FMCW Radar Sensors
Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave Radar
Basic operating principles and theory
FMCW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave radar differs from pulsed radar in that an
electromagnetic signal is continuously transmitted. The frequency of this signal changes over time,
generally in a sweep across a set bandwidth. The difference in frequency between the transmitted
and received (reflected) signal is determined by mixing the two signals, producing a new signal
which can be measured to determine distance or velocity. A sawtooth function is the simplest, and
most often used, change in frequency pattern for the emitted signal.
FMCW radar differs from classical pulsed radar systems in that an RF signal is continuously output.
Consequently, time of flight to a reflecting object can not be measured directly. Instead, the FMCW
radar emits an RF signal that is usually swept linearly in frequency. The received signal is then
mixed with the emitted signal and due to the delay caused by the time of flight for the reflected
signal, there will be a frequency difference that can be detected as a signal in the low frequency
range. A schematic presentation is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Schematic presentation showing how a low frequency signal is generated by mixing the
received RF signal with the output RF signal. Due to the delay, Δt, caused by emitted signal
Data subject to change without notice. Rev. A 2011 – 06 - 2011
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FMCW Radar Sensors
traveling the distance to the reflector and back to the receiver, there will be a small difference in
signal frequency between the two RF signals. This is output as an IF-signal with frequency Δf.
A simplified derivation of the intermediate frequency (IF) signal with the frequency Δf can be made
in the following way: assume that the RF signal generator will output a frequency that is changing
linearly over time as:
where fRF0 is the starting frequency, T is the frequency sweep time and kf is the slope of the
frequency change, i.e. the sweep rate:
where BW is the frequency sweep bandwidth. The delay caused by the round-trip of the emitted
signal to the reflector is calculated as:
where d is the distance between the radar antenna and the reflector and c is the speed of light.
Due to the delay, the frequency of the received signal compared with the emitted signal will be:
The difference in frequency, Δf, between f RF Received and f RF0 is thus:
This is the signal that is output from the detector. The minus sign can be omitted since the real
signal frequency output from the radar detector is wrapped to a positive frequency. Thus the
expression can be written as:
Data subject to change without notice. Rev. A 2011 – 06 - 2011
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FMCW Radar Sensors
Typical values for the RS3400 series modules would be a frequency sweep, BW, of 1500 MHz over
T=75 ms corresponding to a sweep rate, kf , of 20 000 MHz/s. A distance, d, between the radar and
a reflector of 15 m would give a delay, Δt, of 0.1 μs and the IF signal frequency, Δf, would then be
2000 Hz. This signal is easily sampled with a high resolution ADC in order to be detected. If several
reflectors are appearing in the measurement setup, the resulting IF signal will contain
superpositions of the individual IF-signals from the echoes.
Different echoes are distinguished by their unique IF signal frequency and a Fourier transform of
the sampled signal can be used to extract the distances to the different targets. The measurement
range of the system is limited by the sensitivity of the detector and the sampling rate of the ADC.
For the RS3400 series a sampling rate of 20 kHz gives a maximum detectable IF signal frequency of
10 kHz, which corresponds to a range of 75 m. Longer ranges are easily achievable by either
increasing the sample rate or lowering the sweep rate. In addition, antenna gain needs to be fairly
high in order to provide sufficient signal levels for the detector.
Theoretical performance
The fundamental range measurement resolution of the system can be estimated as follows. The
Fourier transform of a time limited signal can only detect an IF signal frequency with a resolution
of 1/T, keeping in mind that Δt<<1/T; thus the sampling time can be approximated by T. Using
equation 6, this gives the minimum change in d, Δd, as:
which can be transformed to:
Data subject to change without notice. Rev. A 2011 – 06 - 2011
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FMCW Radar Sensors
showing that the range measurement resolution is only limited by the sweep bandwidth. This is an
important observation since it is says that resolution is not dependent on the frequency of the RF
signal itself, but rather only on the sweep bandwidth. There are methods of increasing the
resolution of the measurements by a factor of 10 to 100 using fitting algorithms. These find a peak
in the IF signal spectrum which is not at an integer frequency point defined by the sampling rate
and sweep bandwidth.
The range detection and FMCW radar principle may also be derived using a characterization of the
IF signal phase rather than the frequency. This is recommended in order to understand the
possibilities of a discrete system where the frequency sweep really is generated by a discrete set of
frequencies. This derivation also lends itself more directly to high resolution range measurements.
For the simplicity of understanding the measurement principle it is however unnecessary and is
thus included as an appendix.
Data subject to change without notice. Rev. A 2011 – 06 - 2011
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Box 1274 Fax: +46-8-751 92 71
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FMCW Radar Sensors
Applications
FMCW radars in the GHz spectrum provide excellent distance measurement performance in
applications where high accuracy, repeatability and reliability are needed. Because of the short
wavelength (12 mm for a 24 GHz signal), resolutions on the order of 2 cm can be achieved over
distances of 20-30 meters. This allows FMCW sensors to excel in applications such as tank level
gauging where high resolution non-contact measurements are needed.
FMCW sensors have been used in oil and LNG tankers and storage tanks to measure product
volumes, in commercial, military, and unmanned aircraft as altimeters, and in industrial
applications for the verification of product dimensions in automated systems.
Due to to the non-contact nature of the measurement system, and due to the nature of the
microwave, FMCW radar operating in the GHz range also exhibit excellent resistance to dust,
steam, heat, etc. This allows for use in conditions as demanding as those found in the blast furnace
of a steel mill.
Due to their ability to determine range over very short or fixed distances, FMCW based systems
have also been in transportation applications, including automotive collision avoidance radars and
marine radars. Other applications have included wall-penetrating radar for imaging and detection,
security sensors against intrusion, and human vital-sign detection and measurement. In summary,
radar sensors using FMCW principles perform extremely well in situations requiring non-contact
measurement of distance in harsh conditions.
Data subject to change without notice. Rev. A 2011 – 06 - 2011
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Box 1274 Fax: +46-8-751 92 71
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FMCW Radar Sensors
Competing technologies
Infrared
Advantages: Good at detecting orthogonal and tangential movement, with wide field of view and
low cost
Disadvantages: Poor at detecting radial movement, can have difficulty in diminished visibility
conditions such as rain or dust, can not be used to detect range, direction, or speed of objects.
Requires a high-quality transparent window for the sensor, making the system more difficult to
conceal. The sensor can also be affected by dirt or moisture on the window or in the atmosphere.
Ultrasound
Advantages: Relatively accurate at short ranges, triangulation possible, low cost
Disadvantages: Tends to have a very low range. Provides no velocity information. Requires a visible
sensor. Can be influenced by environmental factors such as noise, wind and temperature
Radar (pulsed)
Advantages: Proven technology with long history. Long detection ranges possible using high power
systems. Can be designed to deal with nearby reflectors and interference relatively easily.
Disadvantages: High peak power output and radiation. Has difficulty with measurements at short
ranges due to short signal travel time. More difficult to eliminate clutter. Can take time to “warm
up”.
Laser
Advantages: Highly directional. Quick start up and measurement. Excellent for range finding. More
difficult to detect or jam. Relatively low cost.
Disadvantages: Can be affected by atmospheric conditions including fog, rain and temperature.
Does not work well on all surfaces. Limited field of view can prevent detection of multiple targets.
Data subject to change without notice. Rev. A 2011 – 06 - 2011
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Sivers IMA AB Tel: +46-8-703 68 00
Box 1274 Fax: +46-8-751 92 71
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Sweden [Link]
FMCW Radar Sensors
Cameras/Video
Advantages: Highly flexible, can be programmed to recognize different objects, not just range and
velocity. Sensors can be low cost.
Disadvantages: Requires clear field of view, can be affected by shadows or bad weather, etc...
Requires complicated software and powerful hardware
Data subject to change without notice. Rev. A 2011 – 06 - 2011
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Sivers IMA AB Tel: +46-8-703 68 00
Box 1274 Fax: +46-8-751 92 71
SE-164 29 Kista e-mail: sales@[Link]
Sweden [Link]
FMCW Radar Sensors
Advantages and disadvantages of
FMCW radar
Advantages
High resolution distance measurement
Mm-wave FMCW radars can have very high resolution for ranging, velocity and imaging
application. A distance measurement resolution of 2 cm can be easily achieved over 20-30 meters.
Accuracy for non-moving targets is better than for moving targets, and requires less processing
power. Measurements of moving targets are of course possible, but requires more powerful
algorithms and hardware. Other technologies such as infrared or ultrasonics cannot detect range
or only over very limited distances.
Quick updating of measurement
Because FMCW mm-wave radars are continuously transmitting a signal, there is little delay in
measurement updates, as can be the case with pulsed systems. Additionally, solid state electronics
produce almost instantaneous start up times, as compared to pulsed systems often using
magnetrons. Systems based on lasers, ultrasonics, or infrared will have similar update speeds to
FMCW systems.
Functions well in many types of weather and atmospheric conditions
Due to the short wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation used, mm-wave systems have
excellent performance in rain, humidity, fog and dusty conditions. The short wave-length means
that raindrops, water vapor or dust particles do not block wave propagation easily. Heavy rain is
generally required before a reduction in range or resolution occurs. mm-wave systems will function
identically during day or night. FMCW radars are also immune to effects from temperature
differences, or high temperatures.
Data subject to change without notice. Rev. A 2011 – 06 - 2011
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Sivers IMA AB Tel: +46-8-703 68 00
Box 1274 Fax: +46-8-751 92 71
SE-164 29 Kista e-mail: sales@[Link]
Sweden [Link]
FMCW Radar Sensors
Better electrical and radiation safety
Sivers IMA modules are designed to be inherently safe, for use in an explosive atmosphere such as
an oil tanker or LNG storage facility. They are completely sealed and tested, so there is no risk of
sparking, resulting in fire or explosion.
Compared to pulsed radar systems, the peak emitted electromagnetic radiation is far lower in a
FMCW radar system. This is important in applications where people are close to the antenna, as
the peak emitted energy is far lower. This allows for more flexibility in selecting a mounting
location for the antenna. The lower peak power requirements also allow for lower power
consumption in the supporting electronics, resulting in lower costs and technology needs.
Infrared and video based systems are passive systems, and therefore do not emit a signal for
measurement purposes. Most laser based ranging systems use low power emitters, and are
considered eye-safe.
Good range compared to other non-radio technologies
Compared to systems operating in the visible or infrared light spectrum, or those using ultrasonic
waves, FMCW radar sensors have excellent measurement range due to superior signal
propagation.
Can be mounted invisibly (behind radome)
FMCW mm-wave radar systems can be mounted behind a wide variety of radio-transparent
materials including most plastics and fiberglass. This allows for use in applications where the
sensor must concealed for security, weather resistance or aesthetic reasons.
Can penetrate variety of materials
Mm-waves are capable of penetrating a variety of non-metallic materials. These can include wood,
concrete, various polymers and composites. This allows mm-wave based systems to be easily
concealed, or to be used for measurement or detection of concealed or covered targets. All other
non-microwave based systems require an exposed sensor or window to functions, and can not
penetrate a majority of materials.
Data subject to change without notice. Rev. A 2011 – 06 - 2011
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Sivers IMA AB Tel: +46-8-703 68 00
Box 1274 Fax: +46-8-751 92 71
SE-164 29 Kista e-mail: sales@[Link]
Sweden [Link]
FMCW Radar Sensors
Data subject to change without notice. Rev. A 2011 – 06 - 2011
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Sivers IMA AB Tel: +46-8-703 68 00
Box 1274 Fax: +46-8-751 92 71
SE-164 29 Kista e-mail: sales@[Link]
Sweden [Link]
FMCW Radar Sensors
Better at detecting tangential motion than Doppler based systems
Since FMCW based systems do not require movement towards or away from the antenna to detect
range, an 2D or 3D FMCW based system will be better at detecting tangential or orthogonal
movement compared to Doppler-pulse systems when used in a scanning capacity.
Infrared and video based systems are also excellent at detecting movement, but may not be able to
quantify the direction or magnitude of the movement.
Disadvantages
Reduced range compared to pulse radar
Due to the generally lower peak power output of FMCW radar systems, their long range
performance can be lower than compared to pulsed systems. Since the transmitted signal is not as
strong the received signal will be attenuated by atmospheric effects, interference, and distance.
FMCW radars are however competitive or superior to other competing technologies in range.
More expensive than competing technologies
Similar economies of scale have not been achieved in FMCW systems compared to pulsed and
Doppler radar systems, due to the maturity of the existing technologies in the marketplace. Sivers
IMA FMCW radar modules are however price competitive, and can be produced in large,
commodity-scale volumes. Additionally, the module uses a standard 3-wire interface for control
functions, allowing for easier integration, and less expensive R&D. Compared to infrared and
ultrasonic systems, FMCW systems will generally be far more expensive.
Susceptible to interference from other radio devices
Because they are continuously transmitting across a frequency band, FMCW systems may be more
susceptible to interference from other electronic systems. This is due to the larger range of
frequencies encountered and due to the lower “peak” power, resulting in the returned signal being
overwhelmed by other emissions. Pulsed systems can generally overcome interference by
increasing transmitted power or by switching frequencies. Distance measurement or detection
systems using infrared, video, or lasers are generally immune to interference, given their operating
principles.
Data subject to change without notice. Rev. A 2011 – 06 - 2011
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Sivers IMA AB Tel: +46-8-703 68 00
Box 1274 Fax: +46-8-751 92 71
SE-164 29 Kista e-mail: sales@[Link]
Sweden [Link]
