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Performance Analysis of Millimeter Wave Radar Waveforms for Integrated Sensing and Communication

Akanksha Sneh, Aakanksha Tewari, Shobha Sundar Ram, Sumit J Darak

TL;DR

This work analyzes millimeter-wave ISAC waveforms (PMCW, FMCW, and IEEE 802.11ad Golay-based schemes) for automotive sensing and communication by modeling signals, simulating range-Doppler localization for single-point and extended targets, and implementing RSP on a Zynq MPSoC using hardware-software co-design and fixed-point arithmetic. It finds FMCW has the strongest range sidelobes, PMCW is intermediate, and Doppler-resilient Golay achieves near-zero sidelobes under motion, with standard 802.11ad Golay performing well in static scenarios. Hardware experiments demonstrate substantial speedups (up to 10.6x) and resource/power savings with fixed-point design while preserving localization accuracy. Overall, the results support ISAC viability for automotive systems and provide guidance on waveform choice and hardware implementation.

Abstract

Next-generation intelligent transportation systems require both sensing and communication between road users. However, deploying separate radars and communication devices involves the allocation of individual frequency bands and hardware platforms. Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) offers a robust solution to the challenges of spectral congestion by utilizing a shared waveform, hardware, and spectrum for both localization of mobile users and communication. Various waveforms, including phase-modulated continuous waves (PMCW) and frequency-modulated continuous waves (FMCW), have been explored for target localization using traditional radar. On the other hand, new protocols such as the IEEE 802.11ad have been proposed to support wideband communication between vehicles. This paper compares both traditional radar and communication candidate waveforms for ISAC to detect single-point and extended targets. We show that the response of FMCW to mobile targets is poorer than that of PMCW. However, the IEEE 802.11ad radar outperforms PMCW radar and FMCW radar. Additionally, the radar signal processing algorithms are implemented on Zynq system-on-chip through hardware-software co-design and fixed-point analysis to evaluate their computational complexity in real-world implementations.

Performance Analysis of Millimeter Wave Radar Waveforms for Integrated Sensing and Communication

TL;DR

This work analyzes millimeter-wave ISAC waveforms (PMCW, FMCW, and IEEE 802.11ad Golay-based schemes) for automotive sensing and communication by modeling signals, simulating range-Doppler localization for single-point and extended targets, and implementing RSP on a Zynq MPSoC using hardware-software co-design and fixed-point arithmetic. It finds FMCW has the strongest range sidelobes, PMCW is intermediate, and Doppler-resilient Golay achieves near-zero sidelobes under motion, with standard 802.11ad Golay performing well in static scenarios. Hardware experiments demonstrate substantial speedups (up to 10.6x) and resource/power savings with fixed-point design while preserving localization accuracy. Overall, the results support ISAC viability for automotive systems and provide guidance on waveform choice and hardware implementation.

Abstract

Next-generation intelligent transportation systems require both sensing and communication between road users. However, deploying separate radars and communication devices involves the allocation of individual frequency bands and hardware platforms. Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) offers a robust solution to the challenges of spectral congestion by utilizing a shared waveform, hardware, and spectrum for both localization of mobile users and communication. Various waveforms, including phase-modulated continuous waves (PMCW) and frequency-modulated continuous waves (FMCW), have been explored for target localization using traditional radar. On the other hand, new protocols such as the IEEE 802.11ad have been proposed to support wideband communication between vehicles. This paper compares both traditional radar and communication candidate waveforms for ISAC to detect single-point and extended targets. We show that the response of FMCW to mobile targets is poorer than that of PMCW. However, the IEEE 802.11ad radar outperforms PMCW radar and FMCW radar. Additionally, the radar signal processing algorithms are implemented on Zynq system-on-chip through hardware-software co-design and fixed-point analysis to evaluate their computational complexity in real-world implementations.
Paper Structure (7 sections, 4 equations, 5 figures, 2 tables)

This paper contains 7 sections, 4 equations, 5 figures, 2 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Signal Model and Processing
  3. Simulation Setup
  4. Performance Analysis
  5. Simulation Performance Analysis
  6. Hardware-Software Co-design and Fixed Point Analysis
  7. Conclusion

Figures (5)

  • Figure 1: Electromagnetic model of (a) pedestrian and (b) mid-size car.
  • Figure 2: Localization of pedestrian in the range-Doppler plane for (a) PMCW, (b) FMCW, (c) standard 802.11ad Golay sequence, and (d) Doppler-resilient 802.11ad Golay sequence waveforms.
  • Figure 3: Localization of a mid-size car in the range-Doppler plane for (a) PMCW, (b) FMCW, (c) standard 802.11ad Golay sequence, and (d) Doppler-resilient 802.11ad Golay sequence waveforms.
  • Figure 4: Hardware setup with AMD Xilinx ZCU111 connected to institute network.
  • Figure 5: Matched filter outputs for (a) FMCW, (b) PMCW, (c) standard 802.11ad, Golay sequence and (d) Doppler-resilient 802.11ad radars Golay sequence waveforms.