ESP32 Radar Tracker with HLK-LD2450

Real-time radar tracking system using the HLK-LD2450 24GHz mmWave radar sensor with OLED display visualization. Features both Arduino and CircuitPython implementations for the ESP32-S3.

🎯 Features

• Multi-Target Tracking: Simultaneously tracks up to 3 targets with X/Y coordinates
• Real-time Visualization: OLED display with animated radar sweep and target positions
• Dual Platform Support:
  • Arduino C++ with optimized performance
  • CircuitPython with multiple visualization modes
• Multiple Visualization Modes:
  • Classic radar sweep display
  • Alien-style animated tracking
  • Diagnostic data output
  • Raw protocol debugging

📡 Hardware Requirements

• ESP32-S3 (tested on ProS3 board)
• HLK-LD2450 24GHz mmWave Radar Sensor
• 0.96" OLED Display (128x64, I2C, SSD1306)
• USB-C cable for programming and power

Wiring Diagram

Radar to ESP32:

• TX → RX (GPIO 44)
• RX → TX (GPIO 43)
• VCC → 5V
• GND → GND

OLED to ESP32:

• SDA → GPIO 8
• SCL → GPIO 9
• VCC → 3.3V
• GND → GND

🚀 Quick Start

Arduino Setup

1. Install Arduino IDE with ESP32 support
2. Install required libraries:
   • Adafruit SSD1306
   • Adafruit GFX Library
3. Open arduino/ESP32_Radar_Tracker.ino
4. Select board: ESP32-S3 Dev Module
5. Upload to your ESP32

CircuitPython Setup

1. Install CircuitPython 9.x on your ESP32-S3
2. Install required libraries on device:
   • adafruit_displayio_ssd1306
   • adafruit_display_text
3. Choose a visualization mode from circuitpython/ folder
4. Deploy using the utility tool:

python utils/deploy_circuitpython.py

Available CircuitPython modes:

• code_correct_protocol.py - Standard radar sweep display
• code_alien_style.py - Sci-fi animated tracking
• code_dual_both.py - Dual protocol support
• code_diagnostic.py - Debug output
• code_realtime_sweep.py - Fast refresh radar sweep

🛠️ Utilities

Serial Monitor

Monitor ESP32 serial output in real-time:

python utils/serial_monitor.py

Code Deployment

Deploy CircuitPython code to ESP32:

python utils/deploy_circuitpython.py

See utils/README.md for detailed utility documentation.

📊 HLK-LD2450 Sensor Details

• Detection Range: 0-6 meters
• Angle Coverage: ±60°
• Maximum Targets: 3 simultaneous
• Protocol: UART (115200 baud)
• Update Rate: ~10 Hz
• Technology: 24GHz FMCW radar

🎨 Visualization Modes

Arduino Version

• Clean radar sweep with target markers
• Distance and position text overlay
• 128x64 optimized graphics

CircuitPython Versions

Standard Mode (code_correct_protocol.py)

• Classic radar sweep animation
• Target position markers
• Distance labels

Alien Style (code_alien_style.py)

• Animated target tracking
• Fade effects
• Sci-fi aesthetic

Diagnostic Mode (code_diagnostic.py)

• Raw data output
• Protocol debugging
• Sensor status monitoring

🔧 Troubleshooting

No Radar Data

1. Check UART wiring (TX/RX)
2. Verify sensor power (5V)
3. Run diagnostic mode to check protocol

Display Not Working

1. Verify I2C address (0x3C default)
2. Check SDA/SCL wiring
3. Run i2c_scan.py to detect display

COM Port Issues

• Windows: Check Device Manager for COM port
• Linux/Mac: Use ls /dev/tty* to find port
• Ensure no other program is using the port

�� Project Structure

esp32-radar-tracker/
├── arduino/              # Arduino C++ implementation
│   ├── ESP32_Radar_Tracker.ino
│   ├── HLK_LD2450.h     # Radar protocol parser
│   └── RadarDisplay.h   # OLED graphics
├── circuitpython/       # Multiple CircuitPython versions
│   ├── code_correct_protocol.py
│   ├── code_alien_style.py
│   ├── code_diagnostic.py
│   └── ...              # Various visualization modes
├── utils/               # Deployment and monitoring tools
│   ├── deploy_circuitpython.py
│   ├── serial_monitor.py
│   └── README.md
├── docs/                # Additional documentation
├── requirements.txt     # Python dependencies
└── README.md

🤝 Contributing

Contributions welcome! Areas for improvement:

• Additional visualization modes
• Enhanced target tracking algorithms
• Multi-sensor support
• Data logging features

📝 License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Adafruit: Display libraries and CircuitPython support
• Hi-Link: HLK-LD2450 sensor and protocol documentation
• ESP32 Community: Hardware support and examples

📚 Resources

• HLK-LD2450 Datasheet
• CircuitPython Documentation
• ESP32-S3 Technical Reference
• Adafruit SSD1306 Guide

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Status: ✅ Fully functional - tested with ESP32-S3 ProS3 and HLK-LD2450