TESTING SYSTEMS THAT INCLUDE DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING SYSTEMS

• US 20190012247A1
• Filed: 07/06/2017
• Published: 01/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sorenson Ip Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sorenson Ip Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Bullough, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 10,445,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2236 to test CPU or processors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/26 Functional testing

Abstract

According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, operations may include activating testing software of a digital signal processing system instead of activating operating software of the digital signal processing system. The testing software may be configured to, while activated, perform linear operations with respect to signals that traverse the signal path. The operating software may be configured to, while activated, perform non-linear operations with respect to signals that traverse the signal path. The testing software may be activated during testing of one or more hardware elements of the signal path that are configured to perform analog operations on signals that traverse the signal path.

Claims

1. A method of testing hardware of a system that performs digital signal processing, the method comprising:

activating testing software of a digital signal processing system instead of activating operating software of the digital signal processing system, the digital signal processing system being configured to perform operations on signals that traverse a signal path of the electronic device, the testing software being configured to, while activated, perform linear operations with respect to signals that traverse the signal path, and the operating software being configured to, while activated, perform non-linear operations with respect to signals that traverse the signal path;

testing one or more hardware elements of the electronic device with the testing software activated instead of the operating software, the one or more hardware elements being included in the signal path and being configured to perform analog operations on signals that traverse the signal path; and

activating the operating software instead of activating the testing software in response to finishing testing the one or more hardware elements of the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the testing software instead of activating the operating software includes replacing the operating software with the testing software.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the testing software instead of activating the operating software includes configuring the digital signal processing system such that the testing software performs operations with respect to signals that traverse the signal path and such that the operating software does not perform operations with respect to signals that traverse the signal path.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the testing software instead of activating the operating software includes loading the testing software instead of loading the operating software.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal path is a first signal path and wherein the method further comprises muting a second signal path while testing the one or more hardware elements.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein muting the second signal path includes activating muting software that nulls signals that traverse the second signal path.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first signal path is a communication session receive signal path and the second signal path is a communication session transmit signal path.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first signal path is a communication session transmit signal path and the second signal path is a communication session receive signal path.

9. A method of testing hardware of a system that performs digital signal processing, the method comprising:

activating first testing software of a first digital signal processing system instead of activating first operating software of the first digital signal processing system, the first digital signal processing system being configured to perform operations with respect to signals that traverse a first signal path of an electronic device, the first testing software being configured to, while activated, perform linear operations with respect to signals that traverse the first signal path, and the first operating software being configured to, while activated, perform non-linear operations with respect to signals that traverse the first signal path;

muting a second digital signal processing system included in a second signal path of the electronic device, the muting nulls signals that traverse the second signal path and the second digital signal processing system being configured to perform operations with respect to signals that traverse the second signal path; and

testing one or more first hardware elements of the electronic device with the first testing software activated instead of the first operating software and with the second digital signal processing system muted, the one or more first hardware elements being included in the first signal path and being configured to perform analog operations on signals that traverse the first signal path.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising activating the first operating software instead of activating the first testing software in response to finishing testing the one or more first hardware elements of the electronic device.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to finishing testing the one or more first hardware elements:

activating second testing software of the second digital signal processing system instead of activating second operating software of the second digital signal processing system, the second testing software being configured to, while activated, perform linear operations with respect to signals that traverse the second signal path, and the second operating software being configured to, while activated, perform non-linear operations with respect to signals that traverse the second signal path;

muting the first digital signal processing system, the muting nulls signals that traverse the first signal path; and

testing one or more second hardware elements of the electronic device with the second testing software activated instead of the second operating software and with the first digital signal processing system muted, the one or more second hardware elements being included in the first signal path and being configured to perform analog operations on signals that traverse the second signal path.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first testing software and the second testing software are the same code.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first operating software and the second operating software are the same code.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first digital signal processing system and the second digital signal processing system are a same digital signal processing system configured to perform digital signal processing with respect to signals that traverse the first signal path and the second signal path.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein muting the second digital signal processing system includes activating muting software in the second digital signal processing system that nulls signals that traverse the second signal path.

16. A system comprising:

a signal path;

one or more hardware elements configured included in the signal path and configured to perform analog operations on signals that traverse the signal path;

a digital signal processing system configured to perform operations on signals that traverse the signal path,

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media configured to store one or more instructions; and

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more computer-readable media and configured to, in response to executing the one or more instructions, cause performance of operations comprising;

activating testing software of the digital signal processing system instead of activating operating software of the digital signal processing system, the testing software being configured to, while activated, perform linear operations with respect to signals that traverse the signal path and the operating software being configured to, while activated, perform non-linear operations with respect to signals that traverse the signal path, the testing software being activated during testing of one or more hardware elements of the signal path that are configured to perform analog operations on signals that traverse the signal path.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that testing of the one or more hardware elements with the testing software activated instead of the operating software has finished; and

activating the operating software instead of activating the testing software in response to determining that the testing of the one or more hardware elements has finished.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise activating the operating software instead of activating the testing software in response to the testing of the one or more hardware elements having finished.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the digital signal processing system includes the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media and the one or more processors.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the signal path is a first signal path, the system includes a second signal path, and the operations further comprise muting the second signal path during testing of the one or more hardware elements.