Highly integrated radar sensor for IoT applications and healthcare

Infineon Technologies AG now offers the new XENSIV 60GHz radar sensor BGT60UTR11AIP. With a compact size of just 16mm², it is the smallest 60GHz radar sensor with AIP on the market and is specially designed for integration into small devices. This makes the sensor excellent for vital sensing (heart and respiratory rate) and healthcare devices such as baby monitors and sleep trackers. It is also suited to consumer electronics such as laptops, TVs and cameras, and smart home and building devices such as air conditioners, thermostats and smart doorbells. The radar sensor can also be employed in industrial applications including robotics and tank level measurement.

The MMIC is based on the company's B11 SiGe BiCMOS technology, which ensures excellent RF performance. The chip offers an ultra-wide bandwidth of 5.6GHz and a ramp speed of 400MHz/µs. As a result, the sensor facilitates high-resolution FMCW operation with sensitive presence and motion detection at a range of up to 15m (50ft). In addition, the sensor allows precise distance measurement, 1D gesture and vital sign detection, all with sub-mm motion detection capabilities. The integrated antennas provide a ±60° field of view. Also, an integrated state machine provides real-time data acquisition without processor interaction. The MMIC also includes a 12-bit ADC with a sampling rate of up to 4MSPS.

The MMIC’s built-in broadcast mode permits multiple chips to be synchronised. It also includes on-chip sensors for measuring Tx output power and temperature. Also, the sensor provides ultra-low power operation enabled by hardware deep sleep mode. Its high integration level makes this MMIC ideal for optimising system costs.