The device, which measures 7.5 x 7.5mm, allows systems to be integrated ‘invisibly’ practically anywhere in a car. This is highlighted as an advantage for engineers looking to design in increasing numbers of sensors. With a power consumption said to be 40% less than conventional radar ICs, the device is believed to have applications in emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, cross traffic alert and automated parking.
Torsten Lehmann, NXP’s senior vice president for infotainment and driver assistance, claimed: “Building the world’s smallest fully integrated 77GHz chip will pave the way for self-driving cars and drive increased ADAS adoption in the volume market.”
Working prototypes of the RF CMOS IC are now with NXP’s lead customers and are being field tested by engineers working on Google’s self driving cars.
