MULTICHIP AUTOMOTIVE RADAR SYSTEM, A RADAR CHIP FOR SUCH A SYSTEM, AND A METHOD OF OPERATING SUCH A SYSTEM

摘要

A multichip radar system is disclosed, comprising a plurality of configurable ICs, and a digital interface therebetween, each configurable IC being configurable to operate as a master IC and as a slave IC. The configurable ICs may be similar or identical, and have an allocated measurement range. Each configurable IC comprises: a down-converter; an ADC; a digital signal processor; and a transmitter to transmit a radar signal. One is configured as a master IC and to transmit a radar signal and each of the other configurable ICs to operate as a slave IC. Each configurable IC is adapted to use a common Local Oscillator signal, a common clock signal, and a common timing signal for determining at least the start of the common sampling window. A method of operating such a multichip radar system is also disclosed, as is a configurable IC or radar IC suitable for such a system.

主权项

1. A multichip radar system, comprising a plurality of configurable ICs, and a digital interface therebetween, each configurable IC being configurable to operate as a master IC and as a slave IC, and to have an allocated measurement range;
wherein each configurable IC comprises:
a down-converter adapted to down-convert a respective reflected radar signal;an ADC adapted to convert the respective down-converted signal to a respective digital signal for a common sampling window to accumulate respective digital data;a digital signal processor adapted to divide the respective digital data between a plurality of measurement ranges, the digital signal processor being further adapted
to receive digital data corresponding to the IC's allocated measurement range from each of the other ICs,to send digital data corresponding to each other allocated measurement range to the respective other IC, andto process the digital data in its allocated measurement range;and a transmitter adapted to transmit a radar signal; wherein a one of the configurable ICs is configured to operate as a master IC and is configured to transmit a radar signal and each of the other configurable ICs is configured to operate as a slave IC; and wherein each configurable IC is adapted to use a common Local Oscillator signal, a common clock signal, and a common timing signal for determining at least the start of the common sampling window.