ECE 480: Electrical and Computer Engineering Capstone Design

An Interactive Radar Demonstrator for Children

Team 5

Andrew Renton

Stephen Hughey

Andrew Myrick

Nur Syuhada Zakaria

Facilitator: Prof. Hayder Radha

Sponsor: MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Proposal

Date: Feb 23rd 2012

Executive Summary

Team five’s objective is to produce an electromagnetic (EM) learning platform based on the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Labs radar project. This platform is designed to increase children’s
interest in EM electromagnetism and Radar concepts. It will be a portable demonstration device that will be
displayed at the MIT Museum.
 Content Page No.

Introduction 3

Background 3

Objectives/Design Specification 4

FAST Diagram 4

Conceptual Design Description 5

Ranking of Conceptual Designs 6

Proposed Design Solution 8

Risk Analysis 9

Project Management Plan 10

Gantt Chart 11

Feasibility Matrix 12

Budget 12

References 12

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Introduction

Radio detection and ranging (Radar) is a fascinating field that plays a major role in many modern
military and civilian applications. In past times, parties interested in communications over great distances
had to educate themselves in electromagnetics (EM) concepts to implement transmission and reception
devices. This necessity created a large pool of engineers and technicians well-versed in these concepts for
radar design and use. Radar was proven be an amazing development during the 20th century. However,
other technologies are beginning to supplement and in some ways replace radar, for instance the Global
Positioning System (GPS) and wireless communications.

Consequently, our main goal is to produce an EM demonstrative device using radar that will be
highly interesting, especially for the younger generation. This device will provide the children with the
essential exposure and basic ideas behind radar by allowing them to interact with a low-power and safe
radar. Early education in these concepts is an important aspect in attracting more attention to these fields
in the future. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Museum attracts hordes of young children ripe for
engineering indoctrination. The hands-on nature of the radar project will plant a seed in the minds of the
children, a seed which will hopefully grow into the delectable fruit of curiosity in the future.

Background

Radar in its modern conceptualization has existed since World War II, during which it was used to
track air targets for military purposes. With time, this technology has extended to uses in communications,
weather tracking, sensors, police work, and more. This means that the use of radar is growing among the
general population.

Radar makes use of well-known EM phenomena to characterize a target. A transmitting antenna

produces a user-defined EM wave which reflects off of surfaces in the beam path. These reflected waves are
received and processed to retrieve useful information about the objects in the signal path. Position and its
derivative components, velocity and acceleration, can effectively be characterized to varying degrees of
accuracy depending on characteristics of the transmitted wave.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory (MITLL) developed a kit to demonstrate

radar system principles utilizing affordable, off the shelf parts and a simple, easy to understand design.
MITLL’s kit is designed for use with a laptop as the processing unit. To extract the desired information
from the radar output signal, it must undergo a user-facilitated processing sequence, and the data thus
cannot be displayed in real time. Our project aims to automate signal interpretation and to display the
desired information in real time. The display will appeal to children by incorporating interactive visually-
stimulating graphics.

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Objectives/Design Specifications

 To spark youth’s interest in radar engineering through hands-on and interactive experiments
 To repackage the improved radar system according to MIT Museum’s specification
o Housed in a stand-alone and movable cart system
o Approximate one meter in height
o Other dimensions will depend on the size of the radar system
 To demonstrate a visually stimulating radar effects for children
o Output video in a “waterfall” configuration to display output information
 To improve of an existing low cost radar system developed for instructional use by adding a data
acquisition and processing chain
 To construct an operational prototype capable of producing meaningful radar displays (range vs.
time intensity and Doppler vs. time intensity) through real time data processing
o Processing must eliminate static objects to avoid ‘room blindness’
o Processing type (ranging or speed detection) will be selected with an external switch

The team’s basic objective is to produce an educational EM exhibit based on the MITLL radar
project kit. Early exposure to scientific concepts is an important factor in a child’s future learning interests.
The final product, meant for the MIT Museum, will be surrounded by many static objects. These must be
filtered out so that children will only see themselves in the output. Output should make intuitive sense with
little in the way of interpretation.

FAST Diagram

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Conceptual Design Descriptions

Radar utilizes high frequency carrier signals which are impossible to accurately process with basic
hardware. MIT’s kit employs a mixer which multiplies a transmission reference signal with the input signal.
Multiplication produces a phase difference representation of the signal in the audio frequency band.
Frequencies in this range are easily manipulated, as they are widely used in existing designs. Materials and
references are abundant.
A possible design solution uses an Arduino microcontroller board for signal processing. Arduino is
a hobbyist microcontroller platform with a significant user community, making it a suitable choice for our
needs. Ideally, the challenges of the project’s processing component will already have been addressed by the
members of the community. This allows us to avoid re-inventing the wheel, and to focus on other aspects of
the design.
Digitally processing an audio signal requires analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) and additional
mathematical computation for signal manipulation. In order to process the signal in real time, these
calculations must be performed at a rate quick enough to avoid lag in the graphical output. Fluid graphical
output is necessary for the display to be engaging.
Ranging and speed-detection functions can be integrated into a single mode of operation, called
moving-target indication (MTI) radar. MTI utilizes a pulsed transmission and extracts frequency shift and
time delay information from the received pulse to determine speed and range, respectively. Although it is
theoretically possible, its implementation in the context of our project would likely produce undesirable
results and exceeds our budget. MTI suffers from multiple blind frequencies, resulting in poor Doppler
visibility. This disadvantage, coupled with the high cost of building such a radar system, significantly
reduces the viability of MTI for our purposes.
Our radar will be capable of non-simultaneous ranging and speed detection, greatly simplifying the
design and testing process. The user will be able to select the intended mode of operation with a switch. In
speed-detection mode, the radar transmits a continuous 2.4 GHz wave with no modulation. The reflected
signal is frequency-mixed with the transmitted signal. This produces a sum of sinusoidal outputs whose
phases are the phase difference and sum of the transmitted and reflected signals, respectively. A low-pass
filter eliminates the high-frequency component of the signal. The speed of the target is determined by a
linear relation with the frequency of this output signal. In ranging mode, the 2.4 GHz transmitted signal
will be frequency-modulated by a ramp waveform, producing a ‘chirp’. The radar system can detect the
range of an object by analyzing the spectrum of the reflected signal and then using the individual frequency
components of the chirp as a reference against which to compare the reflected signal. Digital signal
processing will allow us to determine the target’s speed or range in real time and to display it logically and
colorfully on an external screen.

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Ranking of Conceptual Designs

1. Arduino-based signal processing with non-simultaneous ranging and speed detection.

2. Arduino-based signal processing with simultaneous ranging and speed detection.

3. Moving target indication (MTI) radar with simultaneous ranging and speed detection.

4. Digital signal processing chip (DSP) based radar with simultaneous ranging and speed detection.

After researching our options, we decided to design our processing system around the Arduino
platform. Its ease of use and vast user community support make it a very attractive choice for our specialized
computational needs. The microprocessor on the Arduino board is a general-purpose chip, allowing the
user significant computational versatility.

Layout of the Pre-constructed MITLL kit

The radar pictured above was prepared by a team from the previous semester. The RF circuitry
consists of a VCO, attenuator, two amplifiers, a splitter and a frequency mixer. All of the components have
approximately 2.4GHz operating frequency and 50Ω impedance. These components are manufactured by
Mini-Circuits.

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 Layout of the Arduino MEGA 2560R3

The Arduino MEGA 2560 R3 is the specific model our project will employ. It will process the
radar output signal and communicate the ranging and speed information gained thereby to the PICASO
for graphical processing.

Layout of PICASO GFX2 Graphics Processor

PICASO GFX2 graphics processor will be used for image processing to display the range and
velocity versus time. Upper-level graphics functions make the GFX2 easy to use, and its VGA output is

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compatible with most modern displays. The GFX2 outputs 256 colors which, when compared to similar
GPUs, is a wide range.

Proposed Design solution

End product prototype

After considering all designs specifications given and goals that we had set, our radar system will be
assembled in a similar manner shown in the figure above. We will have 3 major components which are the
“can-tennas”, microcontroller box and an output screen. Further modifications will be done in terms of the
placement of the components on the dimensions of the roll out cart, output screen and the enclosed box.

The “can-tennas” will be placed at approximately 1m height which is the average height of a 6 year
old. All of the microcontrollers used will be enclosed in a box for protection and covered with a Plexiglas to
display the controllers. The controllers will also be labeled in order for the children to identify them. The
output screen will be placed on a shelf below the “can-tennas” at an appropriate height. Each of the three
units will be modular allowing various placements to aid in the maintenance of the radar system in the MIT
Museum.

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 High-level diagram of the design setup

The voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is set to produce a constant 2.4 GHz signal by supplying its
input with roughly 2 V. An IC function generator is used to produce a triangle wave which, when
combined with the dc offset, modulates the VCO output, producing a frequency-modulate continuous
wave (FMCW) signal. The signal is then attenuated by half (-3 dB) in order to get the maximum bandwidth
from the low noise amplifier (LNA). After amplification, the signal is split between the transmission “can-
tenna” and the mixer’s local oscillator (LO) port for downconversion with the radio frequency (RF) signal
received from the second “can-tenna”. The output from the mixer is fed into the Arduino’s ADC port for
sampling.

Risk and Concerns Analysis

Federal regulation of the EM spectrum limits the strength and bandwidth of any EM signal
produced. In many radar applications, power emission constraints can be a concern. High-powered radars
can emit harmful radiation and interfere with local systems operating in the same frequency band as the
radar. Our proposed radar design will emit approximately 10 mW below the 2.48 GHz range, well below
the ISM band power limitation of 1 W and below more strictly regulated frequency bands.

Due to time constraints, we must procure the processing hardware as soon as possible so that we
can become acclimated to it. The negative experiences of past teams demonstrate the importance of an
acclimation period. Theoretically ideas can be done in a day, but in practice more time is needed to insure a
proper solution. This is a basic consideration in all human endeavors but with the invariability of academic
scheduling it is of primary concern.

Long term maintenance is an important consideration in any design. Ideally day to day operation
of the display should involve no more than flipping the on switch. This should eliminate any need for a
startup procedure or other interaction on the part of museum workers. Also, access to the internal
components should be easy in case part replacement is needed. The access panel will be within reach of all
components and will be under lock and key for safety reasons.

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 Our final product will be mounted on a roll-out cart thus ensuring the structural integrity of the
cart for repeated use is an important consideration. In order to protect both the radar system and users, we
will implement a braking mechanism for the wheels to prevent unintended movement of the cart. In
addition, sharp edges along the edge of the cart will be rounded as much as possible to protect against
possible falls or other accidents.

Project Management Plan

 Andrew – Signal processing and communications programming

 Andy – Graphics programming & structure design/fabrication
 Steve – Algorithmic analysis and programming
 Syue – Graphics programming & structure design/fabrication

Design plans have been structured such that tasks are always available and consensus can be reached
about key project components before relevant processes are designed. We begin with primary set up to
insure that future use of the radar kit is consistent. Then, as a group, we decide upon serial communication
standards and insure everyone has a firm understanding of the underlying DSP principles. After this the
group divides into tasks detailed in the Gantt chart below.

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 Timeline for Gantt chart

Gantt chart for design process

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Feasibility Matrix

Possible Solutions
Engineering Criteria Importance Arduino and PICASO Based Digital Signal
Processing Laptop Processing Chip
Portable 8 9 9 9
Graphical Data
Communication 9 3 9 1
Low Power Consumption 3 9 3 9
Real Time Processing 10 9 9 9
Ease of use 10 9 9 3
Maintenance 7 9 3 9
Total 369 363 291

Possible Solutions
Feasibility Importance Arduino and PICASO Based Digital Signal
Processing Laptop Processing Chip
Cost 8 9 1 3
Time 10 9 3 1
Safety 7 9 3 9
Visual Output 5 3 9 3
Total 240 104 112

Budget

$250.00 for microcontroller and associated costs (attachments, evaluation board, etc.)
 $55.00 for PICASO Graphics Controller
 $55.00 for Arduino Mega
$100 for movable cart and associated costs (wood, screws, wheels, etc.)
 $31.90 for a movable AV cart as a basis
$150 for additional unforeseen costs

References

Arduino Mega 2560. (n.d.). In Arduino. Retrieved January 21, 2012, from
http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardMega2560

Day, D. A. (n.d.). Radar. In U.S. Centennial of Flight Comission. Retrieved February 2, 2012, from
http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Evolution_of_Technology/radar/Tech39.htm

Skolnik, M. I. (1962). Introduction to Radar Systems. USA: McGraw-Hill Book Company Inc.

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