The DAC short/long chirp LUTs are 10..30 MHz upchirps (Hilbert-confirmed).
With TX_LO=10.500 GHz, RX_LO=10.380 GHz (adf4382a_manager.h) and the
120 MHz DDC NCO (ddc_400m.v), high-side mixing places the post-DDC echo
at 10..30 MHz baseband. The matched-filter reference (gen_chirp_mem.py)
was generating 0..20 MHz, implicitly assuming the chirp's low edge mixed
to DC. This caused a 10 MHz spectral offset and ~5 dB matched-filter loss.
Adds F_BASEBAND_LOW=10e6 in both gen_chirp_mem.py and radar_scene.py,
with phase formula 2*pi*F_BASEBAND_LOW*t + pi*rate*t^2 in all chirp
generators. Regenerates the 6 .mem files. Adds analyze_short_chirp_mismatch.py
for the Hilbert-based diagnosis. Fixes the misleading "30MHz to 10MHz"
comment in plfm_chirp_controller.v and adds an end-to-end frequency plan
in the LUT header.
Sideband orientation (high-side at both mixers) is the conventional choice
and consistent with antenna match (10.25..10.75 GHz, 8x16 patch designed
at 10.5 GHz). Loopback capture would settle definitively; if either mixer
is low-side the F_BASEBAND_LOW sign flips and/or chirp direction reverses.
latency_buffer.v has had zero non-tb instantiations since RX-B (2026-04-23)
replaced its hookup in radar_receiver_final with a 1-FF alignment register.
The module was being kept "for potential future use" — exactly the kind of
dead weight the codebase does not need. Deleted, along with all build /
test infrastructure that dragged it along:
- 9_Firmware/9_2_FPGA/latency_buffer.v
- 9_Firmware/9_2_FPGA/tb/tb_latency_buffer.v
- run_regression.sh: removed from RTL_FILES and RECEIVER_RTL
- scripts/200t/build_200t.tcl: removed from synthesis source list
- tb/tb_system_e2e.v: removed from header compile-string example
- tb/cosim/validate_mem_files.py: deleted test_latency_buffer() (~75 lines),
its call site, and the corresponding entry in the module docstring
Historical RX-B comments referencing latency_buffer in radar_receiver_final.v,
tb_rxb_fullchain_latency.v, and tb_rxb_latency_measure.v are kept — they
explain WHY the module was removed, which is still useful design archaeology.
Two doc-only housekeeping touches bundled in:
- plfm_chirp_controller.v: replaced two empty "CRITICAL FIX: Generate
valid signal" labels at LONG_CHIRP and SHORT_CHIRP with one shared
chirp_valid policy comment block above LONG_CHIRP that explains the
actual rationale (downstream FIFO underrun on trailing samples).
- v7/models.py: replaced the "range_resolution and velocity_resolution
should be calibrated" docstring (sounded like an open TODO but was a
documented placeholder) with a clear pointer to the GUI-C3 fix in
workers.py:RadarDataWorker so future readers know the live path
derives correct values from WaveformConfig.
FPGA quick regression unchanged: 28/29 (1 fail is the unrelated iverilog/
Xilinx-IP RX-NEW-3 gap). GUI suite 180/180. Ruff clean.
C-3: plfm_chirp_controller_enhanced never reset chirp_counter when the
frame completed. Counter sat at CHIRP_MAX after frame 1, so the
LONG_LISTEN -> GUARD transition guard (== CHIRP_MAX/2-1) never matched
correctly on subsequent frames and frame 2+ ran extra chirps until the
6-bit counter wrapped. Reset chirp_counter in the DONE state.
S-2: Replace hardcoded CHIRP_MAX = 32 with RP_CHIRPS_PER_FRAME from
radar_params.vh so the TX FSM tracks the single source of truth.
S-1: Correct misleading labels in tb_system_e2e G14.1-G14.3. Per
radar_params.vh the range_mode encoding is 2'b00 = 3 km, 2'b01 =
long-range, 2'b10/2'b11 = reserved. The TB strings previously called
2'b01 "short" and 2'b10 "long", which is inverted and inconsistent
with the RTL comments in radar_mode_controller.v.
Regression: 32/32 PASS.
RTL fixes discovered via new end-to-end testbench:
- plfm_chirp_controller: TX/RX mixer enables now mutually exclusive
by FSM state (Fix#4), preventing simultaneous TX+RX activation
- usb_data_interface: stream control reset default 3'b001 (range-only),
added doppler/cfar data_pending sticky flags, write FSM triggers on
range_valid only — eliminates startup deadlock (Fix#5)
- radar_receiver_final: STM32 toggle signals wired through for mode-00
pass-through, dynamic frame detection via host_chirps_per_elev
- radar_system_top: STM32 toggle signal wiring to receiver instance
- chirp_memory_loader_param: explicit readmemh range for short chirp
Test infrastructure:
- New tb_system_e2e.v: 46 checks across 12 groups (reset, TX, safety,
RX, USB R/W, CDC, beam scanning, reset recovery, stream control,
latency budgets, watchdog)
- tb_usb_data_interface: Tests 21/22/56 updated for data_pending
architecture (preload flags, verify consumption instead of state)
- tb_chirp_controller: mixer tests T7.1/T7.2 updated for Fix#4
- run_regression.sh: PASS/FAIL regex fixed to match only [PASS]/[FAIL]
markers, added E2E test entry
- Updated rx_final_doppler_out.csv golden data
Bug #11: platform_noos_stm32.c used HAL_SPI_Transmit instead of
HAL_SPI_TransmitReceive — reads returned garbage. Changed to in-place
full-duplex. Dead code (never called), fixed per audit recommendation.
Test added: test_bug11_platform_spi_transmit_only.c. Mock infrastructure
updated with SPI spy types. All 11 firmware tests pass.
FPGA B2: Migrated long_chirp_lut[0:3599] from ~700 lines of hardcoded
assignments to BRAM with (* ram_style = "block" *) attribute and
$readmemh("long_chirp_lut.mem"). Added sync-only read block for proper
BRAM inference. 1-cycle read latency introduced. short_chirp_lut left
as distributed RAM (60 entries, too small for BRAM).
FPGA B3: Added BREG (window_val_reg) and MREG (mult_i_raw/mult_q_raw)
pipeline stages to doppler_processor.v. Eliminates DPIP-1 and DPOP-2
DRC warnings. S_LOAD_FFT retimed: fft_input_valid starts at sub=2,
+1 cycle total latency. BREG primed in S_PRE_READ at no extra cost.
Both FPGA files compile clean with Icarus Verilog.
