nawfalmotii79/plfm_radar

Analysis updated 2026-06-21

★ 20,148PLSQLAudience · researcherComplexity · 5/5LicenseSetup · hard

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((AERIS-10 Radar))
    Versions
      AERIS-10N 3km range
      AERIS-10E 20km range
    Hardware
      FPGA processing board
      STM32 controller
      Antenna arrays
      GaN amplifiers
    Software
      Python GUI map display
      Firmware
      Signal processing
    Audience
      University researchers
      Drone developers
      Electronics enthusiasts

mindmap root((AERIS-10 Radar)) Versions AERIS-10N 3km range AERIS-10E 20km range Hardware FPGA processing board STM32 controller Antenna arrays GaN amplifiers Software Python GUI map display Firmware Signal processing Audience University researchers Drone developers Electronics enthusiasts

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Build a 3 km range radar system (AERIS-10N) for university research or hobby experimentation with radar technology.

USE CASE 2

Construct a 20 km range extended radar (AERIS-10E) using GaN amplifiers and a large slotted waveguide antenna array.

USE CASE 3

Study phased array signal processing, pulse compression, Doppler analysis, and target detection, running on an FPGA.

USE CASE 4

Display detected targets on a map using the included Python GUI with GPS and IMU position correction.

What is it built with?

PythonFPGASTM32Hardware

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · hard Time to first run · 1day+

Requires sourcing and assembling custom PCBs, an FPGA development board, and RF hardware components.

Software is MIT licensed, use freely for any purpose. Hardware designs are CERN Open Hardware License, share modifications under the same terms.

In plain English

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.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

I am building the AERIS-10N radar. Walk me through the FPGA signal processing pipeline, pulse compression, Doppler analysis, and how target detection works.

Prompt 2

Help me configure the AERIS-10 Python GUI to display detected targets on a map with GPS-corrected coordinates from the IMU sensor.

Prompt 3

Explain the difference between the AERIS-10N 8x16 patch array and the AERIS-10E 32x16 slotted waveguide array and when to use each.

Prompt 4

What components do I need to source to build the AERIS-10N frequency synthesizer board and main signal processing board?

Prompt 5

How does the STM32 microcontroller communicate with the FPGA in AERIS-10 and what does each one handle?

Frequently asked questions

What is plfm_radar?

An open-source phased array radar system at 10.5 GHz, providing complete hardware designs and software for building a working radar with 3 km or 20 km range from scratch.

What language is plfm_radar written in?

Mainly PLSQL. The stack also includes Python, FPGA, STM32.

What license does plfm_radar use?

Software is MIT licensed, use freely for any purpose. Hardware designs are CERN Open Hardware License, share modifications under the same terms.

How hard is plfm_radar to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated hard, with roughly 1day+ to a first successful run.

Who is plfm_radar for?

Mainly researcher.

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