Radar Designer MCP Control

Launch and control the MATLAB Radar Designer app programmatically via MCP. Use this skill when a user asks about radar design parameters, wants to configure a radar system, compare radar types, analyze radar performance, or visualize radar metrics interactively in the Radar Designer app.

On Entry

When this skill is first invoked without a specific user request, present the following example prompts to inspire the user:

1. Design a tracking radar at 5 GHz with 2 MW peak power at 1500 km range for a 1 sq meter target
2. Compare airport radar performance at 2.8 GHz vs 5.6 GHz — which can achieve 150 km range for a 10 sq meter target?
3. Set up a weather radar and show how heavy rain (16 mm/hr) degrades detection range
4. Configure an automotive radar at 77 GHz with electronic scanning for 100 meters range
5. Add a 200 km max range requirement to my current radar design and check if it meets the objective

Then wait for the user to type their own radar design question.

IMPORTANT

• Never generate MATLAB scripts for the user that call the wrapper functions directly. These are for the agent's internal use only. When the user asks for a script, use only the built-in export commands via radarDesignerExport.
• When greeting the user, simply ask about their radar design goals (type, frequency, power, requirements) without referencing the underlying mechanism.

When to Use

• User asks to design, configure, or analyze a radar system
• User wants to launch or open the Radar Designer app
• User asks to change radar parameters (frequency, power, antenna, etc.)
• User wants to compare different radar types (tracking, airport, airborne, etc.)
• User asks about radar performance metrics (max range, SNR, detection probability, etc.)
• User wants to load or save a radar design session (.mat file)
• User asks about target or environment configuration for radar analysis
• User wants to set requirements/objectives for a radar design

When NOT to Use

• User asks about general MATLAB programming unrelated to radar design
• User wants to use Radar Toolbox functions directly (without the Radar Designer app)
• User asks about Simulink radar models or Phased Array System Toolbox without the app
• User wants to create radar waveforms or signals outside the app context
• User asks about radar theory or equations without wanting to use the app

Prerequisites

• MATLAB MCP server must be running and connected
• The mcp__matlab__evaluate_matlab_code tool must be available
• The Radar Toolbox must be installed in the MATLAB instance
• The skill's scripts/ directory must be on the MATLAB path (set via project_path)

Code Reference

Consult code-reference.md for detailed code patterns — including multi-radar comparison, session management, export, and range auto-tuning examples. The patterns below are summaries; code-reference.md is authoritative.

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Wrapper Scripts

All Radar Designer operations go through 5 p-coded wrapper scripts in scripts/. Always set project_path to the skill's root directory when calling mcp__matlab__evaluate_matlab_code so the scripts are on the MATLAB path.

radarDesignerSession — App lifecycle and sessions

Action	Call	Returns
Launch app	h = radarDesignerSession('launch')	App handle h
Reuse existing	h = radarDesignerSession('launch', h)	Same h if valid
Start new	radarDesignerSession('startNew', h, templateName)	—
Save session	radarDesignerSession('save', h, filePath)	—
Load session	radarDesignerSession('load', h, filePath)	—

Templates: 'AirborneRadarSpec', 'AirportRadarSpec', 'AutomotiveRadarSpec', 'TrackingRadarSpec', 'WeatherRadarSpec'

radarDesignerParam — Get/set parameters and requirements

Action	Call	Returns
Set parameter	radarDesignerParam(h, 'set', specType, propName, value)	—
Get parameter	val = radarDesignerParam(h, 'get', specType, propName)	Property value
Set requirement	radarDesignerParam(h, 'setRequirement', reqIndex, propName, value)	—

specType: 'Radar', 'Target', 'Environment'

radarDesignerResults — Read results and auto-tune

Action	Call	Returns
Read results	T = radarDesignerResults(h, 'read')	Table (16 metrics)
Auto-tune range	result = radarDesignerResults(h, 'autoTune', range_m)	Struct

Results table columns: Metric, Units, Threshold, Objective, Result_<radarName>, Status_<radarName> (PASS/WARN/FAIL)

Auto-tune result fields: requestedRange_km, achievedRange_km, ratio, converged

radarDesignerMultiRadar — Multiple radar management

Action	Call	Returns
Add template	radarDesignerMultiRadar(h, 'add', templateName)	—
Clone current	radarDesignerMultiRadar(h, 'clone')	—
Select by index	radarDesignerMultiRadar(h, 'select', index)	—
Delete current	radarDesignerMultiRadar(h, 'delete')	—
List names	names = radarDesignerMultiRadar(h, 'names')	Cell array

Add templates: 'AirborneRadar', 'AirportRadar', 'AutomotiveRadar', 'TrackingRadar', 'WeatherRadar'

radarDesignerExport — Built-in export

Action	Call	Description
SNR vs Range	radarDesignerExport(h, 'snr')	Opens SNR vs Range script in editor
Metrics Report	radarDesignerExport(h, 'report')	Opens Radar Metrics Report
Vertical Coverage	radarDesignerExport(h, 'coverage')	Opens Vertical Coverage script
Range-Doppler Grid	radarDesignerExport(h, 'rdgrid')	Opens Range-Doppler Grid script

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Workflow

Step 1: Launch the App

h = radarDesignerSession('launch');

Always check if h already exists:

if ~exist('h','var') || ~isvalid(h)
    h = radarDesignerSession('launch');
end

Step 2: Select a Radar Template

radarDesignerSession('startNew', h, 'TrackingRadarSpec');

Step 3: Set Parameters

radarDesignerParam(h, 'set', 'Radar', 'Frequency', 5e9);     % 5 GHz
radarDesignerParam(h, 'set', 'Radar', 'PeakPower', 2e6);     % 2 MW
radarDesignerParam(h, 'set', 'Target', 'RCS', 1);             % 1 m²
radarDesignerParam(h, 'set', 'Environment', 'RainRate', 4);   % 4 mm/hr

All values in SI units: frequency in Hz, power in W, range in m, etc.

Step 3a: Map User Objectives to Requirements

When the user states a performance goal, set it as the Threshold on the matching requirement.

User says	Req Index	Example call
"150 km range"	2 (MaxRange)	radarDesignerParam(h, 'setRequirement', 2, 'Threshold', 150e3)
"10 m range resolution"	6 (RangeResolution)	radarDesignerParam(h, 'setRequirement', 6, 'Threshold', 10)
"0.5° azimuth accuracy"	10 (AzimuthAccuracy)	radarDesignerParam(h, 'setRequirement', 10, 'Threshold', 0.5)
"100 m/s first blind speed"	7 (FirstBlindSpeed)	radarDesignerParam(h, 'setRequirement', 7, 'Threshold', 100)
"5 km min range"	4 (MinRange)	radarDesignerParam(h, 'setRequirement', 4, 'Threshold', 5e3)

Set both Threshold and Objective to the same value unless the user distinguishes a minimum acceptable (Threshold) from a desired goal (Objective).

Step 3b: Range Auto-Tuning (MANDATORY when user specifies a range)

If the user specifies a target range, you MUST run auto-tune BEFORE reading/reporting results:

result = radarDesignerResults(h, 'autoTune', 300e3);  % 300 km target

The auto-tune adjusts peak power (and gain if needed) so the achieved range is within ±15% of the user's request. It also sets the MaxRange requirement threshold to the user's requested range.

Skip this step ONLY if the user did not mention a specific range target.

Step 4: Read Analysis Results

T = radarDesignerResults(h, 'read');

The returned table has 16 rows (one per metric) with columns: Metric, Units, Threshold, Objective, and per-radar Result_<name> and Status_<name> columns.

Status values: PASS (meets objective), WARN (between threshold and objective), FAIL (does not meet threshold).

Step 5: Multi-Radar, Sessions, Export

See code-reference.md for complete patterns.

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Complete Property Reference

Radar Properties (Settable)

Waveform

Property	Description	Units	Example
Frequency	Carrier frequency	Hz	3e9
PulseBandwidth	Pulse bandwidth	Hz	20e6
PeakPower	Peak transmit power	W	15e6
pulsewidth	Pulse duration	s	1e-3
prf	Pulse repetition frequency	Hz	1000
CarrierWaveInput	Input type for carrier wave	enum	'Frequency' or 'Wavelength'
PowerInput	Input type for power	enum	'PeakPower' or 'AveragePower'
PulseDurationInput	Input type for duration	enum	'PulseWidth' or 'DutyCycle'
PulseRepetitionInput	Input type for PRF	enum	'PRF' or 'PRI'

Noise

Property	Description	Units	Example
SystemNoiseInput	Noise input type	enum	'Temperature' or 'Figure'
NoiseTemperature	System noise temperature	K	290
referenceNoiseTemperature	Reference noise temp	K	290
QuantizationNoise	Enable quantization noise	logical	true/false
QuantizationNumBits	ADC bits	integer	12
QuantizationDynamicRange	ADC dynamic range	dB	60

Antenna

Property	Description	Units	Example
AntennaHeight	Antenna height above ground	m	75
TiltAngle	Antenna tilt angle	deg	0
Polarization	Antenna polarization	enum	'H', 'V', 'Circular'
TxGain	Transmit antenna gain	dBi	40
TxAzBeamwidth	Tx azimuth beamwidth	deg	2
TxElBeamwidth	Tx elevation beamwidth	deg	2
DifferentRx	Use different Rx antenna	logical	false
RxGain	Receive antenna gain	dBi	40
RxAzBeamwidth	Rx azimuth beamwidth	deg	2
RxElBeamwidth	Rx elevation beamwidth	deg	2
TxGainInput	Tx gain input mode	enum	'GainBeamwidth', 'GainOnly', 'Imported'
RxGainInput	Rx gain input mode	enum	'GainBeamwidth', 'GainOnly', 'Imported'
TxSincInput	Tx sinc pattern option	enum	'Sinc' or 'Gaussian'

Scanning

Property	Description	Units	Example
Scanning	Scan type	enum	'None', 'Mechanical', 'Electronic'
AzScanSectorMech	Mechanical az scan sector	deg	360
AzScanSectorElec	Electronic az scan sector	deg	120
ElScanStart	Elevation scan start	deg	0
ElScanStop	Elevation scan stop	deg	30

Detection

Property	Description	Units	Example
Pfa	Probability of false alarm	probability	1e-6
NumPulses	Number of pulses integrated	integer	10
PulseIntegration	Integration type	enum	'Coherent', 'Noncoherent'
NumCPIs	Number of CPIs	integer	1
BinaryIntegration	Enable binary integration	logical	false
NumBinaryDetections	Binary detection threshold	integer	depends
MofNCPIIntegration	Enable M-of-N CPI integration	logical	false
MNumCPIs	M threshold for M-of-N	integer	depends

Track Confirmation

Property	Description	Units	Example
ConfirmationThreshM	M for M/N confirmation	integer	3
ConfirmationThreshN	N for M/N confirmation	integer	5
TrackUpdateInput	Track update input type	enum	'TrackUpdateRate' or 'TrackUpdateTime'
TrackUpdateTime	Track update time	s	1

Signal Processing

Property	Description	Units	Example
STC	Enable STC	logical	false
STCCutOffRange	STC cutoff range	m	50000
STCExponent	STC exponent	scalar	4
CFAR	Enable CFAR	logical	false
CFARNumCells	CFAR reference cells	integer	20
CFARMethod	CFAR method	enum	'CA', 'OS', 'GO', 'SO'
MTI	Enable MTI filter	logical	false
MTICanceller	MTI canceller order	integer	2
MTINullVelocity	MTI null velocity	m/s	0
MTIMethod	MTI method	enum	depends
Eclipsing	Enable eclipsing loss	logical	false
CustomLoss	Additional custom loss	dB	0

Target Properties

Property	Description	Units	Example
RCS	Radar cross section	m²	1
SwerlingModel	Swerling fluctuation model	enum	'Swerling0'...'Swerling4'
TargetPositionInputType	Input type	enum	'Height' or 'Elevation'
TargetHeight	Target height/altitude	m	10000
TargetElevation	Target elevation angle	deg	5
MaxAcceleration	Max target acceleration	m/s²	50
Name	Target name	string	'Target 1'

Environment Properties

Property	Description	Units	Example
FreeSpace	Free space propagation	logical	true
AtmosphericGasLoss	Gas absorption enabled	logical	true
LensLoss	Lens effect enabled	logical	true
PropagationFactor	Propagation factor model	logical	true
EarthModel	Earth model type	enum	'Flat', 'Curved'
SurfaceType	Surface type	enum	'Sea', 'Land', 'Custom'
RainRate	Rain rate	mm/hr	4
PrecipitationType	Precipitation type	enum	'Rain', 'Snow', 'Fog', 'Cloud'
SeaStateNumber	Sea state (0-7)	integer	3
LandType	Land type	enum	depends
VegetationType	Vegetation type	enum	depends
EffectiveEarthRadius	Effective earth radius	m	8500000
Name	Environment name	string	'Environment 1'

Requirement Specifications

Index	Name	Description
1	MaxRangePd	Max range at detection probability
2	MaxRange	Maximum detection range
3	MDS	Minimum detectable signal
4	MinRange	Minimum range
5	UnambiguousRange	Unambiguous range
6	RangeResolution	Range resolution
7	FirstBlindSpeed	First blind speed
8	RangeRateResolution	Range-rate resolution
9	RangeAccuracy	Range accuracy
10	AzimuthAccuracy	Azimuth accuracy
11	ElevationAccuracy	Elevation accuracy
12	RangeRateAccuracy	Range-rate accuracy
13	PtrueTrack	True track probability
14	PfalseTrack	False track probability
15	EIRP	EIRP
16	PowerAperture	Power-aperture product

Each requirement has: Objective, Threshold.

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Presenting Results

Always present results to the user in the following structured format:

1. Summary Table

Use Unicode box-drawing characters to render a clean table.

Single radar:

┌───────────────────────┬────────────┬────────┐
│        Metric         │   Value    │ Status │
├───────────────────────┼────────────┼────────┤
│ Max Range             │ 315.1 km   │ PASS   │
├───────────────────────┼────────────┼────────┤
│ Range Resolution      │ 7.5 m      │ PASS   │
├───────────────────────┼────────────┼────────┤
│ First Blind Speed     │ 53.5 m/s   │ WARN   │
└───────────────────────┴────────────┴────────┘

Multi-radar comparison:

┌───────────────────────┬────────────┬────────────┬─────────┐
│        Metric         │  Radar A   │  Radar B   │ Winner  │
├───────────────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼─────────┤
│ Max Range             │ 315.1 km   │ 222.6 km   │ Radar A │
├───────────────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼─────────┤
│ First Blind Speed     │ 53.5 m/s   │ 26.8 m/s   │ Radar A │
└───────────────────────┴────────────┴────────────┴─────────┘

Table rules:

• Show only metrics that are relevant to the user's question or that differ meaningfully between radars (not all 16 by default)
• If the user asks for a "full report", show all 16 metrics
• Include display units in the value cells (km, m/s, dBW, etc.)
• Use the Status column values directly from the results table (PASS/WARN/FAIL)

2. Key Takeaways

After the table, provide 2-4 bullet points covering:

• The most significant performance tradeoffs
• Any surprising results or requirement failures
• What factor is limiting performance (e.g., rain loss, duty cycle, antenna gain)
• Impact of the user's parameter change (if they modified something)

3. Verdict

End with a 1-2 sentence summary or recommendation.

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Conventions

1. UI Auto-Updates: All parameter changes fire events that update the web UI automatically — no manual refresh needed.

2. Handle Persistence: The variable h must persist in the MATLAB base workspace between calls. Each evaluate_matlab_code call shares the same workspace, so h remains available.

3. Startup Timing: The app takes 5-10 seconds to initialize. radarDesignerSession('launch') handles the wait automatically.

4. Always Use project_path: When calling mcp__matlab__evaluate_matlab_code, set project_path to the skill's root directory so the wrapper scripts in scripts/ are on the MATLAB path.

5. Property Names Are Case-Sensitive: Use exact names from the property reference tables above.

6. Range Auto-Tuning Is Mandatory: When the user specifies a target range, ALWAYS run radarDesignerResults(h, 'autoTune', range_m) BEFORE reading results. Never report a design that overshoots or undershoots the user's requested range by more than 30%.

7. Always Report Pass/Fail: When presenting results, always include the Status (PASS/WARN/FAIL) for each metric and explicitly call out which requirements are not met.

8. SI Units: All parameter values must be in SI units — frequency in Hz (not GHz), power in W (not MW), range in m (not km).

9. Always Consult code-reference.md: Before writing code for multi-radar comparison, session management, export, or before/after analysis, load and follow the patterns in code-reference.md.

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