Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

SoylentNews is powered by your submissions, so send in your scoop. Only 18 submissions in the queue.
posted by janrinok on Saturday July 06 2024, @01:58PM   Printer-friendly

https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/news/teardown-tuesday-hb100-doppler-radar-module/

Join us as we crack open an HB100 Doppler radar module and delve into the mysteries of RF component design.

In this special edition of Teardown Tuesday, we crack open an HB100 Doppler radar module and delve into the mysteries of RF component design.

The HB100 Doppler Radar module costs about $5 from the usual online suspects, which is down at the "insanely cheap" end of the spectrum when you're talking about 10Ghz radio gear. Does it work? Surprisingly, yes. It needs some support components for most uses (like a post-amplifier for the "couple of millivolts" signal it outputs) but does its part of the job well enough.

[...] Frankly, I was rather shocked by what I found. I wasn't expecting much, but I got far less.

I don't know who designed this, but they were a master of the black art of Radio Frequency waveguide engineering. I am impressed. The PCB, itself, is a major component. Not only for the patch antennas but also several RF filters, the local oscillator, and the mixer are all largely made from peculiarly-shaped PCB tracks.

What would you build with it?


Original Submission

 
This discussion was created by janrinok (52) for logged-in users only, but now has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 4, Informative) by RS3 on Saturday July 06 2024, @02:44PM (7 children)

    by RS3 (6367) on Saturday July 06 2024, @02:44PM (#1363293)

    I'm pretty sure the one thing with a hat (disc on top) is a circulator [wikipedia.org]. I've not yet seen them in that package, but the thing on top makes me think it could be a magnet, which would cause signal circulation. The pics aren't super clear, but it looks like a circular arrow printed on the top.

    Anyone else recognize it?

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +2  
       Informative=2, Total=2
    Extra 'Informative' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   4  
  • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Saturday July 06 2024, @03:11PM (5 children)

    by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Saturday July 06 2024, @03:11PM (#1363296) Journal

    That would better explain how it works - thanks for that info. It is not a component that I have knowingly used.

    --
    I am not interested in knowing who people are or where they live. My interest starts and stops at our servers.
    • (Score: 2) by RS3 on Saturday July 06 2024, @05:00PM (4 children)

      by RS3 (6367) on Saturday July 06 2024, @05:00PM (#1363304)

      You're most welcome. As I did a bit more searching, I'm not so sure that part is a pure circulator- it may be a semiconductor with a wave-steering magnet on top. If so, it's a pretty interesting way to do semiconductor physics. If not, maybe I just invented something (very doubtful).

      Not the same thing, but you might also think about a magnetron [wikipedia.org], or "cavity magnetron" tube (valve? :) which uses a magnet to steer electrons.

      • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Saturday July 06 2024, @05:18PM (3 children)

        by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Saturday July 06 2024, @05:18PM (#1363307) Journal

        Magnetrons I know. I have yet to see one that small and using such a minute amount of power (at least for a magnetron) so I am doubtful that this is what it is. However, my knowledge of them is now getting dated so perhaps there is something new that I have missed.

        --
        I am not interested in knowing who people are or where they live. My interest starts and stops at our servers.
        • (Score: 2) by RS3 on Saturday July 06 2024, @05:29PM (2 children)

          by RS3 (6367) on Saturday July 06 2024, @05:29PM (#1363308)

          I'm sorry, you completely misunderstood me. I was not trying to say the microwave circuit had a magnetron; I was just drawing a comparison to another electronic component where a magnet is used to steer electrons.

          • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Saturday July 06 2024, @05:42PM (1 child)

            by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Saturday July 06 2024, @05:42PM (#1363310) Journal

            OK, I am still wondering what the component actually is. Your suggestion a couple of comments back seemed to fit the bill perfectly.

            --
            I am not interested in knowing who people are or where they live. My interest starts and stops at our servers.
            • (Score: 3, Interesting) by RS3 on Saturday July 06 2024, @06:14PM

              by RS3 (6367) on Saturday July 06 2024, @06:14PM (#1363311)

              I'm guessing it's a circulator. If you click the first link I provided it'll tell you what a circulator is, how it works, what it's used for, etc.

              But, doing a web search on circulator images, I don't see any that look like the part on the board.

              Also, I didn't study the circuit in detail, but it seems that the part needs to be an active (transistor) part, not not a passive.

              So, it might be a transistor with a magnet glued on.

              Again, it'll all become clear if you take a look at the circulator wiki.

  • (Score: 3, Informative) by RS3 on Saturday July 06 2024, @10:20PM

    by RS3 (6367) on Saturday July 06 2024, @10:20PM (#1363341)

    Correction: that part is most likely a power GaAs-FET (gallium-arsenide field-effect transistor). That circular "hat" had me fooled into thinking it was a magnet like on a circulator. Further research reveals that there are GaAs FETs that look exactly like that. So I doubt it's a magnet- just an interesting SMD package style.

    Also, circulators are often used in RADAR circuits: they allow you to use one antenna for both transmit and receive. Yes, the spooky world of microwave stuff.