Build a working radar system for university research or drone detection experiments.
Study phased array radar design and signal processing with complete open-source reference implementation.
Develop custom radar applications by modifying the FPGA firmware and Python interface for specific detection scenarios.
Requires custom hardware assembly (FPGA, STM32, GaN amplifiers) and specialized RF/radar knowledge; software alone cannot demonstrate functionality.
AERIS-10 is a fully open-source radar system operating at 10.5 GHz, a microwave frequency commonly used in radar applications. The project provides complete hardware designs (circuit schematics, PCB layouts, antenna designs) and software (firmware, signal processing code, and a Python graphical interface) for building a working phased array radar from scratch. A phased array radar works by using many antenna elements together, electronically steering the direction the radar "looks" without moving any physical parts. AERIS-10 steers electronically up to 45 degrees in both horizontal and vertical directions, and also rotates 360 degrees mechanically via a stepper motor. The project comes in two versions: AERIS-10N (Nexus), a 3-kilometer range system with an 8×16 patch antenna array; and AERIS-10E (Extended), a 20-kilometer range system with a much larger 32×16 slotted waveguide antenna array and higher-power GaN amplifiers. The hardware architecture includes a frequency synthesizer board, a main signal processing board with an FPGA (a programmable chip that handles real-time radar processing like pulse compression, Doppler analysis, and target detection), an STM32 microcontroller for system management and peripheral control, power amplifier boards for the extended-range version, GPS and IMU sensors for position correction, and a Python-based graphical user interface that displays targets on a map. This project is aimed at university researchers, drone developers, and advanced electronics enthusiasts who want to study or experiment with radar technology. It is currently in alpha status. The software is MIT licensed and the hardware is under the CERN Open Hardware License.
Generated 2026-05-18 · Model: sonnet-4-6 · Verify against the repo before relying on details.