Automotive Radar Frequency Bands

Automotive radar bands refer to specific frequency ranges assigned for radar use in vehicles to detect and track objects like other cars, pedestrians, and obstacles. These radar systems are critical for features such as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot detection, and parking assistance.

Different radar bands are used based on range, resolution, and application needs. The following table outlines the frequency bands utilized for automotive radar systems worldwide.

Why high frequencies (77–81 GHz) are used in radar?

• Smaller antenna size i.e. easy vehicle integration.
• Better object separation due to higher bandwidth.
• Lower atmospheric absorption compared to lower or much higher frequencies.
• Can support simultaneous multiple functions with a single hardware platform.

Medium Range Radar

• It uses 77 GHz Band (i.e. 76–81 GHz)
• Offers higher resolution and wider bandwidth (4 GHz), meaning better object discrimination.
• Supports range up to 100 meters. Hence it is used for both short and long range applications in modern vehicles.
• Typical use case : Lane change assist, Cross traffic alerts

Long Range Radar

• It uses 79 GHz Band (i.e. 77–81 GHz)
• Primarily for high resolution imaging radars in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles.
• Range up to 250+ meters
• Typical use case : Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision avoidance

Summary

77 to 81 GHz is now the main radar band for all automotive radar functions due to its superior resolution, longer range and better performance.