METHOD FOR MEASURING SENSITIVITY OF DATA PACKET SIGNAL RECEIVER

• US 20060274657A1
• Filed: 06/01/2005
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LitePoint Corporation (Teradyne Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: LitePoint Corporation (Teradyne Incorporated)
• Inventors: Andersen, Carsten, Olgaard, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 8,189,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

Methods for measuring the sensitivity of a data packet signal receiver are provided by varying the power level or modulation or both of a received data packet signal in a predetermined controlled sequence of data packet signals.

Claims

1. A method for measuring a sensitivity level of a data packet signal receiver having a sensitivity characteristic defined by an expected packet error rate (PER) versus a data packet signal power level, comprising:

receiving first and second portions of a plurality of data packet signals having correspondingly first and second data packet signal power levels which are greater than and less than, respectively, a predetermined power level;

computing from said received first and second portions of a plurality of data packet signals a total number of correctly received data packet signals; and

determining, based on the total number of correctly received data packet signals, said expected PER versus said data packet signal power level.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determining includes:

selecting one of a plurality of pre-constructed data structures; and

comparing said total number of correctly received data packet signals to said selected one of a plurality of pre-constructed data structures to determine said expected PER versus said data packet signal power level.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third portion of said plurality of data packet signals having a third data packet signal power level which is substantially equal to said predetermined power level; and

computing said total number of correctly received data packet signals from the received first, second, and third portions of said plurality of data packet signals.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said determining includes:

selecting one of a plurality of pre-constructed data structures; and

comparing said total number of correctly received data packet signals to said selected one of a plurality of pre-constructed data structures to determine said expected PER versus said data packet signal power level.

5. A method for measuring a sensitivity level of a data packet signal receiver having a sensitivity characteristic defined by an expected packet error rate (PER) versus a data packet signal power level, comprising:

receiving at least two portions of a plurality of data packet signals, each of said at least two portions having a different packet signal power level;

computing from said received at least two portions of a plurality of data packet signals a total number of correctly received data packet signals; and

determining, based on the total number of correctly received data packet signals, said expected (PER) versus said data packet signal power level.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said determining includes:

selecting one of a plurality of pre-constructed data structures; and

comparing said total number of correctly received data packet signals to said selected one of a plurality of pre-constructed data structures to determine said expected PER versus said data packet signal power level.

7. A method for measuring a sensitivity level of a data packet signal receiver having a sensitivity characteristic defined by an expected packet error rate (PER) versus a data packet signal power level, comprising:

receiving first and second portions of a plurality of data packet signals having correspondingly first and second data packet signal power levels which are greater than and less than, respectively, a predetermined power level;

computing first and second PERs corresponding to said first and second portions of said plurality of received data packet signals, respectively; and

comparing said first and second computed PERs to said expected PER.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a third portion of said plurality of data packet signals having a third data packet signal power level which is substantially equal to said predetermined power level;

computing a third PER corresponding to said third portion of said plurality of received data packet signals; and

comparing said third computed PER to said expected PER.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising transmitting said first and second portions of a plurality of data packet signals.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein a baseband representation of a data packet signal is scaled to produce scaled baseband data packet signals, and the scaled baseband data packet signals are converted and transmitted as the transmitted first and second portions of a plurality of data packet signals.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said baseband representation of a data packet signal is a digital representation, and the scaled baseband data packet signals are scaled digital data packet signals, the scaled digital data packet signals converted by a digital-to-analog converter (DAC).

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the scaled baseband data packet signals are stored in a memory for later retrieval for said converting and transmitting.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the stored scaled baseband data packet signals are converted and repeatedly transmitted for a predetermined number of times to produce the transmitted first and second portions of a plurality of data packet signals.

14. The method according to claim 7, wherein said receiving includes receiving first and second consecutive data packet signals with the first data packet signal having said first data packet signal power level and the second data packet signal having said second data packet signal power level.

15. A method for measuring a sensitivity level of a data packet signal receiver having a sensitivity characteristic defined by an expected packet error rate (PER) versus a data packet signal power level, comprising:

receiving at least two portions of a plurality of data packet signals, each of said at least two portions having a different data packet signal power level;

computing a PER for each of the at least two portions of a plurality of data packet signals; and

comparing the computed PERs for the at least two portions to said expected PER.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein at least one of said at least two portions has data packet signals with a power level less than a predetermined power level, and at least one of said at least two portions has data packet signals with a power level greater than the predetermined power level.

17. A method for measuring a sensitivity level of a data packet signal receiver having a sensitivity characteristic defined by an expected packet error rate (PER) versus a data packet signal power level at an associated modulation, comprising:

receiving first and second portions of a plurality of data packet signals having substantially equal data packet signal power levels and correspondingly first and second modulations which are greater than and less than, respectively, a predetermined modulation;

computing from said received first and second portions of a plurality of data packet signals a total number of correctly received data packet signals; and

determining, based on the total number of correctly received data packet signals, said expected PER.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a third portion of said plurality of data packet signals having data packet signals with a power level substantially equal to the power level of data packet signals in the first and second portions, the third portion having a third modulation substantially equal to said predetermined modulation; and

computing said total number of correctly received data packet signals from the received first, second, and third portions of said plurality of data packet signals.

19. A method for measuring a sensitivity level of a data packet signal receiver having a sensitivity characteristic defined by an expected packet error rate (PER) versus a data packet signal power level at an associated modulation, comprising:

receiving at least two portions of a plurality of data packet signals, said at least two portions having data packet signals with substantially equal power levels, and each of said at least two portions having different modulations;

computing from said received at least two portions a total number of correctly received data packet signals; and

determining, based on the total number of correctly received data packet signals, said expected PER.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein at least one of said at least two portions has a modulation below a predetermined modulation, and at least one of said at least two portions has a modulation above the predetermined modulation.

21. A method for measuring a sensitivity level of a data packet signal receiver having a sensitivity characteristic defined by an expected packet error rate (PER) versus a data packet signal power level at an associated modulation, comprising:

receiving at least two portions of a plurality of data packet signals, the data packet signals of a portion of the at least two portions having substantially the same power level and modulation, and the power level and modulation differing between portions of the at least two portions;

computing from said received at least two portions a total number of correctly received data packet signals; and

determining, based on the total number of correctly received data packet signals, said expected PER.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein at least one of said at least two portions has a modulation below a predetermined modulation and a power level below a predetermined power level, and at least one of said at least two portions has a modulation above the predetermined modulation and a power level above the predetermined power level.