Test facility for transceiver station

• US 6,834,078 B1
• Filed: 07/19/2000
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Networks (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pekkarinen, Jari, Niemela, Kari
• Primary Examiner(s): TSE, YOUNG TOI
• Application Number:
  US09/600,951
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 375/130, 375/133, 375/141, 375/221, 375/224, 375/227, 375/219, 375/259, 375/358, 370/355, 370/342, 370/249
• US Class Current: 375/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/20 of receivers

Abstract

Test circuitry for a transceiver is described which allows tests to be conducted on a transmission loop without requiring decoding by rake fingers. According to one embodiment, a receiver for receiving a test signal includes a detecting circuit set up in accordance with a test spreading code for detecting whether or not signals received by the receiver include the test signal incorporating the test spreading code. In the embodiment, a matched filter set up according to the test spreading code is utilized as the detecting circuit. According to another embodiment, circuitry for adjusting the power level of a test signal is described in which power control information is transferred between first and second storage locations at the transceiver to allow otherwise normal control circuits to implement the power control.

Claims

1. Test circuitry for a transceiver comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a test signal incorporating a test spreading code;

a receiver for receiving said test signal, said receiver including detecting means set up in accordance with said test spreading code for detecting whether or not signals received by the receiver include the test signal incorporating said test spreading code; and

a coupler connected to the transmitter for feeding back a test sample of the test signal to the receiver.

2. Test circuitry according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means set up according to the test spreading code includes a matched filter.

3. Test circuitry according to claim 2, wherein the detecting means comprises detector circuitry connected to receive the output of the matched filter and to detect that a match has been found between signals received by the receiver and the test signal when an output is generated above a predetermined threshold level.

4. Test circuitry according to claim 1, which includes a test controller for generating said test spreading code for incorporation in the test signal and for setting up the detecting means with said test spreading code.

5. Test circuitry according to claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises an attenuator for attenuating the fed-back test sampler.

6. Test circuitry according to claim 1, which includes power adjustment means for adjusting the power level of the test signal.

7. Test circuitry according to claim 6, wherein the power adjustment means is controlled responsive to a power control signal established by determining the signal to information ratio of the test sample received by the receiver.

8. A method of carrying out a test in a transceiver, the method comprising:

at the transceiver applying a test spreading code to a test signal and transmitting said test signal;

feeding back a test sample of said test signal to a receiver located in said transceiver;

at the receiver, setting up a detector in accordance with said test spreading code; and

detecting whether or not said test sample includes said test signal by checking for a match at said detector.

9. A transceiver for implementing a test loop, the transceiver comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a test signal;

a receiving mixer for converting the test signal from a transmitting frequency to a receiving frequency;

a local oscillator for generating a conversion signal for the mixer;

a first power adjustment means for adjusting the power level of the received test signal prior to conversion of the mixer; and

a second power adjustment means for adjusting the power level of the test signal to be transmitted based on the signal to information ratio of the received test signal.

10. A transceiver according to claim 9, which further comprises despreading means for despreading the test signal to which a spreading code has been applied.