Radar refers to the ability to use radio waves to measure the distance, angle and relative speed of objects.
Radar applications at “unusual” frequencies in the industrial sector or for example at airports are subject to very different regulations – if they exist at all. CETECOM helps the pioneers from the development departments to get the devices approved by means of various analyses and exceptional procedures. The partly very special tests can be carried out directly in our in-house laboratories up to 325 GHz.
Radar is used in modern vehicle safety systems in combination with cameras, ultrasound and other sensors. The purpose is to obtain information about the surroundings of a vehicle. There are three main characteristics of automotive radar technology, which differ mainly in the distance of the measuring range:
With advances in autonomous driving, the number of radar sensors needed in a vehicle for redundancy and accuracy reasons is increasing, including blind spot radar sensors, stop-and-go functionality, automatic speed control and lane assistance systems. These applications use different frequency ranges:
| Frequency range | Use cases (examples) | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| 24,05 GHz – 24.25 GHz* | Distance warning | MRR |
| Blind-spot detection, lane change assistance, rear cross traffic alert, precrash rear, exit assistance | MRR | |
| 24,25 GHz – 26,65 GHz (UWB)** | Stop-and-Go system | SRR |
| Blind-spot detection, lane change assistance, rear cross traffic alert, precrash rear, exit assistance | SRR | |
| 76 GHz – 77 GHz | Adaptive cruise control | LRR |
| Front cross traffic alert | MRR | |
| Blind-spot detection, lane change assistance, rear cross traffic alert, precrash rear, exit assistance | MRR | |
| 77 GHz – 81 GHz | Not fully regulated yet. | |
For most countries, the regulation is divided into the two frequency bands 76-77 GHz and 77-81 GHz:
Exception: In 2017, the FCC has homogenized the frequency regulation for both bands and is therefore one step ahead of many countries.
A relatively recent trend is the use of very high frequencies, which are significantly higher than those used in cars. New industrial systems may require radars, some of which operate well above 100 GHz (e.g. for improved measurement of material properties during production, more precise detection of geometric shapes or in safety engineering). These frequency ranges have often been regarded as “useless” in the past – and that’s why in many countries there are not even regulations allowing or even regulating the use of these frequencies in detail.
In our accredited laboratories we offer test services for radar technologies. According to the mentioned specifications we test among others the following contents:
Our test reports are recognized worldwide and can be used for market approval in Europe, the USA, Canada and Japan. CETECOM’s service portfolio even exceeds the above mentioned country requirements: The test services in our ISO-17025 accredited laboratories include regulatory radar testing for a variety of international certification systems based on different test specifications and standards.
