M/A-COM introduces 24 GHz radar sensors for military and automotive applications

LOWELL, Mass., 20 Oct. 2006. M/A-COM in Lowell, Mass., is offering a new generation of 24 GHz ultra wide band (UWB) radar sensors for military autonomous vehicles, leader/follower sensing, and driver-assistance automotive applications.

M/A-COM's 24 GHz short-range radar sensor is a highly-integrated smart sensor to improve safety and driver comfort functions in military and automotive applications by providing object detection and tracking, company officials say.

The radar sensors, designed to operate in harsh weather and environmental conditions, also are for vehicle parking assistance, aircraft and vehicle pre-crash sensing, vehicle blind spot detection, and vehicle obstacle detection.

Rear-mounted sensors, with a range of 1.8-meters, can detect small objects in front of large objects and measure direction of arrival. The sensors also scan out up to 30 meters to provide an advanced warning of an imminent collision to arm airbag, pre-tension seat restraints or other injury mitigation strategies

Short-range sensors detect objects in critical zones and warn the operator, and the devices have an operating range of as far as 30 meters to help warn of unseen objects.

M/A-COM developed the sensors using UWB technology, enabling the system to measure objects that are located within centimeters of the sensor. In comparison with narrow-band sensors, short-range sensors can detect and distinguish between objects as close as 15 centimeters from each other.

For more information contact M/A-COM online at www.macom.com.