Over The Air Commands For RF Testing

• US 20180115372A1
• Filed: 10/26/2016
• Published: 04/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Seward, IV, DeWitt Clinton, Daigle, Clayton Hollis
• Granted Patent: US 10,396,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/15 Performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/16 Test equipment located at the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/17 Detection of non-compliance or faulty performance, e.g. response deviations H04B17/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system and method of allowing a network device to enter RF test mode without changing the software image or attaching cables to it is disclosed. In one embodiment, the software image loaded into the network device has the capability to execute in both normal operating mode and RF test mode. A command is issued by a RF test tool which instructs the network device to enter one of one or more different RF modes. In certain embodiments, the network device remains in this RF test mode for a predetermined period of time. In other embodiments, the network device remains in this RF test mode until the power is cycled.

Claims

1. A method of testing RF characteristics of a network device, where the network device comprises instructions allowing both normal operating mode and RF test mode, comprising:

transmitting a command to the network device, the command invoking a RF mode test in the network device;

performing an RF test after the network device enters the RF test mode; and

returning the network device to normal operation after completion of the RF test.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network device is configured to operate on a ZIGBEE®

network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the command is transmitted to the network device using ZIGBEE®

protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the command specifies a period of time that the network device is to remain in the RF test mode, and the network device returns to normal operation after the period of time has elapsed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the command specifies that the network device is to remain in the RF test mode indefinitely, and the network device returns to normal operating mode after power is cycled.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF test is a receive test, and further comprising actuating a RF packet generator to create network packets, using the network device to collect statistics during the receive test, and extracting the statistics from the network device after the RF test is completed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the command includes a channel on which the network device is to listen.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF test is a transmission test, and further comprising using RF test equipment to measure transmission characteristics of the network device during the transmission test.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the command includes a channel on which the network device is to transmit and a transmit power to use.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the command includes an indication of a mode of transmission which the network device is to sent.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the network device comprises a light, the method further comprising selecting a power level or color for the light prior to performing the RF test.

12. The method of claim 1, where a special unlock sequence is transmitted to the network device to allow the network device to enter the RF test mode.

13. A system for testing RF characteristics of a wireless network device comprising:

a RF test tool, comprising;

a network interface,

a processing unit, and

a memory device; and

a wireless network device, comprising;

a network interface,

a processing unit, and

a memory device, wherein the memory device comprises instructions which allow the wireless network device to operate in both a normal operating mode and in a RF test mode; and

wherein the RF test tool transmits commands using the network interface to the wireless network device which cause the wireless network device to enter the RF test mode.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the RF test tool and the wireless network device utilize an IEEE802.15.4 network protocol to communicate.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a packet generator to generate network packets, wherein, during RF receive tests, the wireless network device measures receive characteristics of the network device based on network packets generated by the packet generator.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising RF test equipment, wherein during RF transmit tests, the RF test equipment measures the transmit characteristic of the wireless network device.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the commands are vendor unique commands.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the RF test tool transmits an unlock sequence to the wireless network device to unlock the RF test mode.