NXP puts into production a new generation of RFCMOS radar transceiver suitable for ADAS and autonomous driving

In current ADAS functions of classic passenger cars and Mobility as a Service (MaaS) applications, radar has gradually become a key sensing modality for safety use cases. NXP Semiconductors  NV also recently announced that it has put into production a new generation of 77GHz  RFCMOS series radar transceivers .
 

NXP announces production of second-generation 77GHz  RFCMOS radar transceiver suitable for ADAS and autonomous driving

NXP believes that in the process of realizing fully autonomous driving in today's vehicles, more demanding use cases require higher radio frequency performance to "see" further at a distance of more than 300m; as low as sub-degrees Higher resolution at the sub-degree level enables accurate detection, differentiation and classification of smaller objects.

The company leverages its scalable S32R radar processor family, combined with the TEF82xx  RFCMOS radar transceiver , to fully meet the above requirements, while providing high angular resolution, powerful processing capabilities and wide sensing range, which is the first step in mass production imaging Required features for radar solutions. NXP pointed out that today's TEF82xx is a next-generation product that has been significantly improved based on the market-proven RFCMOS technology nodes and production settings of NXP's previous generation TEF810x ​​series, which has shipped tens of millions of units.

Currently, TEF82xx is mainly optimized for fast linear frequency modulation pulse (chirp) modulation, supporting short-range, medium-range and long-range radar applications, including cascaded high-resolution imaging radar, etc., and can support 360-degree sensing for critical safety applications, including automatic Emergency braking, active distance control cruise, blind spot monitoring, cross traffic warning and automatic parking.

NXP stated that this fully integrated RFCMOS chip contains: 3 transmitters, 4 receivers, ADC conversion, phase rotator and low phase noise VCO. TEF82xx also includes built-in safety monitors and external interface functions for MIPI-CSI2 and LVDS, compliant with ISO26262 and ASIL Class B standards; more than doubles RF performance, including phase noise reduction of +6 B and phase noise of -95 dBc/ Hz, the output power is 14 dBm and the receiver noise figure is 11.5 dB.

Because TEF82xx uses an ultra-compact eWLB package with exposed chips, excellent heat transfer effects can be achieved even at higher ambient temperatures to meet the harsh heat-resistant conditions of high-performance radar applications; the chirp return time is ultra-short , only 4μs, which can effectively shorten the operating time, thereby reducing sensor power consumption, allowing more compact placement of chirps, and enhancing speed estimation capabilities.

By using the comprehensive library of radar algorithms provided by the automotive-grade Radar Software Development Kit (RSDK), developers can easily build and optimize applications without spending time manually tuning accelerator software. In addition, engineers have access to the resources they need to accelerate development by leveraging NXP's large ecosystem of compilers, development environments, MCAL, and free and commercial RTOS support.

"High-performance imaging radar applications require a cascade of four NXP TEF82xx radar transceivers and a high-performance S32R45 processor to help OEMs achieve sub-degree azimuth and elevation resolution," said Steffen Spannagel, vice president and general manager of ADAS at NXP Semiconductors . 300m or even longer range sensing. NXP has already led customers to enter the final radar module certification stage based on TEF82xx, and plans to start mass production (start of production; SOP) before the end of this year. Several automotive OEMs plan to Corresponding models will be launched in 2023/24."