How to make a RADAR SYSTEM | Radar system with Arduino Nano
Hello guys, Welcome back to the SriTu Hobby blog. This tutorial covers how to make a radar system using Arduino. This is a project that everyone will love. For this, I mainly use the Arduino Nano board, Ultrasonic Sensor, Servo Motor, and Processing IDE. The ultrasonic sensor is used to measure the distance to the object. Click here for more information on the ultrasonic sensors. Also, this servo motor is used to rotate the ultrasonic sensor in both directions. Click this link for more information on the servo motors. Finally, the processing IDE visualizes the distances obtained through the ultrasonic sensor. Click this link for more information about Processing IDE.
Radar System Process
The servo motor rotates the ultrasonic sensor sideways. The ultrasonic sensor then calculates the distances ahead. Then those distances are taken into the processing IDE through serial communication and displayed as a radar system.
OK, let’s do it step by step. The required components are given below.
- Arduino Nano x 1 — Amazon / Our Store
- Ultrasonic Sensor x 1 — Amazon / Our Store
- Servo motor x 1 — Amazon / Our Store
- Breadboard x 1 — Amazon / Our Store
- Jumper wires — Amazon / Our Store
Disclosure: These Amazon links are Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Step 1
Firstly, identify these components.
Step 2
Secondly, place the Arduino Nano board on the Breadboard.
Step 3
Thirdly, install the servo motor on one side of the breadboard. For that, I’m using a glue gun.
Step 4
Next, attach the ultrasonic sensor to the top of the servo motor.
Step 5
Now, connect these components using the circuit diagram below.
Step 6
Now, we will create the required Arduino program for this. It’s as follows.
- The complete program of this project – Download
/*Ultrasonic radar system.
*Upload the following code first.
*Serial monitor readings.
*created by the SriTu Tech team.
*Read the code below and use it for any of your creations.
*/
#include <Servo.h>//include library
Servo myServo;//create object your own name
int dis;
void setup() {
pinMode(2, OUTPUT);//define arduino pin
pinMode(3, INPUT);//define arduino pin
Serial.begin(9600);//enable serial monitor
myServo.attach(9);//servo connect pin
}
void loop() {
for (int x = 0; x <= 180; x++) { //servo turn left
myServo.write(x);//rotete servo
dis=distance();
Serial.print(x);//print servo angle
Serial.print(",");
Serial.print(dis);//print ultrasonic readings
Serial.print(".");
delay(50);
}
for (int y = 179; y > 0; y--) {//servo turn right
myServo.write(y);//rotete servo
dis=distance();
Serial.print(y);////print servo angle
Serial.print(",");
Serial.print(dis);//print ultrasonic readings
Serial.print(".");
delay(50);
}
}
//ultrasonic sensor code
int distance() {
digitalWrite(2, LOW);
delayMicroseconds(4);
digitalWrite(2, HIGH);
delayMicroseconds(10);
digitalWrite(2, LOW);
int t = pulseIn(3, HIGH);
int cm = t / 29 / 2; //time convert distance
return cm;//return value
}Code explanation
Here we first insert the servo library and create an object called “myservo” for it. Also, a variable called “dis” has been created for distance.
#include <Servo.h>//include library
Servo myServo;//create object your own name
int dis;After, the ultrasonic sensor and servo motor pins are defined in the void. Also, the serial monitor is enabled.
void setup() {
pinMode(2, OUTPUT);//define arduino pin
pinMode(3, INPUT);//define arduino pin
Serial.begin(9600);//enable serial monitor
myServo.attach(9);//servo connect pin
}Then create a function called “distance” and get the distance through the ultrasonic sensor and “return” that value.
int distance() {
digitalWrite(2, LOW);
delayMicroseconds(4);
digitalWrite(2, HIGH);
delayMicroseconds(10);
digitalWrite(2, LOW);
int t = pulseIn(3, HIGH);
int cm = t / 29 / 2; //time convert distance
return cm;//return value
}Next, the code in the void loop rotates the servo motor from 0 to 180 degrees and 179 to 0, and the distance from one by one degree is printed on the serial monitor.
void loop() {
for (int x = 0; x <= 180; x++) { //servo turn left
myServo.write(x);//rotete servo
dis=distance();
Serial.print(x);//print servo angle
Serial.print(“,”);
Serial.print(dis);//print ultrasonic readings
Serial.print(“.”);
delay(50);
}
for (int y = 179; y > 0; y–) {//servo turn right
myServo.write(y);//rotete servo
dis=distance();
Serial.print(y);////print servo angle
Serial.print(“,”);
Serial.print(dis);//print ultrasonic readings
Serial.print(“.”);
delay(50);
}
}Step 7
Step 8
Now let’s create the processing program. For that, you must have the Processing IDE installed on your computer. Click this link for the Processing IDE tutorial. The radar system Processing code is shown below.
- The complete program of this project – Download
/*Ultrasonic radar system.
*Run the following code a second time.
*created by the SriTu Tech team.
*Read the code below and use it for any of your creations.
*/
//import following libraries
import processing.serial.*;
import java.awt.event.KeyEvent;
import java.io.IOException;
Serial myport;//create serial object
PFont f;
int Angle, Distance;
String angle="";
String distance="";
String data;
int index1=0;
int index2=0;
float pixsDistance;
void setup() {
size(1250, 700);//screen size
smooth();
printArray(PFont.list());//show font list your computer
f = createFont("David Bold", 30);//font name and size
textFont(f);
String portName = Serial.list()[0];//set COM port
myport = new Serial(this, portName, 9600);
myport.bufferUntil('.');
}
void draw() {
noStroke();
fill(0, 10);
rect(0, 0, width, 700);
fill(98, 245, 31);
greenmesh();
radararea();
words();
greenLine();
redline();
}
//get ardunio board serial values
void serialEvent (Serial myport) {
data = myport.readStringUntil('.');
data = data.substring(0, data.length()-1);
index1 = data.indexOf(",");
angle= data.substring(0, index1);
distance= data.substring(index1+1, data.length());
// converts the String variables into Integer
Angle = int(angle);
Distance = int(distance);
}
//Half circle and lines
void radararea() {
pushMatrix();
translate(625, 680);
noFill();
strokeWeight(2);
stroke(98, 245, 31);
// draws the arc lines
arc(0, 0, 1150, 1150, PI, TWO_PI);
arc(0, 0, 850, 850, PI, TWO_PI);
arc(0, 0, 550, 550, PI, TWO_PI);
arc(0, 0, 250, 250, PI, TWO_PI);
// draws the angle lines
line(-450, 0, 450, 0);
line(0, 0, -600*cos(radians(30)), -600*sin(radians(30)));
line(0, 0, -600*cos(radians(60)), -600*sin(radians(60)));
line(0, 0, -600*cos(radians(90)), -600*sin(radians(90)));
line(0, 0, -600*cos(radians(120)), -600*sin(radians(120)));
line(0, 0, -600*cos(radians(150)), -600*sin(radians(150)));
line(-960*cos(radians(30)), 0, 960, 0);
popMatrix();
}
//Green box net
void greenmesh() {
stroke(98, 245, 31);
strokeWeight(0.1);
for (int x=0; x<=700; x+=5) {
line(0, x, width, x);
}
for (int y=0; y<=1250; y+=5) {
line(y, 0, y, height);
}
}
//print text
void words() {
fill(98, 245, 31);
text("180'", 10, 670);
fill(98, 245, 31);
text("0'", 1210, 670);
fill(98, 245, 31);
text("30'", 1160, 380);
fill(98, 245, 31);
text("60'", 940, 160);
fill(98, 245, 31);
text("90'", 615, 70);
fill(98, 245, 31);
text("120'", 310, 150);
fill(98, 245, 31);
text("150'", 80, 370);
fill(255);
text("SriTu Tech Radar system", 20, 30);
fill(255);
text("Angle -- "+Angle+" '", 20, 60);
fill(255);
text("Distance -- "+Distance+" cm", 20, 90);
}
//Drawing green lines
void greenLine() {
pushMatrix();
strokeWeight(7);
stroke(30, 250, 60);//green color
translate(625, 680);
line(0, 0, 600*cos(radians(Angle)), -600*sin(radians(Angle)));
popMatrix();
}
//Drawing red lines
void redline() {
pushMatrix();
translate(625, 680);
strokeWeight(7);
stroke(255, 10, 10); //red color
pixsDistance = Distance*22.5;
// limiting the range to 40 cm
if (Distance<40) {
line(pixsDistance*cos(radians(Angle)), -pixsDistance*sin(radians(Angle)), 600*cos(radians(Angle)), -600*sin(radians(Angle)));
}
popMatrix();
}Code explanation
First of all, there are three main libraries are included. They are included in the Processing IDE itself.
import processing.serial.*;
import java.awt.event.KeyEvent;
import java.io.IOException;Next, an object named “myport” is created to store the values received over the serial port.
Serial myport;//create serial objectLater, several variables were created to support the program.
PFont f;
int Angle, Distance;
String angle=””;
String distance=””;
String data;
int index1=0;
int index2=0;
float pixsDistance;In the void setup, the length and width of the radar system is set to be displayed. The fonts used for this design are also selected. Then we select the COM port connected to the Arduino board and the values received through it are included in the “myport” variable that we set earlier.
void setup() {
size(1250, 700);//screen size
smooth();
printArray(PFont.list());//show font list your computer
f = createFont(“David Bold”, 30);//font name and size
textFont(f);
String portName = Serial.list()[0];//set COM port
myport = new Serial(this, portName, 9600);
The radar system background design is done in the ‘void draw’ function. Each of these functions is described separately below.
void draw() {
noStroke();
fill(0, 10);
rect(0, 0, width, 700);
fill(98, 245, 31);
greenmesh();
radararea();
words();
greenLine();
redline();
}greenmesh ();
The box net of the radar system is created by this code.
void greenmesh() {
stroke(98, 245, 31);
strokeWeight(0.1);
for (int x=0; x<=700; x+=5) {
line(0, x, width, x);
}
for (int y=0; y<=1250; y+=5) {
line(y, 0, y, height);
}
}radararea ();
This creates the semicircle that the radar should display.
void radararea() {
pushMatrix();
translate(625, 680);
noFill();
strokeWeight(2);
stroke(98, 245, 31);
// draws the arc lines
arc(0, 0, 1150, 1150, PI, TWO_PI);
arc(0, 0, 850, 850, PI, TWO_PI);
arc(0, 0, 550, 550, PI, TWO_PI);
arc(0, 0, 250, 250, PI, TWO_PI);
// draws the angle lines
line(-450, 0, 450, 0);
line(0, 0, -600*cos(radians(30)), -600*sin(radians(30)));
line(0, 0, -600*cos(radians(60)), -600*sin(radians(60)));
line(0, 0, -600*cos(radians(90)), -600*sin(radians(90)));
line(0, 0, -600*cos(radians(120)), -600*sin(radians(120)));
line(0, 0, -600*cos(radians(150)), -600*sin(radians(150)));
line(-960*cos(radians(30)), 0, 960, 0);
popMatrix();
}
//Green box net
void greenmesh() {
stroke(98, 245, 31);
strokeWeight(0.1);
for (int x=0; x<=700; x+=5) {
line(0, x, width, x);
}
for (int y=0; y<=1250; y+=5) {
line(y, 0, y, height);
}
}words ();
The letters and numbers here are set by this function.
void words() {
fill(98, 245, 31);
text(“180′”, 10, 670);
fill(98, 245, 31);
text(“0′”, 1210, 670);
fill(98, 245, 31);
text(“30′”, 1160, 380);
fill(98, 245, 31);
text(“60′”, 940, 160);
fill(98, 245, 31);
text(“90′”, 615, 70);
fill(98, 245, 31);
text(“120′”, 310, 150);
fill(98, 245, 31);
text(“150′”, 80, 370);
fill(255);
text(“SriTu Tech Radar system”, 20, 30);
fill(255);
text(“Angle — “+Angle+” ‘”, 20, 60);
fill(255);
text(“Distance — “+Distance+” cm”, 20, 90);
}greenLine ();
This code creates Green lines that appear when radar is displayed.
void greenLine() {
pushMatrix();
strokeWeight(7);
stroke(30, 250, 60);//green color
translate(625, 680);
line(0, 0, 600*cos(radians(Angle)), -600*sin(radians(Angle)));
popMatrix();
}redline ();
This code creates red lines that are drawn when identifying an object.
void redline() {
pushMatrix();
translate(625, 680);
strokeWeight(7);
stroke(255, 10, 10); //red color
pixsDistance = Distance*22.5;
// limiting the range to 40 cm
if (Distance<40) {
line(pixsDistance*cos(radians(Angle)), -pixsDistance*sin(radians(Angle)), 600*cos(radians(Angle)), -600*sin(radians(Angle)));
}
popMatrix();
}Step 9
OK now run this processing code.
In this case, remember to connect the Arduino board to the computer. Now you can see the radar system we have created. The full video guide is below. So, we will meet in the next tutorial. Have a good day.
