Spectral shaping circuit

• US 20040027136A1
• Filed: 09/16/2002
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spirent Communications PLC (Spirent Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Spirent Communications PLC (Spirent Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Golo, Dragan
• Granted Patent: US 6,734,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/539
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/46 Monitoring; Testing

Abstract

A testing circuit for use in an inductive coupling system to test communication devices is disclosed. The testing circuit comprises at least an output transformer having a frequency response for providing a signal having electrical properties compatible with a communication device to be tested; and, a spectral shaping circuit having an input port for receiving a test signal and an output port for providing a shaped test signal, the shaped test signal for being provided via the at least an output transformer to a device under test, the spectral shaping circuit for partitioning the test signal in dependence upon pre-determined spectral ranges thereof and relating to a frequency response of at least an output transformer for shaping the frequency characteristics of the received signal in approximately inverse proportion to the frequency response of the at least an output transformer.

Claims

1. A testing circuit for use in an inductive coupling system to test communication devices, comprising:

at least an output transformer having a frequency response for providing a signal having electrical properties compatible with a communication device to be tested; and

,

a spectral shaping circuit having an input port for receiving a test signal and an output port for providing a shaped test signal, the shaped test signal for being provided via the at least an output transformer to a device under test, the spectral shaping circuit for partitioning the test signal in dependence upon spectral ranges thereof and relating to a frequency response of at least an output transformer for shaping the frequency characteristics of the received signal in approximately inverse proportion to the frequency response of the at least an output transformer.

2. A testing circuit according to claim 1, wherein the spectral ranges are predetermined.

3. A testing circuit for use in an inductive coupling system to test communication devices according to claim 1, wherein the spectral shaping circuit includes a first spectral portion discrimination circuit coupled with a first amplifier for amplifying the first spectral portion and a second spectral portion discrimination circuit and a summing circuit for combining each of the first and second portions.

4. A testing circuit for use in an inductive coupling system to test communication devices according to claim 3, wherein the spectral shaping circuit a second amplifier coupled with the second spectral portion discrimination circuit for amplifying the second spectral portion.

5. A testing circuit for use in an inductive coupling system to test communication devices according to claim 4, wherein the first spectral portion corresponds to a low frequency band signal and wherein the second spectral portion corresponds to a high frequency band signal.

6. A testing circuit for use in an inductive coupling system to test communication devices according to claim 5, wherein cutoff frequencies for the first and second spectral portion are approximately equal.

7. A testing circuit for use in an inductive coupling system to test communication devices according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the first spectral portion discrimination circuit and the second spectral portion discrimination circuit is adjustable.

8. A testing circuit for use in an inductive coupling system to test communication devices according to claim 7, wherein the first amplifier for amplifying the first spectral portion and the second amplifier for amplifying the second spectral portion are tunable.

9. A testing circuit for use in an inductive coupling system to test communication devices according to claim 3, wherein the first amplifier is tunable.

10. A testing circuit for use in an inductive coupling system to test communication devices according to claim 4, wherein the first amplifier and the second amplifier are tunable.

11. A testing circuit for use in an inductive coupling system to test communication devices according to claim 3, wherein the spectral shaping circuit comprises a third spectral portion discrimination circuit coupled with a third amplifier for amplifying the third spectral portion.

12. A testing circuit for use in an inductive coupling system to test communication devices according to claim 11, wherein the third spectral portion discrimination circuit is adjustable.

13. A testing circuit for use in an inductive coupling system to test communication devices according to claim 11, wherein the third amplifier for amplifying the third spectral portion has an adjustable gain.

14. A testing circuit for use in an inductive coupling system to test communication devices according to claim 11, wherein the summing circuit includes a port for receiving the third portion and wherein in use the third portion is combined along with each of the first and second portions in the summing circuit.

15. A testing circuit for use in an inductive coupling system to test communication devices according to claim 14, wherein the first, second and third spectral portions are approximately non-overlapping in frequency domain.

16. A method of manufacturing a testing apparatus comprising the steps of:

providing a test signal to an input port of a spectral shaping circuit for providing a shaped test signal at an output port thereof;

providing the shaped test signal to a transformer;

transforming the shaped test signal;

measuring the transformed shaped test signal to provide measured results;

comparing the measured results against a known desired result to provide comparison results; and

in dependence upon the comparison result tuning the spectral shaping circuit until the comparison result is within predetermined tolerances.