Error Analysis of Target Angle and Angular Velocity in a PLL-based FMCW Radar Measurement

This paper analyzes the error in a real-time measurement of the angular velocity of a moving target. The angular velocity is deduced from two successive FMCW radar measurements using two homodyne radar systems with fast frequency ramps. We analyze the effect of phase noise in the phase-locked loop (PLL) driving the radar system on the rms error of the measured angular velocity. For fast frequency ramps, this error is given as a function of target distance, sweep bandwidth and VCO phase noise. The proposed method can support collision avoidance in automotive applications.