Build a Small Radar System Capable of Range, Doppler, and SAR Imaging [PI.80s]

G. Charvat, A. Fenn, B. Perry

Learn how radar systems work by reviewing applied electromagnetics, circuit design, and antennas then build your own and perform field experiments including ranging, Doppler, and SAR imaging. This course will appeal to those who want to learn how to develop radar systems, SAR imaging, use radar technology, or make components or sub-systems.

Course update 1, 2, 3, 4.  Feedback (scroll to bottom).

Build a Small Phased Array Radar Sensor [PI.81s]

MIT Professional Education is offering a unique course in the design, fabrication, and test of a laptop-based digital phased array radar sensor capable of ground moving target imaging (GMTI). Lectures will be presented on the topics of applied electromagnetics, antennas, RF design, analog circuits, radar system modeling, and digital signal processing while at the same time you build your own phased array radar system and perform field experiments. Each student will receive a radar kit, designed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory staff, and a course pack.

Build a Small Radar System Capable of Sensing Range, Doppler, and Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging

Dr. Gregory L. Charvat, Mr. Jonathan H. Williams & Dr. Alan J. Fenn, Dr. Stephen M. Kogon, Dr. Jeffrey S. Herd

Mon Jan 10, Fri Jan 14, 21, Mon Jan 24, Fri Jan 28, 10am-12:00pm, 56-114


Enrollment limited: advance sign up required (see contact below)

Signup by: 07-Jan-2011

Limited to 24 participants.

Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)

Prereq: Participants supply their own laptop with MATLAB installed


Are you interested in building and testing your own imaging radar system? MIT Lincoln Laboratory is offering a course in the design, fabrication, and testing of a laptop-based radar sensor capable of measuring Doppler, range, and forming synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. You do not have to be a radar engineer but it helps if you are interested in any of the following; electronics, amateur radio, physics, or electromagnetics. It is recommended that you have some familiarity with MATLAB. Teams of three will receive a radar kit and will attend a total of 5 sessions spanning topics from the fundamentals of radar to SAR imaging. Experiments will be performed each week as the radar kit is implemented. You will bring your radar kit into the field and perform additional experiments such as measuring the speed of passing cars or plotting the range of moving targets. A final SAR imaging contest will test your ability to form a SAR image of a target scene of your choice from around campus, the most detailed and most creative image wins.

Contact: Dr. Gregory L. Charvat, (781) 981-3122, gregory.charvat@ll.mit.edu

Sponsor: Lincoln Laboratory

Course results and articles shown here.

MIT Opencourseware site here.

Build a Small Radar System Capable of Sensing Range, Doppler, and Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging

Dr. Bradley Perry, Dr. Jonathan Paul Kitchens, Dr. Patrick Bell, Dr. Jeffrey Herd, Dr. Gregory L. Charvat

Build a Small Phased Array Radar System Capable of Imaging Moving Targets

Dr. Bradley Perry, Dr. Jonathan Paul Kitchens, Dr. Patrick Bell, Dr. Jeffrey Herd, Dr. Gregory L. Charvat

Course results and articles shown here:  IAP_phased_array