New CMOS Transceiver MMIC with High Performance, Scalability and Reliability for Automotive Radar

Infineon Technologies AG has announced the new RASIC CTRX8181 transceiver which is the first product in a series of new 76 to 81 GHz radar MMICs based on 28-nm CMOS technology. The easy-to-use radar transceiver offers a scalable platform approach for different sensors including corner, front and short range, along with flexibility for new software-defined-vehicle architectures. This enables 77 GHz automotive radar applications at reduced development costs. Moreover, it is developed according to the latest ISO26262 safety standards and comes with 4 transmit and 4 receive channels.

This device offers an excellent signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and increases the standard module range by up to 25 percent. The higher RF-channel count with improved linearity also enables 33 percent higher vertical or angular resolution to allow a better separation between different objects like pedestrians next to cars. The in-chip digital phase-locked loop (PLL) allows faster ramps for better range resolution and ultra-fast fly-back times, improved by factor four compared to today’s best solutions. This new feature reduces power consumption and enables better accurate speed information required to separate objects at similar speeds. 

The new CTRX product family is best combined with Infineon's radar-specific AURIX microcontrollers (MCUs) TC3x and upcoming TC4x, both with integrated signal processing units (SPU) and non-volatile memory for on-chip program code storage. The AURIX chipset and CTRX enable the best performance for future NCAP and real-world scenarios such as improved reliability for radar function in bad weather conditions.