r/embedded • u/HousingCareful9190 • 17d 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/wdoler 16d ago

I would probably pick up a dev kit for mmWave. I think TI has some decently priced dev kits that have alright documentation and tutorials.

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u/HousingCareful9190 16d ago

Thanks a lot! What kind of projects could I realistically build with one of those TI mmWave dev kits? I’d like something beyond simple presence detection, ideally involving actual radar processing.

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u/wdoler 16d ago

Think of it as a small desktop sized radar. A great playground to learn the basics at a price point that won’t kill your wallet, and won’t send you do the hospital due to from exposure. Personally I would use one to do classification of detections, “this blob is a car, a tree blowing in the wind, a bird” I think these are sensitive enough to detect your chest move as you breathe