practice attaching unused components onto an unused PCB.

''RF PCB Components:''
:As we have not designed any system like this before, thus the integration of components shall pose new challenges for us. One such challenge includes the correct use and manipulation of component data sheets. As Altium Designer can test a designed PCB, we are able to ensure our design works correctly before moving on from this stage.

''PCB Construction:''
:The contruction of the RF PCB shall be done on a new machine which we have no knowledge on its operated. The university shall provide appropriate tutorials for us to learn how to operate this machine.

''Altium Designer:''
:The design of a 2 or 4 layer PCB on Altium Designer is also new to us. The Altium libraries may not contain all required components for our design, and thus new footprints must be designed from scratch \cite{altium}. Adelaide University provides tutorials for Altium Deisgner and our technical advisor, Pavel Simcik, will be abe to provide guidance.

'''Objective 3: Reimplementing Power Source'''

''Components Selection:''
:We havent done any project like this before. The components Selection and integration of components will be the new challenges for us. Such as we dont have enough knowledge about the batterys and PCB components, we have to make sure our selections and design correctly. Otherwise, we will waste time and money.

''PCB Design & Construction:''
:The construction of the power source PCB shall be designed by using Altium Designer. But we dont have enough knowledge for this, the University of Adelaide will provide tutorials for the Altium Designer.

'''Objective 4: Implementing An Interface'''

''Graphical Data Output:''
:The output from the radar must be represented in a easy to read, yet meaningful format. This will require learning of C++ graphical implementations. SDL and QT are two possible libraries that could be used, the advantages and disadvantages of both will be considered in terms of performance and funcitonality.

'''Objective 5: Implement Radar Scanning'''

''Components Selection:''
:The main challange of implementing the radar scanning is in choosing the right motor system. As the motor needs to be implemented with the Raspberry Pi, a motor system which is compatable is critical.

''C++ Implementation:''
:As the rotating motor system uses many range calculations, ensuring the Raspberry Pi and the stepper motor are synchronised will be challenging. This will require learning C++ implementations.

Projects:2015s1-21 Inexpensive Portable Radar System

2015-08-17T02:22:40Z

A1608830: /* Project Background */

==Project Background==

===Project Overview===
The Inexpensive Portable Radar System project is a continuation of the MIT Coffee Can Radar. The project is now in its third year of development.

===Project Team===

'''Student Members'''

''Mohammad Hasan''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

''Kieren Nelson''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

''Angus Reid''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)(Electrical and Electronic) with Bachelor of Mathematical and Computer Science

''Wenkai (Kelvin) Zhu''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

'''Academic Supervisors'''

''Dr Brian Ng''
:

''Mr Hong Gunn Chew''
:

===Definitions===
CPU: Central Processing Unit

FFT: Fast Fourier Transform

FMCW: Frequency-Modulated Continuous-Wave

GPU: Graphics Processor Unit

GUI: Graphical User Interface

ISM: Industrial, Scientific and Medical

MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

PCB: Printed Circuit Board

PRT: Pulse Repetition Time

RADAR: RAdio Detection And Ranging

RF: Radio Frequency

RPi: Raspberry Pi

SAR: Synthetic Aperture Radar

SVN: Apache Subversion

USB: Universal Serial Bus

VCO: Voltage Controlled Oscillator

==Project Aims and Objectives==

This years Inexpensive, Portable Radar Project team shall focus on three distinct project aims;

:''Reduce Cost-'' Produce a final product that is cheaper than last years product of $700.

:''Improve Portability-'' Reduce the overall size of the project (~500x200x200mm) by 30%.

:''Add new functionality-'' Implement at least one new function to the system. (Lost marks for not providing some funcationality choices)

'''Reimplementing Processing Procedure:'''

:An onboard processor shall process all data, removing the need of a laptop and MATLAB licence. The processor will be required to process the radar data and produce images for both the Range and Doppler mode.

'''Reimplementing RF System:'''

:A new PCB RF system shall replace the current, bulky system as PCB RF components are significantly smaller and cheaper.

'''Reimplementing Power Source:'''

:With new system components, it has been found that a new range of voltages may be required for the system. This requires a new power distribution method which is capable of outputting powers of 6 and 12W (potential to change as system design finalised) and is sufficiently powerful enough to run all components.

'''Implementing an Interface:'''

:A small, portable screen shall be used as the output of the system to display processed images via a customised GUI. A 7inch touch screen is available from last years project.

'''Implement Radar Scanning:'''

:A rotation system shall be added onto the radar allowing it to calculate the distance of multiple objects in different directions from a single location.

If these proposed objectives are implemented, the finished product will move closer to its desired final state of being a truly inexpensive, portable radar. Such a radar has the capability of being continued on as a Honours Project with a different focus or becoming a classroom teaching tool for the university.

==Motivation and Significance==

This project is primarily being undertaken to expand on team members knowledge on radar and related areas which have previously been unexplored. Such areas include programming, RF desgin, and power. The final product shall be used by the continuing honours team next year and eventually as a classroom demostration tool. With the potential of becoming a teaching instrument, many future students may benifit from the successful compeletion of this project. Thus this project is motivated by personal gain and the potential to help students get an understanding on the fundamentals of RF engineering. Such a project has vast significance for students as it will help them gain this understanding.

==Knowledge Gaps and Technical Challenges==

The topic of radar is one which our group has not had exposure too, especially its underlying workings. This introduces many knowledge gaps and technical challenges which will arise throughout the lifespan of this project. As a group, areas such as radar fundamentals, circuit design and workings, programming and power supply are all areas which shall require additional research. Unique knowledge gaps and challenges refering to each objective, stated in section 1, are outlined below.

'''Objective 1: Reimplementing Processing Procedure'''
''Processing Power:''
:The Raspberry Pi features a 700MHz ARM processor, which is suitable for most applications. However, signal processing requires a large number of calculations (fast fourier transforms specifically) and thus the Raspberry Pi could potentially lack the power to produce results in real time. According to the results of fast fourier transforms at different lengths recorded on the Raspberry Pi, the time taken to perform a FFT with 8192 data points using ARM is approximately 5 seconds. Real-time processing is impossible with the computations taking this amount of time. Fortunately, an alternate method of computing FFTs has been developed. This C library designed specifically for the Raspberry Pi utilizes the GPU to calculate the FFT, speeding up the process by up to 1200%. For a 8192 point FFT, this method only takes and average of 0.7 seconds, allowing for signals to be processed in real time. A caveat of this design slightly reduces precision as single precision floating points are used instead of double precision. Reducing the sampling rate will decrease the time required for calculating the FFT, at the cost of reduced accuracy. Performing FFTs on shorter sequences also reduces the computation time. For example, instead of performing a single FFT over a 1 second period with 8192Hz sampling rate, two 4096 point FFTs can be performed with less overall computation and in therefore less time.

'''Objective 2: Reimplementing RF System'''

''RF PCB Design:''
:RF PCB design is not like regular PCB design and comes with a detailed set of requirements and design suggestions. This type of PCB design requires taking into account difficulties such as impedance matching and transmission line charateristics. Along with reviewing hobbyist designs and design documentation, bridging this knowledge gap shall require continuous practice of the design on Altium Designer.

''RF PCB Soldering:''
:Soldering RF components is unlike regular soldering as the PCB and components are far more sensitive to damage. Due to this, it is possible to attach the RF components onto the PCB using a solder gel. To overcome this difficulty, we shall practice attaching unused components onto an unused PCB.

''RF PCB Components:''
:As we have not designed any system like this before, thus the integration of components shall pose new challenges for us. One such challenge includes the correct use and manipulation of component data sheets. As Altium Designer can test a designed PCB, we are able to ensure our design works correctly before moving on from this stage.

''PCB Construction:''
:The contruction of the RF PCB shall be done on a new machine which we have no knowledge on its operated. The university shall provide appropriate tutorials for us to learn how to operate this machine.

''Altium Designer:''
:The design of a 2 or 4 layer PCB on Altium Designer is also new to us. The Altium libraries may not contain all required components for our design, and thus new footprints must be designed from scratch \cite{altium}. Adelaide University provides tutorials for Altium Deisgner and our technical advisor, Pavel Simcik, will be abe to provide guidance.

'''Objective 3: Reimplementing Power Source'''

''Components Selection:''
:We havent done any project like this before. The components Selection and integration of components will be the new challenges for us. Such as we dont have enough knowledge about the batterys and PCB components, we have to make sure our selections and design correctly. Otherwise, we will waste time and money.

''PCB Design & Construction:''
:The construction of the power source PCB shall be designed by using Altium Designer. But we dont have enough knowledge for this, the University of Adelaide will provide tutorials for the Altium Designer.

'''Objective 4: Implementing An Interface'''

''Graphical Data Output:''
:The output from the radar must be represented in a easy to read, yet meaningful format. This will require learning of C++ graphical implementations. SDL and QT are two possible libraries that could be used, the advantages and disadvantages of both will be considered in terms of performance and funcitonality.

'''Objective 5: Implement Radar Scanning'''

''Components Selection:''
:The main challange of implementing the radar scanning is in choosing the right motor system. As the motor needs to be implemented with the Raspberry Pi, a motor system which is compatable is critical.

''C++ Implementation:''
:As the rotating motor system uses many range calculations, ensuring the Raspberry Pi and the stepper motor are synchronised will be challenging. This will require learning C++ implementations.

Projects:2015s1-21 Inexpensive Portable Radar System

2015-08-17T02:10:30Z

A1608830: /* Project Background */

=='''Project Background'''==

===Project Overview===
The Inexpensive Portable Radar System project is a continuation of the MIT Coffee Can Radar. The project is now in its third year of development.

===Project Team===

'''Student Members'''

''Mohammad Hasan''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

''Kieren Nelson''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

''Angus Reid''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)(Electrical and Electronic) with Bachelor of Mathematical and Computer Science

''Wenkai (Kelvin) Zhu''
:Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)()

'''Academic Supervisors'''

''Dr Brian Ng''
:

''Mr Hong Gunn Chew''
:

Projects:2015s1-21 Inexpensive Portable Radar System

2015-08-17T02:09:04Z

A1608830: Created page with "=='''Project Background'''== ===Project Overview=== The Inexpensive Portable Radar System project is a continuation of the MIT Coffee Can Radar. The project is now in its thi..."