The Radar Coverage Tool is a free Windows application from Cambridge Pixel that shows where a radar at a chosen location and height can see targets, and where terrain creates blind spots. The Radar Coverage Tool uses SRTM terrain data, line-of-sight calculations and the curvature of the earth.
You enter the radar position (as lat/long or by clicking the map), height, end range and top and bottom beam angles, plus one or more target heights. Areas where targets at each height would be line-of-sight visible are shaded in colour on an OpenStreetMap view. Map and terrain data are downloaded from the internet as needed.
The Radar Coverage Tool is not a detection modelling tool: it does not use target cross-section or radar characteristics to predict detection.
Cambridge Pixel offers five free downloads: the Radar Coverage Tool for visualising radar coverage, the Navigation Data Monitor, AIS Data Monitor and ADS-B Data Monitor for inspecting data feeds, and RadarView-240 for displaying ASTERIX CAT-240 radar video.
- Radar Coverage Tool: shows radar coverage and blind spots at any location and height (Windows).
- Navigation Data Monitor: displays and logs NMEA-0183 navigation sentences, with the data rate of each (Windows).
- AIS Data Monitor: decodes and logs NMEA-0183 AIS messages (Windows).
- ADS-B Data Monitor: decodes common ADS-B formats, including ASTERIX, BEAST, AVR and FlightRadar24 (Windows).
- RadarView-240: PPI display of ASTERIX CAT-240 radar video.
The three data monitors need no installation: you simply run the executable. For RadarView-240, complete the form on its page to receive a download link and the user manual.
Yes, with Radar Coverage Tool Pro or Radar Coverage Tool Geo, which export the coverage map as a KML file for GIS tools such as Google Earth. The free Radar Coverage Tool can only save a screenshot of the current view as an image file.
The Pro and Geo versions also calculate coverage for up to 10 radar sites at the same time.
Two standalone utilities in the Cambridge Pixel toolkit do this. spxserialtonet converts between serial and UDP and between TCP and UDP; it is often used to convert serial AIS or GPS feeds into UDP messages. spxnetrepeat converts between unicast and multicast packets.
spxnetrepeat is often used at the boundaries of a site in a WAN where multicast is not supported across the WAN.
Use the free Radar Coverage Tool to try different radar positions, heights, end ranges and beam angles; the coverage map updates quickly as you change them. The tool shows where targets at chosen heights are line-of-sight visible and where terrain blocks the view, helping you identify optimum radar positions.
For larger sites, Radar Coverage Tool Pro calculates coverage for up to 10 radars at once, so you can compare the combined coverage of several sites. Pro also uses higher-resolution (about 30 m) terrain data, supports DTED, and can include simulated buildings, defined manually or from Shapefiles.
Because the calculations are geometric line of sight, the same coverage maps also apply to optical sensors located at the same sites. Download the Radar Coverage Tool.
The free Radar Coverage Tool calculates coverage for one radar using approximately 90 m SRTM terrain data. Radar Coverage Tool Pro is a licensed version that calculates coverage for up to 10 radar sites at once, exports coverage to KML, and uses approximately 30 m SRTM1 terrain data or DTED.
Radar Coverage Tool Pro also adds:
- KML export for display in GIS systems such as Google Earth
- Simulated buildings, defined manually or from Shapefiles
- SkyVector aeronautical chart display
- Editable configuration files and a setup wizard
- No adverts
Radar Coverage Tool Geo, a special version, supports GeoTIFF digital surface model (DSM) data with sub-metre elevation spacing, for detailed work such as airport installations or camera security projects; contact Cambridge Pixel for details.
Radar Coverage Tool Pro is licensed with either a licence file for the host machine's MAC address or a USB licence dongle; prices are on the Radar Coverage Tool Pro page.
SPx Camera Manager is Windows or Linux server software that shares control of PTZ video cameras between multiple users by priority, and automatically points cameras at targets (slew-to-cue) using AIS, radar or fused track reports. SPx Camera Manager supports ONVIF, Pelco-D and FLIR Nexus camera control protocols.
- Priority-based access: a user who requests a camera is granted control if they have the highest priority.
- Automatic target following: a client designates a track, and SPx Camera Manager moves the camera to keep the target in the field of view.
- Protocol conversion: applications send simple commands over a TCP network interface, and SPx Camera Manager converts them into the camera's own protocol.
- Cameras can be pointed at a lat/long position, using the camera's configured position or NMEA navigation data.
- Track inputs: ASTERIX CAT-48 or SPx radar and fused tracks, and AIS as NMEA-0183.
- Licensed for 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32 camera connections, with up to 256 connected clients.
SPx Camera Manager also works with Cambridge Pixel displays such as VSD and RadarWatch where there are multiple operator positions, or where camera control is shared with a video management system. See SPx Camera Manager.
SPx Alarm Server is Windows or Linux server software that monitors radar, fused, AIS and ADS-B track streams and raises alarms when tracks meet user-defined conditions against zones, gates, points or other tracks, such as entering a restricted area or coming too close to another track.
- Inputs: up to four primary radar track channels (SPx or ASTERIX CAT-48), plus fused tracks, AIS and ADS-B, giving up to seven inputs.
- Conditions include inside or outside a zone, entry or exit, occupancy time, proximity or CPA to a point, area or another track, and track speed, course, rate of turn, course deviation and type.
- Alarms are sent as NMEA-0183 TTM network messages; a supplied utility can use them to drive Modbus/TCP relay outputs for alarm sounders.
- Configuration is through a web-based GUI with map or satellite backgrounds.
- An API in Cambridge Pixel's C++ and .NET libraries lets client applications integrate alarms fully.
Typical uses include perimeter intrusion detection, firing range danger areas, route adherence, CPA conflict alerting, airport restricted zones and UAS traffic management (UTM). See SPx Alarm Server.
No questions on this page match .
Last updated
Meet us at: