Automatized Solution for Over-the-Air (OTA) Testing and Validation of Automotive Radar Sensors

The growing importance of Radar solutions in automotive applications results in new standards to be met and more demanding performances to be assured. As such, Radar developers require testers capable of guaranteeing compliance with the specified criteria. This paper presents a preliminary approach to allow over-the-air (OTA) testing and validation of 76-77 GHz and 77-81 GHz Radar units in production lines, covering not only pass/fail conditions, but also determination of the Radar antenna array radiation diagrams (in azimuth and elevation) through a calibrated external power sensor. Preliminary measurements on an open environment test bench are shown for different Radar bandwidths (1 GHz and 4 GHz), illustrating the importance of a clean and shielded anechoic chamber environment as a baseline approach.