Well-established applications of frequency modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar in automobiles range from safety to comfort functions – such as blind-spot detection, lane-change assist, automatic cruise control and park assist. These functions are based on the radar’s ability to reliably and accurately detect and locate obstacles regardless of weather and ambient lighting conditions. These radar resolve objects in range and velocity. Its performance is independent of ambient light, and it does not require investments in an additional signal source to illuminate the scene. Its high frequency of operation (77 GHz) directly translates to a smaller overall solution size.

TI’s line of single-chip mmWave sensors bring the advantages of FMCW radar to a sensor that has a small form factor, low power, bestin-class bandwidth (4GHz bandwidth translates to 4cm resolution), and the on-chip computational and memory resources needed to accommodate the requirements of the applications.