Recent advances in 94 GHz FMCW imaging radar development

High resolution imaging radars have come a long way since the early 90´s, starting with an FAA Synthetic Vision System program at 35/94 GHz. These systems were heavy and bulky, carried a price tag of about $500K, and were only suitable for larger aircrafts at very small quantity production. Size, weight, and power constraints make 94 GHz still a preferred choice for many situational awareness applications ranging from landing in poor visibility due to fog or brown-out, to cable warning & obstacle avoidance and sense and avoid for unmanned aerial systems. Using COTS components and highly integrated MMIC modules, a complete radar breadboard has been demonstrated in 9 months in one line replacement unit with a total weight of 20 lbs. The new generation of this 94 GHz FMCW imaging sensor will be on the order of 15 lbs or less including the entire radar signal processor. The size and weight achievements of this sensor open up the potential market for rotorcrafts and general aviation.