System and method for testing a radio frequency multiple-input multiple-output data packet transceiver while forcing fewer data streams

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9077535-B2
Application number	US-201313894817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jul 7, 2015
Grant date	Jul 7, 2015

Abstract

In accordance with the presently claimed invention, a system and method are provided for testing multiple-input, multiple-output wireless radiofrequency (RF) packet data signal transceivers while operating in such ways as to communicate their signals using various combinations or permutations of packet data streams without requiring termination or re-establishment of communication links following transitions from one combination or permutation of packet data streams to another.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of testing of a radio frequency (RF) multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) packet data signal transceiver device under test (DUT), comprising:
establishing a MIMO communication link between a test transceiver and a DUT for communicating via a plurality of N DUT packet data signals provided by said DUT for said test transceiver and a plurality of test packet data signals provided by said test transceiver for said DUT, wherein N is an integer; and
maintaining said MIMO communication link while
corrupting at least a portion of one or more of said plurality of N DUT packet data signals to provide a partially corrupted plurality of N DUT packet data signals containing said plurality of N data streams,
receiving, with said test transceiver, said partially corrupted plurality of N DUT packet data signals containing said plurality of N data streams and, responsive thereto, failing to timely provide, with said test transceiver, a corresponding portion of said plurality of test packet data signals, and
following said failing to timely provide, with said test transceiver, said corresponding portion of said plurality of test packet data signals, receiving, with said test transceiver, said partially corrupted plurality of N DUT packet data signals containing a plurality of N−M data streams, wherein M is an integer and 0<N−M<N.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of test packet data signals comprises a plurality of N test packet data signals.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said maintaining said MIMO communication link comprises continuously maintaining said MIMO communication link.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said establishing a MIMO communication link between a test transceiver and a DUT for communicating via a plurality of N DUT packet data signals provided by said DUT for said test transceiver and a plurality of test packet data signals provided by said test transceiver for said DUT comprises:
transmitting, with said test transceiver, a plurality of communication link initiation packet data signals as said plurality of test packet data signals; and
receiving, with said test transceiver from said DUT, a plurality of N communication link confirmation packet data signals as said plurality of N DUT packet data signals.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said establishing a MIMO communication link between a test transceiver and a DUT for communicating via a plurality of N DUT packet data signals provided by said DUT for said test transceiver and a plurality of test packet data signals provided by said test transceiver for said DUT comprises conveying at least said plurality of N DUT packet data signals via a plurality of N conductive signal paths one or more of which has a variable signal conductivity.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said corrupting at least a portion of one or more of said plurality of N DUT packet data signals to provide a partially corrupted plurality of N DUT packet data signals containing said plurality of N data streams comprises attenuating at least a portion of one or more of said plurality of N DUT packet data signals.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said corrupting at least a portion of one or more of said plurality of N DUT packet data signals to provide a partially corrupted plurality of N DUT packet data signals containing said plurality of N data streams comprises attenuating a latter portion of at least one of said plurality of N DUT packet data signals.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, following said receiving, with said test transceiver, said partially corrupted plurality of N DUT packet data signals containing a plurality of N−M data streams, timely providing, with said test transceiver, a corresponding portion of said plurality of test packet data signals.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, following said receiving, with said test transceiver, said partially corrupted plurality of N DUT packet data signals containing a plurality of N−M data streams, timely providing, with said test transceiver, a plurality of N test packet data signals as said plurality of test packet data signals.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring said plurality of DUT packet data signals.

11. A method of testing of a radio frequency (RF) multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) packet data signal transceiver device under test (DUT), comprising:
establishing a MIMO communication link between a test transceiver and a DUT for communicating via a plurality of N DUT packet data signals provided by said DUT for said test transceiver and a plurality of test packet data signals provided by said test transceiver for said DUT, wherein N is an integer, each one of said plurality of N DUT packet data signals includes one or more DUT data packets, and each one of said plurality of test packet data signals includes one or more test data packets; and
maintaining said MIMO communication link while
corrupting at least one of said one or more DUT data packets to provide said plurality of N DUT packet data signals with at least one corrupted DUT data packet and containing said plurality of N data streams,
receiving, with said test transceiver, said plurality of N DUT packet data signals with at least one corrupted DUT data packet and containing said plurality of N data streams and, responsive thereto, failing to timely provide, with said test transceiver, one or more corresponding portions of said plurality of test packet data signals, and
following said failing to timely provide, with said test transceiver, said one or more corresponding portions of said plurality of test packet data signals, receiving, with said test transceiver, said plurality of N DUT packet data signals with at least one corrupted DUT data packet and containing a plurality of N−M data streams, wherein M is an integer and 0<N−M<N.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said plurality of test packet data signals comprises a plurality of N test packet data signals.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said maintaining said MIMO communication link comprises continuously maintaining said MIMO communication link.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein said establishing a MIMO communication link between a test transceiver and a DUT for communicating via a plurality of N DUT packet data signals provided by said DUT for said test transceiver and a plurality of test packet data signals provided by said test transceiver for said DUT comprises:
transmitting, with said test transceiver, a plurality of communication link initiation packet data signals as said plurality of test packet data signals; and
receiving, with said test transceiver from said DUT, a plurality of N communication link confirmation packet data signals as said plurality of N DUT packet data signals.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein said establishing a MIMO communication link between a test transceiver and a DUT for communicating via a plurality of N DUT packet data signals provided by said DUT for said test transceiver and a plurality of test packet data signals provided by said test transceiver for said DUT comprises conveying at least said plurality of N DUT packet data signals via a plurality of N conductive signal paths one or more of which has a variable signal conductivity.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein said corrupting at least one of said one or more DUT data packets to provide said plurality of N DUT packet data signals with at least one corrupted DUT data packet and containing said plurality of N data streams comprises attenuating at least a portion of each of said at le

Assignees

• Litepoint Corp

Inventors

• Olgaard Christian Volf

Classifications

• H04B17/3911 Primary

  Fading models or fading generators · CPC title

• H04L1/24 Primary

  Testing correct operation · CPC title

• H04B7/0413

  MIMO systems · CPC title

• H04L1/241

  using pseudo-errors · CPC title

• H04L1/06

  using space diversity · CPC title