Apparatus for measuring electrical characteristics of circuit

• US 6,449,307 B1
• Filed: 06/03/1999
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: Kochi, Tetsuya, Tanaka, Hiroaki, Ishikawa, Yohei
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Amanda T.
• Application Number:
  US09/325,145
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 375/130, 375/140, 375/141, 375/146, 375/147, 375/224-228, 455/67.1, 455/67.4, 455/115, 455/423, 370/252, 370/241, 324/763
• US Class Current: 375/146
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/28 Measuring attenuation, gain, phase shift or derived characteristics of electric four pole networks, i.e. two-port networks; Measuring transient response in line transmission systems H04B3/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2822 of microwave or radiofrequency circuits of attenuation, gain, e.g. using network analyzers G01R27/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2839 using signal generators, power supplies or circuit analysers G01R31/2879 takes precedence; multimeters G01R15/12, network analysers G01R27/28

Abstract

A multi-carrier measuring apparatus includes a multi-carrier generator for generating a multi-carrier signal composed of signals having plural frequencies and being orthogonal to each other, an output for inputting the multi-carrier signals to a object at the same time, and receiving the multi-carrier signals reflected on or passed through the object, a frequency characteristic measuring apparatus for measuring the characteristics for the respective frequencies of the object based on the received signal, and an indicator.

Claims

1. A measuring apparatus comprising a multi-carrier generator for generating a multi-carrier signal composed of signals having plural frequencies and being orthogonal to each other;

an output for sending the multi-carrier signal to an external object;

an input for receiving the multi-carrier signal output from the object; and

a frequency characteristic measuring apparatus for measuring the electrical characteristics at the respective frequencies of the object, based on the received multi-carrier signal.

2. A measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the multi-carrier generator is operative to generate plural multi-carrier signals which are orthogonal to each other.

3. A measuring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the output has plural ports for transmitting the plural multi-carrier signals to the object in parallel.

4. A measuring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the input has plural ports for receiving the plural multi-carrier signals output in parallel from the object.

5. A measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the frequency characteristic measuring apparatus is operative to measure plural kinds of characteristics of the object based on the received plural multi-carrier signals.

6. A measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein the multi-carrier generator comprises a signal generator for generating a signal having one frequency, a spread code generator for generating a predetermined spread code, and a spectrum spreader for spreading spectrally the signal generated by the signal generator by use of the spread code generated by the spread code generator, and

said frequency characteristic measuring apparatus comprises plural filters corresponding to the frequencies of the respective signals contained in the received multi-carrier signal, and plural signal detectors for measuring the characteristics for the respective signals separated by the plural filters.

7. A measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein the multi-carrier generator comprises a signal generator for generating a signal having one frequency, a data generator for generating a predetermined datum, a modulator for modulating primarily the signal generated by the signal generator with the predetermined datum to form a signal which changes time-dependently in correspondence to the predetermined datum, and a time—

frequency converter for converting the modulated signal time-dependently to form a multi-carrier signal composed of signals having plural frequencies, said signals being related principally to the predetermined datum, and

said frequency characteristic measuring apparatus comprises a frequency time converter for frequency—

time converting the received multi-carrier signal, and a signal detector for detecting the difference between the modulated signal and the frequency—

time converted signal, correspondingly to the predetermined datum.

8. A measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein the multi-carrier signal to be input to the object is swept in a predetermined frequency range.

9. A measuring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the multi-carrier generator comprises a signal generator for generating a signal having one frequency, a spread code generator for generating a predetermined spread code, and a spectrum spreader for spreading spectrally the signal generated by the signal generator by use of the spread code generated by the spread code generator, and

said frequency characteristic measuring apparatus comprises plural filters corresponding to the frequencies of the respective signals contained in the received multi-carrier signal, and plural signal detectors for measuring the characteristics for the respective signals separated by the plural filters.

10. A measuring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the multi-carrier generator comprises a signal generator for generating a signal having one frequency, a data generator for generating a predetermined datum, a modulator for modulating primarily the signal generated by the signal generator with the predetermined datum to form a signal which changes time-dependently in correspondence to the predetermined datum, and a time—

frequency converter for converting the modulated signal time-dependently to form a multi-carrier signal composed of signals having plural frequencies, said signals being related principally to the predetermined datum, and

said frequency characteristic measuring apparatus comprises a frequency time converter for frequency—

time converting the received multi-carrier signal, and a signal detector for detecting the difference between the modulated signal and the frequency—

time converted signal, correspondingly to the predetermined datum.