Employing six-port technology for phase-measurement-based calibration of automotive radar

Radar technology is today a key feature for the automotive industry and is becoming of greater importance among most car-producers. Its applications range from cruise control, to pre-crash and parking aid systems. Radar units are already being mounted on several automobiles. Such systems employ high-tech devices and state of the art technology, optimized for robustness and reliability. Specific techniques have been developed to build and install radar devices on board of the vehicles. In particular, precise calibration techniques are being used to set the devices and adjust them so to meet the wanted operation requirements. Radar devices used for adaptive cruise control, installed in front of the vehicle to scan the road ahead in the driving path need a particularly fine adjustment to be as reliable as required by the automotive security standards. Calibration issues in nowadays trimming techniques are causing major problems in the employment of such radar systems. In particular, misalignment of the radar cruise control sensor in respect to the driving axis of the vehicle is leading to false interpretations and reading errors. In this paper, a new, innovative and precise calibration technique is proposed to solve the current calibration problems, focusing on a special microwave measurement technique for enhanced accuracy and reliability.