AWR2243BOOST: Using Acrylic Cover for AWR2243BOOST – Signal Impact and Design Best Practices?

Tool/software:

Hello everyone,

I’m working with an AWR2243BOOST board. Due to application requirements, I need to enclose two radar boards together. However, as I was designing the enclosure, I became uncertain about whether the area in front of the transmit and receive antennas should be left open (i.e. “hollowed out”).

Recently, I was pleasantly surprised to see in a video that someone used a transparent acrylic cover in front of the radar, without leaving the antenna area open. I’d like to ask:

• Will this approach significantly affect the radar’s signal transmission and reception performance?

• If using acrylic in front of the antennas, how critical is the material thickness, and are there any guidelines for selecting the right thickness?

I’ve attached an early draft of my enclosure design. In my drawing:

• The gray base is made of PBT material.

• The transparent cover is made of acrylic.

Apart from the issue of thickness, is there anything else you’d recommend improving in this design?

Thanks a lot for any advice!