Calterah Finds Its Answers Inside and Outside the Radar Package

Calterah, which commercialized the world’s first CMOS-based 77/79 GHz radar RF front-end, is redefining innovation at the package level through its AiP (Antenna-in-Package) and RoP (Radiator-on-Package) technologies. By integrating and radiating directly at the package level, the company is unlocking new possibilities for highly integrated mmWave radar SoCs. In the interview, CEO Jiashu Chen shared Calterah’s vision of bridging technology and reality under the philosophy that “innovation matters only when it’s practical.”

by Bun Jin Yun_bjyun@autoelectronics.co.kr
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Could you introduce Calterah, including its founding background and growth journey? Are there any ongoing discussions or plans to collaborate with Korean automakers or component suppliers? If so, which automotive application areas are you particularly targeting?
Chen            Founded in 2014, Calterah achieved a critical milestone in 2017 by mass-producing the world's first automotive-grade 77/79GHz radar RF front-end chip based on CMOS process - a breakthrough that positioned us as an innovator in the industry.
Our growth has been fueled by relentless innovation: from RF front-end chips to highly integrated SoCs, and later to our disruptive Antenna-in-Package (AiP) technology, which significantly lowers system cost and design complexity for customers. Guided by our commitment to "higher performance, easier to use, and lower power consumption," we have shipped over 20 million chips and established strategic partnerships worldwide.
In terms of engagement with Korean partners, we are actively exploring opportunities within the vibrant Korean automotive ecosystem. Our focus is aligned with areas of strong local expertise - particularly ADAS and in-cabin sensing - where our high-performance, cost-effective radar solutions offer clear value to Korean automakers and suppliers.
We see substantial potential for collaboration and regard the Korean market as a strategic priority in our global expansion.


In mass production environments, how does your AiP (Antenna-in-Package) technology create cost and performance advantages? What were the biggest design and process challenges you faced during the AiP packaging development, and how did you overcome them?
Chen            Our AiP technology delivers a fundamental advantage: it makes high-performance radar more accessible by lowering the system cost and simplifying the design process for our customers. By embedding the antenna directly into the package, we eliminate their need for expensive high-frequency PCBs and complex antenna design cycles, accelerating their time-to-market while ensuring superior production consistency.
On performance, AiP minimizes signal loss between the chip and antenna, directly boosting radar sensitivity. Our design, with a generous 16GHz bandwidth, provides significant performance headroom.
The development journey was challenging. Integrating SOC chip and several channels of antennas into a tiny, automotive-grade package required a pioneering co-design approach. We overcame this through rigorous architectural iteration by considering: thermal dissipation, electromagnetic performance and structure strength. It also takes over 6,000 hours of reliability testing to meet the stringent AEC-Q100 standard, ensuring robust performance over its lifetime.


Specifically, how has your RoP™ (Radiator-on-Package) technology improved radar performance and reliability? When AiP and RoP™ are applied, what design complexity, manufacturing cost, and mass-production stability challenges and opportunities arise?
Chen            Calterah's RoP™ (Radiator-on-Package) technology significantly enhances radar performance by drastically reducing feedline loss to below 0.1 dB/cm - far superior to conventional PCB solutions - which improves gain up to 6.4 dB and extends detection range for a typical corner radar. It also supports slimmer module designs and improves thermal management by enabling direct heat sink attachment.
 AiP with its simple and compact module design, is suitable for short-range and in-cabin applications, while RoP represents the future for high-performance radar applications. When applied together, they offer a suite of strong products that can cover the needs of future ADAS systems for smart cars. Meanwhile, our robust patent portfolio and co-design expertise ensure manufacturability and production stability, positioning us at the forefront in mmWave radar innovation.


Designing mmWave radar SoCs involves significant technical hurdles such as high-frequency signal quality, thermal management, power consumption, and high-speed data processing. How does Calterah address these challenges?
Chen            Designing mmWave radar SoCs indeed presents significant challenges, which we address through architectural innovation and system-level optimization.
For high-frequency signal integrity, our RoP™ packaging technology is crucial. By transmitting signals through a waveguide interface rather than PCB traces, we minimize dielectric loss and achieve industry-leading channel isolation.
Regarding thermal management, our chips are designed for high power efficiency from the ground up. The Alps-Pro, for instance, consumes only 1.8W in a 4T4R configuration. Combined with RoP™'s direct heat-sink attachment, this ensures reliable operation under high temperatures.
To handle high-speed data processing, we solve computational bottlenecks with dedicated hardware accelerators like our Radar Signal Processor (RSP). This application specific processor executes complex 4D imaging algorithms with significantly higher efficiency than generic DSPs or CPUs.
Our integrated approach across process technology, packaging, and architecture allows us to deliver robust, high-performance radar SoCs suitable for mass production.


What are the most compelling reasons customers choose Calterah’s solutions beyond simple factors like price or integration level? Could you share your future roadmap or plans for the evolution of AiP and RoP™ technologies or next-generation packaging solutions?
Chen            Beyond competitive pricing and integration, customers choose Calterah for comprehensive support, proven quality, and a clear vision.
Compelling Reasons:
Complete Solution and Support: Calterah provides extensive technical resources, including hardware/software reference designs, a complete SDK, professional antenna design support, and strong FAE support, significantly reducing customer development time.
Automotive-Grade Quality and Safety: The company has built a full-lifecycle management system compliant with ISO 26262 (ASIL-B), AEC-Q100, ISO/SAE 21434 (cybersecurity), and ASPICE, giving customers confidence in product reliability and safety.
Differentiated Technology Portfolio: Proprietary technologies like AiP and RoP® offer tangible performance and cost benefits that are difficult for competitors to replicate quickly.
Future Roadmap for Packaging: While specific next-generation packaging details are not publicly listed on the website, Calterah's track record shows a commitment to "disruptive and continuous innovation". The evolution from AiP to RoP® demonstrates a clear path toward higher integration and performance. Future plans likely involve further refining these technologies to enable even more compact, efficient, and powerful radar sensors for autonomous driving and beyond.








4D imaging radar and high-resolution FMCW technology are attracting attention. How do Calterah’s solutions deliver a differentiated experience in these areas?
Chen            Calterah's Andes series SoC chipset is engineered to deliver a differentiated experience in the high-performance 4D imaging radar market.
Advanced SoC Platform: The Andes chip is built on a 22nm process and features a multi-core CPU, a DSP core, and Calterah's self-developed Radar Signal Processor (RSP). This provides the immense computational power needed for real-time processing of high-resolution point clouds.
Superior Sensing Capabilities: When combined with RoP® and waveguide antenna technology, the Andes platform supports accurate 4D measurement, stable detection of weak targets, and rich point cloud detail. This is crucial for reliably identifying and tracking Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) like pedestrians and cyclists in complex urban environments.
System Flexibility for Imaging Radar: The chip includes a Chip-to-Chip (C2C) data exchange interface that allows for flexible cascading of multiple chips. This simplifies the design of high-channel-count imaging radars and supports distributed signal processing.


Which foundries do you collaborate with for mass production of AiP and RoP™, and what are your selection criteria? What are the practical benefits for OEMs or Tier-1 suppliers when adopting AiP and RoP™ technologies?
Chen            At Calterah, we partner with leading-tier foundries, packaging, and testing houses for mass production. Our selection is stringent, requiring partners to hold essential certifications like IATF 16949 and have proven experience in manufacturing automotive-grade chips. We actively manage these partnerships through rigorous performance monitoring and annual audits to ensure a stable and reliable supply chain that meets the high-quality standards our clients expect.
The practical benefits for OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers adopting our AiP (Antenna-in-Package) and RoP™ (Radiator-on-Package) technologies are substantial and directly impact their bottom line and product performance:
Reduced System Cost and Complexity: Our AiP technology integrates the antenna directly into the package, eliminating the need for clients to use expensive high-frequency PCB materials and undertake complex antenna design and testing processes. This significantly shortens development cycles and accelerates time-to-market.
Enhanced Radar Performance: The RoP™ technology dramatically improves performance by reducing feedline loss to less than 0.1dB/cm, improving channel isolation to more than 40dB and giving more freedom and flexibility on waveguide antenna design. . 
Superior Production Consistency and Quality: Integrating the antenna into the package ensures high manufacturing precision and consistency. This reduces performance variations and improves production yield compared to traditional PCB antenna processes, leading to more reliable end products.
By leveraging these integrated technologies, we empower our partners to deliver higher-performing, more reliable radar systems more efficiently and cost-effectively.


Are there collaboration cases with Chinese autonomous driving startups or big tech companies, and what significance do they hold for Calterah’s global expansion? The radar sensor market is highly competitive. what is Calterah’s differentiation strategy?
Chen            We actively collaborate with all major relevant Chinese automotive Tier-1s. These partnerships are a vital component of our global strategy. Engaging with innovative startups and tech giants in China, the world's most dynamic automotive market, provides us with invaluable real-world data and accelerates our product iteration. It serves as a powerful proving ground, demonstrating the robustness and competitiveness of our solutions on a global stage.
In a competitive landscape with established players, Calterah's differentiation is not merely about competing on specifications. Our strategy is built on a foundation of "disruptive innovation" focused on system-level value and absolute reliability.
First, we redefine value through highly integrated System-on-Chip (SoC). By integrating mm-wave radio, processor, memory and interfaces into a single CMOS chip, we significantly reduce the system cost and design complexity for our customers, enabling faster time-to-market for their radar applications. This is a fundamental shift from the traditional multiple compound semiconductor chip approach.
Second, we move beyond generic processing cores. We design radar-dedicated processors, like our Baseband Accelerator (BBA) and its successor, the Radar Signal Processor (RSP). These architectures are optimized specifically for radar algorithms, delivering superior performance and lower power consumption compared to traditional DSPs, which is critical for advanced processing on the edge .
Third, we underpin all our products with an uncompromising commitment to quality and reliability. Our recent achievement of becoming the first Chinese chip company to attain the TMMi 4-level certification is a testament to this. This rigorous international standard for test management, alongside our certified capabilities with ISO 26262, ISO 21434, ASPICE, and others, ensures that our chips meet the highest automotive-grade standards. This builds essential trust with global OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.
In summary, our strategy is to empower our partners with high-performance, cost-effective, and exceptionally reliable and safe chips that simplify their design process. We compete by innovating at the architecture level and building quality into every step of our process, solidifying our position as a trusted leader in the global radar chip market.


The Korean automotive industry has high technical requirements and values mass-production experience and supply chain stability with global OEMs. What strengths can Calterah offer in this regard?
Chen            The Korean automotive industry's high standards align well with Calterah's demonstrated strengths:
Proven Mass-Production Experience: With millions of chips shipped for over 300 car models, Calterah has a verified track record of delivering automotive grade chips to over 30 OEMs with low DPPM number.
Resilient Supply Chain: Dual supply chain (China and Out-of-China) to address different OEM customers needs as well as to improve the resilience towards natural and geopolitical risks.
Advanced and Differentiated Technology: RoP® and AiP technologies offer tangible performance benefits that can help Korean automakers create differentiated vehicles.


The importance of in-cabin automotive radar is increasing. Beyond basic passenger detection, what new possibilities do you see? Radar-camera sensor fusion is actively being discussed in the automotive industry. What is Calterah’s approach to multi-sensor fusion?
Chen            The in-cabin environment is transforming into a new frontier for safety and personalization. Beyond occupancy detection, we see radar enabling life-saving features like advanced driver drowsiness and distraction monitoring, robust child presence detection, and even vital sign monitoring for all occupants. This turns the cabin into an intelligent, caring space.
Regarding sensor fusion, we believe in a pragmatic, system-level approach. While radar provides unparalleled privacy and reliability in all lighting conditions, fusion with camera data unlocks richer contextual understanding. Calterah's strategy is to provide the foundational radar sensing and processing expertise, and to actively collaborate with tier-1s and OEMs who lead the fusion algorithm development. Our goal is to be the best-in-class radar partner within a broader, multi-sensor ecosystem.

AEM(오토모티브일렉트로닉스매거진)

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