SWRA705 August   2021 AWR1243 , AWR1443 , AWR1642 , AWR1843 , AWR1843AOP , AWR2243 , AWR2944 , AWR6443 , AWR6843 , AWR6843AOP , AWRL1432 , AWRL6432 , IWR1443 , IWR1642 , IWR1843 , IWR2243 , IWR6243 , IWR6443 , IWR6843 , IWR6843AOP , IWRL6432

 

  1.   Trademarks
  2. 1 Introduction and Challenges
  3. 2 Radome Design Elements
    1. 2.1 Understanding Dielectric Constant and Loss tangent on Radome and Antenna Design
    2. 2.2 Impedance Mismatch at Radome Boundaries
    3. 2.3 Radome Wall Thickness
    4. 2.4 Antenna to Radome Distance
  4. 3 Typical Radome Material Examples
  5. 4 Radome Angle Dependent Error
    1. 4.1 Rectangular Radome Angle Dependent Error
    2. 4.2 Spherical Radome Angle Dependent Error
    3. 4.3 Effect of the Angle Error in the Application
  6. 5 Radome Design and Simulations
  7. 6 Radome Lab Experiments
    1. 6.1 Radome Experiment – 1: Flat Plastic Radome
    2. 6.2 PTFE Material Rectangular Radome
    3. 6.3 PTFE-Based Curved Radome
  8. 7 Additional Considerations
    1. 7.1 Antenna Calibration
    2. 7.2 Radome Near Proximity Considerations
  9. 8 Summary
  10. 9 Acknowledgments
  11. 10References

8 Summary

The objective of an efficient radome design is to reduce the reflections at its surface for transmission and reception of the signal, with minimum loss and beam distortion. For a general-purpose enclosure that covers the radiating side of the sensor, the material should have a uniform thickness and must also have a good surface smoothness.

Material with lower Dk and Df (dielectric constant and loss tangent) are recommended. Typical materials used in radomes are Polycarbonate, Teflon (PTFE), and Polystyrene. Paint, especially metallic-based, used to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the radome, may further degrade the performance of the antenna. Hence, care needs to be taken while adding paint onto the top surface of radome. Radome and antenna simulations should be performed to determine if there is any degradation in the radiation pattern.

Thin-wall designs have been found to be suitable for use at low microwave frequencies where the wave length of the electromagnetic energy is relatively large. But the resulting walls have had insufficient structural integrity for many microwave applications. A thicker wall design which provides adequate strength and rigidity allows transmission of electromagnetic energy within a relatively narrow bandwidth to which the radome is tuned, however, electrical performance can quickly degrade at frequencies above and below the tuned wall thickness.

TI has partnered with companies to offer a wide range of solutions using TI mmWave radar sensors and related services. These companies can accelerate your path to production using mmWave radar. Within this partner network, you will find companies with capabilities of designing both radomes and lens's. To quickly browse our third-party solutions and find the right third-party to meet your needs, use this search tool https://www.ti.com/tool/MMWAVE-3P-SEARCH.