Cooperation in radar sensors for autonomous driving

To meet the high requirements for safety and quality, radar sensors must detect their surroundings reliably and in great detail. For road use, it is important to implement robust measures that minimize interference and disturbance signals.

To do this, Uhnder has developed a unique digital Radar-on-Chip (RoC), using a combination of advanced CMOS and Digital Code Modulation (DCM) technology. Uhnder's 4D digitally modulated radar chip offers performance by integrating 192 virtual channels onto a single chip and pioneers High Contrast Resolution (HCR), which provides significantly improved range and angular resolution and makes it possible to separate small radar reflectors from proximate large reflectors.

Throughout the development process, Uhnder relies on dSPACE Automotive Radar Target Simulators to subject sensors whose signals are processed using this modulation method to the most realistic tests possible until the sensors are approved for series production.

“Digitally modulated radar signals offer significant advantages in ADAS and AD applications. The radar test solutions from dSPACE made it easy for us to investigate interferences between radar systems and to advance our systems as realistically as possible,” said Ralf Reuter, Senior Director of Customer and Application Engineering at Uhnder, about the initial results of the collaboration.

Senior Product Manager Dr Andreas Himmler from dSPACE added: “The cooperation with Uhnder provides us with new requirements in sensor development directly and timely. This gives us a headstart in the development of suitable concepts for particularly reliable validation. This applies particularly to the fulfillment of our customers' challenging requirements with regard to radar target simulation.”

Uhnder and dSPACE will present results of their partnership with demos at trade fairs. The first joint showcases will be take place at the ‘International Conference on Microwave Intelligent Mobility 2020” in Linz (July 2020, exact date not fixed yet) and at the ‘European Microwave Week 2020’ in Utrecht (September 13^th to 18th, 2020)’.

Uhnder and dSPACE will support each other in the continuous development of sensors and validation solutions and cooperate to ensure that the developments in radar sensor technology can keep pace with the high safety requirements in traffic.