Integrated Transceivers Enable Small Form Factor Phased-Array Radar Platforms

Phased-array radar systems utilize many transmit and receive channels to function. Historically, these platforms were built using separate transmit and receive integrated circuits (ICs). These systems used separate chips for digital-to-analog converters (DACs) in the transmit (Tx) circuitry and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) in the receive (Rx) circuitry. This separation has led to many large footprint, high cost, high power consumption systems in order to realize the channel count necessary to achieve the desired function. These systems also generally require long time-to-market due to manufacturing and calibration complexities. However, a recent approach utilizing integrated transceivers combines many functions once considered disparate into single ICs. Using these ICs enables small form factor, lower power consumption and cost, high channel-count phased-array radar platforms with a quicker time-to-market.