Highly Accurate and Robust

Automotive Radar System Design

Markus Kopp
Lead Application Specialist
ANSYS Inc.

Introduction
This presentation is an overview of a proposed design
methodology for automotive radar systems.
This presentation is meant to illustrate the
advantages of simulation, as well as what can be
reasonably simulated using state of the art
electromagnetic field solvers.
This presentation will concentrate on how to address
some of the challenges faced when designing radar
systems at, the very high, 77 GHz frequency.
All results shown in this presentation were created
using ANSYS HFSS RF.

HFSS RF

Mechanical CAD (MCAD)

Layout (ECAD)
Both interfacesElectrical
are included
within the
new unified desktop environment

HFSS RF
HFSS RF using the new unified design environment also allows

RF and wave frequency domain circuit design

Analysis types

Linear
Harmonic Balance
Transient
Loadpull
Envelope
PXF Analyses
Oscillator
TV Noise
Phase Noise

PlanarEM Simulations

Creating an Antenna Array

Single Antenna Element Design

Initial Design
Initial Design is implemented
in HFSS for Layout interface
Initial Designs are
synthesized using built in
calculators

Transmission Line
(TRL) Tool

Antenna Estimator
Tool
Both tools use stackup
definition provided by
engineer

Initial Antenna Design

Initial Design is created in layout
Then solved using a planar MoM
solver
For simple structures MoM
solver is extremely fast

Initial Planar EM Results (MoM)

After some tweaking excellent
S11 results are obtained
However, Mom solver prefer 2D
infinitely thin conductors
At 77 GHz the finite thickness of
the metal may change
performance

3D thick Metal Results

Re-simulating same antenna with
0.017 mm (half ounce) thick
metal produces different S11
results
HFSS 3D clearly shows that more
tweaking is needed
Fine tuning will be done in
HFSS-3D using adjoint derivatives

Rapid Antenna Tuning using Adjoint Derivatives

Functionality (only available in HFSS 3D)
Extremely efficient method used for

tuning, sensitivity studies, and

optimization
Computes the derivatives of SYZ
parameters with respect to project
and design variables
Eliminates need to solve multiple
variations with small differences and
numerical noise
Allows real-time tuning of reports to
explore effects of small design changes

Final Antenna Element Performance

Creating an Antenna Array

Antenna Array Design

Creating an Antenna Array

Creating an array once the unit antenna has been design
is a straight forward process
Antenna elements are arranged in a specific pattern,
and then a net resultant antenna performance can be
calculated
This final antenna performance metric can be obtained
using an antenna factor calculation or using an infinite
array approximation or a finite sized antenna array can
be simulated.
Both the Antenna Factor calculation or the infinite array
calculation are likely to produce erroneous results with
regard to side lobes and back lobes
A finite array calculation will provide the best results
Simulating a finite array can be time consuming
especially when the exact array spacing is still being
determined

Finite Array Domain Decomposition (FA-DDM)

Utilizes Replicated DDM Unit Cell to Address Array

Concerns
Geometry and Mesh copied directly from Unit Cell Model
Unit Cell geometry expanded to finite array through a simple GUI
Adaptive Meshing Process imported from Unit Cell Simulation
Dramatically reduces the meshing time associated with finite array
analyses.
Mesh periodicity reinforces arrays periodicity.

Finite Array Calculation using FA-DDM

Efficient solution for repeating geometries (array) with domain

decomposition technique (DDM)

Direct solver with 12 cores

5:05:14
60.8 GB RAM

Patterns from 8X8 Array

Finite Array DDM with 12 cores

00:44:53
1.8 GB

Unit Cell Model for FA-DDM

Unit cell model uses the
HFSS Linked Boundaries
Master and slaves
boundaries are applied
on opposite faces
With and depth of unit
cell determines antenna
array element spacing
Optimal array spacing
(its not lambda) can be
determined efficiently
and quickly

Slave

Master

Finite Array Capability

Initial Array was modeled using
FA-DDM
Array spacing was optimized
using FA-DDM
Final 1 x 10 Array shows good
performance

Explicit 1 X 10 Array Solution

Final 1 X 10 Array was also
explicitly simulated in HFSS 3D

Comparison of Explicit and FA-DDM Results

Results between explicit
HFSS 3D simulation and
FA-DDM show excellent
agreement
FA-DDM has clear time
advantage however and
lends itself to rapid
tuning of element
spacing

Creating an Antenna Array

Power Divider Design

Initial Divider Design

Initial Design was again created in
HSS Layout and analyzed using
MoM solver for efficiency reasons
However, similarly to antenna,
finite thickness of metal makes a
difference so Power divider was
tuned in similar manner

Final 10 way Power Divider Design

Final 10 way Power divider was designed
To have the following power distribution
0.0625, 0.125, 0.25,0.5, 1,1,0.5, 0.25,0.125, 0.0625

Final 10 way Power Divider Design

Creating a Transmit/Receive Module

Designing a 77 GHz Automotive Radar
Module

Effect of Feed Network on Antenna Pattern

The feed network will effect the antenna array performance.
Simulating our array with attached feed network can show how
detrimental the feed network is to our overall array performance
No Feed

With Feed

Radar Tx/RX Module

Final Module consisted
of
1X 10 Transmit Array
1 X 10 Receive Array
Matching feed networks
for TX and RX sides
Radome of 1mm
thickness
Duroid er=9.8, 5 mil thick
substrate

Antenna Pattern for full TX/RX Module

Effect of Radome on Array Performance

Radome housing reduces back lobes but also flattens and widens main lobe
Radome and antenna spacings can be optimized to reduce this effect

Final Module Design

These optimized results are inclusive of plastic Radome, finite ground planes, feed network and
TX/RX antenna structures

Full System Simulation

Placing an Antenna Module inside a Car

Modeling an Antenna Array in its Deployment

Environment
Placing an Antenna Module in its deployment
environment can be a very large and time consuming
simulation.
Using advanced modeling techniques and hybrid
solvers can make these very large and time
consuming simulations be manageable and efficient.
Creating a hybrid FEM-MoM approach to solving very
large simulations can be highly efficient and yield
highly accurate results.

TX/RX Module in Deployment Environment

Car Hood
(Perfect Electric Conductor)

TXRX Module

TXRX Module
Car Bumper
(Plastic)

At 77 GHz this simulation is

extremely large!
Conventional simulation
methods are not efficient.

Using a Hybrid Finite

Element
Method of Moments
Approach can be used
to solve this model in
an efficient and
accurate manner

Hybrid Finite Element-Integral Equation Method

Conformal radiation

Integral
Integral Equation Based Method
Finite Element Based Method volume with
Equations
HFSS-IE
HFSS
Efficient solution technique for
Efficient handle complex material
open radiation and scattering
and geometries
Surface only mesh and current
Volume based mesh and field
solution
solutions
Airbox required to
model free space
radiation

Airbox not needed

to model free space
radiation

This Finite Element-Boundary Integral hybrid method leverages the advantages

Elements
vs.accurate
Integral and
Equations
of both methods toFinite
achieve
the most
robust solution for radiating
and scattering problems

Finite Element-Boundary Integral = FEBI

True solution to the open boundary condition
Surface currents directly computed by IE
solver
Very accurate far fields
No minimum distance from radiator
Advantage over ABC
Reflection-free boundary condition
Ability to absorb incident fields is not
dependent on the incident angle
Arbitrary shaped boundary
Outward facing normal's can intersect
Can contain separated volumes
FE-BI does come with a computational cost
Ability to create air box with smaller
volume than ABC or PML can significantly
offset this cost
Air volumes that much smaller than
ABC/PML boundaries will be solvable in
less RAM with FEBI

FEBI

with waveguide
Friis Transmission
Compare
Two rectangular
radiators contained in two separately spaced finite
element and IE boundary domains
Parametrically sweep separation and compare to theoretical Friis formula for
free space transmission
Pr/PI = [(1- |S11 |2)2 G2]/[16(d/)2]
S11, ~0.3 and G ~4.5 computed from single radiator analysis

Transmit Antenna Location Investigation

Proposed TX
Antenna Location
(Entire module
not shown for
clarity)

High Location
LowLocation

Using The FEBI method it

is possible to investigate
placement of Module
within a deployment
platform (Car, Truck, etc.)
Effect of various plastic
and metal obstructions
can be evaluated
Optimal Transmit
antenna location can be
determined

Transmit Antenna Location Investigation

Low Antenna Pattern

High Antenna Pattern

Transmit Antenna Location Investigation

Low Antenna Pattern

High Antenna Pattern

Obstructions at a Distance
FEBI also allows engineers to
place large or infinitely large
obstructions at considerable
distance from Antenna array.
This can then be used to
determine antenna
performance in presence of
obstruction or in a full system
simulation where EM field
solvers are combined with
driving circuitry.
This combined EM/circuit
TX Array
simulation is possible in HFSS
RF but beyond the scope of
todays presentation.
Large or infinite Metal Obstruction

Obstructions at a Distance
No Obstruction

Large Obstruction at 5 m Distance

Obstructions at a Distance
No Obstruction

Large Obstruction at 5 m Distance

Final Thoughts
Electromagnetic simulation can aid in the design of
advanced radar modules helping to reduce time to
market, design variability and manufacturing issues
Advanced methods such as FEBI can be used to
integrate Radar Modules into their deployment
environment aiding design teams to ensure that
Radar modules perform according to specifications
Any questions?