New automotive radar sensor enables reliable in-cabin monitoring system

With spring, temperatures are rising again to reach highs in summer. But rising temperatures also mean that it quickly becomes up to 70° C inside parked vehicles, which is a danger for animals and children left behind in the car.

Equipped with the XENSIV 60 GHz automotive radar sensor (BGT60ATR24C) from Infineon Technologies, in-cabin monitoring systems (ICMS) detect micro-movements, as well as vital signs of left-behind infants and animals and sound the alarm.

In addition, the compact and cost-effective chipset addresses applications such as front-end radar for gesture sensing, high-resolution frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radars for distance measurement, short-range sensing operations, as well as hidden sensing applications in the radome.

The BGT60ATR24C enables 4 GHz ultra-wide bandwidth FMCW operation in a small package. Configuration of the sensors and data collection are done with a digital interface. The integrated state machine enables independent data acquisition with power mode optimization for lowest power consumption. The size- and space-optimized solution has two transmit channels (TX), as well as four receive channels (RX) and offers excellent thermal management.

Furthermore, the radar sensor enables additional functions such as seat belt reminder, resulting in a cost-effective solution that further improves passenger safety in the car. The sensor is qualified for automotive applications according to AEC-Q100/101.