Feature: Sensors


Figure 2: ASICs enable drop-in replacement at board level


environments characterised by clutter, platform motion and rapidly changing target conditions. Beam steering updates must be applied with minimal delay, and phase coherence maintained across channels. By reducing device boundaries and consolidating timing-critical functions, ASIC integration can make reliable behaviour more manageable to engineer, verify and replicate at scale.


Design considerations for radar systems Radar systems operate in electrically noisy environments where high-power RF and dense digital processing contribute to interference. In multi-device architectures, each high-speed interface introduces potential emission and coupling paths, so managing EMI becomes a system-level task. ASIC integration reduces interface


count and consolidates clock domains, simplifying synchronisation and reducing coupling paths. Isolation can be addressed at the silicon level, reducing integration complexity. Built-in self-test, loopback modes and digital observability can reduce production test time and support long-term field diagnostics for large arrays. In addition, radar systems are constrained


by size, weight and power, particularly in airborne platforms. Distributed


26 June 2026 www.electronicsworld.co.uk


architectures introduce inefficiencies through interconnect and duplicated functionality. Power is consumed in moving data as well as processing it, and multiple devices create localised hotspots. ASIC integration reduces interconnect losses, improves efficiency and produces more predictable thermal behaviour, simplifying cooling designs. Some systems, like defence, also


require high reliability under demanding conditions. Typical requirements may include failure-rate targets at maximum temperature, electrostatic discharge tolerance under the human body model, and continued operation under specified mechanical shock conditions. In multi- component systems, each additional device contributes to overall failure probability, while interfaces introduce further points of vulnerability. Integrating functionality into an ASIC


reduces component count and allows environmental performance to be addressed in a coordinated manner. Packaging, thermal behaviour and protection structures can be designed as part of a single device, simplifying qualification.


Integration into existing systems Many radar programmes involve upgrading or sustaining existing platforms rather


than complete redesign. Component obsolescence is a common problem that defence manufacturers face as radar systems may be in operation for much longer than standard electronics are available. With lifetimes measured in decades, technology choice, packaging strategy and long-term supply planning shape ASIC architecture from the outset. ASICs can be used to recreate legacy functionality while maintaining existing interfaces, enabling drop-in replacement at board level; see Figure 2. Integration typically occurs at defined boundaries such as the gate-driver stage, where multiple discrete functions can be consolidated without affecting the wider architecture. Tis approach prioritises architectural stability and avoids cascading redesign effort across the system. Delivering phased-array radar ICs


requires coordinated RF, analogue, digital, verification, packaging and production test expertise, alongside long-term supply management. Specialist IC design partners can provide established mixed-signal design flows, reusable IP and production test capability to reduce development risk and support long-term sustainment.


Modern radar system design Modern radar performance is constrained less by algorithmic capability than by hardware architecture. Signals must be generated, controlled and preserved across increasingly complex systems. Te gate-driver stage represents a


critical boundary where digital control directly determines RF behaviour. ASIC- based implementations provide a means of managing switching, EMI and thermal trade-offs consistently across many channels, whilst maintaining predictable timing and control at scale. As radar systems continue to evolve,


performance is increasingly defined by how effectively signals are controlled and preserved across the signal chain. Te push toward radar on a chip reflects the practical need to maintain coherence, timing accuracy and manufacturability as systems scale. At scale, that difference becomes decisive, determining whether radar performance is preserved in service rather than only on paper.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44