Texas Instruments (TI) is bringing an unprecedented degree of precision and intelligence to a range of applications spanning the automotive, factory and building automation, and medical markets. TI’s new millimeter wave (mmWave) single-chip complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) portfolio includes five solutions across two families of 76- to 81-GHz sensors with a complete end-to-end development platform. Available for sampling today, the AWR1x and IWR1x sensor portfolio delivers up to three times more accurate sensing than current mmWave solutions on the market. The combination of sophisticated analog design techniques paired with digital signal processing enables designers to implement intelligent and contactless sensing in their systems.
Key features and benefits of the mmWave sensor portfolio
• Highly integrated: Designers can select the best processing power for their needs with a fully integrated CMOS single-chip harnessing a best-in-class digital signal processor (DSP) and microcontroller (MCU) or a single-chip with just an MCU or DSP. Each chip delivers smart, highly accurate stand-alone sensing with less than a 4-centimeter range resolution, range accuracy down to less than 50 micrometers and range up to 300 meters.
• Comprehensive family: A broad portfolio of five devices allows developers to select the right solution for their design needs, all while reducing power consumption and board space by 50 percent.
• Most intelligent: TI’s mmWave 76- to 81-GHz single-chip sensor portfolio can dynamically adapt to changing conditions, bring multi modal functionality to avoid false positives and deliver ranges of sensing to multiple applications.
• Environmental flexibility: IWR1x and AWR1x mmWave sensors can sense accurately through plastic, dry wall, clothing, glass and many other materials, and through environmental conditions such as lighting, rain, dust, fog or frost.
• Develop today: TI’s new mmWave software development kit (SDK) includes sample algorithms and software libraries which simplify RF designs through less than 20 simple application programming interfaces (APIs). By leveraging TI’s mmWave SDK platform engineers can start developing their applications in less than 30 minutes.
Groundbreaking precision designed for automotive radar
Traditionally, developers have encountered obstacles while creating Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International Level 2 and above functionality in vehicles, with sensor size and power a particular hindrance. TI’s AWR1x mmWave portfolio allows developers to meet these requirements through built-in quality standards, unprecedented precision in a small form factor and low-power envelope, all while enabling a low-cost implementation. Designers can not only enhance advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving safety features— including ISO 26262 which enables Automotive safety integrity level (ASIL)-B— but also deliver new features such as automated parking assistance, pedestrian detection, and occupancy and driver monitoring.
Bringing robust mmWave sensing to Industrial applications
Servicing the need for improved efficiency in factory, building automation systems and smart infrastructure, developers are now able to leverage TI’s intelligent and robust portfolio of mmWave sensors. In addition, this sensing technology can be used to transform existing capabilities in growing areas such as medical equipment, tank-level sensing, robotic vision and drones. TI’s IWR1x mmWave contactless sensors can be used in environments without interference from lighting, rain, dust, fog or frost, making them uniquely robust indoors or outdoors. By determining the range, velocity and angle of objects around the equipment, the sensors can adapt to dynamic scenarios instantaneously.
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