Improved framework of FMCW signal processing based on the PS end of FPGA

Abstract

FMCW (frequency modulation continuous wave) radar can achieve range measurement without blind zones. Pulse compression is an indispensable processing technique for improving range resolution in radar systems. General processing procedures for pulse compression of the FMCW signal include data reading with software, fast Fourier transforming (FFT) in an embedded processor, and data saving in memory. However, it is hard to achieve real-time processing of FMCW signals. In this paper, a real-time pulse compression processing technology of FMCW signal based on field programmable gate array (FPGA) is proposed. First, the processing system (PS) in FPGA receives the data sent by the upper computer and transmits the data to the programmable logic (PL) through direct memory access (DMA) to realize data zero filling. Then a window function is added with the parallel pipeline method. Finally, the processing results are transmitted to the upper computer through a gigabit network based on the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) protocol on the PS end, and displayed in real-time. The experimental results prove that this method can achieve real-time processing of FMCW signals on FPGA.