Silicon, software, and proprietary radar system design advancements drive a significant leap in performance, achieving the industry’s lowest solution cost and smallest footprint.
Indie Semiconductor has announced a collaboration with GlobalFoundries to develop high-performance radar systems-on-chip (SoC). These SoCs, built on GF’s 22FDX platform, will support 77 GHz and 120 GHz radar applications for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and industrial applications. The adoption of automotive radar is increasing due to global safety regulations, new car assessment programs, and consumer demand for convenience features. Future vehicles are expected to include at least four radar sensors, with next-generation platforms doubling this number.
indie’s 77 GHz SoCs are designed for long-range detection and obstacle monitoring, enabling functions such as forward collision warning (FCW) and automatic emergency braking (AEB). They also support shorter-range applications like blind spot detection (BSD), cross-traffic alert, and automated parking. The 77 GHz radar solution is currently in the advanced design-in phase with a Tier 1 customer serving multiple automotive OEMs.
The 120 GHz solutions are aimed at in-cabin applications requiring high precision over short distances, including occupant monitoring and vital sign detection. The 120 GHz SoC supports antenna-in-package designs, allowing for compact systems without sacrificing performance or cost. Initial customer samples of the 120 GHz solution have been released. For both product lines, indie has addressed challenges related to hardware, software, and system integration to provide cost-effective, high-performance solutions for Tier 1 integrators and OEMs.
indie’s radar solutions integrate analog, digital, RF, power management, and memory functions, leveraging GF’s 22nm fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (SOI) process technology. GF’s 22FDX platform provides high performance and energy efficiency in a planar architecture optimized for automotive ADAS and wireless connectivity applications.
Michael Wittmann, chief operating officer at indie, emphasized the importance of this collaboration, stating that the partnership will help customers stay competitive in the automotive sector. Ed Kaste, senior vice president at GF, highlighted the joint effort’s role in delivering integrated silicon solutions that reduce system costs and power consumption while accelerating market adoption.
