Evaluation of a fmcw radar as a teaching tool in the automotive and telecommunication engineering careers

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Pablo J. Mavares F. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7342-6262

Abstract

In recent decades, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) have evolved to be available in much of the vehicles manufactured today; it is very important to keep teaching in this area up-to-date. This paper presents a frequency modulated continuous wave radar that works in the 24 GHz ISM band. The purpose of this work is to evaluate its performance and suitability to be used as a didactic tool in teaching in the automotive and telecommunications engineering careers with an emphasis on the mathematics and telecommunications subjects, under scenarios feasible to be found in university labs. For this purpose, the measurement scenario is described, as well as the hardware, firmware and a generic algorithm implemented in MATLAB based on fast Fourier transforms to obtain Range-Doppler maps that allow, in conjunction with the CFAR algorithm, to improve detection of objects when compared to the detection from a fixed level. The results presented demonstrate that the accuracy and precision of the radar are within the parameters for a short-range radar for vehicles, also finding a tool with great didactic potential with which students can understand today´s applications of mathematics in the field of telecommunications, especially in radars that serve ADAS systems.