Open Source PLFM RADAR. Up to 20Km Range

Hello everyone,

I have news. Big news.

The AERIS-10 project has been officially accepted by Crowd Supply.

For those who don't know, Crowd Supply is one of the premier platforms for open-source hardware crowdfunding—they've helped launch countless successful projects, and they're backed by Mouser Electronics, one of the largest component distributors in the world. They don't accept everyone. Their compliance team vets projects thoroughly.

They said yes to AERIS-10.

What This Means

This isn't just a crowdfunding campaign. It's a partnership that opens doors I couldn't open alone:

The Timeline

We are targeting a Q3 2026 campaign launch, with first deliveries in late 2026. Between now and then:

• Pre-launch page coming soon (sign up to get notified!)
• Campaign video in production
• Beta testing with selected partners
• Regulatory certification (FCC/CE) in progress
• Manufacturing partnerships being finalized

What I Need From You

This community built this project. You commented, questioned, encouraged, and shared. Now I need your help more than ever.

1. Spread the word

When the pre-launch page goes live, share it everywhere. The bigger our initial audience, the stronger our campaign.

2. Beta testers

If you're a university researcher, drone startup, or serious developer with a genuine use case, apply to be a beta tester. Early access in exchange for real-world feedback.

3. Technical contributors

RF engineers, FPGA developers, software folks—the GitHub repo is open. Dive in, open issues, submit pull requests. This is our radar now.

4. Encouragement

Building something like this alone is hard. Every comment, every message, every "keep going" matters more than you know.

A Personal Note

When I started this project, I was a guy in a workshop in Morocco with a soldering iron and an obsession. I couldn't afford a commercial phased array—so I decided to build one.

I never imagined it would lead here.

To everyone who believed in this project before there was any reason to: thank you. This is your victory too.

The next phase begins now. Let's build this together.

Nawfal Motii Creator, AERIS-10 Open Source Radar

First Things First: Thank You

The response to AERIS-10 has been nothing short of overwhelming. When I started documenting this project, I hoped a few fellow RF enthusiasts might find it interesting. Instead, I've been flooded with messages, questions, and offers of support from around the world.

I want to sincerely apologize to everyone who's written and hasn't received a reply yet. I read every single comment and message, but between lab work and life, I've fallen behind. Please know I'm working through them, and I'll respond to everyone eventually. Your engagement means more than I can express.

The Project is Growing: Incredible People Are Showing Up

Something unexpected and beautiful is happening. This project is no longer just mine—it's attracting a community of brilliant people with their own visions for what AERIS-10 could become.

A few highlights from recent conversations:

demostem shared a powerful vision of using this radar as the foundation for STEM education—including month-long "war games" to teach young people and government officials about systems engineering, detection, and national security challenges. This completely reframed how I think about the project's potential impact. Education isn't just about teaching people to use a tool; it's about empowering them to think differently about the world.

A fellow Moroccan engineer (yes, we exist!) reached out to share his work on SDR hardware, including a superheterodyne design with an AI accelerator for real-time RFML (Radio Frequency Machine Learning). He's processing I/Q data into spectrograms and running neural networks for signal classification. Imagine integrating that capability with AERIS-10—automatically identifying drone types or distinguishing birds from aircraft based on their micro-Doppler signatures. The possibilities are incredible.

Alex wrote with an offer that genuinely surprised me: discussing funding for starter kits, additional engineering help, and even public cloud-connected deployments that would make radar data accessible to researchers and developers worldwide. The idea of a network of low-cost radars feeding real-time airspace data is the kind of big-picture thinking I never expected to hear from a random message on Hackaday.

Bob from EasyEDA promised sponsorship.

And then there was Curt Franklin, Editor in Chief of Circuit Cellar magazine, inviting me to write articles about this project. For those who don't know, Circuit Cellar is a legendary publication for embedded systems engineers. The opportunity to reach their audience—and to share what I've learned with a broader community—is an incredible honor.

Why This Matters

I'm sharing all of this for a reason: AERIS-10 is becoming something bigger than one person's prototype.

Open-source hardware has a unique power. When you put your work out into the world with transparency and honesty, people connect with it. They see possibilities you never imagined. They bring expertise you don't have. They open doors you didn't know existed.

The radar itself is just metal, silicon, and code. But the community forming around it—educators, RF engineers, ML specialists, potential funders, technical publishers—that's where the real magic lives.

What's Happening in the Lab

Amidst all the conversations, I haven't stopped building. Here's what's moved forward since the last update:

Software Progress The Python GUI is evolving rapidly. I'll be sharing a screen recording in the next update showing:

• Real-time plotting of detected targets
• Range-Doppler maps
• Basic track history visualization

Documentation Push Based on community requests, I'm prioritizing:

• A clean, complete Bill of Materials (BOM) —should be ready within two weeks
• A detailed block diagram showing system architecture and signal flows
• Power supply sequencing documentation (this was requested multiple times, and it's a critical piece for anyone wanting to replicate or modify the design)

A Question for You

This project exists because of this community, and I want your input to guide its direction. What would make AERIS-10 most valuable to you?

• More detailed technical documentation and theory of operation?
• A simplified "starter" version for education and workshops?
• Faster progress toward crowdfunding and production?
• Tutorial content (videos, written guides) on radar principles using this platform?
• Something else entirely?

Let me know in the comments. I read everything, and while I can't promise to implement every suggestion, I can promise to consider them seriously.

Looking Ahead

The next few months will be intense:

• Q2 2026: Finalizing Design for Manufacturing (antenna tooling, electronics consolidation)
• Q3 2026: Beta prototypes for early testers (university partners, selected community members)
• Q4 2026: Regulatory pre-certification testing
• Q4 2026: Crowdfunding campaign launch

If you're interested in beta testing, contributing technically, or just following along, this is the time to get involved.

Until Next Time

Thank you again to everyone who's written, commented, followed, or simply taken a few minutes to look at what I'm building. You're the reason this project feels like more than just a solo obsession.

Now, back to the lab. There's a radar waiting to wake up.

Nawfal Creator, AERIS-10 Open Source Radar