  An innovative millimeter-wave (mm-wave) microstrip edge-fed antenna (EFA) for
77 GHz automotive radars is proposed. The radiator contour is modeled with a
sinusoidal spline-shaped (SS) profile characterized by a reduced number of
geometrical descriptors, but still able to guarantee a high flexibility in the
modeling for fulfilling challenging user-defined requirements. The SS-EFA
descriptors are effectively and efficiently optimized with a customized
implementation of the System-by-Design (SbD) paradigm. The synthesized EFA
layout, integrated within a linear arrangement of identical replicas to account
for the integration into the real radar system, exhibits suitable impedance
matching, isolation, polarization purity, and stability of the beam
shaping/pointing within the target band [76:78][GHz]. The experimental
assessment, carried out with a Compact Antenna Test Range (CATR) system on a
printed circuit board (PCB)-manufactured prototype, assess the reliability of
the outcomes from the full-wave (FW) simulations as well as the suitability of
the synthesized SS-EFA for automotive radars.
