System and method for performing wireless testing

Abstract

The present application provides a method for testing a device under test (DUT) operating in a signaling mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a method and a system for testing a device under test (DUT) operating in a signaling mode. Background Art

[0002] Many modern electronic devices, especially Internet of Things (IoT) devices, rely on wireless communications such as Bluetooth technology. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is a Bluetooth standard with lower power consumption than typical Bluetooth standards, including versions BLE4.2, BLE 5.0, and BLE 5.1. Examples of electronic devices that rely on BLE include hearing aids, smart watches, smart sensors (e.g., temperature sensors), insulin pumps, etc.

[0003] In order to test the quality of the corresponding receiver and transmitter, manufacturing tests are performed on BLE devices, known as devices under test (DUTs). Both receiver and transmitter testing are key for manufacturers to make correct quality assurance determinations for their products. Conventional testing involves using physical wire connections between the tester and the DUT, and the DUT must be in non-signaling mode when testing. This type of testing has several disadvantages. For example, the DUT may be very small, in which case there may not be enough physical space to fill the test points to enable testing. In addition, in order to perform testing in non-signaling mode, non-signaling firmware must be refreshed in the DUT, which increases production and testing time. Moreover, after performing testing with non-signaling firmware, the signaling firmware must be refreshed back in the DUT for normal operation. When the final product requires manual assembly of radio frequency (RF) and power lines inside the DUT, it is difficult to determine the performance of the DUT after final assembly because the test points cannot be accessed after assembly. In addition, the RF performance of one DUT is tested at a time, which greatly increases the test time for testing multiple DUTs.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a more efficient technique to test receivers and transmitters in a DUT, where the testing can be performed in a signaling mode and multiple DUTs can be tested simultaneously. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Embodiments are best illustrated by the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be emphasized that the various features are not necessarily drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions may be arbitrarily increased or decreased for clarity of discussion. Where applicable and practical, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements.

[0006] Figure 1 is a simplified block diagram of a system for performing over-the-air (OTA) testing of one or more devices under test (DUTs) operating in a signaling mode, according to a representative embodiment.

[0007] Figure 2is a simplified flow chart of a method for performing OTA testing on one or more DUTs operating in a signaling mode, according to a representative embodiment.

[0008] Figure 3A is a simplified schematic diagram of power levels during two advertising events, where the RF power of the test instrument RF radio is greater than the RF power of the DUT's advertising channel, according to a representative embodiment.

[0009] Figure 3B is a simplified schematic diagram of power levels during two advertising events, where the RF power of the test instrument RF radio is less than the RF power of the DUT's advertising channel, according to a representative embodiment.

[0010] Figure 3C is a simplified schematic diagram of power levels during two advertising events according to a representative embodiment, where the RF power of the test instrument RF radio is the same as the RF power of the DUT's advertising channel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] The present invention includes the following embodiments:

[0012] 1. A method for performing OTA testing on a plurality of devices under test (DUTs) operating in a signaling manner using an over-the-air (OTA) test instrument, the method comprising:

[0013] receiving advertisements in the advertisement set from each of the plurality of DUTs through an advertisement channel;

[0014] In response to the received advertisement, sending a scan request to each DUT via one of the advertising channels;

[0015] receiving scan responses from each DUT via said one of said advertising channels in response to at least some of said scan requests, respectively, wherein said advertisements, said scan requests, and said corresponding scan responses are included in an advertising event;

[0016] determining a corresponding advertising channel on which to send and receive the scan request and the scan response for each advertising event;

[0017] calculating a packet error rate (PER) of a radio frequency (RF) radio in each DUT using a ratio of received scan responses to sent scan requests corresponding to the DUT;

[0018] determining an RF power of the advertising channel based on an RF burst respectively associated with at least one of the advertisement and the scan response;

[0019] time stamping the PER and the determined RF power, respectively, and temporally correlating the PER and the determined RF power of the determined advertising channel based on the time stamp; and

[0020] Based on the associated PER and the determined RF power, a quality of the RF radio in the DUT is determined.

[0021] 2. The method of clause 1, wherein receiving the advertisement complies with one of the BLE 4.2, BLE 5.0 or BLE 5.1 ​​Bluetooth standards.

[0022] 3. The method of claim 2, wherein each advertising event enables bidirectional communication between the RF radio of the DUT and the RF radio of the OTA test instrument.

[0023] 4. The method of clause 3, wherein the advertisement comprises a connectable undirected (ADV_IND) advertisement or a scannable undirected (ADV_SCAN_IND) advertisement according to the Bluetooth standard.

[0024] 5. The method of item 1, wherein consecutive advertising events are separated in time by advertising intervals and advertising delays, and wherein the advertising intervals are less than about 10.24 ms and greater than about 20 ms, and the advertising delays are less than about 10 ms and greater than about 0 ms.

[0025] 6. The method of item 2, wherein the advertising channels include channel 37, channel 38 and channel 39 according to the Bluetooth standard.

[0026] 7. A method according to item 1, wherein the advertising channel on which the scan request and the scan response are sent and received for each advertising event is determined based on the relative position of the different power levels of the scan request compared to the power level of the advertisement.

[0027] 8. The method of clause 1, wherein the advertising channel on which the scan request and the scan response are sent and received for each advertising event is determined based on the relative width of the RF pulse train.

[0028] 9. The method of clause 1, wherein determining the quality of the RF radio in each DUT comprises determining the effectiveness of antenna placement of the RF radio in the DUT.

[0029] 10. The method of clause 1, wherein determining the quality of the RF radio in each DUT comprises comparing the RF power level of the advertising channel.

[0030] 11. The method of clause 1, wherein determining the RF power of the advertising channel comprises:

[0031] detecting an RF power signal corresponding to the advertising channel of the received advertising event in an RF power detector and converting the RF power signal into a corresponding DC signal;

[0032] sampling a DC signal from the RF power detector using an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in a microprocessor control unit (MCU); and

[0033] The DC signal in the MCU is processed by averaging the DC signal.

[0034] 12. The method of item 11, wherein the DC signal is sampled at approximately 10 nanoseconds.

[0035] 13. A system for performing over-the-air (OTA) testing of a plurality of devices under test (DUTs) operating in a signaling mode, the system comprising:

[0036] A radio frequency (RF) radio configured to:

[0037] receiving a plurality of advertisement sets from each DUT through a plurality of advertisement channels according to predetermined criteria, each advertisement set being included in an advertisement event;

[0038] sending a scan request to each DUT via one of the plurality of advertising channels in response to the received advertising set, respectively;

[0039] receiving scan responses from the DUT via the one of the plurality of advertising channels in response to at least some of the scan requests, respectively, wherein each advertising event further comprises a scan request and a corresponding scan response;

[0040] an RF power detector configured to respectively detect RF power of the RF pulse trains in the advertising events and convert the detected RF power into a DC power signal; and

[0041] A microprocessor control unit (MCU) programmed to:

[0042] receiving and time-stamping the scan request and the scan response from the RF radio;

[0043] receiving and time-stamping the DC power signal from the RF power detector;

[0044] identifying respective advertising channels on which the scan requests and the scan responses are sent and received;

[0045] Calculating a packet error rate (PER) of a receiver in an RF radio in each DUT using a ratio of scan responses received to scan requests sent;

[0046] determining an RF power of a transmitter in the RF radio in each DUT using the DC power signal;

[0047] temporally correlating the PER and the determined RF power based on the time stamp; and

[0048] Based on the calculated PER and the determined RF power, the quality of the RF radio in each DUT is determined.

[0049] 14. The system according to item 13, further comprising:

[0050] A host computer is in communication with the MCU and is programmed to display at least the calculated PER, the determined RF power, and a pass / fail indication corresponding to the plurality of advertising channels for each DUT.

[0051] 15. A system according to item 13, wherein identifying the corresponding advertising channels on which the scanning requests and the scanning responses are sent and received includes comparing the relative positions of different power levels of the scanning requests with the power levels of the advertisements.

[0052] 16. A system according to item 13, wherein identifying the corresponding advertising channels on which the scanning requests and the scanning responses are sent and received includes comparing the relative widths of the RF pulse trains.

[0053] 17. The system of item 13, wherein the RF radio is further configured to determine a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the receiver in each DUT.

[0054] 18. The system of clause 13, wherein the predetermined standard comprises one of BLE 4.2, BLE 5.0 or BLE5.1.

[0055] 19. The system of clause 18, wherein the advertisement comprises a connectable undirected (ADV_IND) advertisement or a scannable undirected (ADV_SCAN_IND) advertisement.

[0056] 20. A method for performing an OTA test on a device under test (DUT) operating in a signaling manner using an over-the-air (OTA) test instrument, the method comprising:

[0057] receiving an advertisement set from the DUT via a plurality of advertisement channels of a radio frequency (RF) radio in the DUT;

[0058] sending a query to the DUT in each advertisement set via one of the advertisement channels, respectively in response to the received advertisement sets;

[0059] receiving, in response to at least some of the queries, an acknowledgement from the DUT via the one of the advertising channels in each advertising set, wherein the advertising event includes the advertising set and the corresponding queries and acknowledgements, respectively;

[0060] identifying a corresponding advertising channel on which the query was sent and receiving the acknowledgement for each advertising set;

[0061] calculating a packet error rate (PER) for each of the advertising channels using a ratio of received acknowledgments and sent queries corresponding to the advertising channels;

[0062] determining an RF power for each of the advertising channels based on an RF burst associated with at least one of the advertisement and the acknowledgement corresponding to the advertising channel;

[0063] time stamping the PER and the RF power of each of the advertising channels and temporally correlating the PER and the determined RF power of the determined advertising channel based on the time stamp; and

[0064] Based on the associated PER and the determined RF power, a quality of the RF radio in the DUT is determined.

[0065] In the detailed description below, representative embodiments of the disclosure of specific details are set forth for the purpose of explanation rather than limitation, so as to more fully understand the embodiments according to this teaching. The description of known systems, devices, materials, operating methods and manufacturing methods can be omitted to avoid the description of representative embodiments becoming difficult to understand. However, such systems, devices, materials and methods known to those of ordinary skill in the art are within the scope of this teaching and can be used according to representative embodiments. It should also be understood that the terms used herein are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to be restrictive. The defined terms are supplements to the technical and scientific meanings of the defined terms that are generally understood and accepted in the technical field of this teaching.

[0066] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements or components, these elements or components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element or component from another element or component. Therefore, without departing from the teaching of the present disclosure, the first element or component discussed below may be referred to as the second element or component.

[0067] The terms used herein are used only to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms of the terms "a, an" and "the" are intended to include both the singular and the plural forms, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, the terms "comprises and / or comprising" and / or similar terms when used in this specification specify the presence of the features, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated enumerated items.

[0068] Unless otherwise specified, when an element or component is referred to as being "connected to," "coupled to," or "adjacent to" another element or component, it should be understood that the element or component may be directly connected or coupled to the other element or component, or there may be intervening elements or components. That is, these and similar terms cover situations where one or more intermediate elements or components may be employed to connect two elements or components. However, when an element or component is referred to as being "directly connected" to another element or component, this only covers situations where the two elements or components are connected to each other without any intermediate or intervening elements or components.

[0069] In view of the foregoing, the present disclosure herein is intended to demonstrate one or more advantages specifically noted below through one or more of its various aspects, embodiments, and / or specific features or subcomponents. For the purpose of explanation and not limitation, example embodiments disclosing specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments according to the present teachings. However, other embodiments consistent with the present disclosure that depart from the specific details disclosed herein are still within the scope of the appended claims. In addition, well-known devices and methods are not repeated here so as not to affect the description of the exemplary embodiments. Such methods and devices are within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0070] Figure 1 is a simplified block diagram of a system for performing OTA testing of one or more DUTs operating in a signaling mode, according to a representative embodiment.

[0071] refer to Figure 1 The test system 100 includes a host computer 110, a test instrument 120, and an antenna 130 for wirelessly communicating with a plurality of DUTs in a test chamber 140, wherein the DUTs are represented by a representative DUT 150. 11 , 150 12 ...150 1y ; 150 21 , 150 22 ...150 12 ; and 150 x1 , 150x2 ...150 xy Indication (x and y are positive integers) (collectively referred to as DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy The test system 100 is generally configured to be used in a test instrument 120 and a DUT 150 respectively. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy The DUT 150 is substantially simultaneously determined by measuring the packet error rate (PER) of the RF signal transmitted between each of the DUTs 150 and the detected power. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy The functionality and quality of the radio frequency (RF) receiver and RF transmitter of the device are measured. It is worth noting that because the test is performed OTA, the DUT 150 is tested in the signaling mode rather than the non-signaling mode. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy Therefore, there is no need to perform software or firmware updates, such as flashing non-signaling firmware prior to testing, thereby reducing test time. The test system 100 can be used to test all DUTs 150 simultaneously. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy To further reduce the test time. For example, in one embodiment, the test system 100 can perform OTA testing on up to 40 DUTs (e.g., n=5, m=8) simultaneously in less than about 10 seconds. Figure 1 A scenario is depicted where multiple DUTs are tested simultaneously, but it should be understood that the test system 100 may be used to test a single DUT in substantially the same manner as described herein without departing from the scope of the present teachings.

[0072] The test instrument 120 includes a microprocessor control unit (MCU) 122, an RF radio 124, a power detector 126, and an RF splitter 128. The user can access the test instrument 120 from, for example, a host computer 110 or other external computing device. However, in an alternative embodiment, the test instrument 120 may include a user interface, in which case the user can directly access the test instrument 120 without departing from the scope of the present teachings. The host computer 110 includes its own processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a memory for storing executable software / firmware code that enables the various functions described herein to be performed, and a display for displaying a graphical user interface (GUI). The memory can be implemented by, for example, any number, type, and combination of random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM) or other volatile and non-volatile memory, and can store various types of information, such as computer programs and software algorithms that can be executed by the processor. The user can access the GUI using any input device (such as a keyboard, mouse, and / or touch screen) to initiate the test process. For example, the user can enter the DUT 150 to be tested. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy Alternatively, the host computer 110 may determine the number of DUTs 150 to be tested based in part on the number of DUTs 150 to be tested. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy Then, the host computer 110 initiates the test and sends a signal to the MCU 122 to start the PER and RF power measurement as well as the test time T and the DUT 150. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy According to various embodiments, for example, the test time T may be about 5 to 6 seconds to test up to 40 DUTs simultaneously, although other times may be included without departing from the scope of the present teachings.

[0073] The MCU 122 may include a processor, memory, and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The processor may include one or more computer processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or combinations thereof using any combination of hardware, software, firmware, hardwired logic circuits, or combinations thereof. The memory may be implemented by, for example, any number, type, and combination of RAM and ROM or other volatile and non-volatile memory, and may store various types of information, such as computer programs and software algorithms executable by the processor. The MCU 122 is configured to start testing the DUT 150 in response to a command from the host computer 110. 11, 150 12 ...150 xy , causing the RF radio 124 to begin receiving and sending test messages, and the RF power detector 126 to begin detecting the power of the received test messages.

[0074] The RF radio 124 includes a 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy One or more transmitters and receivers that transmit and receive RF signals including test messages, and a radio processor and memory (similar to those described above with reference to MCU 122) for controlling the operation of the transmitters and receivers. In various embodiments, the RF radio 124 can be, for example, a Bluetooth radio configured according to a well-known Bluetooth standard such as BLE 4.2, BLE 5.0, or BLE 5.1, although other wireless RF communication standards and other Bluetooth standards may be implemented without departing from the scope of the present teachings. For purposes of illustration and not limitation, the functionality and corresponding methods of the test system 100 will be described with reference to BLE 4.2 and 5.0, although it should be understood that the methods may be implemented by other BLE and Bluetooth standards or other wireless communication standards without departing from the scope of the present teachings.

[0075] When the test is initiated, the RF radio 124 receives the DUT 150 from the DUT 150 during the test time T. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy Each of the DUTs receives an advertisement. The advertisement includes identifying the DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy The DUT is identified by the following data packets, along with additional advertising data, such as DUT time, DUT capabilities, etc. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy The data packet may indicate, for example, a corresponding media access control (MAC) address, although other identifying data may be included without departing from the scope of the present teachings. As is known in the art, DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy is programmed to automatically advertise at various intervals while searching for an RF receiver. In one embodiment, the DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xyEach of the DUT 150 transmits periodically, and the RF radio 124 receives multiple advertisements at different frequencies through multiple advertising channels. For example, BLE 4.2 and 5.0 and other Bluetooth standards provide three advertising channels among the 40 available channels, for example, channel 37 (2402 MHz), channel 38 (2426 MHz), and channel 39 (2480 MHz). Therefore, the DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy The three advertisements sent by one of the three advertising channels will be included in one advertising event. Each advertisement is sent by DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy One of the DUT powers is transmitted at a DUT power, the DUT power being 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy may vary between and is one of the parameters to be measured during testing.

[0076] It is worth noting that DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy Advertisements are transmitted on advertising channels 37, 38, and 39 after power-up to enable connection with a central BLE device (in this case, the RF radio 124). According to BLE 4.2 and 5.0 and other Bluetooth standards, there are four different types of advertisements: (i) connectable undirected advertisements (ADV_IND), (ii) connectable directed advertisements (ADV_DIRECT_IND), (iii) scannable undirected advertisements (ADV_SCAN_IND), and (iv) non-connectable undirected advertisements (ADV_NONCONN_IND). Of these four advertisements, only connectable undirected advertisements (ADV_IND) and scannable undirected advertisements (ADV_SCAN_IND) support scan request and scan response messaging, so DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy Capable of connectable undirected advertising (ADV_IND) and scannable undirected advertising (ADV_SCAN_IND).

[0077] In response to receiving the advertisement, the RF radio 124 transmits an RF signal including a request message or query to the DUT 150 that sent the advertisement. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xyThe request message is transmitted at the same frequency (via the same channel) as the advertisement and at the power of the RF radio 124. Although in some cases the RF radio power can be the same as the DUT power, the RF radio power is typically the same as the DUT 150. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy The DUT power of any one of them is different. When using BLE 4.2 and 5.0 and other Bluetooth standards, the request message can be a scan request (SCAN_REQ), which is transmitted through one of the three advertising channels on which the corresponding advertisement is sent. Depending on the relative timing of receiving advertisements, the RF radio 124 does not have to respond to each advertisement in one advertising event. For example, in an embodiment, each advertising event includes a scan request sent through one of the three channels on which the three advertisements of the advertising event are received.

[0078] In response to the request message, DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy One of the RF radios 124 is presumably sending a response message or confirmation, which is transmitted on the same channel (at the same frequency) as the advertisement and request messages. When the RF radio 124 sends and receives a response message, this indicates that the DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy The receiver of one of the DUTs 150 has successfully received the request message and is otherwise functioning normally. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy A comparison (e.g., a ratio) of the number of request messages to the number of corresponding response messages indicates that the DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy The PER of each corresponding receiver channel of one of the receivers may be determined by the MCU 122 as discussed below.

[0079] When using BLE 4.2 and 5.0 and other Bluetooth standards, the response message may be a scan response (SCAN_RESP). The scan response includes a simple acknowledgement (ACK) that can be read by the RF radio 124. The scan response may also include additional data, such as the type of DUT, although such additional data may not be included without departing from the scope of the present teachings. 11 , 15012 ...150 xy Each advertisement set in an advertisement event sent by the same DUT 150 on an available advertising channel, providing a corresponding scan request in response to one of the advertisements, and providing a scan response in response to the scan request constitutes an advertisement event. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy The set of transmissions of the RF radio 124 during an advertising event can be considered as a set of RF pulse trains, including advertisements, scan requests, and scan responses. That is, because BLE 4.2 and 5.0 and other Bluetooth standards provide three advertising channels, the DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy The advertising event (and corresponding RF pulse train) of one of the three advertising channels includes three advertisements on the three advertising channels, one scan request on one of the three advertising channels, and one scan response on the same advertisement on the three advertising channels. Moreover, during the test time T, the advertising event occurs continuously between the RF radio 124 and the DUT 150. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy between, so that before the end of the test time T, the RF radio 124 has been directed to the DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy Each of the accumulates multiple ad events.

[0080] As mentioned above, the RF radio 124 tracks each scan request sent by the RF radio 124 that resulted in the receipt of a corresponding scan response (as a pass packet) and each scan request sent by the RF radio 124 that did not result in the receipt of a corresponding scan response (as a fail packet), which information can be used to determine whether the DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy In other words, each advertising event results in a 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy The RF radio 124 sends the indications of successful and failed exchanges to the MCU 122, which timestamps the indications. The MCU 122 determines the DUT 150 by determining the ratio of scan responses to corresponding scan requests for each channel. 11 , 150 12...150 xy 150. That is, for each advertising channel, PER=(1.0-(number of scan responses / number of scan requests))*100, or PER=(1.0-(failed packets / passed packets))*100. Alternatively or in addition, the RF radio 124 may calculate a ratio of the PERs for each channel and send the timestamped ratio / PER to the MCU 122, or the MCU 122 may timestamp the received ratio / PER. In various embodiments, as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, the RF radio 124 is configured to determine the DUT 150. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy Additional indicators of receiver quality in the RF burst, such as a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for each of the RF bursts.

[0081] At the same time, the RF power detector 126 is configured to detect the advertisement and / or the DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy The RF power of the RF signal of the transmitted response message is used to detect the DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy , as discussed above. The RF power detector 126 may include, for example, a diode peak detector for determining an RF power value of the RF signal, and a DC converter for converting the detected RF power value into a DC power signal. Of course, other types of RF power detection may be included without departing from the scope of the present teachings. The RF power detector 126 receives the RF signal through the RF splitter 128. The DC power signal reaches the MCU 122 through the RF power detector 126, which timestamps the DC power signal and performs further processing, as discussed below. For example, when using BLE 4.2 and 5.0 and other Bluetooth standards, the RF power detector 126 detects the RF power associated with each advertising event by detecting the RF power of an advertisement in three advertising channels and / or a scan response in one of the three advertising channels. The detected RF power is associated with a specific advertising channel in which the corresponding advertisement and / or scan response was received. In this way, the DUT 150 can be determined. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy The RF power of each advertising channel.

[0082] The MCU 122 is also configured to receive and time stamp the number of pass and fail packets (and / or the ratio of scan responses to scan requests) from the RF radio 124, and to receive and time stamp the DC power signal from the RF power detector 126, as just mentioned. The MCU 122 includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to digitize the DC power signal received from the RF power detector 126, for example, the MCU 122 may capture the DC power signal at approximately 10 nanosecond intervals, although any compatible sampling rate may be included without departing from the scope of the present teachings. In various embodiments, the MCU 122 may also receive and time stamp the advertisement and scan response data from the RF radio 124, in which case the MCU 122 may perform the pass / fail packet determination itself. As discussed above, the MCU 122 uses the ratio of scan responses to scan requests to provide the DUT 150 with a time stamp. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy MCU 122 also uses the DC power signal to calculate the PER of each advertising channel of the receiver. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy Each of which determines the RF power of each of the RF pulse trains for each advertising channel from the transmitter.

[0083] The MCU 122 uses time stamping to correlate the PER of each receiver channel and the RF power of each transmitter channel in time to provide information about the DUT 150. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy The MCU 122 may also determine the quality of the DUT RF radio by varying the transmit power level of the RF radio 124 before sending a scan request in an advertising event. For example, when the sensitivity level of the DUT is known to be -80 dB, the transmit power level of the RF radio 124 may be adjusted to be around -80 dB to determine the PER. When the sensitivity level of the DUT is unknown, a power level sensitivity search may be performed by stepping through various power levels of the transmit power of the RF radio 124 in response to various power levels to determine the precise PER and thereby determine the DUT RF radio receive sensitivity. ... based at least in part on the PER and the RF power and other parameters such as the DUT 150. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy The DUT 150 may determine information such as the power level at which the advertisement is transmitted and the like. 11, 150 12 ...150 xy For example, MCU 122 may be used to determine other parameters of DUT 150. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy Each transmitter advertises RF power and frequency to predict the battery drain rate and determine the DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy This information informs the customer of the expected battery life of each of the DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy quality.

[0084] The MCU 122 sends information to the host computer 110 via the GUI, which is configured to provide all or part of the information. For example, the host computer 110 can display the calculated PER of the receiver channel and the determined RF power of the transmitter channel and a pass / fail indication, which is consistent with the DUT 150. 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy As mentioned above, the method for testing multiple DUTs simultaneously is described. However, it should be understood that the method can also be performed for a single DUT or one DUT at a time.

[0085] Figure 2 1 is a simplified flow chart of a method for performing OTA testing on one or more DUTs operating in a signaling mode according to a representative embodiment. The method may be performed by a test instrument 120. Thus, as indicated below, the various steps may be performed by an MCU 122, an RF radio 124, and a power detector 126. In addition, although Figure 2 The operation of is described by the following steps, but for the purpose of illustration, it should be understood that the operation is substantially performed in parallel within a manageable range. For example, the processing steps can be performed by MCU 122 using multiple threads running simultaneously, while other steps are performed by RF radio 124 and power detector 126 respectively.

[0086] refer to Figure 2 In block S211, a start command is received to start the operation of multiple DUTs (eg, DUT 150 11 , 150 12 ...150 xy) to simultaneously determine the quality of the RF receiver and transmitter in the DUT. The command may include a test time T during which measurements for the quality test are performed. For example, the command may be received from a host computer (e.g., host computer 110) or a direct user interface. Performing OTA testing of multiple DUTs simultaneously means completing OTA testing of all DUTs within the test time T. Moreover, for convenience, the description is made with reference to a single DUT. Figure 2 , although it should be understood that the same processing will be performed on all DUTs during the test time T.

[0087] In block S212, a PER test of the DUT receiver is initiated for test time T. At substantially the same time, an RF power detection of the DUT transmitter is initiated in block S213, also for test time T. For example, the PER test may be performed on data from the RF radio 124, and the RF power detection may be performed using data from the RF power detector 126.

[0088] Referring first to the PER test, for ease of explanation, in block S214, the RF radio 124 listens for advertisements from the DUT. In one embodiment, the RF radio 124 listens for advertisements on a designated advertising channel of the DUT (such as channels 37, 38, and 39 in BLE 4.2 and 5.0). In block S215, it is determined whether the test time T has elapsed. When the test time T has not elapsed (block S215: No), it is determined in block S216 whether an advertisement has been received. When no advertisement has been received (block S216: No), the process returns to block S214 to continue looking for advertisements from the DUT. When an advertisement has been received (block S216: Yes), in block S217, the DUT that transmitted the received advertisement is identified, for example, using the MAC address included in the advertisement. The MAC address may also be included in any scan response from the DUT.

[0089] In block S218, in response to the received advertisement, a request message or query (e.g., a scan request) is transmitted to the same DUT on the same channel, and a timer is set for a test time when transmitting, during which a response message (e.g., a scan response) is received from the DUT. For BLE 4.2 and 5.0 and other Bluetooth standards, the test time T can be, for example, 150 microseconds, although other times can be included without departing from the scope of the present teachings. Similarly, the advertisement must be a connectable undirected advertisement (ADV_IND) or a scannable undirected advertisement (ADV_SCAN_IND) message as discussed above, because it supports sending a scan request. Therefore, an optional additional step (not shown) can be included after block S216 to determine whether the received advertisement is one of these two types of advertisements, if so, the process continues, and if not, returns to block S214. For example, in block S214, the RF radio application can initialize the physical layer to look for advertisements. When the physical layer receives the advertisement, it decodes the advertisement time, and when determining that the type of advertisement is connectable undirected advertisement (ADV_IND) or scannable undirected advertisement (ADV_SCAN_IND), the application instructs the physical layer to send a scan request to the DUT, for example in block S218.

[0090] A determination is made in block S219 as to whether a response message or (e.g., a scan response) has been received within the test time T. When a response message has not been received (block S219: No), a failed packet indicator is incremented in block S220 and the process returns to step S214 to continue listening for advertisements. When a response message is received within the test time T (block S219: Yes), a passed packet indicator is incremented in block S221 and the process returns to block S214 to continue listening for advertisements from the DUT (for the remainder of duration T).

[0091] When it is finally determined in block S215 that the test time T has passed (block S215: Yes), the MCU receives and timestamps PER information related to the test of the DUT receiver in block S222. That is, the MCU receives and timestamps at least the number of failed packets determined in block S220 and the number of passed packets determined in block S221 for each of the advertising channels in block S222.

[0092] At the same time, at substantially the same time that the PER measurement is performed, parallel processing is performed for the RF power detection initiated in block S213. After initiation, it is determined in block S225 whether the time-stamped number of failed packets and the number of passed packets in block S223 have been received (e.g., by the MCU), effectively indicating that the PER determination process has been completed. Optionally, it can be determined in block S224 whether the test time T has passed. When the number of failed / passed packets has not been received or the test time T has not passed (block S225: No), the RF power for the advertisement received in block S216 and the scan response to the corresponding advertisement channel of the DUT received in block S218 is detected in block S226 (e.g., by the RF power detector 126). In various embodiments, the RF power can be detected using only the advertisement, only the scan response, or both. In block S227, the detected RF power is converted into a DC power signal by a DC converter.

[0093] Then, the process returns to block S225 to determine whether the PER determination process has been completed (or whether the test time T has elapsed). Finally, when the number of failed / passed packets has been received and / or the test time T has elapsed (block S225: yes), in block S228, the MCU receives and timestamps the DC power signal. Alternatively, without departing from the scope of the present teachings, the DC power signal may be received and timestamped when the power detector generates the DC power signal.

[0094] In box S229, it is determined on which advertising channel the message transfer is performed. For example, the MCU can determine or identify the channels on which advertisements, request messages, and response messages have been transmitted / received, respectively. As mentioned above, advertisements, request messages, and response messages can be grouped together with one or more other advertisements in an advertising event. For example, for BLE 4.2 and 5.0 and other Bluetooth standards, an advertising event includes an advertisement set transmitted on three advertising channels 37, 38, and 39, and a scan request and a corresponding scan response on one of the three advertising channels 37, 38, and 39. In this case, it can be determined in box S229 on which channel the scan request and scan response of the advertising event have been specifically transmitted / received (because the scan request and scan response are exchanged on the same channel). For example, the channel can be identified by comparing the relative RF power of the advertisement, the scan request and scan response of each of the advertising events, and / or analyzing and comparing the length of each of the advertising events. The determination of the advertising channel is described below with reference to Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3C Have a discussion.

[0095] In block S230, the PER of each of the advertising channels is calculated, for example, by dividing the number of failed packets by the number of passed packets to obtain a ratio of failed scan responses to scan requests, thereby indicating the quality of the receiver in the DUT from a sensitivity perspective. That is, for each advertising channel, PER = (1.0-(number of scan responses / number of scan requests)) * 100, or PER = (1.0-(failed packets / passed packets)) * 100. The RF power of each of the advertising channels is determined in block S231, thereby indicating the quality of the transmitter in the DUT from a power perspective. For example, the RF power of each advertising channel can be determined by sampling and digitizing the received DC power signal using the ADC of the MCU and by averaging the DC signal associated with the advertising channel. Moreover, using the timestamp, the PER determination for the receiver from block S230 and the RF power determination for the transmitter from block S231 can be associated with each other in block S232 to indicate the corresponding receiver and transmitter characteristics of each channel.

[0096] In block S233, the test results are sent to a host computer (e.g., host computer 110) for additional processing and / or display. In various embodiments, additional information may also be sent to the host computer. For example, the host computer may receive the test results (e.g., the determined PER and detected RF power of the advertising channel of the DUT), as well as various raw data, such as the number of failed packets and passed packets and secondary channel advertising data, such as connection intervals. The host computer may display this information in various combinations. As mentioned above, the host computer may include a GUI that enables a user to interact with the host computer to organize and display all or part of the PER and RF power and raw data, and to cause the host computer to perform additional calculations.

[0097] Moreover, the host computer can use the results and information provided by the test instrument to determine other information about the DUT test. For example, for a DUT running on a battery button cell, the host computer can identify factors that affect battery power consumption and display the factors, so that the battery can be used efficiently and the battery life can be tracked. For example, a DUT that frequently issues advertisements will consume more battery power than a DUT that issues advertisements less frequently. Therefore, the host computer can receive data indicating the frequency of advertisement transmissions from the MCU, and calculate the battery consumption rate based on the advertisement transmission frequency and the corresponding detected RF power level associated with the advertisement transmission. The battery consumption rate can be used for quality determination, such as accepting or rejecting the DUT involved, or otherwise rating the quality of the DUT. Other information can include determining the effectiveness of the antenna placement of the Bluetooth radio in the DUT based on the quality of the indicated Bluetooth radio. Moreover, the RF power levels of the advertising channels in the DUT can be compared with each other, which can enable the selection of only one advertising channel for advertising (e.g., the advertising channel with the lowest RF power to save battery, as discussed above).

[0098] As discussed above, Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3C is a simplified schematic diagram for determining RF power levels for two advertising events in three advertising channels of a channel according to a representative embodiment. Although three advertising channels are shown for each of the advertising events, it should be understood that more or fewer advertising channels may be used in various embodiments. Figure 3A In , the power level of the RF radio in the test instrument (e.g., RF radio 124) is greater than the power level of the advertising channel of the DUT RF radio. Figure 3B The power level of the RF radio in the test instrument is less than the power level of the advertising channel. Figure 3C , the power level of the RF radio in the test instrument is the same as the power level of the advertising channels. For convenience, it is assumed that the RF power levels of the three advertising channels (e.g., channels 37, 38, and 39) are the same, although it should be understood that the advertising channels may have the same or different RF power levels as each other (and different RF power levels than the test instrument's RF power level) in various embodiments. Figure 2 Indicated by block S229 for Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3C The channel that represents the advertising event is determined by

[0099] refer to Figure 3A, there are two illustrative advertising events: a first advertising event 311 and a second advertising event 312. Each of the first advertising event 311 and the second advertising event 312 includes advertisements received in the order of channel 37, channel 38, and channel 39, although it should be understood that the advertisements may be received in an alternate order without departing from the scope of the present teachings. In the depicted example, in the first advertising event 311, the RF radio transmits a scan request SQ and receives a scan response SR on channel 38, and in the second advertising event 312, the RF radio transmits a scan request SQ and receives a scan response SR on channel 37. Because the RF power of the RF radio is higher than the RF power of the DUT under test, the scan request SQ can be identified by the relatively high RF power level.

[0100] In addition, the relative position of the higher power scan request SQ (i.e., following the two lower power signals in the first advertisement event 311) indicates that the scan request SQ is transmitted on channel 38. That is, in this example, the first lower power signal corresponds to the advertisement on channel 37, and the second lower power signal corresponds to the advertisement on channel 38. Therefore, the position of the higher power scan request SQ adjacent to the second lower power signal indicates that the scan request SQ is also on channel 38. Similarly, the relative position of the higher power scan request SQ (i.e., following a lower power signal in the second advertisement event 312) indicates that the scan request SQ is transmitted on channel 37, where the first lower power signal corresponds to the advertisement on channel 37. In general, a power mode of low-high-low-low-low indicates that channel 37 is used for scan request / response, a power mode of low-low-high-low-low indicates that channel 38 is used for scan request / response, and a power mode of low-low-low-high-low indicates that channel 39 is used for scan request / response.

[0101] In addition, the start of the first advertising event 311 and the second advertising event 312 are separated in time by an advertising interval (advint) plus an advertising delay (adv delay). For example, the advertising interval can be an integer multiple of 0.626 ms in the range of about 20 ms to about 10.24 s (e.g., about 100 ms), and the advertising delay is in the range of about 0 to about 10 ms. When the advertisement is a connectable undirected advertisement (ADV_IND) used in low duty cycle mode, the advertising interval can be about 20 ms or greater. When the advertisement is a scannable undirected advertisement (ADV_SCAN_IND), the advertising interval must not be less than 100 ms. The advertising delay is a pseudo-random value in the range of about 0 to about 10 milliseconds and can be generated by the link layer for each of the first advertising event 310 and the second advertising event 320.

[0102] Within an advertising event, the interval between receiving advertisements on different channels may be referred to as a scanning interval. In the depicted example, the scanning interval S1 between the advertisement on channel 37 and the advertisement on channel 38 is less than the scanning interval S2 between the advertisement on channel 38 and the advertisement on channel 39. This is because the scanning interval S2 includes the scanning request and scanning response signals on channel 38, which add the timing of two additional scanning windows to the scanning interval S2. In the second advertising event 312, because the scanning request and scanning response signals are transmitted on channel 37, the scanning interval between the advertisement on channel 37 and the advertisement on channel 38 is longer. That is, the scanning interval S3 between the advertisement on channel 37 and the advertisement on channel 38 is greater than the scanning interval S4 between the advertisement on channel 38 and the advertisement on channel 38.

[0103] refer to Figure 3B , there are two illustrative advertising events: a first advertising event 321 and a second advertising event 322. Each of the first advertising event 321 and the second advertising event 322 includes advertisements received in the order of channel 37, channel 38, and channel 39. In the depicted example, in the first advertising event 321, the RF radio transmits a scan request SQ and receives a scan response SR on channel 38, and in the second advertising event 322, the RF radio transmits a scan request SQ and receives a scan response SR on channel 39. Because the RF power of the RF radio is lower than the RF power of the DUT under test, the scan request SQ can be identified by a relatively low RF power level.

[0104] In addition, the relative position of the higher power scan request SQ (i.e., following the two higher power signals in the first advertisement event 321) indicates that the scan request SQ is transmitted on channel 38. That is, in this example, the first higher power signal corresponds to an advertisement on channel 37, and the second higher power signal corresponds to an advertisement on channel 38. Therefore, the position of the lower power scan request SQ adjacent to the second higher power signal indicates that the scan request SQ is also on channel 38. Similarly, the relative position of the lower power scan request SQ (i.e., following the three higher power signals in the second advertisement event 322) indicates that the scan request SQ is transmitted on channel 39, wherein the first higher power signal corresponds to an advertisement on channel 37, the second higher power signal corresponds to an advertisement on channel 38, and the third higher power signal corresponds to an advertisement on channel 39. In general, the power pattern of high-low-high-high-high indicates that channel 37 is used for scan request / response, the power pattern of high-high-low-high-high indicates that channel 38 is used for scan request / response, and the power pattern of high-high-high-low-high indicates that channel 39 is used for scan request / response. The advertising interval and advertising delay as well as the scanning interval are determined as above with reference to Figure 3A Same as discussed.

[0105] refer to Figure 3C , there are two illustrative advertising events: a first advertising event 331 and a second advertising event 332. Each of the first advertising event 331 and the second advertising event 332 includes advertisements received in the order of channel 37, channel 38, and channel 39. In the depicted example, in the first advertising event 331, the RF radio transmits a scan request SQ and receives a scan response SR on channel 38, and in the second advertising event 332, no scan request SQ is transmitted.

[0106] Because the RF power of the RF radio is the same as the RF power of the DUT under test, the location of the scan request SQ cannot be identified by comparing the RF power levels. Instead, based on the total time of the advertising event from the start of the advertising event to the end of the advertising event, it is determined whether the first advertising event 331 and the second advertising event 332 include a scan request and a scan response exchange. By comparing the RF pulse trains, it is further determined on which channel the scan request SQ and the scan response SR are exchanged. That is, for example, RF power information can be collected by an RF power detector (e.g., RF power detector 126) at a sampling rate of 10 nanoseconds. Therefore, the length of each of these RF pulse trains can be determined. In all three advertising channels, the length of the RF pulse train for advertising should be the same. Therefore, the length of the RF pulse train corresponding to the advertisement (channel 37 and channel 39) and the total length of the RF pulse train with the advertisement, the scan request, and the scan response (channel 38) can be inversely calculated. The longer RF pulse train is associated with channel 38 and therefore includes a scan request and a scan response. Typically, the long-short-short RF burst pattern indication channel 37 is used for scan request / response, the short-long-short RF burst power pattern indication channel 38 is used for scan request / response, and the short-short-long RF burst pattern indication channel 39 is used for scan request / response. The advertising interval and advertising delay as well as the scanning interval are determined as described above with reference to Figure 3A Same as discussed.

[0107] In addition, when the advertising event includes a scan request and a scan response (as in the first advertising event 331), the time between the start of the advertising event and the end of the advertising event is longer than when the advertising event does not include a scan request and a scan response (as in the second advertising event 332). Therefore, this timing information can generally be used to identify those advertising events that include a scan request and a scan response.

[0108] Thus, the channel on which scan requests and scan responses and advertisements are provided in relation to an advertisement event can be determined based on the timing and relative power of the RF radio transmitters in the test instrument and the DUT. Channel-specific data and calculations (such as PER) can then be correctly associated with the channel. Using an MCU to identify channels based on timing and relative power is faster than other methods that require decoding by the RF radio. For example, information about scan requests in an advertisement event and corresponding scan responses for ultimately determining the PER of the DUT can be collected as quickly as about every 20 ms (timing between advertisement events).

[0109] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

[0110] Other variations to the disclosed embodiments may be understood and effected by one of ordinary skill in the art in practicing the claimed invention, by studying the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude the inclusion of other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0111] Although representative embodiments are disclosed herein, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that many variations are possible in light of the present teachings and still fall within the scope of the appended claim set. Accordingly, the present invention is not to be limited except within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for performing OTA testing on a plurality of devices under test (DUTs) operating in a signaling manner using a wireless OTA test instrument, the method comprising: receiving advertisements in the advertisement set from each of the plurality of DUTs through an advertisement channel; In response to the received advertisement, sending a scan request to each DUT via one of the advertising channels; receiving scan responses from each DUT via said one of said advertising channels in response to at least some of said scan requests, respectively, wherein said advertisements, said scan requests, and corresponding scan responses are included in an advertising event; determining a corresponding advertising channel on which to send and receive the scan request and the scan response for each advertising event; calculating a packet error rate (PER) of a radio frequency (RF) radio in each DUT using a ratio of received scan responses to sent scan requests corresponding to the DUT; determining an RF power of the advertising channel based on an RF burst respectively associated with at least one of the advertisement and the scan response; time stamping the PER and the determined RF power, respectively, and temporally correlating the PER and the determined RF power of the determined advertising channel based on the time stamp; as well as Based on the associated PER and the determined RF power, a quality of the RF radio in the DUT is determined.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the advertisement complies with one of the BLE 4.2, BLE 5.0 or BLE 5.1 ​​Bluetooth standards.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the advertising events enables bidirectional communication between the RF radio of the DUT and an RF radio of the OTA test instrument. 4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the advertisement comprises a connectable undirected (ADV_IND) advertisement or a scannable undirected (ADV_SCAN_IND) advertisement according to the Bluetooth standard.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein consecutive advertising events are separated in time by an advertising interval and an advertising delay, and wherein the advertising interval is less than 10.24s and greater than 20ms, and the advertising delay is less than 10ms and greater than 0ms.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the advertising channels include channel 37, channel 38, and channel 39 according to the Bluetooth standard.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising channel on which the scan request and the scan response are sent and received for each advertising event is determined based on the relative position of the different power levels of the scan request compared to the advertised power level.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising channel on which the scan request and the scan response are sent and received for each advertising event is determined based on the relative widths of the RF bursts.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the quality of the RF radio in each DUT comprises determining effectiveness of antenna placement of the RF radio in the DUT.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the quality of the RF radio in each DUT comprises comparing RF power levels of the advertising channel.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the RF power of the advertising channel comprises: detecting an RF power signal corresponding to the advertising channel of the received advertising event in an RF power detector and converting the RF power signal into a corresponding DC signal; sampling a DC signal from the RF power detector using an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in a microprocessor control unit (MCU); as well as The DC signal in the MCU is processed by averaging the DC signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the DC signal is sampled at 10 nanoseconds.

13. A system for performing wireless OTA testing of a plurality of devices under test (DUTs) operating in a signaling mode, the system comprising: A radio frequency (RF) radio configured to: receiving a plurality of advertisement sets from each DUT through a plurality of advertisement channels according to predetermined criteria, each advertisement set being included in an advertisement event; sending a scan request to each DUT via one of the plurality of advertising channels in response to the received plurality of advertising sets, respectively; receiving scan responses from the DUT via the one of the plurality of advertising channels in response to at least some of the scan requests, respectively, wherein each advertising event further comprises a scan request and a corresponding scan response; an RF power detector configured to respectively detect the RF power of the RF pulse trains in the advertising events and convert the detected RF power into a DC power signal; as well as A microprocessor control unit (MCU) programmed to: receiving and time-stamping the scan request and the scan response from the RF radio; receiving and time-stamping the DC power signal from the RF power detector; identifying respective advertising channels on which the scan requests and the scan responses are sent and received; Calculating a packet error rate (PER) of a receiver in an RF radio in each DUT using a ratio of scan responses received to scan requests sent; determining an RF power of a transmitter in the RF radio in each DUT using the DC power signal; temporally correlating the PER and the determined RF power based on the timestamp; as well as Based on the calculated PER and the determined RF power, the quality of the RF radio in each DUT is determined.

14. The system according to claim 13, further comprising: A host computer is in communication with the MCU and is programmed to display at least the calculated PER, the determined RF power, and a pass / fail indication corresponding to the plurality of advertising channels for each DUT.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein identifying the corresponding advertising channels on which the scan requests and the scan responses are sent and received comprises comparing relative positions of different power levels of the scan requests compared to the advertised power levels.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein identifying the corresponding advertising channels on which the scan requests and the scan responses are transmitted and received comprises comparing relative widths of the RF bursts.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the RF radio is further configured to determine a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the receiver in each DUT.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the predetermined standard comprises one of BLE 4.2, BLE 5.0, or BLE 5.

1.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the advertisement comprises a connectable undirected (ADV_IND) advertisement or a scannable undirected (ADV_SCAN_IND) advertisement.

20. A method for performing OTA testing on a device under test (DUT) operating in a signaling manner using a wireless OTA test instrument, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of advertisement sets from the DUT via a plurality of advertisement channels of a radio frequency (RF) radio in the DUT; sending a query to the DUT in each advertisement set via one of the advertisement channels in response to the received plurality of advertisement sets respectively; receiving, in each advertising set, acknowledgments from the DUT via the one of the advertising channels in response to at least some of the queries, respectively, wherein the advertising set and the corresponding queries and acknowledgments are respectively included in an advertising event; identifying a corresponding advertising channel on which the query was sent and receiving the acknowledgement for each advertising set; calculating a packet error rate (PER) for each of the advertising channels using a ratio of received acknowledgments and sent queries corresponding to the advertising channels; determining an RF power for each of the advertising channels based on an RF pulse train associated with at least one of the advertisement and the acknowledgement, wherein the advertisement and the acknowledgement correspond to the advertising channel; time stamping the PER and the RF power of each of the advertising channels and temporally correlating the PER and the determined RF power of the determined advertising channels based on the time stamp; as well as Based on the associated PER and the determined RF power, a quality of the RF radio in the DUT is determined.

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