This section provides an overview for millimeter wave radars as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 8 millimeter wave radar manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked millimeter wave radar companies as of November, 2024: 1.D3, 2.Mistral Solutions Pvt. Ltd., 3.Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation.
Table of Contents
Millimeter wave radar is a radar that uses millimeter wave (wavelength: 1 mm to 10 mm/frequency: 30 GHz to 300 GHz) radio waves to detect the distance, location information, and relative speed of an object.
In general, sensors that detect distance include LiDAR, ultrasonic waves, and stereo cameras, in addition to millimeter wave radar. The advantage of millimeter wave radar is that it can detect distances of 150 meters or more. It is not affected by sunlight, rain or fog, etc. The disadvantage is that it is difficult to detect objects with low radio wave reflectivity, such as cardboard and Styrofoam.
Millimeter wave radar is used in automobiles, industrial machinery, and drones. In particular, it is often used in automobiles as a safety device.
ADAS (advanced driver-assistance system) is a safety device that is currently widely used in automobiles. 76GHz millimeter wave radar is used for adaptive cruise control and collision mitigation braking to detect the road ahead. The ADAS functions, such as adaptive cruise control and collision mitigation braking, use 76 GHz millimeter wave radar to detect the road ahead. For higher resolution and improved accuracy, the 79 GHz band will be shifted to the future.
In addition, blind spot monitors use the 24 GHz band. Millimeter wave radar will be used even more as automated vehicles are developed in earnest.
The main components of millimeter wave radar are a synthesizer that processes the transmitted radio waves, a Tx antenna that transmits the radio waves, an Rx antenna that receives the reflected radio waves, and a CPU that processes the received signals.
The principle of millimeter wave radar is that the Tx antenna transmits radio waves processed by the synthesizer from the radar, the Rx antenna receives the reflected radio waves from the object, and the CPU processes the signals to measure distance and other parameters.
There are two main methods of measuring distance and velocity: pulse and FMCW. Angle is mainly measured by the electronic scan method.
The distance is calculated from the time it takes for the reflected radio wave to return from the object.
This method transmits radio waves of varying frequency over time and calculates the distance from the beat frequency (frequency difference) generated by interference between the transmitted signal and the signal reflected from the object.
This method uses multiple Rx antennas and detects the phase difference between each antenna. The angle of the object to be measured can be calculated from the phase difference.
Millimeter wave radar can detect obstacles and objects in the vicinity with high accuracy because it diffuses short wavelengths into the surrounding area. It has a high resolution and can detect the shape of an object and how it has moved (or changed) to the nearest 0.1 mm.
It also has an advantage over infrared lasers and ultrasonic lasers in terms of the distance over which objects can be detected. While infrared lasers and ultrasonic lasers can detect objects at a distance of about 20 meters and ultrasonic lasers can detect objects at a distance of about 1 meter, millimeter wave radar can detect objects at a distance of 150 meters.
Millimeter wave radar can maintain high accuracy even in adverse environments. While infrared and ultrasonic lasers show variations in accuracy due to changes in ambient temperature and other factors, millimeter wave radar is a radio wave sensor, which is highly linear and stable in detecting objects, regardless of the environment.
In the future, when automated driving becomes widespread, millimeter wave radar will be used more frequently in high-density environments, and there is a concern about radio interference between radars.
Radio interference could interfere with target detection by millimeter wave radar and lead to false positives, which could result in serious traffic accidents. In order for millimeter wave radar to achieve high range resolution, it must use the entire 3-4 GHz frequency range allocated to radar for each vehicle. It is essential to develop technologies to avoid this.
As mentioned earlier, millimeter wave radar can easily and stably range an object even in adverse environments, but there are some objects that it is not good at detecting.
On the other hand, some objects are difficult to detect. These are relatively small objects and objects with low reflectivity to radio waves, such as cardboard boxes. In terms of distance to objects, millimeter-wave radar is good at detecting objects at long distances, but it is also poor at detecting objects at short distances.
Until now, LiDAR (light detection and ranging), with its superior recognition resolution, has played a leading role as a sensor required for automated driving, but innovations in radar technology are enabling it to draw recognition resolution close to that of LiDAR. The keywords driving this technology are advances in semiconductor microfabrication technology, frequency bandwidth expansion, and antenna technology such as beamforming.
Advances in Semiconductor Microfabrication Technology
Advances in CMOS miniaturization technology not only enable the use of smaller and less expensive millimeter-wave signal processing ICs. Digital beamforming technology, which uses the ultimate analog technology of high-frequency circuits in the millimeter wave band and digital technology to achieve highly efficient beam forming, is currently being actively developed by a variety of companies and research institutes.
Expansion of Frequency Bandwidth
The most important factor is to secure the recent 5 GHz bandwidth from 76 GHz to 81 GHz. The increase in frequency bandwidth will directly contribute to the expansion of the radar range. In the near future, it is said that a continuous 12.5 GHz bandwidth between 136 GHz and 148.5 GHz in the D-band will be available for radar, making millimeter wave radar technology increasingly important.
Evolution of Antenna Technology
Advances in antenna technology, particularly array antenna technology, and ultra-compact, low-loss array antenna integrated module technology, are important. This will enable millimeter wave radar to achieve higher power and efficiency.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Sort by Features
Sort by Area
D3 Engineering is a provider of embedded system design and product development services, established in 1999 and headquartered in Rochester, New York, USA. The company specializes in developing custom hardware and software solutions for a wide range of industries, including industrial, automotive, medical, and aerospace. D3 Engineering manufactures multiple products including Boards and Cards, Camera Modules, ECUs, Radar Sensors and, Cables and Accessories. The company serves various solutions including Autonomous Machines, Sensors, Imaging and Optics, Edge Computing and Algorithms, and Robotics and Electrification.
Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation, founded in 1980, is a Japanese manufacturer headquartered in Chiyoda City, Tokyo, specializing in sensing devices and integrated circuit (IC) products. The company’s product offerings include magnetic sensors, current and gas sensors, audio devices, and specialty devices. These products have diverse applications, such as in personal electronics, where AKM provides compact and low-consumption features for sound and magnetic sensing. They offer CO2 sensors and transceiver IC for millimeter-wave radar with high spatial recognition for smart homes. Additionally, AKM provides rotation angle sensors in industrial equipment like robots and motors to achieve accuracy and off-axis alignment simultaneously.
Mistral Solutions Pvt. Ltd., founded in 1997 and headquartered in Bangalore, India, is a manufacturer of embedded products. The company specializes in developing a broad range of technology solutions, including embedded systems, digital signal processors (DSPs), software development tools, and hardware systems. It holds ISO 9001:2015 certification, and its offerings enable clients to benefit from advanced technology, faster time-to-market, and cost-effective solutions. It serves diverse application industries, such as aerospace and defense, automotive, industrial automation, healthcare, and telecommunications.
NOVELIC, established in 2013 and headquartered in Belgrade, Serbia, is a manufacturer of mmWave radar sensor solutions with expertise in design and testing. The company offers a diverse range of products, including advanced radar sensors, embedded system components, FPGA/ASIC solutions, digital signal processors, ICs, and antenna/RF design services. It maintains optimal quality standards, with ISO 9001 certification for the accuracy and performance of the products. Its products and expertise enable benefits such as precise data collection, enhanced security, and customized solutions for clients in industries like automotive, smart cities, industrial automation, and environmental monitoring.
Dalian IFLABEL Technology Co., Ltd., established in 2010 and headquartered in Dalian, China, is a manufacturer of millimeter-wave radar sensors and IoT radar sensor equipment. The company's product portfolio includes various advanced radar sensors designed for precise distance and motion detection. It maintains optima quality standards and has achieved ISO 9001 certification for the stability and performance of its radar sensors. These radar sensor solutions offer benefits such as accurate data collection, enhanced security, and improved automation, making them suitable for applications across industries like automotive, smart cities, industrial automation, and environmental monitoring.
Texas Instruments Incorporated was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Texas Instruments is a producer of high tech equipment for industrial, automotive, personal electronics, communications equipment industries. Texas Instruments designs, manufactures, and sells semiconductors to electronics designers and manufacturers in the United States and internationally. Texas Instruments operates in two segments: analog and embedded processing. The Analog segment offers power products, including battery-management solutions, DC/DC switching regulators, power switches, linear regulators, voltage references, and lighting products. The Embedded Processing segment offers microcontrollers that are used in fields such as electronic equipment and digital signal processors for mathematical computations.
McNika, founded in 1972 and headquartered in Shin-Yokohama, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, is a manufacturer and supplier of electronic components, specializing in semiconductors and integrated circuits. The company offers a wide range of product portfolios including, integrated circuits such as PLDs, and ASICs, analog ICs, electronic devices, network-related software, and hardware. These cutting-edge components cater to diverse industries and applications including consumer electronics for memory and control functions, communication systems for optimizing performance and power efficiency, automotive for safety and navigation systems, and medical devices such as MRI, pacemakers, and glucose monitors.
Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | D3 |
24.0%
|
2 | Mistral Solutions Pvt. Ltd. |
13.8%
|
3 | Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation |
13.5%
|
4 | NOVELIC |
12.7%
|
5 | DALIAN IFLABEL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. |
12.0%
|
6 | Georg Fischer GF Signet |
9.8%
|
7 | McNika |
8.4%
|
8 | Texas Instruments |
5.5%
|
9 | MediaTek Inc. |
0.4%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the millimeter wave radar page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
---|---|---|
United States of America | 1 | 16.7% |
Japan | 1 | 16.7% |
India | 1 | 16.7% |
Serbia | 1 | 16.7% |
China | 1 | 16.7% |
Canada | 1 | 16.7% |
9 products are listed.
Heartland Data
30+ people viewing
A general -purpose module that can measure anything, such as a large number of people detection, vital monitoring, and the speed and distance of th...
Heartland Data
30+ people viewing
Vital sensor module specialized for the people lying on the bed Feature ・ Vital sensor specializing in beds. -The millimeter wave radar achieves ...
McNika
30+ people viewing
By using the unique signal processing technology of MMIC (monolithic micro -waved IC) and Estakaya Electronics Industrial Co., Ltd. in the 24GHz ba...