6

Ramzi Aboujaoude

addition, compared to 76 GHz, the technology at 24 GHz is more mature and is lower in cost.
This is due in part to the build up of the infrastructure for broadband wireless communication
systems in that frequency range.
The widespread use of automotive radar hinges on the ability of the manufacturers to
achieve the required targets for performance, size, and cost. With the most recent
developments and product introductions, the performance and size targets appear to have
been mostly met. Meeting the cost targets may prove to be more challenging, with long term
cost targets for the 76 GHz sensors set at approximately $100 and for the 24 GHz sensors
even lower than that. These are extremely difficult targets to meet, even with the expected
higher production volumes. Therefore, next generation sensors are being developed with
lower cost designs. Early versions of ACC radar used dielectric lens antennas, waveguides,
and discrete components including Gunn oscillators. Current and future designs include lower
cost scanning antennas, millimeter wave front-ends using flip-chip Microwave Monolithic
Integrated Circuit (MMIC) technology, low-cost oscillator designs, and automated assembly,
packaging and testing [8].

ACC Radar System Requirements

The ACC radar must be able to detect targets of varying sizes (motercycles, cars, trucks,
etc.) up to 200 m ahead. These targets could be moving relative to the radar at speeds of up to
250 km/h. The radar must have an angular coverage of at least 8 in the azimuth plane. This
coverage is needed to track the targets (other vehicles as well as fixed objects such as guard
rails or sign posts) in the lanes ahead especially when approaching curves in the road. In
addition, the angular coverage is needed for early detection of vehicles cutting into the
drivers lane. In the elevation plane, the radar angular coverage must be narrow to reduce the
effect of ground bounce signals and reflections from overhead structures, such as bridges.
Table III summarizes the typical performance specifications of ACC radar modules.
Some of the limitations of current systems are their inability to detect very close-in targets
and their limited angular coverage.
Table III. Typical performance specifications of ACC radar sensors
Transmit Frequency
Transmit Power
Target Detection Distance
Relative Velocity
Angular Coverage
Antenna Gain
Antenna sidelobe level
Update rate

Range
Accuracy
Range
Accuracy
Azimuth
Elevation

76-77 GHz
>10 dBm
2 to 150 m
< 1 m or 5%
250 km/h
< 1 km/h
8 wide coverage with 3 minimum resolution
3 to 4 single beam
26 34 dBi
> 20 dB
>10 Hz