Summary of 122 GHz On-chip Radar
Silicon Radar, a German company, offers advanced mm-Wave Integrated Circuits using affordable SiGe technology for RF applications up to 120 GHz. They introduced EasyRadar and SimpleRadar kits for evaluating their radar chips, featuring programmable FMCW parameters, signal processing, target recognition, and web-based GUIs. EasyRadar is suited for beginners and pros, supporting USB and wireless LAN communication, and includes radar front ends for 122 GHz and 24 GHz. SimpleRadar is a smaller 122 GHz sensor with similar features for Wi-Fi-enabled radar applications. Both support integration and development of silicon mm-Wave SoCs for cost-effective mass production.
Parts used in the EasyRadar Kit:
- 122 GHz radar front end
- 24 GHz radar front end
- Controller board
- Baseband board with WiFi
- Lens for 122 GHz radar
Parts used in the SimpleRadar Kit:
- 122 GHz radar front end
- Controller board (implied)
- Wi-Fi communication module (integrated)
Silicon technology has made tremendous progress towards ever higher device cut-off frequencies. Nowadays all RF components for mm-Wave sensing applications up to 120 GHz can be realized.
Silicon Radar is a german company that designs and delivers Millimetre Wave Integrated Circuits (MMICs) on a technologically advanced level, manufactured in affordable Silicon-Germanium-Technology (SiGe). It has just introduced new development kits using GHz CMOS radar MMICs, which are built using SiGe or SiGe:C from IHP.
Silicon Radar participated in the European Commission 7th Framework Success project, to develop ways to mass produce silicon mm-Wave SoCs at low cost – with STMicro, IHP, Evatronix, Selmic, Hightec, Bosch, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the University of Toronto.
The development kits are:
EasyRadar is for evaluating all of the firm’s TX/RX radar chips, and is “great for beginners and pros who want to start development and tweak system parameters”, said Silicon Radar.
EasyRadar features:
- programmable FMCW parameters
- signal processing
- target recognition
- web-based GUI
- USB or wireless LAN communication with PC
The kit includes:
- 122 GHz radar front end (see photo above)
- 24 GHz radar front end (see lower photo)
- controller board
- baseband board with WiFi
- lens for 122 GHz
You can download the user guide and the protocol description
SimpleRadar is available to evaluate the firm’s 122 GHz radar front end.
It has the same functionality as the EasyRadar but is smaller (40 x 40mm), and can be used as a Wi-Fi-enabled radar sensor with integrated target recognition.
It has the following features:
- programmable FMCW parameters
- signal processing
- target recognition
- web-based GUI
- USB communication with PC or over wireless LAN
For more detail: 122 GHz On-chip Radar
