Advancement of PMCW Radar and Its Board-Level Prototyping

This paper reviews recent advancements in phase-modulated continuous-wave (PMCW) radar design and implementation, along with the design and prototyping of PMCW radars on the board level for rapid testing and iteration. In the last five years, a plethora of PMCW radar simulation research has been conducted, which modern IC and board-level microwave component design has caught up to. Benchtop systems and embedded system-on-chip PMCW radars have been realized, allowing for progress toward high-accuracy radars that incorporate advanced digital signal processing techniques. With access to faster semiconductor technologies, embedded chip solutions, and improved printed circuit board (PCB) techniques, PMCW radars can be realized on a portable board-level system. This paper reviews the concepts surrounding PMCW radars, as well as recent simulation efforts and radar system realizations through PCB designs and integrated system-on-chips.