Packaging and Miniaturization of a 2–18 GHz UWB Radar for Measurements of Snow and Ice: Initial Results

Abstract We report recent progress towards miniaturizing and packaging an ultra wideband (UWB) radar developed for measurements of ice and snow over the 2–18 GHz range. The initial objective of this work is the close integration of the radar's RF section (composed of a receiver and a low-power transmitter) while maintaining or enhancing its electrical performance. First, we describe a connectorized reference system developed to serve as a performance benchmark for transmit and receive signal chains. Next, we discuss the use of drop-in modules to achieve a significant size reduction of the RF front-end. These modules are based on packaged chips and arranged in a planar configuration. We present system-level performance metrics of the reference system justifying the need for further integration. We briefly discuss other potential applications of the miniaturized radar and the direction of future packaging efforts as we work toward our future goal of integrating the complete radar “from antenna to bits” by u...