Mixer testing device and method

Abstract

The present application is applicable to the field of automated testing technology, and provides a mixer test device and method. The mixer test device includes: a vector network analyzer, an intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, an RF transceiver switching module, a local oscillator source module and a controller. The vector network analyzer is respectively connected to the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module and the RF transceiver switching module, and is used to generate an intermediate frequency signal or a RF signal, and perform parameter testing on the received RF signal or intermediate frequency signal. The intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, the RF transceiver switching module, and the local oscillator source module are respectively connected to the mixer to be tested, and are respectively used to amplify or attenuate the intermediate frequency signal, amplify or attenuate the RF signal, and generate a local oscillator signal. The controller is respectively connected to the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, the RF transceiver switching module and the local oscillator source module, and is used to control the above modules. The mixer test device provided in the present application can improve the test stability of the mixer, shorten the test time, and improve the test efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of automated testing technology, and in particular to a mixer testing device and method. Background Art

[0002] In the field of radio communications, the quality of communication products depends on the design and implementation of RF communication hardware. As a key component of RF communication hardware, the linearity of the mixer determines the dynamic range of the link before and after the frequency conversion, the frequency conversion loss determines the gain of the link before and after the frequency conversion, and the spurious determines the index requirements of the filter of the transmission and reception links. It can be seen that the linearity, frequency conversion loss and spurious of the mixer play a decisive role in the performance indicators of the whole machine, so the testing of mixer parameters is very important.

[0003] The existing test of mixer parameters is completed by using two signal sources and a spectrum, which has the problem that the mixer parameters are limited and the test is unstable, thus resulting in low test efficiency. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, the embodiments of the present application provide a mixer testing device and method to solve the technical problems of the existing mixer testing devices and methods, such as limited mixer parameters and unstable testing, which in turn lead to low testing efficiency.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a mixer testing device, including: a vector network analyzer, an intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, a radio frequency transceiver switching module, a local oscillator source module and a controller.

[0006] The first port of the vector network analyzer is connected to the first signal port of the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, and the second port is connected to the fourth signal port of the radio frequency transceiver switching module. The vector network analyzer is used to generate an intermediate frequency signal and perform parameter testing on the received radio frequency signal, or to generate a radio frequency signal and perform parameter testing on the received intermediate frequency signal; the second signal port of the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module is connected to the intermediate frequency port of the mixer to be tested, and the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module is used to amplify or attenuate the intermediate frequency signal; the third signal port of the radio frequency transceiver switching module is connected to the radio frequency port of the mixer to be tested, and the radio frequency transceiver switching module is used to amplify or attenuate the radio frequency signal; the output port of the local oscillator source module is connected to the local oscillator port of the mixer to be tested, and the local oscillator source module is used to generate a local oscillator signal; the controller is respectively connected to the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, the radio frequency transceiver switching module and the local oscillator source module, and is used to control the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module to amplify or attenuate the intermediate frequency signal, and to control the radio frequency transceiver switching module to amplify or attenuate the radio frequency signal, and to control the local oscillator source module to generate a local oscillator signal.

[0007] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module also includes: a first intermediate frequency switch, a second intermediate frequency switch, a first power amplifier and a first power attenuator; one end of the first intermediate frequency switch is connected to the first signal port, and the other end is connected to the input end of the first power amplifier, the output end of the first power amplifier is connected to the second intermediate frequency switch, and the other end of the second intermediate frequency switch is connected to the second signal port; the output end of the first power attenuator is connected to the first intermediate frequency switch, and the input end is connected to the second intermediate frequency switch.

[0008] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first intermediate frequency switch, the second intermediate frequency switch and the first power amplifier constitute an intermediate frequency amplification channel, and the intermediate frequency amplification channel is used to amplify the intermediate frequency signal; the first intermediate frequency switch, the second intermediate frequency switch and the first power attenuator constitute an intermediate frequency attenuation channel, and the intermediate frequency attenuation channel is used to attenuate the intermediate frequency signal.

[0009] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the RF transceiver switching module also includes: a third RF switch, a fourth RF switch, a second power amplifier, a third power amplifier, a second power attenuator and a third power attenuator; one end of the fourth RF switch is connected to the fourth signal port, and the other end is connected to the input end of the third power amplifier, the output end of the third power amplifier is connected to the input end of the third power attenuator, the output end of the third power attenuator is connected to the input end of the second power amplifier, the output end of the second power amplifier is connected to the third RF switch, and the other end of the third RF switch is connected to the third signal port; the output end of the second power attenuator is connected to the fourth RF switch, and the input end is connected to the third RF switch.

[0010] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the third RF switch, the fourth RF switch, the second power amplifier, the third power amplifier and the third power attenuator constitute an RF amplification channel, and the RF amplification channel is used to amplify the RF signal; the third RF switch, the fourth RF switch and the second power attenuator constitute an RF attenuation channel, and the RF attenuation channel is used to attenuate the RF signal.

[0011] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the local oscillator source module also includes: a local oscillator source, a fourth power amplifier, a power level converter and a power detection control chip; one end of the local oscillator source is connected to the input end of the fourth power amplifier, and the output end of the fourth power amplifier is connected to the output port; one end of the power level converter is connected to the local oscillator source, and the other end is connected to the power detection control chip, and the other end of the power detection control chip is connected to the output end of the fourth power amplifier; the local oscillator source is connected to the power detection control chip.

[0012] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the local oscillator source is used to generate an original oscillator signal; the fourth power amplifier is used to amplify the original oscillator signal to obtain a local oscillator signal; the power detection control chip is used to detect the power of the original oscillator signal, and to control the frequency of the original oscillator signal, and to control the amplification factor of the fourth power amplifier.

[0013] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module also includes a first control port and a first power port, the radio frequency transceiver switching module also includes a second control port and a second power port, and the local oscillator source module also includes a third control port and a third power port; the controller is connected to the first control port, the second control port and the third control port respectively; the controller is used to control the amplification or attenuation of the intermediate frequency signal by controlling the level state of the first control port, and, control the amplification or attenuation of the radio frequency signal by controlling the level state of the second control port, and, send control information to the third control port; wherein the control information is used to control the frequency and power of the local oscillator signal by controlling the power detection control chip; the first power port is used to power the active circuit in the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, the second power port is used to power the active circuit in the radio frequency transceiver switching module, and the third power port is used to power the active circuit in the local oscillator source module.

[0014] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a mixer testing method, which is applied to a mixer testing device as described in any one of the first aspects, and the method includes: when performing a mixer up-conversion test, a vector network analyzer generates a first intermediate frequency signal from a first port; an intermediate frequency transceiver switching module amplifies the first intermediate frequency signal, and sends the amplified first intermediate frequency signal to the mixer to be tested; a local oscillator source module generates a first local oscillator signal, and sends the first local oscillator signal to the mixer to be tested; an RF transceiver switching module attenuates the first RF signal received from the mixer to be tested, and sends the attenuated first RF signal to the vector network analyzer, wherein the first RF signal is obtained by mixing the amplified first intermediate frequency signal and the first local oscillator signal by the mixer to be tested; the second port of the vector network analyzer receives the attenuated first RF signal and performs parameter testing on the attenuated first RF signal to obtain the first parameter of the mixer.

[0015] When performing a mixer down-conversion test, the vector network analyzer generates a second radio frequency signal from a second port; the radio frequency transceiver switching module amplifies the second radio frequency signal, and sends the amplified second radio frequency signal to the mixer to be tested; the local oscillator source module generates a second local oscillator signal, and sends the second local oscillator signal to the mixer to be tested; the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module attenuates the second intermediate frequency signal received from the mixer to be tested, and sends the attenuated second intermediate frequency signal to the vector network analyzer, wherein the second intermediate frequency signal is obtained by mixing the amplified second radio frequency signal and the second local oscillator signal through the mixer to be tested; the first port of the vector network analyzer receives the attenuated second intermediate frequency signal and performs parameter testing on the attenuated second intermediate frequency signal to obtain the second parameter of the mixer.

[0016] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the mixer testing method also includes: when performing a mixer up-conversion test, the controller controls the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module to be in a state of amplifying the intermediate frequency signal, and controls the radio frequency transceiver switching module to be in a state of attenuating the radio frequency signal, and controls the local oscillator source module to generate a first local oscillator signal; when performing a mixer down-conversion test, the controller controls the radio frequency transceiver switching module to be in a state of amplifying the radio frequency signal, and controls the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module to be in a state of attenuating the intermediate frequency signal, and controls the local oscillator source module to generate a second local oscillator signal.

[0017] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product. When the computer program product is run on a mixer testing device, the mixer testing device executes the mixer testing method described in any one of the second aspects.

[0018] It can be understood that the beneficial effects of the second to third aspects mentioned above can be found in the relevant description of the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0019] The mixer test device and method provided in the embodiment of the present application include: a vector network analyzer, an intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, an RF transceiver switching module, a local oscillator source module and a controller. The vector network analyzer is respectively connected to the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module and the RF transceiver switching module, and is used to generate an intermediate frequency signal or an RF signal, and perform parameter testing on the received RF signal or intermediate frequency signal. The intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, the RF transceiver switching module, and the local oscillator source module are respectively connected to the mixer to be tested, and are respectively used to amplify or attenuate the intermediate frequency signal, amplify or attenuate the RF signal, and generate a local oscillator signal. The controller is respectively connected to the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, the RF transceiver switching module, and the local oscillator source module, and is used to control the above modules. The mixer test device provided in the present application can realize the control of signal amplification or attenuation, realize up and down conversion testing of the mixer to be tested without changing the hardware connection, can improve the test stability of the mixer, shorten the test time, and thus improve the test efficiency.

[0020] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present specification. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0022] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of a mixer;

[0023] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a mixer testing device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of an intermediate frequency transceiver switching module provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 4 It is a structural diagram of a radio frequency transceiver switching module provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of a local oscillator source module provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 6 It is a flowchart of a mixer testing method provided in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The present application is described more clearly below in conjunction with specific embodiments. The following embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the effects of the present application, but are not intended to limit the present application in any form. It should be noted that, for those of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements may be made without departing from the concept of the present application. These all fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0029] It should be understood that when used in the present specification and the appended claims, the term "comprising" indicates the presence of described features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0030] It should also be understood that the term “and / or” used in the specification and appended claims refers to any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes these combinations.

[0031] In the description of the present application specification and the appended claims, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used to distinguish the descriptions and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0032] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" etc. described in the specification of this application mean that one or more embodiments of the present application include specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment. Therefore, the statements "in one embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in some other embodiments", "in some other embodiments", etc. that appear in different places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but mean "one or more but not all embodiments", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways. The terms "including", "comprising", "having" and their variations all mean "including but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways.

[0033] In addition, the “plurality” mentioned in the embodiments of the present application should be interpreted as two or more.

[0034] With the continuous development of society and technology, communication plays an increasingly important role in people's work and life, and communication products have become an important tool in social production and daily life. In the field of radio communications, the quality of communication products depends on the design and implementation methods of RF communication hardware. As a key component of RF communication hardware, the linearity of the mixer determines the dynamic range of the link before and after the frequency conversion, the frequency conversion loss determines the gain of the link before and after the frequency conversion, and the spurious determines the index requirements of the filter of the transmission and receiving links. It can be seen that the linearity, frequency conversion loss and spurious of the mixer play a decisive role in the performance indicators of the whole machine, so the test of the mixer parameters is very important.

[0035] A mixer is a three-port RF device (see Figure 1 ), composed of an intermediate frequency port P1, a radio frequency port P2 and a local oscillator port P3, which can mix the intermediate frequency signal input by the intermediate frequency port P1 and the local oscillator signal input by the local oscillator port P3, and can also mix the radio frequency signal input by the radio frequency port P2 and the local oscillator signal input by the local oscillator port P3. Since the intermediate frequency port P1 and the radio frequency port P2 are of different frequencies and the local oscillator port P3 has high power, its fast scanning test has always been a key challenge in the field of radio frequency and microwave. The existing test of mixer parameters is completed using two signal sources and a spectrum, which has the problems of limited mixer parameters, unstable test and low test efficiency.

[0036] Based on the above problems, an embodiment of the present application provides a mixer test device, which includes a vector network analyzer, an intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, an RF transceiver switching module, a local oscillator source module and a controller. The vector network analyzer is respectively connected to the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module and the RF transceiver switching module, and is used to generate an intermediate frequency signal or a RF signal, and perform parameter testing on the received RF signal or intermediate frequency signal. The intermediate frequency transceiver switching module is connected to the mixer to be tested, and is used to amplify or attenuate the intermediate frequency signal. The RF transceiver switching module is connected to the mixer to be tested, and is used to amplify or attenuate the RF signal. The local oscillator source module is connected to the mixer to be tested, and is used to generate a local oscillator signal. The controller is respectively connected to the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, the RF transceiver switching module and the local oscillator source module, and is used to control the above modules. The control of signal amplification or attenuation can be realized, and the up and down conversion test of the mixer to be tested can be realized without changing the hardware connection, which can improve the test stability, shorten the test time, and thus improve the test efficiency.

[0037] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of a mixer test device provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown, the mixer test device 10 includes: a vector network analyzer 20 , an intermediate frequency transceiver switching module 30 , a radio frequency transceiver switching module 40 , a local oscillator source module 50 and a controller 60 .

[0038] The first port A of the vector network analyzer 20 is connected to the first signal port IF-P1 of the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module 30, and the second port B is connected to the fourth signal port RF-P2 of the radio frequency transceiver switching module 40. The vector network analyzer 20 is used to generate an intermediate frequency signal and perform parameter testing on the received radio frequency signal, or to generate a radio frequency signal and perform parameter testing on the received intermediate frequency signal.

[0039] The second signal port IF-P2 of the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module 30 is connected to the intermediate frequency port of the mixer to be tested (not shown), and the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module 30 is used to amplify or attenuate the intermediate frequency signal. The third signal port RF-P1 of the radio frequency transceiver switching module 40 is connected to the radio frequency port of the mixer to be tested, and the radio frequency transceiver switching module 40 is used to amplify or attenuate the radio frequency signal. The output port LO-RF of the local oscillator source module 50 is connected to the local oscillator port of the mixer to be tested, and the local oscillator source module 50 is used to generate a local oscillator signal.

[0040] The controller 60 is respectively connected to the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module 30, the radio frequency transceiver switching module 40 and the local oscillator source module 50, and is used to control the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module 30 to amplify or attenuate the intermediate frequency signal, and to control the radio frequency transceiver switching module 40 to amplify or attenuate the radio frequency signal, and to control the local oscillator source module 50 to generate a local oscillator signal.

[0041] Exemplarily, the controller 60 can also be connected to the vector network analyzer 20 to control the vector network analyzer 20 to generate an intermediate frequency signal and perform parameter testing on the received radio frequency signal, or to control the vector network analyzer 20 to generate a radio frequency signal and perform parameter testing on the received intermediate frequency signal. Specifically, the controller 60 also controls the power and frequency of the intermediate frequency signal generated by the vector network analyzer 20, or controls the power and frequency of the radio frequency signal generated by the vector network analyzer 20. The controller 60 is connected to the vector network analyzer 20, the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module 30, the radio frequency transceiver switching module 40 and the local oscillator source module 50 by wired connection.

[0042] Optionally, the test of the parameters of the mixer to be tested includes the test of the linearity, conversion loss and spurious of the mixer.

[0043] It should be noted that the vector network analyzer 20 performs parameter testing on the received RF signal or IF signal, wherein the received RF signal is the RF signal obtained after mixing by the mixer to be tested, and the received IF signal is the IF signal obtained after processing by the mixer to be tested.

[0044] In a possible implementation manner, the structural diagram of the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module is as follows: Figure 3 See Figure 3 The intermediate frequency transceiver switching module 30 also includes: a first intermediate frequency switch SW1, a second intermediate frequency switch SW2, a first power amplifier AMP1 and a first power attenuator ATT1.

[0045] One end of the first intermediate frequency switch SW1 is connected to the first signal port IF-P1, and the other end is connected to the input end of the first power amplifier AMP1. The output end of the first power amplifier AMP1 is connected to the second intermediate frequency switch SW2, and the other end of the second intermediate frequency switch SW2 is connected to the second signal port IF-P2. The output end of the first power attenuator ATT1 is connected to the first intermediate frequency switch SW1, and the input end is connected to the second intermediate frequency switch SW2.

[0046] Optionally, the first intermediate frequency switch SW1, the second intermediate frequency switch SW2 and the first power amplifier AMP1 constitute an intermediate frequency amplification channel for amplifying the intermediate frequency signal. The first intermediate frequency switch SW1, the second intermediate frequency switch SW2 and the first power attenuator ATT1 constitute an intermediate frequency attenuation channel for attenuating the intermediate frequency signal.

[0047] Exemplarily, the first signal port IF-P1 and the second signal port IF-P2 are signal input and output ports, and the first intermediate frequency switch SW1 and the second intermediate frequency switch SW2 are used to switch the signal channel, that is, to switch the intermediate frequency amplification channel and the intermediate frequency attenuation channel, and can be composed of an intermediate frequency switch chip. The first power amplifier AMP1 can be composed of an active amplifier chip, and the first power attenuator ATT1 can be composed of a passive attenuation chip or a passive resistor network.

[0048] Optionally, the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module 30 also includes a first control port S1 and a first power port L1. The first control port S1 is connected to the controller 60, and the controller 60 is used to control the amplification or attenuation of the intermediate frequency signal by controlling the level state of the first control port S1. The first control port S1 is also connected to the first intermediate frequency switch SW1 and the second intermediate frequency switch SW2, so that the first intermediate frequency switch SW1 and the second intermediate frequency switch SW2 can realize the switching of the intermediate frequency amplification channel and the intermediate frequency attenuation channel according to the level state of the first control port S1. For example, when the controller 60 controls the level state of the first control port S1 to be high, the first intermediate frequency switch SW1 and the second intermediate frequency switch SW2 are switched to the intermediate frequency amplification channel according to the high level state of the first control port S1 to realize the amplification of the intermediate frequency signal.

[0049] The first power port L1 is used to supply power to the active circuit in the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module 30 , wherein the active circuit is the first power amplifier AMP1 .

[0050] In a possible implementation manner, the structural diagram of the radio frequency transceiver switching module is as follows: Figure 4 See Figure 4 The RF transceiver switching module 40 also includes: a third RF switch SW3, a fourth RF switch SW4, a second power amplifier AMP2, a third power amplifier AMP3, a second power attenuator ATT2 and a third power attenuator ATT3.

[0051] One end of the fourth RF switch SW4 is connected to the fourth signal port RF-P2, and the other end is connected to the input end of the third power amplifier AMP3, the output end of the third power amplifier AMP3 is connected to the input end of the third power attenuator ATT3, the output end of the third power attenuator ATT3 is connected to the input end of the second power amplifier AMP2, the output end of the second power amplifier AMP2 is connected to the third RF switch SW3, and the other end of the third RF switch SW3 is connected to the third signal port RF-P1. The output end of the second power attenuator ATT2 is connected to the fourth RF switch SW4, and the input end is connected to the third RF switch SW3.

[0052] Optionally, the third RF switch SW3, the fourth RF switch SW4, the second power amplifier AMP2, the third power amplifier AMP3 and the third power attenuator ATT3 constitute a RF amplification channel, and the RF amplification channel is used to amplify the RF signal. The third RF switch SW3, the fourth RF switch SW4 and the second power attenuator ATT2 constitute a RF attenuation channel, and the RF attenuation channel is used to attenuate the RF signal.

[0053] Exemplarily, the third signal port RF-P1 and the fourth signal port RF-P2 are signal input and output ports, and the third RF switch SW3 and the fourth RF switch SW4 are used to switch the signal channel, that is, to switch the RF amplification channel and the RF attenuation channel, and can be composed of a RF switch chip. The second power amplifier AMP2 and the third power amplifier AMP3 can be composed of an active amplifier chip, and the second power attenuator ATT2 and the third power attenuator ATT3 can be composed of a passive attenuation chip or a passive resistor network.

[0054] Optionally, the RF transceiver switching module 40 also includes a second control port S2 and a second power port L2. The second control port S2 is connected to the controller 60, and the controller 60 is used to control the amplification or attenuation of the RF signal by controlling the level state of the second control port S2. The second control port S2 is also connected to the third RF switch SW3 and the fourth RF switch SW4, so that the third RF switch SW3 and the fourth RF switch SW4 can realize the switching of the RF amplification channel and the RF attenuation channel according to the level state of the second control port S2. For example, when the controller 60 controls the level state of the second control port S2 to be high, the third RF switch SW3 and the fourth RF switch SW4 are switched to the RF amplification channel according to the high level state of the second control port S2 to realize RF signal amplification.

[0055] The second power port L2 is used to supply power to the active circuits in the RF transceiver switching module 40 , wherein the active circuits are the second power amplifier AMP2 and the third power amplifier AMP3 .

[0056] In a possible implementation manner, the structural diagram of the local oscillator source module is as follows: Figure 5 See Figure 5 The local oscillator module 50 further includes: a local oscillator source LO, a fourth power amplifier AMP4, a power level converter LO-DET and a power detection control chip CO.

[0057] One end of the local oscillator LO is connected to the input end of the fourth power amplifier AMP4, and the output end of the fourth power amplifier AMP4 is connected to the output port LO-RF. One end of the power level converter LO-DET is connected to the local oscillator LO, and the other end is connected to the power detection control chip CO, and the other end of the power detection control chip CO is connected to the output end of the fourth power amplifier AMP4. The local oscillator LO is connected to the power detection control chip CO.

[0058] Optionally, the local oscillator source LO is used to generate the original oscillator signal, the fourth power amplifier AMP4 is used to amplify the power of the original oscillator signal generated by the local oscillator source LO to obtain the amplified original oscillator signal, that is, to obtain the local oscillator signal, and the power detection control chip CO is used to detect the power of the original oscillator signal, control the frequency of the original oscillator signal, and control the amplification factor of the fourth power amplifier AMP4. Among them, the detection of the power of the original oscillator signal can timely detect whether the local oscillator source LO or the circuit has a fault, so as to avoid the failure to timely detect the damage or fault of the local oscillator source LO or the circuit; the amplification factor of the fourth power amplifier AMP4 is controlled so that the local oscillator source module 50 can output the amplified original oscillator signal, that is, output the local oscillator signal. The power detection control chip CO is also used to detect whether the local oscillator source LO is locked, so that the mixer to be tested can be tested when the local oscillator source LO is in a locked state, that is, the locked state indicates that the local oscillator source LO is stable at this time, and the mixer to be tested can be tested. In addition, the power detection control chip CO is also used to control the power of the original oscillator signal. The power level converter LO-DET is used to convert the power of the original oscillator signal generated by the local oscillator source LO into a level, so that the power detection control chip CO detects the power of the original oscillator signal according to the level.

[0059] The local oscillator source module 50 integrates the detection of the power of the local oscillator signal and the control of the frequency of the local oscillator signal, thereby improving the stability of the test on the mixer.

[0060] Exemplarily, the local oscillator source LO can be composed of a frequency source chip, the fourth power amplifier AMP4 can be composed of an active amplifier chip, the power level converter LO-DET can be composed of a detector chip and an ADC (analog-to-digital conversion) chip, and the power detection control chip CO can be composed of a single-chip microcomputer or an FPGA (field programmable gate array).

[0061] Optionally, the local oscillator source module 50 further includes a third control port S3 and a third power port L3. The third control port S3 is connected to the controller 60 and the power detection control chip CO respectively, and the controller 60 is used to send control information to the third control port S3, and the control information is used to control the frequency and power of the local oscillator signal by controlling the power detection control chip CO; at the same time, the power detection control chip CO sends the detected power and frequency of the local oscillator signal to the controller 60 through the third control port S3.

[0062] The third power port L3 is used to supply power to the active circuit in the local oscillator module 50 , wherein the active circuit is the fourth power amplifier AMP4 and the local oscillator LO.

[0063] It should be noted that the parameters to be tested of the mixer to be tested include the linearity, frequency conversion loss and spurious of the mixer. When testing different parameters of the mixer to be tested, the power and frequency of the local oscillator signal, the intermediate frequency signal and the radio frequency signal, as well as the amplification factor of the fourth power amplifier are set according to the parameters.

[0064] It should be noted that in practical applications, before testing the mixer to be tested, the mixer test device needs to be calibrated. Specifically, in the calibration of the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, the first port of the vector network analyzer is connected to the first signal port of the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, and the second port is connected to the second signal port of the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module. The intermediate frequency transceiver switching module is switched to the attenuated intermediate frequency signal state, the vector network analyzer generates an intermediate frequency signal from the second port, and tests the attenuated intermediate frequency signal to obtain a first attenuation amount; the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module is switched to the amplified intermediate frequency signal state, the vector network analyzer generates an intermediate frequency signal from the first port, and tests the amplified intermediate frequency signal to obtain a first 1dB compression point and a first gain. The first attenuation amount, the first 1dB compression point and the first gain are sent to the controller for storage for subsequent test compensation of the mixer to be tested.

[0065] Optionally, in the calibration of the RF transceiver switching module, the second port of the vector network analyzer is connected to the fourth signal port of the RF transceiver switching module, and the first port is connected to the third signal port of the RF transceiver switching module. The RF transceiver switching module is switched to the attenuated RF signal state, the vector network analyzer generates an RF signal from the first port, and tests the attenuated RF signal to obtain a second attenuation amount; the RF transceiver switching module is switched to the amplified RF signal state, the vector network analyzer generates an RF signal from the second port, and tests the amplified RF signal to obtain a second 1dB compression point and a second gain. The second attenuation amount, the second 1dB compression point and the second gain are sent to the controller for storage for subsequent test compensation of the mixer to be tested.

[0066] Exemplarily, in the calibration of the local oscillator module, the first port or the second port of the vector network analyzer is connected to the output port of the local oscillator module. The power detection control chip detects the state of the local oscillator, and when the local oscillator is in a locked state, controls the local oscillator to generate the local oscillator signal according to the preset frequency and preset power, and controls the amplification factor of the fourth power amplifier to increase from small to large, for example, the amplification factor of the fourth power amplifier is controlled to be 2, 4, 7, 8, 16 or other amplification factors in sequence to amplify the original oscillator signal. The vector network analyzer tests the received amplified original oscillator signal to obtain the actual power of the amplified original oscillator signal, and the amplification factor of the fourth power amplifier is matched with the actual power one by one to obtain a local oscillator signal comparison table. The local oscillator signal comparison table is sent to the controller for storage for subsequent testing of the mixer to be tested.

[0067] This is because the power of the local oscillator signal actually generated by the local oscillator source may deviate from the preset power, so it is necessary to make a one-to-one correspondence between the amplification factor of the fourth power amplifier and the actual power to determine the local oscillator signal comparison table.

[0068] In practical applications, during the up-conversion test of the mixer, the vector network analyzer generates a first intermediate frequency signal from the first port, the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module amplifies the first intermediate frequency signal, and sends the amplified first intermediate frequency signal to the mixer to be tested, and the local oscillator source module generates a first local oscillator signal, and sends the first local oscillator signal to the mixer to be tested. The RF transceiver switching module attenuates the first RF signal received from the mixer to be tested, and sends the attenuated first RF signal to the vector network analyzer, wherein the first RF signal is obtained by mixing the amplified first intermediate frequency signal and the first local oscillator signal by the mixer to be tested, the second port of the vector network analyzer receives the attenuated first RF signal and performs parameter test on the attenuated first RF signal, and the parameters obtained by the test are tested and compensated based on the first 1dB compression point, the first gain, and the second attenuation to obtain the first parameters of the mixer.

[0069] Optionally, the controller controls the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module to be in a state of amplifying the intermediate frequency signal, controls the radio frequency transceiver switching module to be in a state of attenuating the radio frequency signal, and controls the local oscillator source module to generate a first local oscillator signal.

[0070] It should be noted that when testing different parameters of the mixer to be tested, the power and frequency of the first intermediate frequency signal and the first local oscillator signal, as well as the amplification factor of the fourth power amplifier are set according to the parameters, that is, different parameters of the mixer to be tested correspond to different first intermediate frequency signals, first local oscillator signals and amplification factors of the fourth power amplifier. Specifically, the amplification factor of the fourth power amplifier can be set according to the local oscillator signal comparison table. For example, when testing linearity, the local oscillator source module is required to output a local oscillator signal with a power of 5dB. After querying the local oscillator signal comparison table, when the amplification factor of the fourth power amplifier is 2, the corresponding actual power is 5.2dB, which is closest to the power of the required local oscillator signal of 5dB. Then, the amplification factor of the fourth power amplifier can be set to 2.

[0071] Exemplarily, during the down-conversion test of the mixer, the vector network analyzer generates a second RF signal from the second port, the RF transceiver switching module amplifies the second RF signal, and sends the amplified second RF signal to the mixer to be tested, and the local oscillator source module generates a second local oscillator signal, and sends the second local oscillator signal to the mixer to be tested. The intermediate frequency transceiver switching module attenuates the second intermediate frequency signal received from the mixer to be tested, and sends the attenuated second intermediate frequency signal to the vector network analyzer, wherein the second intermediate frequency signal is obtained by mixing the amplified second RF signal and the second local oscillator signal by the mixer to be tested, the first port of the vector network analyzer receives the attenuated second intermediate frequency signal and performs parameter test on the attenuated second intermediate frequency signal, and tests and compensates the parameters obtained by the test based on the first attenuation, the second 1dB compression point and the second gain to obtain the second parameters of the mixer.

[0072] Optionally, the controller controls the RF transceiver switching module to be in a state of amplifying the RF signal, controls the IF transceiver switching module to be in a state of attenuating the IF signal, and controls the local oscillator source module to generate a second local oscillator signal.

[0073] When testing different parameters of the mixer to be tested, the power and frequency of the second RF signal and the second local oscillator signal, and the amplification factor of the fourth power amplifier are set according to the parameters, that is, different parameters of the mixer to be tested correspond to different second RF signals, second local oscillator signals, and amplification factors of the fourth power amplifier. Specifically, the amplification factor of the fourth power amplifier can be set according to the local oscillator signal comparison table.

[0074] It should be noted that when performing mixer up-conversion test and mixer down-conversion test on the mixer to be tested, the power detection control chip detects whether the local oscillator source is in a locked state, and performs mixer up-conversion test and mixer down-conversion test on the mixer to be tested when the local oscillator source is locked, that is, when the local oscillator source is in a stable state, to avoid problems such as inaccurate testing that may be caused when the local oscillator source is in an unlocked state.

[0075] The mixer test device provided in the embodiment of the present application can realize the control of signal amplification or attenuation, and realize up-conversion test and down-conversion test of the mixer to be tested without changing the hardware connection, thereby improving the test efficiency of the mixer, reducing the complexity of the test device and the test cost, and shortening the test time. At the same time, the mixer test device integrates the detection of the power of the original oscillating signal and the control of the frequency of the original oscillating signal, thereby improving the stability of the test of the mixer.

[0076] Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a mixer testing method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The above mixer testing method is applied to a mixer testing device. Figure 6 As shown, the mixer test method includes:

[0077] Step 101: When performing a mixer up-conversion test, a vector network analyzer generates a first intermediate frequency signal from a first port.

[0078] Step 102: the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module amplifies the first intermediate frequency signal, and sends the amplified first intermediate frequency signal to the mixer to be tested; the local oscillator source module generates a first local oscillator signal, and sends the first local oscillator signal to the mixer to be tested; the radio frequency transceiver switching module attenuates the first radio frequency signal received from the mixer to be tested, and sends the attenuated first radio frequency signal to the vector network analyzer.

[0079] Step 103: The second port of the vector network analyzer receives the attenuated first radio frequency signal and performs parameter testing on the attenuated first radio frequency signal to obtain first parameters of the mixer.

[0080] Step 104: When performing a mixer down-conversion test, the vector network analyzer generates a second radio frequency signal from the second port.

[0081] Step 105: The RF transceiver switching module amplifies the second RF signal, and sends the amplified second RF signal to the mixer to be tested; the local oscillator source module generates a second local oscillator signal, and sends the second local oscillator signal to the mixer to be tested; the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module attenuates the second intermediate frequency signal received from the mixer to be tested, and sends the attenuated second intermediate frequency signal to the vector network analyzer.

[0082] Step 106: The first port of the vector network analyzer receives the attenuated second intermediate frequency signal and performs parameter testing on the attenuated second intermediate frequency signal to obtain second parameters of the mixer.

[0083] Steps 101 to 103 define the process of performing a mixer up-conversion test on the mixer to be tested, and steps 104 to 106 define the process of performing a mixer down-conversion test on the mixer to be tested. It is understandable that those skilled in the art can adjust the order of the above steps according to actual needs, for example, steps 104 to 106 can be performed before steps 101 to 103.

[0084] Optionally, the mixer test device can be the mixer test device provided in any embodiment of the present application. The first radio frequency signal is obtained by mixing the amplified first intermediate frequency signal and the first local oscillator signal by the mixer to be tested, and the second intermediate frequency signal is obtained by mixing the amplified second radio frequency signal and the second local oscillator signal by the mixer to be tested.

[0085] In a possible implementation, when performing a mixer up-conversion test, the controller controls the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module to be in a state of amplifying the intermediate frequency signal, and controls the radio frequency transceiver switching module to be in a state of attenuating the radio frequency signal, and controls the local oscillator source module to generate a first local oscillator signal. When performing a mixer down-conversion test, the controller controls the radio frequency transceiver switching module to be in a state of amplifying the radio frequency signal, and controls the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module to be in a state of attenuating the intermediate frequency signal, and controls the local oscillator source module to generate a second local oscillator signal.

[0086] It should be noted that, in practical applications, before performing mixer up-conversion test and mixer down-conversion test on the mixer to be tested, the mixer test device needs to be calibrated. The specific implementation process and principle of steps 101 to 106 and calibration of the mixer test device in the embodiment of the present application can be referred to the above embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0087] The mixer testing method provided in the embodiment of the present application can perform up-conversion test and down-conversion test on the mixer to be tested, thereby improving the testing stability and testing efficiency of the mixer, reducing the testing cost, and shortening the testing time.

[0088] It should be understood that the size of the serial numbers of the steps in the above embodiments does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0089] The embodiments described above are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. Such modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should all be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mixer test device, characterized in that: include: Vector network analyzer, intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, radio frequency transceiver switching module, local oscillator source module and controller; The first port of the vector network analyzer is connected to the first signal port of the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, and the second port is connected to the fourth signal port of the radio frequency transceiver switching module. The vector network analyzer is used to generate an intermediate frequency signal and perform a parameter test on the received radio frequency signal, or to generate a radio frequency signal and perform a parameter test on the received intermediate frequency signal; The second signal port of the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module is connected to the intermediate frequency port of the mixer to be tested, and the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module is used to amplify or attenuate the intermediate frequency signal; The third signal port of the RF transceiver switching module is connected to the RF port of the mixer to be tested, and the RF transceiver switching module is used to amplify or attenuate the RF signal; The output port of the local oscillator source module is connected to the local oscillator port of the mixer to be tested, and the local oscillator source module is used to generate a local oscillator signal; The controller is respectively connected to the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, the radio frequency transceiver switching module and the local oscillator source module, and is used to control the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module to amplify or attenuate the intermediate frequency signal, and to control the radio frequency transceiver switching module to amplify or attenuate the radio frequency signal, and to control the local oscillator source module to generate a local oscillator signal; Wherein, in the calibration of the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, the first port of the vector network analyzer is connected to the first signal port of the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, and the second port is connected to the second signal port of the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module; The intermediate frequency transceiver switching module is switched to an intermediate frequency signal attenuation state, and the vector network analyzer is used to generate an intermediate frequency signal from the second port and test the attenuated intermediate frequency signal to obtain a first attenuation value; The intermediate frequency transceiver switching module is switched to the intermediate frequency signal amplification state, the vector network analyzer is used to generate an intermediate frequency signal from the first port, and test the amplified intermediate frequency signal to obtain a first 1dB compression point and a first gain; the first attenuation, the first 1dB compression point and the first gain are used for test compensation of the mixer to be tested.

2. The mixer test device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The intermediate frequency transceiver switching module also includes: a first intermediate frequency switch, a second intermediate frequency switch, a first power amplifier and a first power attenuator; One end of the first intermediate frequency switch is connected to the first signal port, and the other end is connected to the input end of the first power amplifier, the output end of the first power amplifier is connected to the second intermediate frequency switch, and the other end of the second intermediate frequency switch is connected to the second signal port; The output end of the first power attenuator is connected to the first intermediate frequency switch, and the input end is connected to the second intermediate frequency switch.

3. The mixer test device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first intermediate frequency switch, the second intermediate frequency switch and the first power amplifier constitute an intermediate frequency amplification channel, and the intermediate frequency amplification channel is used to amplify the intermediate frequency signal; The first intermediate frequency switch, the second intermediate frequency switch and the first power attenuator constitute an intermediate frequency attenuation channel, and the intermediate frequency attenuation channel is used to attenuate the intermediate frequency signal.

4. The mixer test device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The RF transceiver switching module further includes: a third RF switch, a fourth RF switch, a second power amplifier, a third power amplifier, a second power attenuator and a third power attenuator; One end of the fourth RF switch is connected to the fourth signal port, and the other end is connected to the input end of the third power amplifier, the output end of the third power amplifier is connected to the input end of the third power attenuator, the output end of the third power attenuator is connected to the input end of the second power amplifier, the output end of the second power amplifier is connected to the third RF switch, and the other end of the third RF switch is connected to the third signal port; The output end of the second power attenuator is connected to the fourth RF switch, and the input end of the second power attenuator is connected to the third RF switch.

5. The mixer test device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The third RF switch, the fourth RF switch, the second power amplifier, the third power amplifier and the third power attenuator constitute a RF amplification channel, and the RF amplification channel is used to amplify the RF signal; The third RF switch, the fourth RF switch and the second power attenuator constitute a RF attenuation channel, and the RF attenuation channel is used to attenuate RF signals.

6. The mixer test device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The local oscillator source module also includes: a local oscillator source, a fourth power amplifier, a power level converter and a power detection control chip; One end of the local oscillator source is connected to the input end of the fourth power amplifier, and the output end of the fourth power amplifier is connected to the output port; One end of the power level converter is connected to the local oscillator source, and the other end is connected to the power detection control chip, and the other end of the power detection control chip is connected to the output end of the fourth power amplifier; The local oscillator source is connected to the power detection control chip.

7. The mixer test device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The local oscillator source is used to generate the local oscillator signal; The fourth power amplifier is used to amplify the original oscillator signal to obtain a local oscillator signal; The power detection control chip is used to detect the power of the original oscillator signal, and to control the frequency of the original oscillator signal, and to control the amplification factor of the fourth power amplifier.

8. The mixer test device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The intermediate frequency transceiver switching module further includes a first control port and a first power port, the radio frequency transceiver switching module further includes a second control port and a second power port, and the local oscillator source module further includes a third control port and a third power port; The controller is connected to the first control port, the second control port and the third control port respectively; The controller is used to control the amplification or attenuation of the intermediate frequency signal by controlling the level state of the first control port, and to control the amplification or attenuation of the radio frequency signal by controlling the level state of the second control port, and to send control information to the third control port; wherein the control information is used to control the frequency and power of the local oscillator signal by controlling the power detection control chip; The first power port is used to power the active circuit in the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, the second power port is used to power the active circuit in the radio frequency transceiver switching module, and the third power port is used to power the active circuit in the local oscillator source module.

9. A mixer testing method, characterized in that: Applied to the mixer testing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the method comprising: When performing a mixer up-conversion test, the vector network analyzer generates a first intermediate frequency signal from the first port; The intermediate frequency transceiver switching module amplifies the first intermediate frequency signal, and sends the amplified first intermediate frequency signal to the mixer to be tested; the local oscillator source module generates a first local oscillator signal, and sends the first local oscillator signal to the mixer to be tested; the radio frequency transceiver switching module attenuates the first radio frequency signal received from the mixer to be tested, and sends the attenuated first radio frequency signal to the vector network analyzer, wherein the first radio frequency signal is obtained by mixing the amplified first intermediate frequency signal and the first local oscillator signal by the mixer to be tested; The second port of the vector network analyzer receives the attenuated first radio frequency signal and performs parameter testing on the attenuated first radio frequency signal to obtain a first parameter of the mixer; When performing a mixer down-conversion test, the vector network analyzer generates a second radio frequency signal from the second port; The RF transceiver switching module amplifies the second RF signal, and sends the amplified second RF signal to the mixer to be tested; the local oscillator source module generates a second local oscillator signal, and sends the second local oscillator signal to the mixer to be tested; the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module attenuates the second intermediate frequency signal received from the mixer to be tested, and sends the attenuated second intermediate frequency signal to the vector network analyzer, wherein the second intermediate frequency signal is obtained by mixing the amplified second RF signal and the second local oscillator signal through the mixer to be tested; The first port of the vector network analyzer receives the attenuated second intermediate frequency signal and performs parameter testing on the attenuated second intermediate frequency signal to obtain a second parameter of the mixer; Before performing the mixer up-conversion test and the mixer down-conversion test, the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module is calibrated; during the calibration of the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, the first port of the vector network analyzer is connected to the first signal port of the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module, and the second port is connected to the second signal port of the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module; The intermediate frequency transceiver switching module is switched to an intermediate frequency signal attenuation state, the vector network analyzer generates an intermediate frequency signal from the second port, and tests the attenuated intermediate frequency signal to obtain a first attenuation value; The intermediate frequency transceiver switching module is switched to the intermediate frequency signal amplification state, the vector network analyzer generates an intermediate frequency signal from the first port, and tests the amplified intermediate frequency signal to obtain a first 1dB compression point and a first gain; the first attenuation, the first 1dB compression point and the first gain are used for test compensation of the mixer to be tested.

10. The mixer testing method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When performing the mixer up-conversion test, the controller controls the intermediate frequency transceiver switching module to be in a state of amplifying the intermediate frequency signal, and controls the radio frequency transceiver switching module to be in a state of attenuating the radio frequency signal, and controls the local oscillator source module to generate a first local oscillator signal; When performing mixer down-conversion test, the controller controls the RF transceiver switching module to amplify the RF signal, controls the IF transceiver switching module to attenuate the IF signal, and controls the local oscillator source module to generate a second local oscillator signal.

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