Open‑source 20km Radar
An open‑source radar project published full schematics, PCB designs, FPGA code and a Python GUI for tracking targets up to 20 km, all under an MIT license. The authors present it as a low‑cost alternative to systems that normally cost on the order of $250k, with the repo intended for hands‑on radar and DSP experimentation. (x.com)
Radar works by sending out radio waves and timing the echoes, like shouting into the dark and listening for a reply. A newly published project puts a 10.5 gigahertz phased-array radar design online with source files for the hardware, signal processing, and control software. (github.com) The repository describes two versions of the system: AERIS-10N with a 3 kilometer range and AERIS-10E, also referred to in some coverage as AERIS-10X, with a 20 kilometer range. The GitHub page says the project is public and lists complete schematics, printed circuit board layouts, firmware, and software. (github.com) (cnx-software.com) A phased array points its beam by changing timing across many antenna elements instead of turning a dish. The AERIS-10 README says the system supports ±45 degree electronic steering in elevation and azimuth. (github.com) The signal-processing side is also exposed. The repository says an AMD Artix-7 XC7A100T field-programmable gate array handles pulse compression, Doppler processing, moving-target indication, constant-false-alarm-rate detection, and a Universal Serial Bus interface. (github.com) (cnx-software.com) That makes the release unusual for hobby and teaching projects, which often stop at simulations or partial boards. Here, the published materials include EAGLE schematics, bill of materials files, Gerbers, mechanical drawings, field-programmable gate array code, microcontroller firmware, and a Python graphical user interface. (cnx-software.com) (github.com) The hardware license is not the same across the whole stack. CNX Software reported that the hardware files are under CERN Open Hardware Licence Version 2 Permissive, while the field-programmable gate array code, STM32 firmware, Python graphical user interface, and utilities are under the Massachusetts Institute of Technology license. (cnx-software.com) The long-range version uses a 32 by 16 dielectric-filled slotted waveguide array, while the shorter-range version uses an 8 by 16 patch array. CNX Software also reports that the extended model adds 16 power-amplifier boards built around 10 watt QPA2962 gallium nitride amplifiers. (github.com) (cnx-software.com) The control software is meant to make the hardware usable outside a lab bench. The published materials describe a Python graphical user interface with real-time target plotting, map integration, and radar controls, plus Global Positioning System and inertial measurement unit inputs for correcting target coordinates. (github.com) (cnx-software.com) The repository was active in April 2026, with GitHub showing a public project, 237 commits, and a latest commit dated three days before it was viewed. GitHub also showed about 3,800 stars and nearly 800 forks at the time of access, suggesting the release was drawing attention beyond a small radar niche. (github.com) The practical barrier is still hardware, not downloads. The README says the project assumes printed circuit board assembly experience, Python 3.8 or newer for the graphical user interface, and Xilinx Vivado tools for modifying the field-programmable gate array design. (github.com) So the immediate result is not a radar in every garage, but a rare case where the antenna, radio boards, digital logic, and operator software are all published together. For students, labs, and experienced builders, that turns a system usually treated like a black box into something they can inspect and modify. (github.com) (cnx-software.com)
