Research On Automotive Radar Demonstrator

This thesis presents the design of the automotive radar demonstrator in Acreo AB and the test results. Testing includes measurement and software/hardware debugging for proper operation.First, the background of automotive radar is introduced and different methods of radar detecting are compared. Then the basic theory of FMCW radar is discussed to understand how stationary and moving objects are detected. Also how object distance and speed are related to the detected intermediate frequency. The radar system overview is also focused on flexible frequency generation with a phase locked loop (PLL). Some theory of direct digital synthesis (DDS) is presented to explain the frequency generation control through digital PC interface.The scope of this thesis is on low-frequency blocks that include frequency generation, signal readout and control. Every tested block is described with measurement setup, test results and some analysis to evaluate its performance. A list of proposed hardware modifications is provided for a new printed circuit board (PCB) design.To conclude the thesis, the automotive radar low-frequency blocks operate correctly. Additional tests are needed to verify the performance of the whole radar system.