Methods for testing receiver sensitivity of wireless electronic devices

• US 9,094,840 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2013
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Liu, Song, Takeya, Tomoki, Syed, Adil, Venkataraman, Vishwanath
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, NHAN T
• Application Number:
  US13/738,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20140194069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.14, 455/115.1, 455/115.2, 455/226.1, 455/423
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/29 Performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

A test system may include test equipment for testing the radio-frequency performance of wireless electronic devices. The test equipment may provide radio-frequency downlink signals to a wireless electronic device under test (DUT). The test equipment may perform a power sweep by stepping down the downlink signals in signal power level to test receiver sensitivity for the DUT. The DUT may gather measurement data from the downlink signals. The test equipment may retrieve measurement data from the DUT after downlink signal transmission has ended. The test equipment may identify a trigger in the retrieved measurement data to ensure that the data is synchronized with the power sweep in the transmitted downlink signals. The test equipment may identify path loss information associated with the test system. The test equipment may compute receiver sensitivity values for the DUT based on the path loss information and retrieved measurement data.

Claims

1. A method of using a test system to test a device under test, comprising:

with the test system, transmitting radio-frequency test signals at a plurality of power levels to the device under test, wherein the radio-frequency test signals include a test trigger signal having a test trigger duration;

with the test system, receiving test data from the device under test, wherein the test data includes a measured trigger signal having a measured trigger duration;

with the test system, determining whether the test data is synchronized with the test signals by comparing the measured trigger signal to the test trigger signal;

with the test system, computing a difference between the measured trigger duration and the test trigger duration; and

comparing the difference to a predetermined threshold to determine whether the test data is synchronized with the test signal.

2. The method defined in claim 1, wherein determining whether the test data is synchronized with the test signals comprises:

comparing the measured trigger duration to the test trigger duration.

3. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the radio-frequency test signals further include a sensitivity power level sweep, and wherein the test trigger signal identifies a beginning of the sensitivity power level sweep.

4. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the test data is unsynchronized with the test signals, flagging the device under test as failing synchronization using the test system.

5. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the test data is synchronized with the test signals, identifying a receiver sensitivity for the device under test using the test data.

6. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

with the test system, identifying a path loss power level associated with the device under test.

7. The method defined in claim 6, further comprising:

in response to determining that the test data is synchronized with the test signals, computing a receiver sensitivity value for the device under test using the test data and the path loss power level.

8. A method of using a test system to test a device under test, comprising:

with the test system, transmitting radio-frequency test signals at a plurality of power levels to the device under test, wherein the radio-frequency test signals include a test trigger signal;

with the test system, receiving test data from the device under test, wherein the test data includes a measured trigger signal;

with the test system, determining whether the test data is synchronized with the test signals by comparing the measured trigger signal to the test trigger signal; and

in response to determining that the test data is unsynchronized with the test signals, calibrating the test data by adding offset data to the test data so that the test data is synchronized with the test signals.

9. The method defined in claim 8, further comprising:

in response to determining that the test data is unsynchronized with the test signals, flagging the device under test as failing synchronization using the test system, wherein flagging the device under test as failing synchronization further comprises calibrating the test data by adding the offset data to the test data so that the test data is synchronized with the test signals.

10. A method of using a test system to test a device under test, comprising:

with the test system, transmitting radio-frequency test signals at a plurality of power levels to the device under test, wherein the radio-frequency test signals include a test trigger signal;

with the test system, receiving test data from the device under test, wherein the test data includes a measured trigger signal;

with the test system, determining whether the test data is synchronized with the test signals by comparing the measured trigger signal to the test trigger signal; and

in response to determining that the test data is synchronized with the test signals, identifying a receiver sensitivity for the device under test using the test data, wherein the test data includes error rate data, and identifying the receiver sensitivity comprises;

comparing the error rate data to a predetermined threshold; and

identifying a power level in the plurality of power levels at which the device under test measures error rate data exceeding the predetermined threshold.