Hello Nawfal and the community,
First of all, thank you for open-sourcing the AERIS-10 PLFM phased array RADAR project. The architecture and the ±45° electronic steering capabilities are incredibly well-designed.
I am currently in the process of replicating the hardware and setting up my laboratory environment. I have realized that accurately calibrating the 10.5 GHz RF front-end—especially when trying to optimize receiver sensitivity and mitigate parasitic capacitance in the discrete RF components (like BJTs)—requires a highly specific testing setup.
I initially sent an email regarding this, but I figured it would be much more beneficial to open a public Issue. This way, your advice can serve as valuable documentation for anyone else in the community looking to build and debug this system.
Could you kindly share a detailed list of the test equipment (specific brands, models, or minimum required specs) you used during the development and calibration of the radar? I am trying to compile a comprehensive laboratory checklist:
- Vector Network Analyzer (VNA): What frequency upper limit did you use for accurate 10.5 GHz antenna return loss (S11) matching and precise phase alignment across the TX/RX arrays?
- Spectrum Analyzer: What equipment did you rely on to observe the LO phase noise, transmitter harmonics, and overall spectrum purity?
- Oscilloscope: What bandwidth and sample rate do you recommend for adequately capturing the baseband/IF timing, pulse characteristics, and digital control lines (SPI)?
- RF Signal Generator: For simulating weak target echoes to test the limits of receiver sensitivity and dynamic range, what specific signal generator did you use?
- DC Power Supplies: To provide ultra-low noise DC biasing for the sensitive RF chains and prevent switching noise from leaking into the LNA/mixers, what linear voltage/current sources do you recommend?
- Multimeter & LCR Meter: Did you use any specific high-precision meters for troubleshooting parasitic effects and verifying precise R/L/C values during PCB assembly?
If you also have any recommendations for cost-effective alternatives that perform well in an academic lab environment, that would be immensely helpful.
Thank you again for your time, your mentorship, and for contributing such an outstanding project to the open-source hardware community.
Hello Nawfal and the community,
First of all, thank you for open-sourcing the AERIS-10 PLFM phased array RADAR project. The architecture and the ±45° electronic steering capabilities are incredibly well-designed.
I am currently in the process of replicating the hardware and setting up my laboratory environment. I have realized that accurately calibrating the 10.5 GHz RF front-end—especially when trying to optimize receiver sensitivity and mitigate parasitic capacitance in the discrete RF components (like BJTs)—requires a highly specific testing setup.
I initially sent an email regarding this, but I figured it would be much more beneficial to open a public Issue. This way, your advice can serve as valuable documentation for anyone else in the community looking to build and debug this system.
Could you kindly share a detailed list of the test equipment (specific brands, models, or minimum required specs) you used during the development and calibration of the radar? I am trying to compile a comprehensive laboratory checklist:
If you also have any recommendations for cost-effective alternatives that perform well in an academic lab environment, that would be immensely helpful.
Thank you again for your time, your mentorship, and for contributing such an outstanding project to the open-source hardware community.