radar IWR6843ISK

Hello, we have IWR6843ISK, MMWAVEICBOOST and DCA1000EVM cards for a school project. We have seen some applications in Matlable, but we couldn't fully understand them. We want to get raw data from the radar and process it. We are thinking of using this data to perform SAR or object identification. Can anyone with information on this subject or sample code help us?

Answer 1

[Umar]

Hi @muhammed kadir,

I can guide you which will help you out over here. So, it sounds like you already have the right hardware setup for raw ADC data capture and signal processing — the IWR6843ISK, MMWAVEICBOOST, and DCA1000EVM boards are fully supported. Starting with R2024b, the Radar Toolbox Support Package for Texas Instruments mmWave Radar Sensors lets you connect to the IWR6843ISK via the DCA1000EVM and acquire raw IQ data directly in MATLAB. This setup works for both SAR imaging and object detection applications. Here are basic setup instructions.

1. Run the setup wizard:

     mmWaveRadarSetup

Follow the prompts to complete configuration.

2. Make sure your PC’s Ethernet interface (connected to the DCA1000EVM) uses a static IP of 192.168.33.30.

3. Hardware connections: * IWR6843ISK → PC via USB (serial) * DCA1000EVM → PC via Ethernet * Both boards powered with 5V, 3A adapters

As far as data acquisition goes, I would suggest the following options:

Option 1 – Real-Time Streaming

dca = dca1000("IWR6843ISK");

for i = 1:100
  radarDataCube = step(dca);
  % Add your processing code here
end

release(dca);

Option 2 – Record for Offline Processing

dca = dca1000("IWR6843ISK");
dca.RecordDuration = 100;  % seconds
dca.RecordLocation = "C:\RadarData\MyProject";
startRecording(dca);

Now, regarding SAR imaging, it is is supported using standard range–Doppler processing and back-projection methods.See examples like Stripmap SAR Image Formation in Radar Toolbox for reference & for object detection, you can either use the high-level `mmWaveRadar` interface for point-cloud data or process raw ADC data manually for custom algorithms (range, Doppler, and angle estimation). Here are the common issues to keep in mind if they occur

• Check Ethernet IP = `192.168.33.30`
• Allow UDP traffic on port 4098
• Make sure the radar `.cfg` file is valid (can be created with the TI mmWave Demo Visualizer)

[muhammed kadir]

hi @Umar,

Thank you for your answer. So how can I upload the config file to the radar? I'm creating a config file from the mmWave sensing estimator and want to upload it to the radar. How do I do this? Can I do this using Matlab? If so, what's the code?

[Umar]

Hi @Muhammed Kadir,

You can upload your `.cfg` file to the IWR6843ISK directly from MATLAB starting in R2024b, since the Radar Toolbox Support Package for Texas Instruments mmWave Radar Sensors now supports that workflow out of the box.Here’s a complete example that handles configuration upload and data capture through the DCA1000EVM.

%% -------------------------------------------------------------------
%  IWR6843ISK + DCA1000EVM Configuration and Data Capture (MATLAB   
     R2024b)
%  ------------------------------------------------------------------
%  This script shows how to upload a .cfg file created using TI’s 
   mmWave
%  Sensing Estimator or Demo Visualizer directly to the radar from 
   MATLAB.
%
%  Hardware setup:
%   - IWR6843ISK connected to PC via USB (UART)
%   - DCA1000EVM connected to PC via Ethernet
%   - Both powered with 5V / 3A adapters
%
%  Requirements:
%   - MATLAB R2024b or later
%   - Radar Toolbox
%   - Radar Toolbox Support Package for TI mmWave Radar Sensors
%
%  Notes:
%   - Ensure your PC Ethernet adapter has static IP: 192.168.33.30
%   - Allow UDP traffic on port 4098 in your firewall
%   - Your .cfg file must be valid (generated by TI mmWave Demo 
      Visualizer)
% --------------------------------------------------------------------

%% Step 1: Run setup wizard once
% This helps MATLAB detect COM ports, IP settings, and confirm 
  firmware.

   mmWaveRadarSetup;

%% Step 2: Define path to your radar configuration file
cfgFilePath = "C:\RadarConfigs\myIWR6843_config.cfg";

%% Step 3: Create DCA1000 System Object for IWR6843ISK
% The ConfigFile property automatically uploads your .cfg over UART.
dca = dca1000("IWR6843ISK", ConfigFile = cfgFilePath);

% If MATLAB doesn’t auto-detect the config port, uncomment and set   
manually:
% dca.ConfigPort = "COM7";

%% Step 4: Real-time data streaming example
% Each step(dca) call reads one radar data cube.
disp("Starting real-time radar data streaming...");
for i = 1:10
  radarDataCube = step(dca);
  % Insert your processing code here:
  % e.g., rangeFFT = fft(radarDataCube,[],2);
  fprintf("Frame %d captured\n", i);
end

%% OR Step 4b: Record data for offline processing
% Uncomment this section if you prefer to record and analyze later.
% dca.RecordDuration = 30;   % seconds
% dca.RecordLocation = "C:\RadarData\MyTestRun";
% startRecording(dca);

%% Step 5: Clean up and release resources
release(dca);
disp("Data capture complete. Device released.");

%% Optional: Post-processing ideas
% - Use radarDataCube for Range-Doppler or Range-Angle analysis.
% - Check examples in Radar Toolbox:
%   >> edit("RangeDopplerResponseExample.mlx")
%   >> edit("StripmapSARImageFormationExample.mlx")

%% ------------------------------------------------------------------
%  End of script 

Please keep in mind while configuring your setup:

 *Set your PC Ethernet IP to `192.168.33.30`

 *Allow UDP traffic on port `4098`

 *Make sure the radar firmware and `.cfg` file are compatible

 *Power both the IWR6843ISK and DCA1000EVM with *5 V / 3 A adapters*

MATLAB automatically sends the `.cfg` file over UART when the `dca1000` object is created.

You can also use `startRecording(dca)` if you prefer to record data for offline processing (for example, SAR imaging or custom Range-Doppler analysis).

[Umar]

Hi @Muhammed Kadir, Please let me know if you need any further assistance.

[muhammed kadir]

Thank you very much Umar, We are just at the beginning of our project. I think we will have more questions to ask you since we want to perform SAR with the data we get from this radar on the drone. Thanks for your support.