System Design of a 77 GHz Automotive Radar Sensor with Superresolution DOA Estimation

This paper introduces a novel 77 GHz FMCW automotive long range radar (LRR) system concept. High resolution direction of arrival (DOA) estimation is an important requirement for the application in automotive safety systems. The challenges in system design regarding low cost and superresolution signal processing are discussed. Dominant interferences to the MUSIC DOA estimator are amplitude and phase mismatches due to inhomogeneous antenna patterns. System simulation results deliver design guidelines for the required signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the antenna design. Road traffic measurements with a demonstrator system show superior DOA resolution and demonstrate the feasibility of the design goals.