Expanding radar to new applications

With more sensors required to achieve a 360-degree surround view, auto manufacturers need to integrate sensors in small spaces such as door handles or B-pillars for better coverage. The small form factor of TI’s AWR1843AOP and AWR6843AOP antenna-on-package (AOP) sensor enables sensor integration into new places. As automakers and Tier-1 suppliers turn to radar mmWave sensors for improved performance when detecting objects in emerging applications, TI’s AoP mmWave radar sensor integrates the antenna, radar transceiver, digital signal processor, microcontroller and interface peripherals all onto one chip. Integrating the package onto the chip eliminates the need for a high-frequency substrate material, greatly reducing costs as well as manufacturing complexity when compared to other radar sensors while saving about 30% of board space. Eliminating the need to design, simulate and characterize antenna performance can even speed time to market. TI’s software is also reusable and portable across the company’s 60- and 77-GHz devices, enabling faster multiradar system-level designs.