Design considerations for a microprocessor-based Doppler radar

Abstract

This paper presents the main design considerations for microprocessors used in velocity-time measurement systems. By processing the output signal from a continuous-wave Doppler radar, the microprocessor is used to find and track the velocity of a moving target. Tracking the changes in the object's velocity with the time, as requires by numerous modern applications, entails intense inspection of the Doppler signal. This sets a challenge for the hardware and software parts of the electronic system involved in this process. After presenting the possible approaches that can be followed to process the Doppler signal, the paper reports the main conditions under which any microprocessor-based system can implement these approaches effectively. In addition, the relative uncertainty relations of the velocity measured using each approach are analyzed and derived. Next, a dsPIC33 microcontroller system in conjunction with an X-band Doppler radar is used to employ one of the reported methods. The implemented system proves the possibility of realizing a simple, compact and affordable electronic system for any type of Doppler radar by following the same design considerations to provide the user with the necessary information about any moving object. The findings of this paper provide an important tool for system designers by highlighting the main factors affecting the design parameters for microcontroller systems used for velocity-time measurements.