Xradar

Xradar is a C++20 radar signal processing framework built around a plugin-based, event-driven pipeline.

Architecture

Xradar employs a custom thread pool, optimized for parallel computing. The execution synchronizes processing pipeline, providing parallel computing for processing branches.

The system is component based, and it can be extended using dynamic libraries at runtime. The pipeline handles 3 kinds of components:

1. Producer: The root signal source. Initiates a processing pipeline. This pipeline may branch out depending on configuration.
2. Middleware: Signal processor middleware. One or more processor can be chained.
3. Consumer: End of the signal pipeline. Used for visualization/result recording.

A middleware component can apply backpressure to a producer by sending delay-hint messages back to the root producer. Xradar provides a generic interface for this backward communication; however, the specific handling of these messages is entirely implementation-defined

Pipeline

The processing pipeline is initiated by the data_callback of a producer (input source). Signals are propagated and processed through the pipeline, which is automatically parallelized whenever possible

source ----> middleware1 ----> middleware2 ----> visualizer
                           |                 |
                           --> middleware3 ---

Here, the source triggers signal propagation. First, middleware1 runs; then, middleware2 and middleware3 run in parallel. Finally, the visualizer is fed the results from middleware2 and middleware3 in the order of their construction.

Xradar shell introduces a fluent DSL for wiring components:

begin-pipeline processing_pipeline1

set-producer source -t mrm_radar  # Input triggers pipeline

add-middleware middleware1 -t cfar  # Chain processor middleware
add-middleware middleware2 -t ...
add-middleware middleware3 -t ...

add-consumer visualizer -t x11  # One or more consumer may be added
# i.e. for recording one may add another consumer

# Connection network
connect source -i middleware1

connect middleware2 -i middleware1
connect middleware3 -i middleware2

connect visualizer -i middleware2 -i middleware3

build-pipeline

# ...

# Run the pipeline
start-pipeline processing_pipeline1