Small Radar System Design: Range, Doppler, and SAR Imaging

Have you ever wondered how radar systems track moving objects or map terrain from high above? You do not need to be an aerospace engineer to understand and design your own compact radar system. This written course guides you through the foundational physics, hardware design, and signal processing algorithms required to conceptualize and operate a small radar sensor. You will transition from basic electromagnetic concepts to processing real-world range, Doppler, and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data using standard digital signal processing techniques. What you'll learn: - Understand core radar principles, including electromagnetic wave propagation, reflection, and frequency-modulated continuous-wave techniques. - Design the hardware architecture of a small, budget-friendly radar system, from antennas to analog signal conditioning. - Process range data to accurately measure the distance of stationary targets. - Calculate the speed of moving targets using Doppler frequency shift analysis. - Implement Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) algorithms to generate two-dimensional images of target scenes. - Apply modern Python or MATLAB code snippets to filter, analyze, and process raw radar signals. We begin with essential terminology, radar equations, and safety protocols before diving into RF hardware components and signal processing pipelines. Through clear, step-by-step written explanations and code walkthroughs, you will learn how to write the algorithms that turn raw analog waves into meaningful spatial data. This course is designed for hobbyists, electronics enthusiasts, physics students, and amateur radio operators who want to learn radar engineering from scratch. No prior radar experience is required, though a basic understanding of algebra and introductory programming is helpful. Start your journey into radar technology and master the art of sensing the world through radio waves today.