A Radar Kit for Hands-On Distance-Learning

TL;DR

This paper introduces a cost-effective, modular radar kit designed for hands-on distance learning, combining commercial hardware with open-source software to enhance practical radar education remotely.

Contribution

It presents a flexible, high-performance radar system architecture that simplifies assembly and reduces costs, enabling effective remote radar education.

Findings

Successful example measurements demonstrate system capabilities.

The kit facilitates remote hands-on radar experiments.

Reduced complexity and cost compared to existing solutions.

Abstract

We present an approach to experimental radar systems education based on a combination of commercial low-cost hardware with modern open-source software technologies. Following a discussion of the general top-level architecture of flexible, software-defined radar systems, we introduce the specific selection of subsystems, their capabilities, and current system limitations. Compared to existing approaches to practical radar education, a more top-level modular design with a greater focus on performance and flexibility of baseband processing is selected while reducing the complexity of circuit and subsystem assembly and total system cost. We present example measurements obtained from the radar kit. The radar kit allows for bringing a radar lab to the students instead of students into the labs. It enables practical hands-on radar education also in distance-only-learning scenarios.