Radar Sensors - detailed description of their use

[jubilee25]

Help: Radar Sensors

I have never taken a class about sensors but I need to learn about it.

If I use a radar sensor to detect boundaries (static/ maybe wooden), and detect a ramp that a mini car has to go through, what do I need to consider?

How will a radar sensor work to detect these?

How does this radar sensor process the measurements and the angles and how fast can it work?

Is there any other kind of sensor that would be more efficient to use for this kind of task? (if you think radar sensor isn't the best to use)

I know these are basic questions, but it would help a great deal.

Please help, I would like to do really good and have a very efficient radar sensor working. Thank you

 

[katko]

Help: Radar Sensors

Take a look at the Skolnik radar book (Introduction to Radar Systems) for a very basic intro. You can detect many, many things with radar. If you want fast/cheap sensor, you can use a pulse radar and detect the return (backscatter). The amplitude tells you about the scattering characteristics of whatever you're detecting, the delay between pulse and return tells you distance. I dunno what kind of scatter you'll get from wood, so dunno what level of power you need for the pulse.

You can tell all kinds of other info from a doppler radar but you'll probably need more sophisticated circuitry. Doppler is good if you need to know speed.

There are many, many other concerns depending on what you need. Antenna matters a lot (more directive if you want more range), LNA is huge if you're dealing with very small received signal (not likely here but who knows), etc etc. Take a look through Skolnik for some real basic questions/answers.

 

[kender]

Re: Help: Radar Sensors

I have never taken a class about sensors but I need to learn about it.

Try to get your hands on "sensors handbook". I think, it was uploaded to this forum at some point. If you can't find it, let us know in a post. I might be able to upload it.

Here's a good place for links, files and discussion on sensors: **broken link removed**