Deterministic Reconfiguration of Measurement Modules Using Double Buffered DMA

• US 20110119016A1
• Filed: 02/25/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Patel, Kunal H., Klipec, David E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,423,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/120
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2834 Automated test systems [ATE]; using microprocessors or computers G01R31/317 takes precedence; ATE for detection of defective computer hardware G06F11/2736

Abstract

Configuring at least one radio frequency (RF) instrument according to a plurality of RF measurement configurations for performing a plurality of tests on a device under test (DUT). A list of RF measurement configurations may be stored in a computer memory. The list of RF measurement configurations comprises a plurality of parameters for configuring operation of the at least one instrument. Information regarding the list of RF measurement configurations (e.g., a data stream) may be provided to the at least one RF instrument. The at least one RF instrument may perform the plurality of tests on the DUT, including the at least one RF instrument configuring itself according to the RF measurement configurations based on processing of the information. Configuring enables the at least one RF instrument to perform the plurality of tests on the DUT in a deterministic manner.

Claims

1. A method for configuring at least one device according to a plurality of measurement configurations for performing a plurality of tests on a device under test (DUT), the method comprising:

receiving, by the at least one device, a first one or more measurement configurations from a list of measurement configurations over a first DMA channel;

the at least one device storing the first one or more measurement configurations;

the at least one device configuring itself according to a first measurement configuration of the first one or more measurement configurations;

the at least one device performing at least a portion of one of the plurality of tests according to the first measurement configuration;

the at least one device requesting one or more further measurement configurations using the first DMA channel prior to completion of the first one or more measurement configurations;

receiving and storing, by the at least one device, the one or more further measurement configurations over the first DMA channel in response to said requesting the one or more further measurement configurations, wherein said receiving and storing is performed prior to completion of the first one or more measurement configurations, wherein the one or more further measurement configurations are available for configuring the at least one device upon completion of the first one or more measurement configurations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first one or more measurement configurations are stored in a first buffer and the second one or more measurement configurations are stored in a second buffer.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

upon completion of the first one or more measurement configurations, the at least one device requesting one or more additional measurement configurations; and

in response to the request for the one or more additional measurement configurations, the at least one device receiving and storing the one or more additional measurement configurations in the first buffer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing said configuring, said requesting, and said receiving and storing a plurality of times to perform the plurality of tests on the DUT in a deterministic manner.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the at least one device sending data over the first DMA channel to configure itself according to a first measurement configuration of the one or more further measurement configurations.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the data comprises dummy data.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said receiving the one or more further measurement configurations comprises receiving address information and the one or more further measurement configurations over the DMA channel in response to the at least one device sending the data over the first DMA channel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the DUT comprises a radio frequency (RF) DUT, and wherein the plurality of measurement configurations are RF measurement configurations.

9. A device capable of being configured according to a plurality of measurement configurations for performing a plurality of tests on a device under test (DUT), wherein the device comprises:

one or more buffers; and

logic coupled to the one or more buffers, wherein the logic is configured to perform;

receiving a first one or more measurement configurations from a list of measurement configurations over a first DMA channel;

storing the first one or more measurement configurations in the one or more buffers;

configuring the device according to a first measurement configuration of the first one or more measurement configurations;

performing at least a portion of one of the plurality of tests according to the first measurement configuration;

requesting one or more further measurement configurations using the first DMA channel prior to completion of the first one or more measurement configurations;

receiving and storing the one or more further measurement configurations over the first DMA channel in the one or more buffers in response to said requesting the one or more further measurement configurations, wherein said receiving and storing is performed prior to completion of the first one or more measurement configurations, wherein the one or more further measurement configurations are available for configuring the device upon completion of the first one or more measurement configurations.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the one or more buffers comprise a first buffer and a second buffer, and wherein the first one or more measurement configurations are stored in the first buffer and the second one or more measurement configurations are stored in the second buffer.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the logic is further configured to perform:

upon completion of the first one or more measurement configurations, requesting one or more additional measurement configurations; and

in response to the request for the one or more additional measurement configurations, receiving and storing the one or more additional measurement configurations in the first buffer.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the logic is further configured to perform said configuring, said requesting, and said receiving and storing a plurality of times to perform the plurality of tests on the DUT in a deterministic manner.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the logic is further configured to perform:

sending data over the first DMA channel to configure itself according to a first measurement configuration of the one or more further measurement configurations.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the data comprises dummy data.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein said receiving the one or more further measurement configurations comprises receiving address information and the one or more further measurement configurations over the DMA channel in response to said sending the data over the first DMA channel.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein the DUT comprises a radio frequency (RF) DUT, and wherein the plurality of measurement configurations are RF measurement configurations.

17. A computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for configuring at least one device according to a plurality of measurement configurations in order to perform a plurality of tests on a device under test (DUT), wherein the program instructions are executable to:

receive a first one or more measurement configurations from a list of measurement configurations over a first DMA channel;

configure the at least one device according to a first measurement configuration of the first one or more measurement configurations;

perform at least a portion of one of the plurality of tests according to the first measurement configuration;

request one or more further measurement configurations using the first DMA channel prior to completion of the first one or more measurement configurations;

receive the one or more further measurement configurations over the first DMA channel in response to said requesting the one or more further measurement configurations, wherein said receiving and storing is performed prior to completion of the first one or more measurement configurations, wherein the one or more further measurement configurations are available for configuring the at least one device upon completion of the first one or more measurement configurations.

18. A method for configuring at least one device according to a plurality of measurement configurations for performing a plurality of tests on a device under test (DUT), the method comprising:

creating a list of measurement configurations in a computer memory, wherein the list of measurement configurations comprises a plurality of parameters for configuring operation of the at least one device;

creating an intermediate representation of the list of measurement configurations;

providing a first one or more measurement configurations from the list of measurement configurations to the at least one device over a first DMA channel based on the intermediate representation of the list of measurement configurations;

the at least one device storing the first one or more measurement configurations;

the at least one device configuring itself according to a first measurement configuration of the first one or more measurement configurations;

the at least one device performing at least a portion of one of the plurality of tests according to the first measurement configuration;

the at least one device requesting one or more further measurement configurations using the first DMA channel prior to completion of the first one or more measurement configurations;

providing the one or more further measurement configurations from the list of measurement configurations to the at least one device over the first DMA channel based on the intermediate representation of the list of measurement configurations and the request;

the at least one device storing the one or more further measurement configurations, wherein said storing is performed prior to completion of the first one or more measurement configurations, wherein the one or more further measurement configurations are available for configuring the at least one device upon completion of the first one or more measurement configurations.

19. A method for configuring at least one device according to a plurality of measurement configurations for performing a plurality of tests on a device under test (DUT), the method comprising:

receiving, by the at least one device, a first measurement configuration from a list of measurement configurations over a first DMA channel;

the at least one device storing the first configuration in a first buffer of the at least one device;

the at least one device configuring itself according to the first measurement configuration;

the at least one device performing at least one of the plurality of tests according to the first measurement configuration;

the at least one device requesting a second measurement configuration using the first DMA channel during at least a portion of either said configuring or said performing;

receiving, by the at least one device, the second measurement configuration over the first DMA channel in response to said requesting the second measurement configuration, wherein said receiving is performed prior to completion of the at least one device performing the at least one of the plurality of tests according to the first measurement configuration;

the at least one device storing the second measurement configuration in a second buffer of the at least one device prior to completion of the at least one device performing the at least one of the plurality of tests according to the first measurement configuration;

wherein the second configuration is available for configuring the at least one device upon completion of the at least one of the plurality of tests using the first measurement configuration.