Test and measurement expert Rohde & Schwarz has provided Acconeer, a specialist for pulsed coherent radar (PCR) and IoT, with an R&S FSW85 signal and spectrum analyzer. Acconeer will use it to develop A111, its low-power pulsed coherent radar sensor that operates in the 60 GHz unlicensed frequency band and is particularly suited to IoT applications.
The number of IoT applications and devices is rising, as is the use of sensor technology for consumer devices. To address these growing trends, Acconeer, based in Lund, Sweden, specializes in small radar solutions for consumer products.
Thanks to its small footprint, the Acconeer A111 PCR low-power radar sensor is particularly suited to battery powered IoT devices. The A111 can be used for many applications such as gesture control, material recognition, object and presence detection as well as level and speed measurements.
An excellent signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and high bandwidth are crucial for these applications. To maximize the SNR, Acconeer’s design engineers need to ensure that the shape of the radar pulse is optimized without violating the spectrum regulations for short range devices. The engineers use the state-of-the-art R&S FSW analyzer with the R&S FSW-B8 resolution bandwidth option to visualize the frequency spectrum.
The R&S FSW is used in the verification process to visualize the radar pulse in both the time and frequency domain because it is one of the few instruments on the market that can visualize the radar pulse frequency spectrum. Users can measure the spectral density, band power, root mean square (RMS) power and peak power. The R&S FSW can even perform challenging measurements such as 99% occupied bandwidth thanks to its excellent SNR.
Josefin Strahl, Head of Hardware Integration at Acconeer, says, “As a growing company focusing on technological innovation, we are pleased to be able to push the envelope with the help of the R&S FSW. With the resolution bandwidth option, the analyzer features very good SNR in the V band frequency range of the radar (57 GHz to 64 GHz), which is particularly useful for our products. Acconeer has substantial experience of using Rohde & Schwarz equipment, and we are happy to continue using the company’s top-level T&M solutions.”
