FFT PROCESSOR FOR FMCW RADAR APPLICATIONS.

The chosen frequency analyzer is based on the mathematical technique known as the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). This is a digital signal processing technique which in the past has required the use of several hundred MSI logic chips, resulting in a large processor. Since the use of FMCW radar techniques, particularly at millimetric frequencies, produces compact, low power radar systems the FFT processing needs to be compact and low power. The application of high speed, VLSI techniques to digital signal processing has increased the speed and reduced the size of such signal processing systems. For this application the Texas Instrument TMS 320 programmable single chip processor has been used to implement a single (Eurocard-sized) board FFT processor for a 94GHz FMCW radar.