Systems and methods for using protocol information to trigger waveform analysis
First Claim
1. A system for testing a data communication device under test (DUT), comprising:
- a wireless traffic, protocol, and signal analyzer including;
a packet transmission datapath for encoding and transmitting packetized data streams to said DUT;
a packet reception datapath for receiving and decoding packetized data streams from said DUT;
a protocol engine coupled to said packet transmission datapath and said packet reception datapath, and operative to implement a communication protocol;
a trigger signal generator coupled to said protocol engine, said packet transmission datapath, and said packet reception datapath for receiving indications from said protocol engine, said packet transmission datapath, and said packet reception datapath, configured to generate a trigger signal based on one or more of said indications and operative to indicate a predetermined step within said communication protocol;
a receive waveform analyzer coupled to said trigger signal generator, configured to couple to said DUT, and operative to perform a signal capture and a signal analysis function on said DUT, wherein a time and a duration of said signal capture are determined based on said trigger signal;
wherein said trigger signal causes said receive waveform analyzer to perform said signal analysis function, and wherein said wireless traffic, protocol and receive waveform analyzer is configured to perform signal waveform analysis based on a variety of conditions associated with a plurality of wireless communication protocols implemented by said DUT and further to coordinate the signal waveform analysis with the wireless communication protocols, traffic flows, and data packets carried therein; and
wherein said receive waveform analyzer checks to determine whether said trigger signal has been received from said trigger signal generator and if said trigger signal has not been received, refrains from performing said signal analysis function.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed herein to provide communication test systems for the testing of packet data communication devices, systems and networks. According to one aspect of the subject matter described herein, a test system containing an integrated traffic, protocol and waveform analyzer is disclosed that includes a traffic generator/analyzer and a protocol engine that triggers a waveform analyzer to analyze the signal waveform of a device under test at a predetermined point. Such a test system may offer improved capabilities such as a more selective and accurate measurement of complex signal waveforms, more automated measurements of waveforms pertaining to wireless communication data streams, and more rapid identification and measurement of waveforms corresponding to errored packets.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. A system for testing a data communication device under test (DUT), comprising:
a wireless traffic, protocol, and signal analyzer including; a packet transmission datapath for encoding and transmitting packetized data streams to said DUT; a packet reception datapath for receiving and decoding packetized data streams from said DUT; a protocol engine coupled to said packet transmission datapath and said packet reception datapath, and operative to implement a communication protocol; a trigger signal generator coupled to said protocol engine, said packet transmission datapath, and said packet reception datapath for receiving indications from said protocol engine, said packet transmission datapath, and said packet reception datapath, configured to generate a trigger signal based on one or more of said indications and operative to indicate a predetermined step within said communication protocol; a receive waveform analyzer coupled to said trigger signal generator, configured to couple to said DUT, and operative to perform a signal capture and a signal analysis function on said DUT, wherein a time and a duration of said signal capture are determined based on said trigger signal; wherein said trigger signal causes said receive waveform analyzer to perform said signal analysis function, and wherein said wireless traffic, protocol and receive waveform analyzer is configured to perform signal waveform analysis based on a variety of conditions associated with a plurality of wireless communication protocols implemented by said DUT and further to coordinate the signal waveform analysis with the wireless communication protocols, traffic flows, and data packets carried therein; and wherein said receive waveform analyzer checks to determine whether said trigger signal has been received from said trigger signal generator and if said trigger signal has not been received, refrains from performing said signal analysis function. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for testing a wireless data communication device under test (DUT), comprising:
a wireless traffic, protocol, and signal analyzer including; a packet transmission datapath for encoding and transmitting wireless data packets to said DUT, said transmitted data packets being associated with a plurality of identifiable traffic flows; a packet reception datapath for receiving and decoding wireless data packets from said DUT, said received data packets being associated with said plurality of identifiable traffic flows; a protocol engine coupled to said packet transmission datapath and said packet reception datapath, and operative to implement a wireless communication protocol; a trigger signal generator coupled to said protocol engine, said packet transmission datapath, and said packet reception datapath for receiving indications from said protocol engine, said packet transmission datapath, and said packet reception datapath, configured to generate a trigger signal based on one or more of said indications and operative to indicate a first traffic flow selected from said plurality of identifiable traffic flows; a radio frequency analyzer configured to couple to said DUT, and operative to perform a signal capture and a signal analysis function on said wireless data packets received from said DUT, wherein a time and a duration of said signal capture are determined based on said trigger signal; wherein said trigger signal causes said radio frequency analyzer to perform said signal analysis function, and wherein said wireless traffic, protocol and signal analyzer is configured to perform signal waveform analysis based on a variety of conditions associated with a plurality of wireless communication protocols implemented by said DUT and further to coordinate the signal waveform analysis with the wireless communication protocols, traffic flows, and data packets carried therein; and wherein said radio frequency analyzer checks to determine whether said trigger signal has been received from said trigger signal generator and if said trigger signal has not been received, refrains from performing said signal analysis function. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A system for testing a wireless data communication device under test (DUT), comprising:
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a wireless traffic, protocol, and signal analyzer including; a reception datapath for receiving and decoding wireless data from said DUT, the wireless data being formatted according to a format for communicating wireless data, said format including a framing structure, said framing structure further including a plurality of symbols, said symbols containing information corresponding to a plurality of data packet streams, and extracting packet data from said wireless data; a trigger signal generator coupled to said reception datapath, and operative to receive a plurality of receive data packet streams and to generate a first trigger signal generated for indicating a first region within said framing structure; a radio frequency analyzer configured to couple to said DUT, and operative to perform a signal analysis function on said symbols within said wireless data formatted according to said format; wherein said first trigger signal causes said radio frequency analyzer to perform said signal analysis function; test traffic generation logic operative to generate a plurality of transmit data packet streams; a transmission datapath coupled to said test traffic generation logic and operative to accept said transmit data packet streams and encode and transmit them as wireless data, formatted according to said format, to said DUT; wherein said test traffic generation logic generates a second trigger signal operative to indicate a second region within said framing structure; and wherein said second trigger signal causes said radio frequency analyzer to perform said signal analysis function. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of analyzing a waveform generated by a data communication device under test (DUT), comprising the steps of:
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in a wireless traffic, protocol, and signal analyzer; providing a trigger signal generator coupled to a protocol engine, packet transmission datapath, and a packet reception datapath within said wireless traffic, protocol, and signal analyzer; receiving, by said trigger signal generator, indications from said protocol engine, said packet transmission datapath, and said packet reception datapath; generating, by said trigger signal generator, a trigger signal based on one or more of said indications; communicating with said DUT, in accordance with a communication protocol; performing a signal capture and a signal analysis function on the waveform of signals received from said DUT, wherein a time and a duration of said signal capture are determined based on said trigger signal; wherein said signal analysis function is triggered at a predetermined point within said communication protocol, and wherein said wireless traffic, protocol and signal analyzer is configured to perform signal waveform analysis based on a variety of conditions associated with a plurality of wireless communication protocols implemented by said DUT and further to coordinate the signal waveform analysis with the wireless communication protocols, traffic flows, and data packets carried therein; and checking to determine whether said trigger signal has been received from said trigger signal generator and if said trigger signal has not been received, refraining from performing said signal analysis function. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:
in a wireless traffic, protocol, and signal analyzer; providing a trigger signal generator to a packet transmission datapath, a packet reception datapath and a protocol engine within said wireless traffic, protocol, and signal analyzer; receiving, by said trigger signal generator, indications from said protocol engine, said packet transmission datapath, and said packet reception datapath; generating, by said trigger signal generator, a trigger signal based on one or more of said indications; communicating with said DUT, in accordance with a communication protocol; performing a signal capture and a signal analysis function on the waveform of signals received from said DUT, wherein a time and a duration of said signal capture are determined based on said trigger signal; wherein said signal analysis function is triggered at a predetermined point within said communication protocol, and wherein said wireless traffic, protocol and signal analyzer is configured to perform signal waveform analysis based on a variety of conditions associated with a plurality of wireless communication protocols implemented by said DUT and further to coordinate the signal waveform analysis with the wireless communication protocols, traffic flows, and data packets carried therein; and checking to determine whether said trigger signal has been received from said trigger signal generator and if said trigger signal has not been received, refrains from performing said signal analysis function.
Specification