TIDEP-01012: from antenna patterns to the data capture card questions regarding TIDEP-01012

Hi Mostafa, 

1/      Do you have antenna patterns for the board? (element-wise patterns as well as the phased array pattern of Tx?) 

We do. These graphs are published as part of the MMWCAS-RF-EVM user guide here in section 2.6 "Antennas": http://www.ti.com/lit/ug/swru553/swru553.pdf#page=22. See the MMWCAS-RF-EVM tools page here: http://www.ti.com/tool/MMWCAS-RF-EVM

2/      Is it possible to use DCA1000 boards instead of TIDEP-01017 as capture cards? The reasons for using those are two folds: we have been working with them and we are pretty familiar with all aspects of the boards, and it might be challenging and time-consuming to use TIDEP-01017 for quick prototyping since, as far as I understood, they require RTS programming. Therefore, for a simple range/Doppler FFT operations we might get into hard coding of the RTS processors on TIDEP-01017. 

The MMWCAS-DSP-EVM host solution is the only one supported by TI for the MMWCAS-RF-EVM. However, that solution does not require TDA2x RTOS/Linux programming to be used as a data capture solution. The latest mmWave Studio release (2.1 as of now) supports the MMWCAS-RF-EVM and the MMWCAS-DSP-EVM in a manner very similar to the DCA1000. See here, http://www.ti.com/tool/MMWAVE-STUDIO , and http://software-dl.ti.com/ra-processors/esd/MMWAVE-STUDIO/latest/exports/mmwave_studio_cascade_user_guide.pdf. Out of the box, we include a MIMO and Beamforming setup and data capture script to quickly configure the cascaded AWR devices. 

Also, designers can implementing their own interposer board to interface the MMWCAS-RF-EVM to any host processor solution, including the DCA1000. The full schematics and layout for both the MMWCAS-RF-EVM and the MMWCAS-DSP-EVM should provide all necessary information for this type of design. Please let us know if you need any more information to complete such a design. 

3/       In "Design Guide: TIDEP-01012" document, the reported maximum detectable ranges are 150 and 350 m for MIMO and TXBF modes, respectively. Why did not you try to achieve a higher range? The chirp configuration should not be limiting for the maximum detectable range while SNR is a limiting factor. Though are the reported maximum ranges are based on the measured SNRs or they are just typical values?

The TI campus only provides easily accessible/experimentally controllable, line of sight ranges of about 350-400m maximum, so most of our testing is within that constraint. Yes, maximum ranges were based on a general 20dB SNR threshold against automotive targets. Smaller RCS targets will of course have lower detectable ranges. In limited test track testing, where we had some more room, our systems team has measured TX-Beamforming scenarios showing good SNR up to 400+ meters against automotive targets. Link budget suggests the system could do more, but it has not been tested at longer ranges. 

Please let me know if that answers all of your questions on these topics. 

Thank you,

-Randy