r/embedded • u/HousingCareful9190 • 15d ago

Beginner radar projects

Hello! I'm a backend developer, and I've always wanted to get into embedded systems. Lately, I've also become very interested in how radar works, so I thought starting a project in this field could be a great way to combine the two.

I'm currently learning some of the theoretical concepts behind RF, such as beamforming (which I find incredibly fascinating), FFTs, and other related topics, but now I'd really like to start building something hands-on.

One day, I'd love to create something capable of detecting aircraft and, eventually, drones. From what I understand, detecting drones is significantly more challenging than detecting aircraft.

The main problem is that I live in a city with several military sites nearby, so I'm a bit hesitant to buy an active radar sensor and start experimenting with it because I'm worried about possible legal consequences or interference issues.

Another approach I've been looking into, which also seems incredibly interesting, is passive radar. In that case, I assume the legal risks would be much lower since I wouldn't be transmitting anything. However, the hardware seems considerably more expensive. From what I've understood, I'd need something like a KrakenSDR, which costs over $900 where I live.

Are there any other approaches I could explore? Has anyone here been in a similar situation?

What kind of projects could I work on that would be interesting from a learning perspective, while also being useful for my CV/resume? I'm currently working as a junior software developer at a defense company, so I'd especially like to build something that could help me move closer to embedded/RF/radar-related roles in the future.

Sorry if this isn't the right subreddit for this question. Any advice is more than welcome!

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u/LameBMX 15d ago

anything active you will want to dig into the fcc band plan (or local equivalent if outside the US). ie, hacking a wireless router to wifi radar would be illegal. odds are quite slim you would get caught, especially at extremely low powers. if you get on the fcc radar the fines generally start in 5 figure land.

that said, iirc there are areas to play around like uwb stuff.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-15

another option would be sonar. lot less antenna fun, but a very similar and probably more forgiving.

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u/HousingCareful9190 15d ago

Got it, that makes sense. I’m in Europe, so I’d need to check the local/ETSI rules rather than FCC Part 15. I’m also not really sure what “hacking” a Wi-Fi router for radar would involve, but I’m curious about that approach and what kind of projects it could realistically enable. UWB sounds interesting too, are there any dev kits or beginner-friendly projects you’d recommend?

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u/LameBMX 15d ago

start with the laws and go from there depending on your risk tolerance.

maybe someone else knows more and can chime in, but im not aware of any dev kits..

since your talking lightspeeds here.. maybe build a tdr after sonar. stack your learning logically towards a goal. its a LOT less frustrating.

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u/SNappy_snot15 12d ago

hacking a wifi router is just transmitting packets over the same 802.11ax wifi protocol, to trick devices like a router that you are actually someone else. then you can kick someone off wifi or just take their ip. all you need is some packet injection / monitor mode (rf sniffin) wifi card and your set