Open Source PLFM Radar. Up to 20Km Range

Open Source PLFM RADAR. Up to 20Km Range | Hackaday.io Close 0% 0% Open Source PLFM RADAR. Up to 20Km Range Open-source, low-cost 10.5 GHz phased array radar with PLFM modulation; available in 3km and 20km range Nawfal Following Follow project Liked Like project Become a Hackaday.io member Not a member? You should Sign up. Already have an account? Log in. Sign up with Github Sign up with Twitter OR Remember me Sign up Forgot your password? Just one more thing To make the experience fit your profile, pick a username and tell us what interests you. Pick an awesome username hackaday.io/ Your profile's URL: hackaday.io/ username . Max 25 alphanumeric characters. Pick a few interests Projects that share your interests People that share your interests We found and based on your interests. Choose more interests. OK, I'm done! Skip Join this project Public Chat Similar projects worth following 7.4k views 0 comments 72 followers 53 likes Description Details Files 1 View all Components 0 Logs 0 Instructions 0 Discussion 0 View Gallery Public Chat 7.4k 0 72 53 Team ( 4 ) Nawfal Matt GOAT INDUSTRIES Rob Join this project's team PLFM_RADAR ongoing project radar phased array doppler beam steering electronics SDR Related lists Unique Advanced Projects Distinct and hyper-useful projects on another level of sophistication. This project is submitted for Hackaday.com Tip Line This project was created on 03/08/2026 and last updated 2 days ago. Description By combining modern SDR technology with an innovative system, we deliver true phased array performance at 90-95% below commercial alternatives—with open APIs that let you build your own applications. Technical Specifications: - The AERIS-10 comes in 2 versions: o AERIS-10N (Nexus) with Range up to 3Km o AERIS-10X (Extended) with scanning Range up to 20Km - Frequency: 10.5GHz - Antenna Type: 8x16 patch antenna array for the Nexus and 32x16 dielectric-filled slotted waveguide antenna array for the Extended version. - Electronically controlled Elevation and Azimuth Beam steering. (The prototype uses the 16 antenna elements to steer the Azimuth beam and the Elevation is performed using a stepper motor; but the designed system can be hacked to control both Elevation and Azimuth electronically. - Output: Range & Doppler of Multi-Targets - Interface: A GUI written in Python Details Building an open-source, low-cost 10.5 GHz phased array radar with phased array antenna and Pulse LFM modulation—available in 3km and 20km range versions. For researchers, drone developers, and serious SDR enthusiasts. The Vision: Phased array radar is the gold standard for electronic beam steering—enabling instant tracking, weather resilience, and precision sensing. Yet today, even entry-level systems cost more than $250,000, locking this technology away from researchers, students, and independent innovators. I'm building the “AERIS-10” to change that. An open source “32x16 element X-band phased array radar” with full electronic beam steering, Pulse Linear Frequency Modulation (LFM) at a fraction of traditional cost. Why This Matters Today, anyone who needs advanced radar capability faces three flawed options, each with unacceptable tradeoffs. Military surplus equipment might seem like a bargain at $10,000-50,000, but you're buying decades-old technology. These systems use mechanical scanning only—no electronic beam steering. They're analog, completely obsolete, and come with no API or modern interface. When they break (and they will), there are no spare parts. Commercial radar systems deliver modern performance but at an astronomical price: $250,000 to over $1 million. Even at that cost, you're getting a closed "black box." The firmware is locked, the beam patterns are fixed, and there's no way to modify or extend the system for your specific research needs. You're renting capability, not owning technology you can build upon. Building from scratch is the path for well-funded research labs or obsessive hobbyists—but it's a multi-year undertaking requiring a deep team with specialized expertise across RF, FPGA programming, signal processing, and mechanical engineering. Just the test equipment (spectrum analyzers, network analyzers) costs more than $50,000. And building a phased array from discrete components? For a small team, it's nearly impossible to achieve consistent, calibrated performance. The result: A massive capability gap. There is no affordable, programmable, electronically-scanned radar platform for researchers, educators, and innovators who want to push the boundaries of what's possible with radar. AERIS-10 changes this. By combining modern SDR technology with an innovative system, we deliver true phased array performance at 90-95% below commercial alternatives—with open APIs that let you build your own applications. Technical Specifications: The AERIS-10 comes in 2 versions: AERIS-10N (Nexus) with Range up to 3Km AERIS-10X (Extended) with scanning Range up to 20Km Frequency: 10.5GHz Antenna Type: 8x16 patch antenna array for the Nexus and 32x16 dielectric-filled slotted waveguide antenna array for the Extended version. Electronically controlled Elevation and Azimuth Beam steering. (The prototype uses the 16 antenna elements to steer the Elevation beam and the Azimuth is performed using a stepper motor; but the designed system can be hacked to control both Elevation and Azimuth electronically. Output: Range & Doppler of Multi-Targets Interface: A GUI written in Python A Power Management Board that supplies all the necessary voltage levels to the electronics components with proper filtering and sequencing (This late is ensured by the microcontroller) A Frequency Synthesizer Board using a high performance Low Jitter Clock Generator (AD9523-1) that supplies phased aligned clock references for the: RX and TX Frequency Synthesizers (ADF4382) DAC ADC FPGA A Main Board containing: A DAC to generate the RADAR Chirps 2 Microwave Mixers (LT5552) for up-conversion and IF-down-conversion 4 4-Channels Phase Shifters (ADAR1000) for the RX and TX chain 16 Front End chips (ADTR1107) used for Both Low Noise Amplifying (RX) and Power Amplifying (TX) Stages An XC7A100T FPGA used for RADAR Signal Processing: ... Read more » View all details Files GUI_V6.gif GUI Graphics Interchange Format - 2.92 MB - 03/11/2026 at 03:24 Preview Enjoy this project? Share Discussions Log In/Sign up to comment Become a Hackaday.io Member Create an account to leave a comment. Already have an account? Log In . Sign up with Github Sign up with X OR Sign up Similar Projects The 2016 Hackaday Prize Free and open source tool for exploring science and electronics anytime anywhere Project Owner Contributor Box0 Kuldeep Singh Dhaka Bat like sonar sensor that can track multiple targets and estimate angle of arrival using chirps and cross correlation in near real time. Project Owner Contributor Bat Sonar Filip Mulier The MAVLink Long-Range System (mLRS) is an open-source, bidirectional telemetry link designed for UAVs, drones, and autonomous vehicles. It Project Owner Contributor MAV link Long Range System using E77-900M22S electronicsworkshops Official Hackaday Prize Entry Includes RF detector up to 6GHz and a datalogger Project Owner Contributor Handheld 3GHz Spectrum Analyzer roelh Does this project spark your interest? 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