Ancortek has released a new software-defined, two-channel transmit and four-channel receive radar kit, offering digital phased-array beamforming and MIMO capabilities in the 24 GHz ISM band. The SDR-KIT 2400T2R4 is designed for radar applications requiring direction of arrival (DOA) measurement, interferometry, digital beamforming and MIMO. It is suitable for “close in” monitoring of human activity, such as occupancy sensing, gesture sensing and 3D imaging.

The software-defined radar (SDR) comprises a coherent transmitter and receiver, including phase-locked loop, and controlling software. Using Infineon’s BGT24MTR12 24 GHz transceiver and BGT24MR2 down-converter, the SDR has an adjustable frequency range from 24 to 26 GHz and transmits FMCW, FSK or CW. The typical output power is 20 dBm and the phase noise is −96 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset.

The FPGA-based processor offers significant capability, with four 40 MSPS ADCs converting the four receive channels and a high speed USB peripheral controller streaming the raw sampled data to a PC for post-processing. The four receiving channels provide both I and Q signals.

The software-defined architecture provides great flexibility. Without modifying the hardware, the operating mode, waveform, bandwidth and processing functions can be changed to adapt to different scenarios and applications. With a new graphical user interface, users select the desired center frequency and bandwidth, choose signal waveforms, sampling rates, filtering, display parameters and control recording or exporting the I/Q data.