Method of using SNR to reduce factory test time

• US 20060194552A1
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Mallalieu, Jennifer, Harding, Ronald Bruce, Jiao, Qingzhong, Jin, Xin
• Granted Patent: US 7,542,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/226.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/21 for calibration; for correcting measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/29 Performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/336 Signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR]

Abstract

The application relates to wireless networks and more particularly to a method of reducing factory test time of receiver sensitivity in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) wireless device. Under TIA/EIA/-98E, the radio frequency (RF) sensitivity of a CDMA wireless receiver is the minimum received power, measured at the mobile station antenna connector, at which the frame error rate (FER) does not exceed 0.5% with 95% confidence. In order to reduce the test time of FER test method, the relation between correlated energy (or Ec/Io) and FER is determined using simulated traffic and the correlated energy (or Ec/Io) measurement is then used as the test parameter on like models to achieve the same or superior test confidence with significantly reduced test time.

Claims

1. A method of testing receiver sensitivity in a radio frequency (RF) device comprising:

(a) selecting a new test quantity to replace a known receiver sensitivity test parameter;

(b) determining the relationship between said known receiver sensitivity test parameter and said new test quantity;

(c) determining a new test criteria based on said new test quantity in accordance with a defined standard; and

(d) conducting a receiver sensitivity test using said new test quantity and said new test criteria.

wherein said new test quantity has a predetermined and monotonic relationship with said known receiver sensitivity test parameter,

and wherein said new test quantity is read from a baseband processor associated with said RF device,

and wherein said step of determining a new test criteria comprises;

(i) obtaining a plurality of said known receiver sensitivity test parameter measurements and corresponding values of said new test quantity at each of a plurality of received signal strengths;

(ii) calculating at each of said plurality of received signal strength levels an average value of said plurality of said known receiver sensitivity test parameter measurements;

(iii) plotting the averages of N-sample groups of said corresponding values of said new test quantity versus said calculated average values of said plurality of said known receiver sensitivity test parameter measurements and determining targeted confidence level probability points from said plot,

(iv) interpolating between said targeted confidence level probability points for different ones of said plurality of received signal strength levels; and

(v) determining a pass/fail threshold for said new test quantity which corresponds to a pass/fail criteria associated with said defined test standard.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said new test quantity is taken from the group comprising signal to noise ratio, signal to interference ratio, energy per chip to interference density ratio (Ec/Io), energy per bit to interference density ratio (Eh/Io), energy per symbol to interference density ratio (Es/Io), energy per chip to noise density ratio (Ec/No), energy per bit to noise density ration (Eb/No), energy per symbol to noise density ratio (Es/No), carrier power to noise density ratio (C/No), correlated energy, correlated amplitude, symbol error rate and bit error rate.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said known receiver sensitivity test parameter is taken from the group comprising frame error rate (FER) and packet error rate (PER).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of conducting comprises:

(a) waiting a defined settling time;

(b) obtaining N samples of said new test quantity;

(c) calculating the average of the N samples,

(d) if said calculated average is greater than a specified N new test quantity threshold, passing said wireless device,

(e) else, if said calculated average is less than said specified N new test quantity threshold, obtaining a multiple number or N additional samples and repeating steps (c) and (d); and

(e) after a predefined number of iterations, failing said RF device if said new test quantity threshold has not been met.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said step o'"'"'conducting comprises:

(a) waiting a defined settling time;

(b) obtaining N samples of said new test quantity;

(c) calculating the average of the N samples;

(d) if said calculated average is greater than an upper limit associated with a specified N test quantity threshold, passing said wireless device,

(e) else, if said calculated average is less than said upper limit associated with said N new test quantity threshold but greater than a lower limit associated with said N test quantity threshold, obtaining 3N additional samples and repeating steps (c) and (d) wherein a calculated 4N average is obtained by assigning said N samples a weighted average of ¼ and

said 3N samples a weighted average of ¼

; and

(f) if said 4N calculated average is less than a specified 4N new test quantity threshold, failing said RF device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said defined standard is TIA/EIA/-98E, and wherein said correlated energy thresholds correspond to a forward error rate (FER) less than or equal to 0.50% with 95% confidence.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said known receiver sensitivity test parameter is frame error rate and said new test quantity is correlated energy, and wherein said step of determining a new test criteria comprises:

(a) obtaining a plurality or FER measurements and corresponding correlated energy values at each of a plurality of received signal strengths;

(b) calculating an average value of said plurality of FER measurements obtained at each of said plurality of received signal strengths;

(e) plotting said plurality of FER measurements versus said calculated FER averages and determining the 95% probability point from said plot;

(d) plotting the averages of N-sample groups of said corresponding correlated energy values versus said calculated FER averages and determining the 95% probability points from said plot;

(e) interpolating between the 95% probability points for different ones of said plurality of received signal strength levels; and

(f) determining a correlated energy threshold for 0.5% FER with 95% confidence.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of conducting comprises:

(a) waiting a defined settling time;

(b) obtaining N samples of said correlated energy;

(c) calculating the average of the N samples;

(d) if said calculated average is greater than a specified N correlated energy threshold, passing said wireless device; and

(e) else, if said calculated average is less than said specified N correlated energy threshold, obtaining a multiple number of N additional samples and repeating steps (c) and (d); and

(f) after a predefined number of iterations, failing said RF device if said correlated energy threshold has not been met.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of conducting comprises:

(a) waiting a defined settling time;

(b) obtaining N samples of said correlated energy;

(c) calculating the average of the N samples;

(d) if said calculated average is greater than an upper limit associated with a specified N correlated energy threshold passing said wireless device; and

(e) else if said calculated average is less than said upper limit associated with said specified N correlated energy threshold but greater than a lower limit associated with said specified N correlated energy threshold, obtaining 3N additional samples and repeating steps (c) and (d) wherein a calculated 4N average is obtained by assigning said N samples a weighted average of ¼ and

said 3N samples a weighted average of ¾

; and

(f) if said 4N calculated average is less than a specified 4N correlated energy threshold, failing said RF device.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein step (a) further comprises the step of translating said correlated energy values to corresponding signal to noise ratio (SNR) or Ec/Io values, and wherein steps (d), (c) and (f) are performed using said mapped SNR or Ec/Io values.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein step (b) further comprises the step of translating said correlated energy values to corresponding signal to noise ratio (SNR) or Ec/Io values, and wherein steps (c) to (f) are performed using said mapped SNR or Ec/To values.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said new test criteria determined in step (c) achieves a defined missed detection rate and a defined false alarm rate.

13. A system for testing receiver sensitivity in a radio frequency (RF) device comprising:

(a) a wireless communications test set;

(b) a device under test (DUT) communicating with said wireless communications test set,

wherein a simulated traffic signal is forwarded from said wireless communications test set to said DUT, and wherein a receiver sensitivity test is conducted based on a test criteria in a accordance with a defined standard, said test criteria based on a predetermined relationship between a known receiver sensitivity test parameter and a new test quantity, and wherein said DUT comprises a baseband processor, and wherein said baseband processor comprises a channel estimator for estimating said new test quantity associated with said simulated traffic signal, and wherein said estimated new test quantity is amplitude.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said RD device is a wireless device operating within a wireless network.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said RF device is a base station operating within a wireless network.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein said RF receiver is arranged on a printed circuit board integral to said wireless device, and wherein said receiver sensitivity test is conducted by feeding said simulated traffic signal into an antenna port integral to said printed circuit board.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein said baseband processor further includes a function for translating a correlated energy value derived from said estimated amplitude, to a signal to noise ratio (SNR) or Ec/Io.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein said wireless communications test set is connected via a coaxial cable to an antenna or radiating coupler positioned in a shielded enclosure housing said DUT, and wherein said DUT receives said simulated traffic signal via a wireless transmission from said antenna or radiating coupler, and wherein path loss associated with said wireless transmission, said coaxial cable, or said antenna or radiating coupler, is corrected by said wireless communications test set.

19. A modulated carrier wave generated by a wireless communication test set and received by a device under test (DUT), wherein said modulated carrier wave embodies a data signal representing a simulated traffic signal in a wireless network, and wherein a receiver sensitivity test is conducted based on a test criteria in accordance with a defined standard, and wherein said test criteria based on a predetermined relationship between a known receiver sensitivity test parameter and a new test quantity, and wherein said new test quantity is associated with a quality level of said received modulated carrier wave, and wherein said new test quantity is determined at a digital processing portion of said DUT, and wherein said new test quantity has a predetermined and monotonic relationship with said known receiver sensitivity test parameter, and wherein said new test quantity is read from a digital baseband processor associated with said RF device.

20. The modulated carrier wave of claim 19 wherein said new test quantity is taken from the group comprising signal to noise ratio, signal to interference ratio, energy per chip to interference density ratio (Ec/Io), energy per bit to interference density ratio (Eb/Io), energy per symbol to interference density ratio (Es/Io), energy per chip to noise density ratio (Ec/No), energy per bit to noise density ration (Eb/No), energy per symbol to noise density ratio (Es/No), carrier power to noise density ratio (C/No), correlated energy, correlated amplitude, symbol error rate and bit error rate.

21. The modulated carrier wave of claim 19 wherein said known receiver sensitivity test parameter is taken from the group comprising frame error rate (FER) and packet error rate (PER).