SWRA825 January   2025 IWR6843 , LP87745-Q1

 

  1.   1
  2.   Abstract
  3.   Trademarks
  4. 1Introduction
    1. 1.1 Regulatory Needs for Electro-Sensitive Protective Equipment (ESPE)
    2. 1.2 Different Types of Electro-Sensitive Protective Equipment (ESPE)
  5. 2Advantages of Radar Sensors in Industrial Applications
  6. 3Safety Concept Evaluation/Analysis
    1. 3.1 System Requirements
      1. 3.1.1 Stationary Use Case
      2. 3.1.2 Mobile Use Case
    2. 3.2 Considerations for Sensing Architectures
      1. 3.2.1 System Level Architecture
        1. 3.2.1.1 Bi-Static With Spatial Diversity
        2. 3.2.1.2 Co-Located Bi-Static (Two Sensor Products)
        3. 3.2.1.3 Co-Located Bi-Static (Single Sensor Product, Dual IWR6843)
        4. 3.2.1.4 Mono-Static (Single Sensor Product, Single IWR6843)
        5. 3.2.1.5 Summary
      2. 3.2.2 Latent Fault Monitoring
    3. 3.3 Sensor Level Architecture
      1. 3.3.1 Sensor Level Architecture for CAT 2
      2. 3.3.2 Sensor Level Architecture for Cat 3
  7. 4IEC TS 61496-5 Functional Test Results
  8. 5Other Considerations
    1. 5.1 Vibrations
    2. 5.2 Clock
  9. 6Conclusion
  10. 7References

2 Advantages of Radar Sensors in Industrial Applications

Radar sensors offer several advantages over other types of ESPEs, making them ideal for both stationary and mobile industrial applications:

  • Environmental Robustness: Radar sensors can operate reliably in environments with dust, moisture, and extreme temperatures.
  • Material Penetration: Radar can detect objects behind non-metallic obstacles, such as plastic or wood, enhancing detection reliability.
  • Long Range and High Accuracy: Radar sensors are effective at detecting objects at various distances with high precision.
  • Resistance to Environmental Interference: Radar technology is less affected by environmental factors like sunlight, fog, or reflective surfaces, which can impair other sensor types.
  • Versatility: Radar sensors can be deployed in a wide range of applications, from guarding stationary machinery to ensuring the safe operation of mobile equipment like AGVs or AMRs. 3D and high sensitivity to motion allows restart prevention safety features.

These characteristics make radar safety sensors an attractive solution for industries seeking to enhance safety while maintaining operational efficiency.

The first three sensing technologies (AOPD, AOPDDR, and VBPD) rely on optical principles and, as such, are susceptible to environmental factors that can compromise their performance. These include:

  • Solar Glare: Intense sunlight can saturate sensors, reducing their effectiveness.
  • Welding Arcs: Bright, rapid flashes can confuse or temporarily blind optical systems.
  • Obscurants: Smoke, dust particles (for example, wood flakes, fabric fibers), and other airborne materials scatter or block light, impacting detection accuracy.

Any environmental condition that adversely affects one type of optical sensor impacts all optical-based technologies due to their reliance on light. In such situations, radar-based protective devices (RPD), as defined in IEC TS 61496-5, offer a reliable alternative. Radar systems operate independently of visual conditions, making them ideal for challenging environments where optical sensors may fail.

Beyond those aspects, generic to radar, TI mmWave radar sensor combine Frequency Modulate Continuous Wave modulation (FMCW) combined with Multiple Inputs Multiple Outputs (MIMO) antenna patterns offers a unique ability to sense presence in a volume. This combination allows radar sensors to not only detect when a human enters the danger zone but also if they remain present in the danger zone which other optical sensors may struggle to provide as a sensor output.