Battery-powered IoTinternet of thingsThis term describes connected devices and systems that exchange data over networks. devices need room-level awareness without keeping their full sensing and processing chain active all the time. The article examines how 60 GHz frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar can fill that role by providing continuous occupancy and motion detection while waking downstream hardware only when an event matters.
As an implementation example, Infineon’s XENSIV BGT60CUTR13AIP combines a radar MMICmonolithic microwave integrated circuit, antenna structures, internal low-dropout regulators, an oscillator, and control logic in an antenna-in-package device. The sensor operates from 57 to 64 GHz with 7 GHz FMCW bandwidth and a detection range of roughly 0.025 m to 20 m, covering both close interaction sensing and room-scale monitoring.
The package integrates one transmit antenna and three receive antennas in an L-shaped array for azimuth and elevation sensing, with a field of view of up to 150 degrees in both directions. According to the source, moving the antennas and support circuitry into the package reduces external RF1. radio frequencyHigh-frequency electromagnetic oscillations used, for example, to excite plasmas.2. resonance frequencyQuantity describing a signal’s frequency, bandwidth, spectral behavior or transmission rate. structures, board-level tuning, and component count, which helps limit standby current and improves design repeatability in compact products.
On-chip processing is another part of the power-saving approach. The radar’s hardware accelerator handles 2D FFTfast Fourier transformEfficient algorithm for computing the discrete Fourier transform of signals.s, filtering, CFAR processing, angle-of-arrival estimation, and MTI-based motion detection, so the host MCU1. microprocessor control unit2. mobile calibration unit3. microcontrollerA microcontroller is a compact integrated circuit designed to execute embedded control tasks in electronic systems. does not need to process the radar stream continuously. When relevant activity is detected, an interrupt can wake the host for application logic, wireless communication, display control, or camera activation.
The article also contrasts 60 GHz radar with PIR, camera-based sensing, and ultrasonic approaches. Radar does not depend on thermal contrast, visible light, or acoustic propagation, and it can still detect micro-motion such as breathing or posture shifts after larger body motion stops. For the BGT60CUTR13AIP, the source cites sensing modes below 1 mW and deep-sleep operation around 0.1 mW, supporting always-available presence sensing with reduced average current.