Millimeterwave radar sensor for high accuracy position measurement in small machine tools

在SPP1476项目的第一期工程中，利用雷达原理实现了微机床的测位精度。在雷达传感器领域，以这种精度建立了记录。该项目的目标是开发一种雷达传感器，它可以在不同的应用中提供自组织集成。因此，向参与项目的合作伙伴提供实时、高精度、小型的雷达模块，这些模块可以很容易地集成到不同的测量设置中。项目合作伙伴获得了在其模块中测试雷达传感器的可能性，另一方面可以利用项目合作伙伴的经验来优化雷达传感器。在项目的后续过程中，系统地研究了雷达测量的局限性，改进了雷达测量的精度，提高了测量精度。从而改进了SiGe芯片上用于信号产生和接收机的高频雷达电路及其相位稳定。此外，芯片的封装、天线、信号处理算法和集成到机床中的能力也得到了改进。机床的小型化和雷达使用的高频率对高频工程提出了很高的要求。因此，本项目的目标是研究在机床中靠近刀具中心点进行测量的测量环境。考虑了两种基本的雷达测量方法，一种是在自由空间测量，这种测量方法总是受到金属环境的许多干扰多重反射的影响，另一种是在波导中进行制导测量。在这两种环境下，通过使用优化的天线和适当的雷达目标，将波的传播条件作为工作包的一部分，在不匹配和多次反射方面进行检查。由于雷达测量的分辨率和可实现的精度基本上受到频率、带宽和相位稳定性的限制，因此在三个工作包中，这三个限制因素通过芯片级的各种方法得到增强。目标频率超过100千兆赫，带宽为50千兆赫，超出了目前的技术水平。这也导致了对芯片封装和天线馈电的新要求，以及电介质透镜的聚焦。相关问题被视为另一个工作包的一部分。通过项目中开发的解决方案，必须假设实现的测量精度可以进一步提高到亚微米范围。

In the first project period of the SPP1476 project micrometer accuracy in range respectively position detection in micro machine tools was achieved using the radar principle. In the field of radar sensors with this accuracy a record is established. The goal of the proposed project is to develop a radar sensor, which provides ad-hoc integration in different applications. Therefore real-time, highly accurate, small radar-modules which can be easily integrated in different measurement settings are provided to participating project partners. The project partners obtain the possibility to test the radar sensor in their modules and on the other hand the experience of the project partners can be used to optimize the radar sensor.During the further course of the project, radar measurement are systematically investigated for their limits and improved for high-accuracy measurements and improved. Thus, the high-frequency radar circuits for signal generation and the receiver on SiGe chips, as well as their phase stabilization are improved. Additionally, the packaging of the chips, antennas, signal processing algorithms and the ability to integrate into machine tools are refined.The miniaturization of the machine tools and the high frequencies used for the radar result in high demands on the high frequency engineering. Thus a goal of this project is to investigate the measurement environment to carry out measurements close to the tool center point in a machine tool. Two basic radar approaches are considered, measurements in free space, which is always influenced by numerous disturbing multiple reflections of the metallic environment, and guided measurements in a waveguide. In both environments, the wave propagation conditions are examined as part of a work package in terms of mismatches and multiple reflections by using optimized antennas and appropriate radar targets.Since the resolution and thus the achievable accuracy of radar measurements is basically limited by the frequency, bandwidth and phase stability, these three limiting factors are enhanced by various approaches on chip level in three work packages. The aimed-at frequencies beyond 100 GHz with a bandwidth of 50 GHz are beyond the state of the art. This results also in new requirements for the packaging of the chips and the feeding of the antenna, as well as the focusing by a dielectric lens. The related problems are treated as part of another work package.Through the solutions developed within the project, it must be assumed that the achieved measurement accuracy can be further increased into the submicrometer range.