TIDEP-01012: Live visualization using cascade radar

Hi Liam,

Refer to this FAQ thread: (+) [FAQ] MMWCAS-RF-EVM: Cascade Board related Queries - Sensors forum - Sensors - TI E2E support forums

In it, there are many resources and threads that may answer your questions. If you still can't find what you are looking for, let us know.

Best,

David

Hi David, 

Thanks for the quick response. I've definitely found some useful information here, however I am still a bit confused on how I can continuously get data off the SSD into some processing tool like MATLAB so I can visualize it.

I understand that if I set the number of frames to 0, the device will continuously acquire until the capture time has elapsed, but in my experience the data does not get transferred off the board until the entire capture time has elapsed, and then it just sends everything it captured in 4 large bin files for every device. Currently, I am just using the "Cascade_Configuration_MIMO" and the "Cascade_Capture" lua scripts and modifying the chirp and frame configs to acquire continuously.

Is there a way I can continuously send chunks of the data onto a PC so that a MATLAB or other script can continuously scrape the data and update a visualization GUI?

Thanks,
Liam

Thanks Cesar,

Are you aware of any similar radars that do have the capability of live visualization or some other way of continuously acquiring data and offloading it to a controlling PC with maintaining similar angular resolution? It is very important for our use case that we have the capability alongside the high angular resolution provided by the TIDEP cascade radar.

Thanks,
Liam

I see. Would real-time visualization be possible out of the box with the AWR2243 2X CAS EVM+ DCA1000EVM? It appears that this product is still sold and supported by TI as opposed to the TIDEP-01012, which is no longer sold.

Hi Cesar,

Please correct me if I am wrong then: the DCA1000 is only for saving the data, the real-time visualization is dependent on the radar board itself. So, the IWR1443, for example, is compatible with mmWave Demo Visualizer and can thus be used plugged in to a computer using microUSB to interface with mmWave Demo Visualizer for real-time visualization. If I wanted to download the raw data off the board, I would need the DCA1000.

Is the AWR2243 2X CAS EVM compatible with any version of mmWave Demo Visualizer? The user guide for this board links to mmWave Demo Visualizer Ver 4.7, but I do not see an option for the AWR2243 chip series in the setup details for this version of Demo Visualizer. 

Thanks,
Liam

Hi,

The Visualizer is only for displaying the detected points not the raw data. When using the visualizer the raw data is processed by the demo running on the EVM, the detected points results are sent using the UART to a PC and the Visualizer running on the PC displays the detected points.

When using the DCA1000, the raw data is saved to a file on the PC. Post processing can be used o display the data.

We don't recommend using the AWR2243 2X CAS EVM because there is only limited SW support. 

thank you

Cesar

Hi Cesar,

Thank you for the clarification. I understand that there is limited SW support for the AWR2243 2X CAS EVM. Is there more support for the AWR2188? This radar would provide the angular resolution my work needs, but I understand it is also very new. Does it have real-time visualization capabilities?

That makes sense. Does the demo work with the cloud-based demo visualizer?

In the user manual, found here, "MMWAVE-DEMO-VISUALIZER-CLOUD" is listed as software for the radar. However, upon clicking the provided link it redirects to Version 4.7, which does not appear to have an option for the AWR2243 platform. Additionally, where may I find the SDK for the radar that includes the demo script needed to flash to the radar?

Thanks,
Liam