FPGA-based radar signal processing for automotive driver assistance system

International audienceSafety and comfort applications are addressed using Driver Assistance (DA) systems like Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system using Long Range Radar (LRR) or Short Range Radar (SRR) or both. Novel waveforms and functionalities applied to next generation DA multi-sensor systems and their corresponding complex algorithms require advanced digital hardware supporting high computation rate and severe real-time constraints. In this paper, we present a flexible FPGA-based architecture for digital control and signal processing of a DA system. The considered DA system makes use of a new particular waveform to enhance capabilities of old generation ACC radar. Hardware/software partitioning has been explored in order to match the real-time requirement of the system. Development steps, from algorithm specification to on-board demonstration, are detailed. Promising results in terms of resources use and execution time are shown using a prototyping board with a single Virtex-II Pro device

An FPGA-based 77 GHzs RADAR signal processing system for automotive collision avoidance

An FPGA implementable Verilog HDL based signal processing algorithm has been developed to detect the range and velocity of target vehicles using a MEMS based 77 GHz LFMCW long range automotive radar. The algorithm generates a tuning voltage to control a GaAs based VCO to produce a triangular chirp signal, controls the operation of MEMS components, and finally processes the IF signal to determine the range and veolicty of the detected targets. The Verilog HDL code has been developed targeting the Xilinx Virtex-5 SX50T FPGA. The developed algorithm enables the MEMS radar to detect 24 targets in an optimum timespan of 6.42 ms in the range of 0.4 to 200 m with a range resolution of 0.19 m and a maximum range error 0.25 m. A maximum relative velocity of ±300 km/h can be determined with a velocity resolution in HDL of 0.95 m/s and a maximum velocity error of 0.83 m/s with a sweep duration of 1 ms