At electronica, Renesas Electronics has unveiled a radar transceiver for use in automotive systems such as ADAS and adaptive cruise control. With this, the recently completed takeover of the long-standing cooperation partner Steradian is showing its first fruits. With this chip, Renesas is venturing into a market dominated by well-entrenched suppliers such as NXP and Infineon.
The newly developed radar transceiver, designated RAA270205, is designed for the demanding requirements of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) and applications for autonomous driving of level 3 and higher. Renesas will integrate the new high-definition radar transceiver into its sensor fusion portfolio, which combines radar, image processing and other sensor systems.
The new MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit) transceiver is particularly suitable for imaging radar systems, long-range forward-looking radar systems and 4D radar systems. However, the component can also be used in corner and central processing radar architectures, the so-called “satellite” automotive radar systems. Equipped with four transmit and four receive channels, the RAA270205 supports up to 16 MIMO channels (multiple-input and multiple-output). The device can be cascaded to enable a higher number of channels and optimum radar resolution.
The RAA270205 is characterised by its high accuracy with a bandwidth of up to 5 GHz and an ADC (analogue-to-digital converter) sampling rate of 112.5 MSPS. This is almost three times faster than comparable competitor products, says Renesas. In addition, its power consumption of 1.2 W is 50 per cent lower and its signal-to-noise ratio of 9 dB is 3 dB lower than other radar transceivers. Its very high chirp rate of up to 300 MHz/µs also improves radar resolution and object detection.
Renesas plans to combine the new radar transceiver with other devices from its automotive portfolio. These so-called Winning Combinations include the Satellite Radar System for AD/ADAS, which will be available from Q2/2023. Renesas’ Winning Combinations are technically mature system architectures consisting of interoperable building blocks that work seamlessly together to enable optimised, low-risk design for faster time-to-market. These enable customers to accelerate the design process and get their products to market faster.
The RAA270205 will be available in sample quantities in Q1 2023, with volume production planned for 2024. The transceiver is available in a compact, easy-to-integrate eWLB (embedded wafer-level ball-grid array) package measuring just 7.6 x 5.6 mm. It meets automotive industry requirements such as IATF 16949, AEC-Q100 Grade2 and ASIL B.
More product information here
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