Vehicle Radar Sensors

77 GHz · MMIC · 4D imaging

Radar measures distance and closing speed in any weather, and almost every new car has at least one. The radio chip inside comes from a handful of chipmakers; the module around it is where Chinese suppliers are gaining.

The radar signal chain: a PCB antenna array, a 77 GHz MMIC from NXP, Infineon, TI or China's Calterah, a radar processor in the MMIC or a separate SoC, the module from Bosch, Continental, Huawei or Desay SV, and the zonal or central computer. Below, virtual channel counts on a log scale: a conventional three-transmit, four-receive radar has 12; a 12-by-16 4D imaging radar has 192; Arbe's 48-by-48 chipset has 2,304. More channels give finer angle and elevation. RADAR SIGNAL CHAIN Antenna 77 GHz MMIC Processor Module Compute PCB array NXP, Infineon,TI, Calterah in the MMICor an SoC Bosch, Conti,Huawei, Desay zonal orcentral VIRTUAL CHANNELS (TRANSMIT x RECEIVE), LOG SCALE Conventional 3T4R12 4D imaging 12T16R192 Arbe 48T48R2,304 10 100 1,000 More channels give finer angle and elevation, closing the gap with lidar.
Band
76-81 GHz
MMIC leaders
NXP, Infineon, TI
Module leaders
Bosch, Continental
Companies tracked
19, 6 Chinese
Hub
Supply Chain

Finding

Radar is a mature, high-volume sensor whose value is shifting from the module to the chip and the software that turns more channels into an image

Every radar measures range and, through the Doppler shift, relative speed. What separates generations is angular resolution: a conventional forward radar with three transmitters and four receivers forms 12 virtual channels and cannot tell a stopped car from an overhead sign; a 4D imaging radar with 192 or more channels adds elevation and produces a sparse point cloud. Imaging radar is spreading on Chinese Level 2+ cars and robotaxi stacks as a cheaper complement or alternative to lidar.

The chip layer is concentrated. NXP, Infineon and Texas Instruments supply most 77 GHz transceivers (MMICs) on RF CMOS and silicon-germanium processes; Calterah has become the main domestic supplier for Chinese radars; Arbe (Israel) and Mobileye sell imaging radar chipsets. Module assembly is broader: Bosch, Continental (whose automotive business became Aumovio in 2025), Aptiv, Denso, ZF, Forvia Hella and Magna in the West and Japan, and Huawei, Desay SV, Hasco (SAIC), Freetech and Chuhang in China.

Conventional radars connect over CAN FD and send object lists; imaging radars stream point clouds over automotive Ethernet to central compute, where fusion software does the heavy lifting. Tesla removed radar from its cars in 2021-2022 and fitted an in-house high-definition radar only to some Model S and X. See Radar Systems for the technical view.

Types

Radar types

All automotive radars measure range and speed; the dimensions added are angle in azimuth and elevation.

Automotive radar types
TypeMeasuresTypical channelsUses
Short-range (corner)Range, speed, azimuthUp to 12Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic, lane change
Long-range forwardRange, speed, azimuth12-24Adaptive cruise, automatic emergency braking
4D imagingRange, speed, azimuth, elevation192 to more than 2,000Level 2+ and driverless perception, lidar alternative
In-cabin 60 GHzOccupant presence and breathingFewChild-presence detection, seat occupancy

Supply chain

Who supplies radar

Automotive radar supply chain
LayerUS, Europe, Japan, IsraelChina
MMIC transceiverNXP, Infineon, Texas Instruments, STMicroelectronicsCalterah
Imaging radar chipsetArbe, MobileyeCalterah, Huawei in-house
Radar module (Tier-1)Bosch, Continental (Aumovio), Aptiv, Denso, ZF, Forvia Hella, MagnaHuawei, Desay SV, Hasco, Freetech, Chuhang
Radome and antennaTier-1s in-house, Rogers (substrates)Domestic PCB and radome makers

Directory

Radar vendor directory

Module makers, then the radar chip suppliers. Active companies first, then merged, acquired, exited and bankrupt ones; each company appears once per product line.

Radar module makers
CompanyProductsHQPlantsTechnologyCustomersStatus
AptivFront and corner radarsIrelandMexico, China77 GHzGM, Stellantis and othersactive
AumovioARS540 4D imaging radar and corner radars; ex-ContinentalGermanyGermany, China, US77 GHz, 4D imagingBMW and other global automakersactive: Spun off from Continental, September 2025
BoschFront and corner radars, 77 GHzGermanyGermany, China, US77 GHz, imaging radarGlobal automakersactive
Chuhang TechnologyCorner and front radarsChinaChina77 GHzChinese automakersactive
DensoMillimeter-wave radarsJapanJapan77 GHzToyota, Lexusactive
Desay SVFront and corner radarsChinaChina77 GHzChinese automakersactive
Forvia Hella77 GHz corner radarsGermanyGermany, Romania, China77 GHzEuropean automakersactive
FreetechRadars and ADAS systemsChinaChina77 GHzChinese automakersactive
Hasco (Huayu)Front and corner radars; SAIC parts groupChinaChina77 GHzSAICactive
HL KlemoveFront and corner radarsSouth KoreaSouth Korea, China77 GHzHyundai, Kia and othersactive
Huawei4D imaging radarChinaChina77 GHz, 4D imagingAITO, Luxeed, Stelatoactive
Hyundai MobisFront and corner radarsSouth KoreaSouth Korea77 GHzHyundai, Kia, Genesisactive
Magna (ex-Veoneer)Front and corner radarsCanadaUS, Europe, China77 GHzGlobal automakersactive
ZFFull-range imaging radar and corner radarsGermanyGermany, China77 GHz, 4D imagingSAIC (R brand) and othersactive
Radar chip suppliers
CompanyProductsHQPlantsTechnologyCustomersStatus
Arbe4D imaging radar chipsetIsraelFoundry77 GHz, 2,304 virtual channelsMagna, HiRain and other Tier 1sactive
CalterahRadar SoCsChinaFoundry77 GHz RFCMOSChinese radar module makersactive: Leading Chinese radar chip supplier
InfineonRadar MMICsGermanyGermany77 GHz SiGe and RFCMOSRadar module makersactive
NXPRadar transceivers and processorsNetherlandsFoundry and own fabs77 GHz RFCMOSMost radar module makersactive: Largest automotive radar chip supplier
Texas InstrumentsAWR single-chip radar sensorsUSUS77 GHz RFCMOSRadar module makersactive

Sources

Sources and scope

Scope
Vehicle Radar Sensors
Sources
Supplier disclosures (NXP, Infineon, TI, Calterah, Arbe); ElectronsX analysis
Updated
October 2026