mmWave Radar Signal Processor (DAL-B)
A deterministic FPGA-based radar processing unit designed for EU defense avionics, achieving sub-microsecond latency with full DO-254 DAL-B certification.
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Platform | Xilinx Artix-7 / Zynq-7000 (Automotive Grade) |
| Latency | < 1 µs (Glass-to-Glass) |
| Certification | DO-254 DAL-B (Hardware), DO-178C DAL-B (Software) |
| Interfaces | PCIe Gen3 x4, 10GbE, JESD204B |
| Power | 12W TDP (Max Load) |
| Operating Temp | -55°C to +125°C (Mil-Spec) |
| Security | Bitstream Encryption, Secure Boot, Anti-Tamper Mesh |
The Challenge
Modern defense avionics require radar systems that can detect, track, and classify threats in real-time with zero margin for error. Traditional DSPs (Digital Signal Processors) introduce unacceptable latency jitter. The client needed a deterministic, hardware-accelerated solution that could handle 40 Gbps of raw IQ data while meeting strict SWaP-C (Size, Weight, Power, and Cost) constraints.
Our Solution
We architected a custom System-on-Chip (SoC) solution on the Xilinx Zynq platform, offloading the entire signal processing chain to the FPGA fabric:
- Hardware FFT Acceleration: Custom pipelined FFT engines process 4096-point transforms in < 500ns.
- CFAR Detection: Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) algorithms implemented in VHDL for adaptive thresholding.
- Beamforming: Digital beamforming matrix operations parallelized across 500+ DSP slices.
Regulatory Sovereignty
Designed entirely within the EU, this project ensures 100% Hardware Sovereignty:
- No ITAR restrictions: Fully exportable under EU Dual-Use Regulation (2021/821).
- Source Code Ownership: Client retains full ownership of VHDL source code.
- European Supply Chain: BOM scrubbed for non-EU dependencies where critical.