Integrated circuit comprising a transmission channel with an integrated independent tester

• US 20060234634A1
• Filed: 12/01/2003
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Agnus, Benoit, Grasset, Yannick
• Application Number:
  US10/537,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20060234634A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/67.110
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2822 of microwave or radiofrequency circuits of attenuation, gain, e.g. using network analyzers G01R27/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/102 Power radiated at antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/15 Performance testing

Abstract

The invention relates to an integrated circuit (IC) comprising of a signal transmission channel (TX) including radio frequencies and a built-in tester (TEST) intended to test radio characteristics of said integrated circuit, said tester (TEST) comprising of—first means (COUPL) for recovering a part of the signal generated by the transmission channel (TX) at a first frequency (F0),—second means (M) for converting said recovered signal from the first frequency (F0) into a second frequency (F1),—an amplifier (A) for amplifying said signal at this second frequency (F1), and—a rectifier (R) for rectifying said signal.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising a signal transmission channel (TX) including radio frequencies and an integrated tester (TEST) intended to test radio characteristics of said integrated circuit, said tester (TEST) comprising:

first means (COUPL) for recovering a part of the signal generated by the transmission channel (TX) at a first frequency (F0),

second means (M) for converting said recovered signal from the first frequency (F0) into a second frequency (F1),

an amplifier (A) for amplifying said signal at this second frequency (F1), and

a rectifier (R) for rectifying said signal.

2. An integrated circuit (IC) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the tester further comprises detection means (CMP/ADC) for detecting the validity of the signal generated by the transmission channel (TX).

3. An integrated circuit (IC) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the tester further comprises a filter (F) for filtering harmonics of the signal.

4. An integrated circuit (IC) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the first frequency (F0) is a radio frequency and the second frequency (F1) is a low frequency.

5. A method of testing an integrated circuit (IC) comprising a signal transmission channel (TX) including radio frequencies, said method being intended to test radio characteristics of said integrated circuit and being independent of said transmission channel, said method comprising the following steps:

recovering a part of the signal generated by the transmission channel (TX) at a first frequency (F0),

converting the first frequency (F0) of the recovered signal into a second frequency (F1),

amplifying said signal at this second frequency (F1), and

rectifying said signal.

6. A method of testing an integrated circuit (IC) as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that it further comprises a step of detecting the validity of the signal generated by the transmission channel (TX).

7. A method of testing an integrated circuit (IC) as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a step of filtering harmonics of said signal.

8. A tester (TEST) for testing radio characteristics of a transmission channel (TX) of an integrated circuit (IC), said tester (TEST) being intended to be integrated with said integrated circuit (IC) and comprising:

first means (COUPL) for recovering a part of the signal generated by the transmission channel (TX) at a first frequency (F0)

second means (M) for converting said signal recovered from the first frequency (F0) into a second frequency (F1)

an amplifier (A) for amplifying said signal to this second frequency (F1), and

a rectifier (R) for rectifying said signal.

9. A tester as claimed by claim 8, characterized in that it further comprises detection means (CMP/ADC) for detecting the validity of the signal generated by the transmission channel (TX).

10. A tester as claimed by claim 8, characterized in that it further comprises a filter (F) for filtering harmonics of said signal.

11. A transmitter comprising an integrated circuit (IC) comprising a tester as claimed in claim 8.