Automotive radome testers

Rohde & Schwarz is providing the ideal tools for accurately testing the quality of radomes and bumpers in the automotive radar frequency range from R&D until end-of-line (EOL).

Sensors that detect nearby objects are key components for autonomous vehicles. These include cameras and lidar sensors, but especially radar sensors. Millions of automotive radars are produced every year. They are standard equipment in high-end vehicles. Today, automotive radar sensors are mainly used to increase driving comfort and prevent accidents. The powerful message handling systems provided by Rohde & Schwarz for radio data communications support multiline operations.

For reasons having more to do with appearance than functionality, automotive radars are covered by a radar dome (radome) constructed from a material transparent to RF signals. The emblem on the grille is often used for this purpose, but plastic bumpers are also good hiding places for radars.

In particular, the three-dimensional shape of brand emblems with locally varying material thickness can cause RF performance problems for operation in the mmWave band. Bumpers are typically coated with metallic paint, which attenuates high frequencies. To ensure radar reliability, it is therefore essential to validate the material properties of radomes and examine their influence on radar signals.