FFBV Algorithm Design for Soft Synchronization FMCW Radar

Abstract

Whether in military or civilian use, frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radars play a very important role, but common FMCW radars need to collect both radar echo signals and hardware synchronization signals during echo signal processing. Therefore, this article proposes a new synchronization algorithm, i.e., the four-threshold frequency band variance (FFBV) synchronization algorithm. Then, we combine theoretical derivation and experimental verification to analyze the performance of the FFBV synchronization algorithm. With assistance of the FFBV synchronization algorithm, the soft synchronization FMCW radar can achieve the same functions without hardware synchronization signals. First, we analyze the principle behind the FMCW radar based on intermittent ramp signals. Second, we analyze the design of the FFBV synchronization algorithm. In addition, we verify the performance of the algorithm when the received signal is corrupted by the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN). Then, we analyze the performance from two aspects, including the performance of the algorithm under different signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) conditions, as well as the performance comparison with other common synchronization algorithms. Finally, experimental results show that the FFBV synchronization algorithm has achieved good performance in solving the signal synchronization issue of the FMCW radar under the condition of low SNR. Especially, the SNR required by the FFBV synchronization algorithm is 2 and 6.5 dB lower than that required by the three-threshold synchronization algorithm and variance synchronization algorithm, respectively, under the same condition that the accuracy is 90%.