Cambridge Pixel

09/01/2026

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Martin Hoather as Managing Director of Cambridge Pixel.

Martin joined us in 2023 as Operations Director, following his early career as a Royal Navy Engineer Officer and nearly a decade of small-company management experience in the Cambridge tech sector.

Cambridge Pixel’s founder David Johnson has become Executive Chairman.

David will continue to be closely involved in the Company's business, particularly in the evolution of the Company’s world-leading product range, where his extensive experience will continue to guide new development. Co-founder Richard Warren remains in post as Software Director.

These management changes are part of Cambridge Pixel’s long-term strategy. Our employee ownership provides great stability to the Company, giving confidence to customers, partners and employees.

Commenting on Martin’s appointment, David said:

"With his engineering and naval background, Martin is well-placed to lead the Company in its next phase of growth. We've been fortunate to find somebody with the right set of skills and experience, and I have no doubt that, under Martin's leadership, Cambridge Pixel will continue to provide the same level of innovation and service that has been the hallmark of our success"

Martin added, “By almost any measure, David and Richard have built a fantastic company in Cambridge Pixel, and I feel very fortunate and proud to be leading our great team for the next stage.”

Originally founded in 2007, Cambridge Pixel’s radar, camera and sensor processing technology is now in use in over 50 countries and valued by hundreds of customers.

09/12/2025

We are pleased to announce that SPx Radar Coverage Tool Pro (RCT Pro) is being used by New Zealand’s MetService (Meteorological Data Services team) to plan and optimise the crucial weather radar network it is helping to deliver in the Pacific region.

The Pro version of the software provides MetService’s project team with a powerful, interactive method for calculating precise line-of-sight visibility for new and existing weather radar sites using high-resolution terrain elevation data.

The project focuses on ensuring maximum coverage across vast, remote areas, including key locations such as Tonga, Solomon Islands, and Samoa.

The ability of RCT Pro to manage multiple radar sites simultaneously and export the resulting coverage map data in KML format has been a critical feature for the MetService team.

This allows the coverage data to be easily imported and visualised within external Geographic Information Systems (GIS), like Google Earth, providing a comprehensive overview of the Pacific Infrastructure project.

Collin Quarrie, Senior Project Manager, Pacific Infrastructure, at Meteorological Data Services, commented:

"Using RCT Pro has allowed us to overcome the challenges of mapping radar sites in complex terrains and remote locations. This gives us greater confidence in our network planning and helps us commission the weather radar needed by our Pacific partners to enhance their weather forecasting services.”

Andrew Haylett, Principal Engineer at Cambridge Pixel, commented:

"We are pleased that RCT Pro is providing vital support for MetService's critical work in the Pacific. Supporting multi-radar usage projects for weather applications demonstrates the versatility and robustness of our software. With the successful mapping of all locations the team was working on, our radar planning capability has achieved full round-the-world coverage."

The SPx Radar Coverage Tool Pro is an essential planning tool for system integrators and developers in sectors including maritime surveillance, air traffic control, security, and meteorology, providing a fast and accurate way to determine the optimal placement of radar and other line-of-sight sensors.

Learn more about RCT Pro here:
👉 https://cambridgepixel.com/products/tools-accessories/radar-coverage-tool-pro/

29/07/2025

A is for A-Scan...

Did you know there is a guide to radar-related terms on our website?

Here's a sample of what you can find starting with 'A'.

• A-Scan:
A view of radar video, traditionally associated with an oscilloscope display. It shows signal intensity on the vertical axis and range (time) along the horizontal axis. The trace is updated for each azimuth at the pulse rate of the radar. This view, along with B-Scan and PPI are available in the easy to use RadarView software.
↳ RadarView: https://cambridgepixel.com/products/display-applications/radarview/

• ACP/ARP:
Sets of pulses used to encode the bearing/azimuth angle of the radar antenna. The Azimuth Change Pulse (ACP) is a pulse train where the interval between pulses is a fixed angle. Commonly there are 2048, 4096 or 8192 pulses per 360 degrees. The Azimuth Reset Pulse (ARP) is a reset pulse that occurs at a reference point. The angle of the radar is therefore derived by counting the number of ACP pulses since the last ARP pulse.
↳ ACP/ARP guide: https://cambridgepixel.com/insights/understanding-acp-and-arp-radar-signals/

• ADS-B:
Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast is a method used by aircraft to report their GPS-derived position to a remote receiver, allowing the aircraft to be identified and tracked. ADS-B Data Monitor is a free decoding software application for ADS-B.
↳ Free download of ADS-B Monitor: https://cambridgepixel.com/products/tools-accessories/ads-b-monitor/

• AIS:
The Automatic Identification System is a tracking system that uses transceivers on ships and is mainly used by Vessel Traffic Services (VTS). Information provided by AIS includes unique identification, position, course, and speed. Having AIS is a legal requirement for many vessels. Also see 'W-AIS', used by warships.
↳ Free download of AIS Monitor: https://cambridgepixel.com/products/tools-accessories/ais-data-monitor/

• ARPA:
Automatic Radar Plotting Aid is a type of maritime radar display including basic radar target tracking. Customised ARPA displays can be made quickly with the Maritime Display Framework.
↳ MDF: https://cambridgepixel.com/products/display-applications/maritime-display-framework/

• ASTERIX:
A family of standards for radar data formats, originally developed for Air Traffic Control in Europe, but now used more widely for radar video and track format exchange in other market sectors. The specific standards are given a CAT (Category) number; for example, ASTERIX CAT-240 is the standard for radar video.

• Azimuth Correlation:
May be employed if there are more input returns than required for display or processing, or if some degree of processing is required for filtering. The process combines a number of input returns for each output using either a peak-picking, averaging or other method of combination.

---

Find the Full A-Z glossary of Radar Terminology:
https://cambridgepixel.com/resources/radar-terminology/

We'd love to hear your suggestions for other terms to add. Add them in the comments. 👇

A helpful glossary of frequently used radar and related terms. From A-Scan to X-band, find out what it all means here.

17/07/2025

An excellent few days at the Counter-UAS Expo, Thorney Island, UK, showcasing how our flexible display software VSD-C2 is ideal for C-UAS systems.

As part of Team UK Counter-UAS, our technology was shown alongside other British innovations, including those from MSI-Defence Systems Ltd, Saab UK, Supacat, MBDA, Mind Foundry and OpenWorks Engineering Ltd.

VSD-C2 is ideal for counter-drone applications, providing a unified display of all radar, sensor and camera data, with a wide range of security features, multiple screens and touch-screen support, as well as device control for sensors and effectors.

The software is available with custom layouts, branding, and flexible licensing options for integration into your products.

Get in touch, or find out more about VSD-C2 here:
https://cambridgepixel.com/products/display-applications/vsd/

Display and control sensors and effectors. Supports most radars, many camera types, video tracking and 3rd-party AI modules. Tracking, alarms and automation.

25/06/2025

🚤 Your USV shouldn't be guessing what's on the water.

If you're building an Uncrewed Surface Vessel, here's a hard truth:

* Receiving sensor data DOES NOT equal situational awareness *

A system to fuse primary radar, AIS, EO/IR, GPS and more into a real-time picture isn’t a quick or easy thing to build.

- Doing it wrong risks safety or mission failure
- Changing sensors may require extended development
- New systems are likely to be less reliable than field-tested technology

🛠 Cambridge Pixel helps you turn sensor data into real-time awareness.

Our solutions are fast, reliable, and ready for deployment.

We provide modular software that helps USV/ASV developers:
- Integrate sensors fast
- Detect obstacles and track targets and reliably
- Visualise radar, camera and sensor data with confidence
- Unlock low-cost radars for use with custom software
- Navigate in GPS-denied environments
- Adapt to mission requirement changes faster

⌛ Whether it’s a test platform or a defence-grade autonomous vessel, we help you skip the long integration development and focus on capability.

🤝 Already trusted by naval forces, defence labs, and marine robotics teams around the world.

Working on autonomy? We’d love to hear what you’re building.

👇 Drop a comment or visit: https://cambridgepixel.com/applications/uncrewed-surface-vessels/

24/06/2025

A naval systems integrator needed to test radar displays, but had no access to live radar data during development. Here's what they did...

With commissioning schedules under pressure, they chose to simulate radar video, tracks and AIS feeds using SPx Radar Simulator.

By simulating multiple radar channels and scenarios in the lab, they were able to continue integration and testing well before installation.

Relying on physical sensors for testing can cause delays and limit your ability to validate systems in a controlled environment. A software-based radar simulator helps accelerate development, reduce risk and improve test coverage.

If you’re developing or integrating radar displays, trackers or surveillance systems, the SPx Radar Simulator provides a fast, flexible way to test using realistic radar data from your desktop.

As programme timelines tighten and system complexity increases, simulated radar environments are becoming essential for staying on schedule and delivering with confidence.

Get in touch to find out if SPx Radar Simulator is right for your project.

Test and develop systems or train operators with simulated radar returns from custom-built scenes. Input and output many data types with this flexible emulation software.

16/06/2025

We're proud to collaborate with OpenWorks Engineering to deliver tailored counter-drone systems for multiple European police forces.

The partnership combines OpenWorks' advanced optical tracking system, Vision Flex, with our radar processing software and system engineering expertise.

“Combining our advanced camera technology with Cambridge Pixel’s radar processing delivers a powerful counter-UAS capability. It’s a great example of UK engineering companies working together to address real-world security challenges.” - Chris Down, Chief Executive Officer at OpenWorks Engineering

This partnership reflects a growing demand, with many other law enforcement and public safety agencies showing interest in acquiring this interoperable, adaptable counter-drone solution.

Read the full article at: https://cambridgepixel.com/about/news/police-forces-to-have-advanced-counter-drone-technology-thanks-to-british-business-collaboration/

03/06/2025

Access radar video anywhere, on any device with a browser!

With SPx Radar Web Server, you can deliver live radar video and track data to multiple users or devices, all through a standard web browser.

Each operator can independently position, scale, and interact with radar imagery alongside maps, tracks, AIS, ADS-B, and fused data. No client installation needed. Just open a browser on a PC, tablet, or smartphone, it’s that simple.

Whether you're deploying on Windows or Linux, SPx Radar Web Server supports modern, cloud-based architectures and makes real-time radar data accessible, flexible, and scalable.

🔗 Discover how it works https://cambridgepixel.com/products/tracking-fusion-distribution/spx-radar-web-server/

What challenges have you faced with radar data sharing? Let’s discuss 👇

22/05/2025

This is how you adapt C-UAS to ever-changing requirements:

➤ Modular software, widely interoperable with hardware & systems...

Easily add the capabilities you need using our hardware-agnostic software. Supports a wide range of proprietary and open standards.

- Tracking

Radar plot extraction and target tracking
• SPx Server: https://cambridgepixel.com/products/tracking-fusion-distribution/spx-tracking-server/

3D/E-Scan radar target tracking
• SPx Tracker-3D: https://cambridgepixel.com/products/tracking-fusion-distribution/spx-tracker-3d/

Track filtering and track format conversion
• SPx Track Manager: https://cambridgepixel.com/products/tracking-fusion-distribution/spx-track-manager/

- Display:

Command and control (C2) / operator display
• VSD-C2: https://cambridgepixel.com/products/display-applications/vsd/

- Processing

Fuse multiple sensor inputs into a single stream of track reports
• SPx Fusion Server: https://cambridgepixel.com/products/tracking-fusion-distribution/spx-fusion-server/

Record and replay a range of data inputs from sensors, screens etc
• RDR Data Recorder: https://cambridgepixel.com/products/simulation-recording/rdr-data-recorder/

Threat processing, effector control and automation
• VSD-C2 Advanced: https://cambridgepixel.com/products/display-applications/vsd/

- Testing / training

Test your system or train operators with simulated data
• SPx Radar Simulator: https://cambridgepixel.com/products/simulation-recording/spx-radar-simulator/
• SPx Video Simulator: https://cambridgepixel.com/products/simulation-recording/spx-video-simulator/

Working on counter-drone systems? Save this post for reference.

06/05/2025

RDR Data Recorder - It records everything.

Operators love it. Testers need it. Integrators rely on it.

Easy to record:

✓ Radar video
✓ Tracks
✓ AIS
✓ ADS-B
✓ Navigation data
✓ Camera video
✓ Screen video
✓ Computer Audio

Easy to replay.
Includes event logging.

Works with most radars.
Supports open standards.

Field-proven reliability.
Available as Software Only or PC System.

Want to find out more? Let’s talk.