A Compact 24 × 24 Channel MIMO FMCW Radar System Using a Substrate Integrated Waveguide-Based Reference Distribution Backplane

摘要

In this article a compact 120-GHz multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) imaging radar is presented. With a module size of only 25 cm, an angular resolution of less than 0.9 degrees is obtained in elevation and azimuth direction using 24 transmitters and 24 receivers. The hardware is based on a SiGe:C MMIC technology and integrated into a modular frontend and backend structure. This article presents the overall hardware architecture of the RF-frontend, including a novel reference oscillator distribution concept and a connectorless board-to-board transition based on substrate integrated waveguides. A fully integrated backend is shown, and the entire radar system is evaluated experimentally and the imaging results are presented, demonstrating the large potential of the presented millimeter-wave 3-D imaging radar.