Radar Signal set-up

First, align the sensor perpendicular to the target. Then use the spectrum view for final adjustments. The smoother a surface, the more crucial the precise alignment of the radar sensor becomes.

The signal strength received by the radar sensor is one of the most important factors to achieve reliable measurement results. It is visualized by the amplitude of the spectrum in OndoNet. The signal strength increases when the sensor is aligned perpendicular to the target of the measurement.

Correctly aligning the sensor to the measurement target also avoids unintended reflections by other objects. This increases the signal strength and the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). Measurements with a high SNR are more robust to external interference.

Another factor that affects the signal strength of the measurement is the roughness of the surface. The rougher the surface, the higher the degree of tilting that allows for a stable radar signal. For smooth surfaces, the maximum possible tilting is lower than for rough surfaces. In contrast to measurements with for example laser sensors, rough surfaces are an advantage in measurements with radar sensors because the likelihood that a part of the beem is refelcted back to the sensor is higher.

The figure below schematically shows the influence of the orientation of the sensor to the measurement target on the signal strength reflected back to the sensor. Perfectly perpendicular targets reflect a stronger signal to the sensor. With increasing tilting of the surface or object, the signal strength of the radar sensor decreases, as the radar radiation is increasingly not thrown back to the radar distance sensor.

Align the sensor towards the targe: Manually adjust the orientation of the sensor while monitoring the signal strength displayed in the configuration software. All detected objects and their signal strength are displayed in the “Spectrum” chart, which is positioned below the “Target” chart.

To monitor the signal strength while adjusting the sensor alignment, click on FIX SCALE and ADD HOLD for the magnitude in the spectrum chart. This way you can monitor whether your adjustment leads to an increase or a decrease of the signal strength. Continue until the optimal signal strength is reached.

If your target is too far away or the signal strength remains low, consider using a radar reflector to enhance the signal and improve detection accuracy.

AutoGain: Once you are done, click on AUTO GAIN in the “Settings” section to further optimize the signal strength. This will automatically adjust the gain parameters of the amplifiers.

If you have a changing distance to the target, please refer to the Raw Data chapter.