3 Description

The AWR2544 is a single-chip mmWave sensor composed of a FMCW transceiver. The device is capable of operation in the 76 to 81GHz (EHF) band, includes radar data processing elements, and a rich set of peripherals for in-vehicle networking. AWR2544 provides customers with an additional Launch on package (LOP) antenna feature which facilitates the attachment of antennas directly on to the package. The AWR2544 is built with TI’s low-power 45 nm RFCMOS process and enables unprecedented levels of integration in a small form factor and minimal BOM. The AWR2544 is designed for low-power, self-monitored, ultra-accurate radar systems in the automotive space.

TI’s low-power 45nm RFCMOS process enables a monolithic implementation of a 4 TX, 4 RX system with integrated PLL, VCO, mixer, and baseband ADC. The device includes a Radio Processor Subsystem (RSS), which is responsible for radar front-end configuration, control, and calibration. Within the Main Subsystem (MSS), the device implements a user-programmable Arm Cortex-R5F processor allowing for custom control and automotive interface applications. The hardware accelerator block (HWA 1.5) supplements the MSS by offloading common radar processing such as FFT, scaling, and compression. This saves MIPS on the external processor, opening up resources for custom applications and implementation of higher-level post-processing algorithms.

A Hardware Security Module (HSM) is also provisioned in the device (available for only secure part variants). The HSM consists of a programmable Arm Cortex-M4 core and the necessary infrastructure to provide a secure zone of operation within the device.

Simple programming model changes can enable a wide variety of sensor implementation (Short, Mid, Long) with the possibility of dynamic reconfiguration for implementing a multimode sensor.

TI has designed the AWR2544 specifically for satellite architecture. Satellite architecture adds value through a sensor fusion algorithm and the larger computing capability in the central ECU. Simplified satellite sensors and differentiation through software can help reduce system complexity and offer new ways of creating value.

Using satellite radars gives automakers the option to use over-the-air software updates to improve system performance and enhance security. These multiple benefits – performance, scalability and simplicity – all contribute the prominence of the satellite architecture in the automotive industry.

Additionally, the AWR2544 is provided as a complete platform including TI hardware and software reference designs, software drivers, sample configurations, API guides, and user documentation.