Analog built-in self test transceiver

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9628203-B2
Application number	US-201414196743-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2014
Priority date	Mar 4, 2014
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus includes a first power amplifier coupled to a first transmission path, a first low noise amplifier coupled to a first reception path, a second power amplifier coupled to a second transmission path, and a second low noise amplifier coupled to a second reception path. A first switch is configured to selectively couple the second low noise amplifier to receive an output of the first power amplifier. A second switch is configured to selectively couple the first low noise amplifier to receive an output of the second power amplifier.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first power amplifier coupled to a first transmission path of a first transceiver;
a first low noise amplifier coupled to a first reception path of the first transceiver;
a second power amplifier coupled to a second transmission path of a second transceiver;
a second low noise amplifier coupled to a second reception path of the second transceiver;
a first switch configurable in at least three states, the first switch configured, while in a first state, to couple the second low noise amplifier to an output of the first power amplifier, wherein the first switch is configured, while in a second state, to couple the first power amplifier to a first antenna to transmit signals over a wireless network, and wherein the first switch is configured, while in a third state, to couple the second low noise amplifier to the first antenna; and
a second switch configured to selectively couple the first low noise amplifier to receive an output of the second power amplifier.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first transceiver is included in a first array comprising multiple transceivers, and wherein the second transceiver is included in a second array comprising multiple transceivers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first power amplifier is configured to be selectively coupled to the first antenna to enable signal transmission over the first antenna via the first transmission path, and wherein the second low noise amplifier is selectively coupled to the first antenna to enable signal reception over the first antenna via the second reception path.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first power amplifier and the second low noise amplifier are configured to be selectively coupled to the first antenna via the first switch, and wherein the first low noise amplifier and the second power amplifier are configured to be selectively coupled to a second antenna via the second switch.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein loopback testing is enabled when the second low noise amplifier is coupled to receive the output of the first power amplifier.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein loopback testing is enabled when the first low noise amplifier is coupled to receive the output of the second power amplifier.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first switch is configured, while in the first state, to couple the second low noise amplifier to the output of the first power amplifier via a path that bypasses the first antenna.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second switch is configured, while in a loopback state, to couple the first low noise amplifier to the output of the second power amplifier via a path that omits a second antenna coupled to the second switch.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first state comprises a loopback state, wherein the second state comprises a transmission state, and wherein the third state of the first switch comprises a reception state.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first switch and the second switch comprise three-state switches, wherein the second switch is configured, while in a first state, to couple the first low noise amplifier to an output of the second power amplifier, wherein the second switch is configured, while in a second state, to couple the second power amplifier to a second antenna to transmit signals over the wireless network, and wherein the second switch is configured, while in a third state, to couple the first low noise amplifier to the second antenna to receive signals transmitted over the wireless network.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first bypass circuit coupled to an input terminal of the first power amplifier and coupled to an output terminal of the first power amplifier, the first bypass circuit configured to selectively enable gain measurements during loopback testing.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second bypass circuit coupled to an input terminal of the second low noise amplifier and coupled to an output terminal of the second low noise amplifier, the second bypass circuit configured to selectively enable gain measurements during loopback testing.

13. An apparatus comprising:
a first power amplifier coupled to a first transmission path;
a first low noise amplifier coupled to a first reception path;
a second power amplifier coupled to a second transmission path;
a second low noise amplifier coupled to a second reception path;
a first switch configured to selectively couple the second low noise amplifier to an output of the first power amplifier, wherein the first switch is configured to selectively couple the first power amplifier to a first antenna to transmit signals over a wireless network;
a second switch configured to selectively couple the first low noise amplifier to receive an output of the second power amplifier;
a first bypass circuit coupled to an input terminal of the first power amplifier and coupled to an output terminal of the first power amplifier; and
a second bypass circuit coupled to an input terminal of the second low noise amplifier and coupled to an output terminal of the second low noise amplifier,
wherein, during loopback testing, the first bypass circuit and the second bypass circuit are selectively enabled to enable gain measurements.

14. A method comprising:
coupling, via a first switch in a first state, a second low noise amplifier of a second transceiver to an output of a first power amplifier of a first transceiver to enable first loopback testing of the first power amplifier and the second low noise amplifier, wherein the first switch is configurable in at least three states, wherein the first switch, while in a second state, couples the first power amplifier to a first antenna to transmit wireless signals over a wireless network, and wherein the first switch, while in a third state, couples the second low noise amplifier to the first antenna; and
selectively coupling a first low noise amplifier of the first transceiver to receive an output of a second power amplifier of the second transceiver to enable second loopback testing of the second power amplifier and the first low noise amplifier.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining characteristics of the first power amplifier during the first loopback testing; and
determining characteristics of the second low noise amplifier during the first loopback testing.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein coupling the second low noise amplifier to the first antenna enables signal reception via the first antenna.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first low noise amplifier is coupled to the output of the second power amplifier via a second switch while in a first state, the second switch comprising a three-state switch, and wherein the second power amplifier is coupled to a second antenna via the second switch while in a second state.

18. An apparatus comprising:
first means for amplifying a transmission signal and first means for amplifying a received signal, the first means for amplifying the transmission signal and the first means for amplifying the received signal included in a first transceiver;
second means for amplifying a transmission signal and second means for amplifying a received signal, the second means for amplifying the transmission signal and the second means for amplifying the received signal included in a second transceiver;
first means for coupling, while in a first state, the second means for amplifying the received signal to an output of the first

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Weissman Haim Mendel
• Raviv Lior

Classifications

• H04B17/22

  for calibration of the receiver components · CPC title

• H03F3/211

  using a combination of several amplifiers (H03F3/60 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04B17/14

  of the whole transmission and reception path, e.g. self-test loop-back · CPC title

• H03F3/195

  in integrated circuits · CPC title

• H04B1/40

  Circuits · CPC title