10.1 A 77GHz Hybrid TDMA-MIMO Phased-Array Radar with 186m Detection Range and 3cm Range Resolution

Millimeter-wave radar has been a crucial component in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), overcoming the limitations of cameras and LiDARs under adverse weather conditions [1], [2]. As ADAS applications advance to higher levels of autonomous driving, there are more stringent requirements for radar sensors in terms of maximum detection range, range resolution and angular resolution. Long-range radar (LRR) needs a longer detection range within a narrow beam, while medium-range radar (MRR) and short-range radar (SRR) require a broader field of view (FoV) and more precise range and angle resolution capabilities. Current MIMO and RF phased-array architectures shown in Fig. 10.1.1 (top) have difficulty achieving optimal performance over the above three modes, simultaneously. For instance, [3] achieves a long-range detection of 250m, while its 15cm range-resolution limits SRR applications. [4] adopts a MIMO architecture, achieving a range resolution of 2.1 cm and a maximum detection range of 38.5m, which is only suitable for SRR applications. This paper presents a fully integrated 77GHz 8TX/2x4RX hybrid TDMA-MIMO phased-array FMCW radar, which supports all three detection modes of LRR/MRR/SRR using different chirp profiles.