Radio frequency chip testing method and testing system

Abstract

The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a radio frequency chip testing method and a testing system, the radio frequency chip testing method comprising: setting an adjustable circuit in a test path for compensating for radio frequency signals transmitted or received by the radio frequency chip to be tested; configuring adjustment information for the adjustable circuit, and adjusting circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit according to the adjustment information, wherein the adjustment information is set according to a test environment so that the adjustable circuit can compensate for the radio frequency signals on the test path; after the adjustment of the adjustable circuit is completed, connecting the radio frequency chip to be tested to the adjusted test path and performing a test.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to, but are not limited to, the field of chip testing technology, and in particular, to a radio frequency chip testing method and testing system. Background Art

[0002] During the mass production test of the chip, some parameters of the transmitter and receiver are often tested, such as the transmission power of the transmission link, the gain of the receiving link, etc. This type of test hardware environment usually has a certain impact on the test results. In actual testing, measurement test interruptions often occur. Reconfiguring the hardware environment and testing again will cause changes in the measurement results, especially at high frequencies. For example, the frequency of millimeter-wave radar signals can be as high as 80GHz. The impact of changes in the hardware environment cannot be ignored. The conventional method is to manually measure before each test, calculate the compensation value, and then modify the program or update the compensation value table to compensate the compensation value into the result. The operation is cumbersome. Summary of the invention

[0003] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a radio frequency chip testing method and a testing system, which avoid the tedious manual measurement and calibration when the test environment changes.

[0004] On the one hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a radio frequency chip testing method, comprising: setting an adjustable circuit in a test path for compensating for radio frequency signals transmitted or received by the radio frequency chip to be tested; configuring adjustment information for the adjustable circuit, and adjusting circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit according to the adjustment information, wherein the adjustment information is set according to a test environment so that the adjustable circuit compensates for the radio frequency signals on the test path; after the adjustment of the adjustable circuit is completed, connecting the radio frequency chip to be tested to the adjusted test path and performing a test.

[0005] In an exemplary embodiment, the adjustment information is obtained in the following manner: an auxiliary device for transmitting or receiving radio frequency signals is preset, and the auxiliary device is connected to the test path, in which the adjustable circuit is arranged; the circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit in the test path are adjusted so that the radio frequency signal at the signal receiving end of the test path meets the preset requirements, and the circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit at this time are recorded as the adjustment information.

[0006] In an exemplary embodiment, the auxiliary device is a standard radio frequency chip.

[0007] In an exemplary embodiment, the circuit parameter of the adjustable circuit includes signal power or signal gain.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, the test path includes a first test path connecting the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested and a test device, and the adjustable circuit includes a first adjustable circuit arranged at a signal receiving end of the first test path; a first RF signal emitted by the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested is compensated by the first adjustable circuit in the first test path and then received by the test device to perform a test on the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, the adjustment information includes first adjustment information, and the first adjustment information is obtained in the following manner: a first auxiliary device for transmitting a radio frequency signal is preset, the first auxiliary device is connected to the test device through the first test path, and the first adjustable circuit is set at the signal receiving end of the first test path; by adjusting the circuit parameters of the first adjustable circuit, the power difference between the first radio frequency signal transmitted by the first auxiliary device and the second radio frequency signal received by the test device is within a preset range, and the circuit parameters of the first adjustable circuit at this time are recorded as the first adjustment information.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, the circuit parameter of the first adjustable circuit is signal gain.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, the first radio frequency signal transmitted by the first auxiliary device is a radio frequency signal transmitted at a maximum transmission power.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment, when the power difference between the first RF signal emitted by the first auxiliary device and the second RF signal received by the test device is within a preset range, the power of the second RF signal is recorded as a reference power; when the RF chip to be tested is connected to the adjusted test path and tested, it is determined whether the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested meets the test requirements based on the reference power.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, the RF chip to be tested is connected to the adjusted test path and tested, including: causing the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested to transmit a RF signal; using a test device to receive a third RF signal compensated by the first adjustable circuit, and determining whether the difference between the power of the third RF signal and the reference power is less than a first preset threshold value; if so, determining that the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested meets the test requirements.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, the test path includes a second test path connecting the receiver of the RF chip to be tested and the test device, and the adjustable circuit includes a second adjustable circuit arranged at the signal transmitting end of the second test path; the fourth RF signal transmitted by the test device is compensated by the second adjustable circuit in the second test path and then received by the receiver of the RF chip to be tested, so as to test the receiver of the RF chip to be tested.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment, the adjustment information includes second adjustment information, and the second adjustment information is obtained in the following manner: a second auxiliary device for receiving a radio frequency signal is preset, the second auxiliary device is arranged at a signal receiving end of the second test path, and the second adjustable circuit is arranged at a signal transmitting end of the second test path; the gain of the fifth radio frequency signal received by the second auxiliary device is made to be a non-saturated gain by adjusting the circuit parameters of the second adjustable circuit, and the circuit parameters of the second adjustable circuit at this time are recorded as the second adjustment information.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment, the circuit parameter of the second adjustable circuit is signal power.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, when the gain of the fifth RF signal received by the second auxiliary device is a non-saturated gain, the gain of the fifth RF signal is recorded as a reference gain; when the RF chip to be tested is connected to the adjusted test path and tested, it is determined whether the receiver of the RF chip to be tested meets the test requirements based on the reference gain.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, the RF chip to be tested is connected to the adjusted test path and tested, including: using a test device to generate a sixth RF signal, and the sixth RF signal is transmitted after being compensated by the second adjustable circuit; using the RF chip to be tested receiver at the signal receiving end of the second test path to receive the seventh RF signal, and determining whether the difference between the gain of the seventh RF signal and the reference gain is less than a second preset threshold value; if so, determining that the receiver of the RF chip to be tested meets the test requirements.

[0019] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a radio frequency chip testing system for testing a radio frequency chip to be tested, the system comprising: a test path and an adjustable circuit arranged in the test path, wherein:

[0020] The adjustable circuit is configured with adjustment information during testing to adjust circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit, wherein the adjustment information is set according to a test environment so that the adjustable circuit compensates for a radio frequency signal in the test path;

[0021] The test path is used to transmit the signal sent or received by the radio frequency chip to be tested. During the test, the adjusted test path is connected to the radio frequency chip to be tested for testing.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, the system is used to test the transmitter of the RF chip under test, the RF chip under test is arranged at the signal transmitting end of the test path, and the adjustable circuit is arranged at the signal receiving end of the test path; or, the system is used to test the receiver of the RF chip under test, the RF chip under test is arranged at the signal receiving end of the test path, and the adjustable circuit is arranged at the signal transmitting end of the test path.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment, the system also includes a testing device, the test path includes a first test path, the adjustable circuit includes a first adjustable circuit, and the first adjustable circuit is arranged at a signal receiving end of the first test path; the radio frequency signal transmitted by the transmitter of the radio frequency chip to be tested is compensated by the first adjustable circuit in the first test path and then received by the testing device; the adjustment information configured with the first adjustable circuit includes first adjustment information, and the circuit parameters of the first adjustable circuit are adjusted using the first adjustment information so that the first adjustable circuit compensates for the received radio frequency signal.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment, the first adjustable circuit includes a signal amplifier for adjusting gain.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment, the first adjustable circuit includes a transimpedance amplifier and / or a variable gain amplifier connected in series, and the first adjustment information is a gain of the transimpedance amplifier and a gain of the variable gain amplifier.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment, the system also includes a testing device, the test path includes a second test path, the adjustable circuit includes a second adjustable circuit, the second adjustable circuit is arranged at a signal transmitting end of the second test path, the second adjustable circuit is arranged to transmit after compensating the radio frequency signal generated by the testing device, the radio frequency chip to be tested is arranged at a signal receiving end of the second test path, and the receiver of the radio frequency chip to be tested is used to receive the radio frequency signal compensated by the second adjustable circuit; the adjustment information configured with the second adjustable circuit includes second adjustment information, and the second adjustment information is used to adjust the circuit parameters of the second adjustable circuit so that the second adjustable circuit compensates for the radio frequency signal generated by the testing device.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment, the second adjustable circuit includes a signal amplifier for amplifying power.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment, the second adjustable circuit includes a power amplifier, and the second adjustment information is the power of the power amplifier.

[0029] By adopting the RF chip testing method and system of the disclosed embodiment, an adjustable circuit is set in the test path, and adjustment information for adjusting the circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit is configured for the adjustable circuit, so as to realize compensation of the RF signal in the test path by the adjustable circuit. Moreover, since the adjustment information is set according to the test environment, when the test environment changes, it is only necessary to reconfigure the adjustment information of the adjustable circuit to realize compensation of the test environment through the adjustable circuit, without the need for manual calculation each time, the operation is simple, and the mass production test time is reduced.

[0030] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be described in the following description, and partly become apparent from the description, or be understood by implementing the present disclosure. Other advantages of the present disclosure can be realized and obtained by the schemes described in the description, claims and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The accompanying drawings are used to provide an understanding of the technical solution of the present disclosure and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present disclosure, they are used to explain the technical solution of the present disclosure and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solution of the present disclosure. The shapes and sizes of the components in the accompanying drawings do not reflect the actual proportions and are only intended to illustrate the contents of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 1 A flow chart of a radio frequency chip testing method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a radio frequency chip testing system provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another radio frequency chip testing system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a radio frequency chip transmitter measurement environment calibration system for an application example of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a measurement environment calibration system for a radio frequency chip receiver according to an example of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 6 is a control schematic diagram of a gain control circuit;

[0038] Figure 7 This is a comparison chart of the compensated and uncompensated results in the transmitter transmission power test;

[0039] Figure 8Comparison of compensated and uncompensated receiver gain test results. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The present disclosure describes multiple embodiments, but the description is exemplary rather than restrictive, and it is apparent to those skilled in the art that there may be more embodiments and implementations within the scope of the embodiments described in the present disclosure. Although many possible feature combinations are shown in the drawings and discussed in the specific embodiments, many other combinations of the disclosed features are possible. Unless specifically limited, any feature or element of any embodiment may be used in combination with any other feature or element in any other embodiment, or may replace any other feature or element in any other embodiment.

[0041] The present disclosure includes and contemplates combinations of features and elements known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiments, features, and elements disclosed in the present disclosure may also be combined with any conventional features or elements to form a unique invention scheme defined by the claims. Any features or elements of any embodiment may also be combined with features or elements from other invention schemes to form another unique invention scheme defined by the claims. Therefore, it should be understood that any feature shown and / or discussed in the present disclosure may be implemented individually or in any appropriate combination. Therefore, except for the limitations made according to the attached claims and their equivalents, the embodiments are not subject to other limitations. In addition, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of protection of the attached claims.

[0042] In addition, when describing representative embodiments, the specification may have presented the method and / or process as a specific sequence of steps. However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the specific order of the steps described herein, the method or process should not be limited to the steps in the specific order described. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, other orders of steps are also possible. Therefore, the specific order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be interpreted as a limitation to the claims. In addition, the claims for the method and / or process should not be limited to the steps performed in the order written, and those skilled in the art can easily understand that these orders can be changed and still remain within the spirit and scope of the disclosed embodiments.

[0043] During the chip mass production test process, the RF chip under test is placed on the connection structure of the test platform through a grasping device (such as a robotic arm). The connection structure is provided with pins connected to the RF chip under test (such as a probe with an elastic structure). The test platform also includes a test device for measuring signals. When the test environment changes, such as changes in the temperature environment, or changes in the test hardware (such as hardware replacement in the test platform), or changes in external interference, the measurement results will change. If calibration is not performed, the product yield and measurement accuracy may be reduced. If manual measurement and calibration are performed every time the test environment changes, the test time will increase.

[0044] To this end, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for testing a radio frequency chip, which can avoid the tedious manual measurement and calibration when the test environment changes and shorten the test time. Figure 1 As shown, the RF chip testing method provided in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0045] Step 11, setting an adjustable circuit in the test path for compensating the radio frequency signal transmitted or received by the radio frequency chip to be tested;

[0046] The test path refers to the path for radio frequency signal transmission. The test path includes a starting end and a terminating end, wherein the starting end is also the signal transmitting end, and the terminating end is also the signal receiving end. The adjustable circuit in the test path can be located at the signal transmitting end or at the signal receiving end.

[0047] Whether to compensate for the transmitted or received RF signal depends on whether the transmitter or receiver of the RF chip to be tested is tested. If the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested is tested, the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested needs to transmit a signal. At this time, the adjustable circuit can be located at the signal receiving end to compensate for the RF signal transmitted by the RF chip to be tested. If the receiver of the RF chip to be tested is tested, the receiver of the RF chip to be tested needs to receive the RF signal. At this time, the adjustable circuit can be located at the signal transmitting end to compensate for the RF signal first so that the receiver of the RF chip to be tested receives the compensated RF signal. In other embodiments, when testing the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested, the adjustable circuit can also be located at the signal transmitting end, or, when testing the receiver of the RF signal to be tested, the adjustable circuit can also be located at the signal receiving end, as long as the adjustable circuit can compensate for the RF signal in the test path.

[0048] Of course, in other embodiments, the adjustable circuit may also be disposed at other positions of the signal transmitting end and the signal receiving end of the test path, all within the protection scope of the present application, as long as the adjustable circuit can compensate for the RF signal in the test path.

[0049] Step 12, configuring adjustment information for the adjustable circuit, adjusting circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit according to the adjustment information, wherein the adjustment information is set according to a test environment so that the adjustable circuit compensates for the radio frequency signal on the test path;

[0050] Optionally, the circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit include signal power or signal gain. For example, when testing the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested, the circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit include signal gain, which is used to compensate for the RF signal emitted by the RF chip to be tested. For another example, when testing the receiver of the RF chip to be tested, the circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit include signal power, which is used to compensate for the RF signal transmitted in the test path.

[0051] The adjustment information can be obtained by debugging the test path using a sample chip (or auxiliary device). There can be multiple groups of adjustment information, and each group of adjustment information can correspond to a test environment.

[0052] Step 13: After the adjustable circuit is adjusted, the RF chip to be tested is connected to the adjusted test path and tested.

[0053] The completion of adjustment of the adjustable circuit can be understood as the completion of adjustment of the test path.

[0054] The RF chip to be tested is connected to the test device through an adjusted test path for testing.

[0055] The test device is a signal test device, which can be a 93k tester or other existing ATE test equipment. There is no limitation here and it can be selected according to the specific situation.

[0056] By adopting the RF chip testing method of the embodiment of the present disclosure, an adjustable circuit is set in the test path, and adjustment information for adjusting the circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit is configured for the adjustable circuit, so as to realize compensation of the RF signal in the test path by the adjustable circuit. Moreover, since the adjustment information is set according to the test environment, when the test environment changes, it is only necessary to reconfigure the adjustment information of the adjustable circuit to realize compensation for the test environment through the adjustable circuit, without the need for manual calculation each time, the operation is simple, and the mass production test time is reduced.

[0057] In an exemplary embodiment, the first adjustment information may be obtained in the following manner:

[0058] Step 21, presetting an auxiliary device for transmitting or receiving a radio frequency signal, connecting the auxiliary device to the test path, wherein the adjustable circuit is arranged in the test path;

[0059] The auxiliary device is connected to the test device through a test path.

[0060] Optionally, the auxiliary device may be a standard radio frequency chip, for example, a radio frequency chip including a standard transmitter, or a radio frequency chip including a standard receiver, or a radio frequency chip including a standard transmitter and a standard receiver.

[0061] Step 22, adjusting the circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit in the test path so that the radio frequency signal at the signal receiving end of the test path meets the preset requirements, and recording the circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit at this time as adjustment information.

[0062] Among them, the preset requirement can be a gain range or a power range. For example, the power of the RF signal at the signal receiving end of the test path meets the preset requirement, which can be that the difference in power (or gain) between the transmitted signal and the received signal in the test channel is within the preset range, and / or the power of the received signal is non-saturated power. Ideally, the test channel is lossless, and the difference in power between the transmitted signal and the received signal is zero, but considering that there must be losses in actual situations, as long as the difference in power between the transmitted signal and the received signal is within a smaller preset range, that is, the loss is within an acceptable range, it is considered that the power of the received RF signal meets the requirements. When the power of the transmitted signal continues to increase, the power of the received signal may reach saturation (saturation means that the power of the transmitted signal continues to increase, but the gain of the received signal no longer changes), so the power of the received signal is set to non-saturated power.

[0063] The circuit parameter of the adjustable circuit recorded may be signal power or signal gain.

[0064] In an exemplary embodiment, the RF chip testing method can test the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested. Figure 2 As shown, the test path includes a first test path connecting the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested and the test device, and the adjustable circuit includes a first adjustable circuit arranged at the signal receiving end of the first test path; the first RF signal emitted by the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested is compensated by the first adjustable circuit in the first test path and then received by the test device to test the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested.

[0065] The adjustment information includes first adjustment information, and the first adjustment information can be obtained in the following manner:

[0066] Step 31, presetting a first auxiliary device for transmitting a radio frequency signal, wherein the first auxiliary device is connected to the test device through the first test path, and the first adjustable circuit is set at the signal receiving end of the first test path; Figure 2The RF chip to be tested is replaced with the first auxiliary device. Optionally, the first auxiliary device may be a standard RF chip, such as a RF chip with a standard transmitter. Optionally, the first auxiliary device may transmit a RF signal at a maximum transmission power.

[0067] Step 32, by adjusting the circuit parameters of the first adjustable circuit located at the signal receiving end in the first test path, the power difference between the first radio frequency signal emitted by the first auxiliary device and the second radio frequency signal received by the test device is within a preset range, and the circuit parameters of the first adjustable circuit at this time are recorded as the first adjustment information.

[0068] By adopting the above method to obtain the first adjustment information of the first adjustable circuit, such as signal gain, it can be ensured that the test path is compensated by the adjustable circuit. The first power transmitted by the standard transmitter is known, for example, it can be 90%, 80%, 70%, 60% or 50% of the maximum transmission power.

[0069] In an exemplary embodiment, when the power difference between the first RF signal emitted by the first auxiliary device and the second RF signal received by the test device is within a preset range, the power of the second RF signal can be recorded as a reference power; when the RF chip to be tested is connected to the adjusted test path and tested, it is determined whether the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested meets the test requirements based on the reference power.

[0070] For example, the test process includes: making the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested transmit a RF signal; using a test device to receive a third RF signal after compensation by the first adjustable circuit, and judging whether the difference between the power of the third RF signal and the reference power is less than a first preset threshold value, and if so, determining that the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested meets the test requirements. At this time, the power of the signal transmitted by the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested is as close as possible to the power of the signal transmitted by the first auxiliary device when the reference power is obtained. For example, in the process of obtaining the first adjustment information and the reference power, the first auxiliary device uses the maximum transmission power to transmit the RF signal, and at this time, the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested also uses the maximum transmission power to transmit the RF signal; or, in the process of obtaining the first adjustment information and the reference power, the first auxiliary device uses a% of the maximum transmission power to transmit the RF signal, and at this time, the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested also uses a% of the maximum transmission power to transmit the RF signal.

[0071] The ideal power of the RF chip to be tested, i.e. the reference power, is obtained by pre-measurement and used as a calibration sample. Accurate test results of the RF chip to be tested can be obtained through adjustable circuit calibration compensation, thus avoiding the trouble of manual measurement and calibration every time the test environment changes, reducing the impact of the test environment on the test of the RF chip to be tested, and reducing the duration of mass production testing.

[0072] In an exemplary embodiment, the RF chip testing method can test the receiver of the RF chip to be tested. Figure 3 As shown, the test path includes a second test path connecting the receiver of the RF chip to be tested and the test device, and the adjustable circuit includes a second adjustable circuit arranged at the signal transmitting end of the second test path; the fourth RF signal transmitted by the transmitting circuit of the test device is compensated by the second adjustable circuit in the second test path and then received by the receiver of the RF chip to be tested, so as to test the receiver of the RF chip to be tested.

[0073] The adjustment information includes second adjustment information, and the second adjustment information can be obtained in the following manner:

[0074] Step 41, presetting a second auxiliary device for receiving a radio frequency signal, wherein the second auxiliary device is arranged at a signal receiving end of the second test path, and the second adjustable circuit is arranged at a signal transmitting end of the second test path; Figure 3 The RF chip to be tested is replaced by the second auxiliary device. Optionally, the second auxiliary device may be a standard RF chip, such as a RF chip with a standard receiver.

[0075] Step 42: Adjust the circuit parameters of the second adjustable circuit at the signal transmitting end in the test channel so that the gain of the fifth radio frequency signal received by the second auxiliary device is a non-saturated gain, and record the circuit parameters of the second adjustable circuit at this time as the second adjustment information.

[0076] By adopting the above method to obtain the second adjustment information of the second adjustable circuit, such as signal power, it can be ensured that the test path is compensated by the second adjustable circuit.

[0077] In an exemplary embodiment, when the gain of the fifth RF signal received by the second auxiliary device is a non-saturated gain, the gain of the fifth RF signal can be recorded as a reference gain; when the RF chip to be tested is connected to the adjusted test path and tested, it is determined whether the receiver of the RF chip to be tested meets the test requirements based on the reference gain.

[0078] For example, the test process includes: using a preset signal transmitting circuit to generate a sixth RF signal, and the sixth RF signal is transmitted after being compensated by the second adjustable circuit; using the RF chip receiver to be tested to receive the seventh RF signal at the signal receiving end of the second test path, and determining whether the difference between the gain of the seventh RF signal and the reference gain is less than a second preset threshold value, and if so, determining that the receiver of the RF chip to be tested meets the test requirements.

[0079] The ideal gain of the RF chip to be tested, i.e., the reference gain, is obtained by pre-measurement and used as a calibration sample. Accurate test results of the RF chip to be tested can be obtained through adjustable circuit calibration compensation, thus avoiding the trouble of manual measurement and calibration every time the test environment changes, reducing the impact of the test environment on the test of the RF chip to be tested, and reducing the duration of mass production testing.

[0080] In an exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure also provides a radio frequency chip testing system for testing a radio frequency chip to be tested, the system comprising: a test path and an adjustable circuit arranged in the test path, wherein:

[0081] The adjustable circuit is configured with adjustment information during testing to adjust circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit, wherein the adjustment information is set according to a test environment so that the adjustable circuit compensates for a radio frequency signal in the test path;

[0082] The test path is used to transmit the signal sent or received by the radio frequency chip to be tested. During the test, the adjusted test path is connected to the radio frequency chip to be tested for testing.

[0083] The system can be used to test the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested, in which case the RF chip to be tested is arranged at the signal transmitting end of the test path, and the adjustable circuit is arranged at the signal receiving end of the test path. In other embodiments, the system can also be used to test the receiver of the RF chip to be tested, in which case the RF chip to be tested is arranged at the signal receiving end of the test path, and the adjustable circuit is arranged at the signal transmitting end of the test path.

[0084] In an exemplary embodiment, when testing the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested, the system further includes a testing device, such as Figure 2 As shown, the test path includes a first test path, the adjustable circuit includes a first adjustable circuit, and the first adjustable circuit is arranged at the signal receiving end of the first test path; the radio frequency signal transmitted by the transmitter of the radio frequency chip to be tested is compensated by the first adjustable circuit in the first test path and then received by the test device. At this time, the adjustment information configured with the first adjustable circuit includes the first adjustment information, and the circuit parameters (such as signal gain) of the first adjustable circuit can be adjusted by using the first adjustment information so that the first adjustable circuit compensates for the received radio frequency signal. Optionally, the first adjustable circuit includes a signal amplifier for adjusting the gain. For example, the first adjustable circuit includes a transimpedance amplifier and / or a variable gain amplifier connected in series, and the first adjustment information is the gain of the transimpedance amplifier and the gain of the variable gain amplifier.

[0085] When the first adjustable circuit is not added, the RF signal emitted by the transmitter to be tested reaches the test device after passing through the signal link. If the frequency response curve of the signal link is not flat enough, that is, the attenuation of signals with different frequencies is different, the test device cannot directly measure the true value of the size of the signal emitted by the transmitter. By adopting the test scheme of the embodiment of the present disclosure, by setting the first adjustable circuit at the signal receiving end of the test path, and pre-configuring the first adjustment information of the first adjustable circuit according to the test environment, the first adjustable circuit can compensate for the test path in the test of the RF chip transmitter to be tested, that is, compensate for the distortion caused by the signal link to the RF signal. When the environment changes, it is only necessary to reset the first adjustment information of the first adjustable circuit to achieve compensation for the test environment through the first adjustable circuit, without the need for manual calculation each time. The operation is simple and the mass production test time is reduced.

[0086] In an exemplary embodiment, when testing the receiver of the RF chip to be tested, the system further includes a testing device, such as Figure 3 As shown, the test path includes a second test path, the adjustable circuit includes a second adjustable circuit, the second adjustable circuit is set at the signal transmitting end of the second test path, the second adjustable circuit is set to compensate the RF signal generated by the test device and then transmit it, the RF chip to be tested is set at the signal receiving end of the second test path, and the receiver of the RF chip to be tested is used to receive the RF signal compensated by the second adjustable circuit; the RF signal transmitted by the setting device is compensated by the second adjustable circuit in the second test path and then received by the RF chip to be tested, and the receiver of the RF chip to be tested is tested by measuring the gain of the RF signal received by the RF chip to be tested. At this time, the adjustment information configured by the second adjustable circuit includes the second adjustment information, and the circuit parameters of the second adjustable circuit can be adjusted by using the second adjustment information so that the second adjustable circuit compensates the RF signal generated by the test device. Optionally, the second adjustable circuit includes a signal amplifier for amplifying power. For example, the second adjustable circuit includes a power amplifier, and the second adjustment information is the power of the power amplifier.

[0087] When the second adjustable circuit is not added, the test device transmits radio frequency signals of the same power at different frequencies, which reach the receiver of the radio frequency chip to be tested after passing through the signal path. After reaching the receiver, the signal can be measured, and the measurement result will be the result of the integration of the receiver to be tested and the signal link. By adopting the test system of the embodiment of the present disclosure, by setting a second adjustable circuit at the signal transmitting end of the test path, and pre-configuring the second adjustment information of the second adjustable circuit according to the test environment, the second adjustable circuit can compensate for the test path in the test of the radio frequency chip receiver to be tested, that is, compensate for the distortion caused by the signal link, so as to obtain a signal that truly reflects the link characteristics. When the environment changes, it is only necessary to reset the second adjustment information of the second adjustable circuit, and the test environment can be compensated by the second adjustable circuit, without the need for manual calculation each time. The operation is simple and the mass production test time is reduced.

[0088] The test device described herein may be, for example, a signal transceiver, which can be used to send or receive signals. The test device may also include a signal measuring device, which is used to measure the received power or gain.

[0089] The present disclosure is described in detail below through application examples.

[0090] Figure 4 A system schematic diagram for obtaining the first adjustment information of the first adjustable circuit, the system includes a standard transmitter, a first test path including the first adjustable circuit, and a test device. The standard transmitter is used to generate a radio frequency signal of known size. The first adjustable circuit receives a signal after attenuation through the signal link. In this example, the first adjustable circuit includes a low noise amplifier (LNA), a mixer, a first filter (Filter), a transimpedance amplifier (TIA), a second filter, and a variable gain amplifier (VGA). The LNA is used to suppress out-of-band noise and amplify the signal, the mixer is used to down-convert the radio frequency signal into an intermediate frequency signal (L0 in the figure represents the local oscillator signal), the first filter and the second filter are used to filter out noise, and the TIA and VGA are used to amplify the intermediate frequency signal again. In other embodiments, only TIA and / or VGA may be included. In this example, the test device is a signal receiver, which can be connected to a processing module that can be used for signal measurement. The processing module can first perform analog-to-digital conversion on the received signal, and then process it to complete the measurement of the signal. Before testing the radio frequency chip, you can first use Figure 4 The system shown amplifies the signal by adjusting the gain of the TIA and / or VGA so that the received power measured by the test device under the test environment is as consistent as possible with the signal power actually emitted by the standard component transmitter. The gain of the TIA and / or VGA at this time is recorded as the first adjustment information for mass production product testing to complete the calibration of the measurement environment.

[0091] Taking the calibration of the maximum transmission power of the standard transmitter as an example, first measure the maximum transmission power of the standard transmitter. During the calibration compensation process, the RF signal is compensated by continuously changing the gain of the adjustable circuit to obtain a temporary result, which is compared with the ideal result. When the difference between the two meets the requirements, the calibration process stops and the configuration of the adjustable circuit is recorded. This configuration will be used to configure the adjustable circuit during chip mass production testing. At the same time, the received power at this time is recorded as the reference power.

[0092] In a calibrated environment, replace the standard transmitter with the RF chip to be tested, and test whether the power of the RF signal emitted by the RF chip transmitter to be tested is consistent with the received power obtained during calibration (or it can be determined whether the difference between the two powers is within a preset range). If they are inconsistent (or not within the preset range), it is determined that the RF chip to be tested does not meet the requirements. If they are consistent, it is determined that the RF chip to be tested meets the requirements.

[0093] Figure 5 A system schematic diagram for obtaining the second adjustment information of the second adjustable circuit, the system includes a test device, a second test path including the second adjustable circuit, and a standard receiver. The standard receiver can also be connected to a measuring device. Among them, the test device is used to generate a radio frequency signal to be transmitted, the second adjustable circuit is used to compensate the radio frequency signal to be transmitted and then transmit it, the compensated radio frequency signal is transmitted through a signal link, and is received by a standard receiver, the standard receiver is used to receive the radio frequency signal transmitted through the signal link, and can amplify and down-convert the signal to make the high-frequency signal into an intermediate frequency signal, and the measuring device can measure the signal received by the standard receiver and feed it back to the test device for the test device to determine whether it meets the requirements. In this example, the second adjustable circuit includes a power amplifier for amplifying power, and by adjusting the gain of the power amplifier PA in the second adjustable circuit, the signal received by the standard receiver can be correctly measured by the signal measuring device, and the power of the power amplifier PA is recorded as the second adjustment information for mass production product testing, and the calibration of the measurement environment is completed.

[0094] Replace the standard receiver with the RF chip to be tested in a calibrated environment, and test whether the signal gain after amplification by the RF chip receiver to be tested is consistent with the output signal gain of the standard receiver obtained during calibration (or it can be determined whether the difference between the two gains is within the preset range). If they are inconsistent (or not within the preset range), it is determined that the RF chip to be tested does not meet the requirements. If they are consistent, it is determined that the RF chip to be tested meets the requirements. In this example, the requirement for the transmission power of the test device is that the power it transmits can be measured by the measuring device after being received by the receiver, and it is not saturated (saturation means that the signal transmission circuit continues to increase the power, but the gain measured by the measuring device no longer changes).

[0095] If the receiver has multiple receiving channels, each receiving channel can be tested separately, and the PA gain of each channel can be recorded and saved.

[0096] The gain of VIA, VGA or PA power can be controlled by software. Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of an adjustable circuit, which may also be called a gain control circuit. The gain or power of the gain control circuit may be controlled by a control signal to compensate for the signal to be measured. The gain control circuit may be, for example, a VIA, a VGA or a PA.

[0097] Figure 7 The figure shows the comparison of the maximum power test of the two-channel transmitter, with and without compensation. During the test, the measured value of the standard part is used as the target for compensation. In the figure, a1 is the ideal value of channel 0, a2 is the power result of channel 0 without compensation, a3 is the power value of channel 0 after compensation, b1 is the ideal value of channel 1, b2 is the power result of channel 1 without compensation, and b3 is the power value of channel 1 after compensation. Figure 7 The comparison shows that the compensated measurement results are much better than the uncompensated ones and are closer to the measured values ​​of the standard parts.

[0098] Figure 8 The figure shows the comparison of the compensated and uncompensated results of a two-channel receiver gain test.

[0099] Among them, c1 is the ideal value of channel 0, c2 is the gain result of channel 0 when it is not compensated, c3 is the gain result of channel 0 after compensation, d1 is the ideal value of channel 1, d2 is the gain result of channel 1 when it is not compensated, and d3 is the gain result of channel 1 after compensation. It can be seen that compared with the uncompensated measurement result, the compensated measurement value has a significant improvement and is closer to the measurement value of the standard part.

[0100] The solution for rapid calibration and compensation of radio frequency signals in the chip mass production test process provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can greatly reduce the speed of confirming compensation values ​​and the accuracy of compensation value acquisition in radio frequency signal measurement.

[0101] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the meanings of the above terms in the present disclosure can be understood according to the circumstances.

Claims

1. A radio frequency chip testing method, characterized in that: The method comprises: An adjustable circuit for compensating the radio frequency signal transmitted or received by the radio frequency chip to be tested is provided in the test path; configuring adjustment information for the adjustable circuit, adjusting circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit according to the adjustment information, wherein the adjustment information is set according to a test environment so that the adjustable circuit compensates for a radio frequency signal on the test path; After the adjustable circuit is adjusted, the RF chip to be tested is connected to the adjusted test path, and the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested is tested, or the receiver of the RF chip to be tested is tested; The adjustment information is obtained in the following manner: Preset an auxiliary device for transmitting or receiving radio frequency signals, connect the auxiliary device to the test path, and the adjustable circuit is arranged in the test path; The circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit in the test path are adjusted so that the radio frequency signal at the signal receiving end of the test path meets the preset requirements, and the circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit at this time are recorded as adjustment information.

2. The RF chip testing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The auxiliary device is a standard radio frequency chip.

3. The RF chip testing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit include signal power or signal gain.

4. The RF chip testing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The test path includes a first test path connecting the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested and the test device, and the adjustable circuit includes a first adjustable circuit arranged at the signal receiving end of the first test path; the first RF signal emitted by the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested is compensated by the first adjustable circuit in the first test path and then received by the test device to test the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested.

5. The radio frequency chip testing method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The adjustment information includes first adjustment information, and the first adjustment information is obtained in the following manner: A first auxiliary device for transmitting a radio frequency signal is preset, the first auxiliary device is connected to the test device through the first test path, and the first adjustable circuit is arranged at a signal receiving end of the first test path; The circuit parameters of the first adjustable circuit are adjusted so that the power difference between the first RF signal emitted by the first auxiliary device and the second RF signal received by the test device is within a preset range, and the circuit parameters of the first adjustable circuit at this time are recorded as first adjustment information.

6. The radio frequency chip testing method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The circuit parameter of the first adjustable circuit is signal gain.

7. The radio frequency chip testing method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The first radio frequency signal transmitted by the first auxiliary device is a radio frequency signal transmitted at a maximum transmission power.

8. The radio frequency chip testing method according to claim 5, characterized in that: When the power difference between the first radio frequency signal emitted by the first auxiliary device and the second radio frequency signal received by the test device is within a preset range, recording the power of the second radio frequency signal as a reference power; When the radio frequency chip to be tested is connected to the adjusted test path and tested, it is determined whether the transmitter of the radio frequency chip to be tested meets the test requirements according to the reference power.

9. The radio frequency chip testing method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The step of connecting the RF chip to be tested to the adjusted test path and testing the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested includes: Enable the transmitter of the radio frequency chip to be tested to transmit a radio frequency signal; A test device is used to receive a third radio frequency signal compensated by the first adjustable circuit, and it is determined whether the difference between the power of the third radio frequency signal and the reference power is less than a first preset threshold. If so, it is determined that the transmitter of the radio frequency chip to be tested meets the test requirements.

10. The radio frequency chip testing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The test path includes a second test path connecting the receiver of the RF chip to be tested and the test device, and the adjustable circuit includes a second adjustable circuit arranged at the signal transmitting end of the second test path; the fourth RF signal transmitted by the test device is compensated by the second adjustable circuit in the second test path and then received by the receiver of the RF chip to be tested, so as to test the receiver of the RF chip to be tested.

11. The radio frequency chip testing method according to claim 10, characterized in that: The adjustment information includes second adjustment information, and the second adjustment information is obtained in the following manner: A second auxiliary device for receiving a radio frequency signal is preset, the second auxiliary device is arranged at a signal receiving end of the second test path, and the second adjustable circuit is arranged at a signal transmitting end of the second test path; The circuit parameters of the second adjustable circuit are adjusted so that the gain of the fifth radio frequency signal received by the second auxiliary device is a non-saturated gain, and the circuit parameters of the second adjustable circuit at this time are recorded as second adjustment information.

12. The radio frequency chip testing method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The circuit parameter of the second adjustable circuit is signal power.

13. The radio frequency chip testing method according to claim 11, characterized in that: When the gain of the fifth radio frequency signal received by the second auxiliary device is a non-saturated gain, recording the gain of the fifth radio frequency signal as a reference gain; When the radio frequency chip to be tested is connected to the adjusted test path and tested, it is determined whether the receiver of the radio frequency chip to be tested meets the test requirements according to the reference gain.

14. The radio frequency chip testing method according to claim 13, characterized in that: The step of connecting the RF chip to be tested to the adjusted test path and testing the receiver of the RF chip to be tested includes: Using a test device to generate a sixth radio frequency signal, the sixth radio frequency signal is transmitted after being compensated by the second adjustable circuit; At the signal receiving end of the second test path, the receiver of the RF chip under test is used to receive the seventh RF signal, and it is determined whether the difference between the gain of the seventh RF signal and the reference gain is less than a second preset threshold. If so, it is determined that the receiver of the RF chip under test meets the test requirements.

15. A radio frequency chip testing system, characterized in that: For testing a radio frequency chip to be tested, the system comprises: a test path and an adjustable circuit arranged in the test path, wherein: The adjustable circuit is configured with adjustment information during testing to adjust circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit, wherein the adjustment information is set according to a test environment so that the adjustable circuit compensates for a radio frequency signal in the test path; The adjustment information is obtained in the following manner: Preset an auxiliary device for transmitting or receiving radio frequency signals, connect the auxiliary device to the test path, and the adjustable circuit is arranged in the test path; By adjusting the circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit in the test path, the radio frequency signal at the signal receiving end of the test path meets the preset requirements, and the circuit parameters of the adjustable circuit at this time are recorded as adjustment information; The test path is used to transmit the signal sent or received by the RF chip to be tested. During testing, the adjusted test path is connected to the RF chip to be tested to test the transmitter of the RF chip to be tested, or to test the receiver of the RF chip to be tested.

16. The radio frequency chip testing system according to claim 15, characterized in that: The system is used to test the transmitter of the radio frequency chip to be tested, the radio frequency chip to be tested is arranged at the signal transmitting end of the test path, and the adjustable circuit is arranged at the signal receiving end of the test path; or The system is used to test the receiver of the radio frequency chip to be tested. The radio frequency chip to be tested is arranged at the signal receiving end of the test path, and the adjustable circuit is arranged at the signal transmitting end of the test path.

17. The radio frequency chip testing system according to claim 15, characterized in that: The system further includes a testing device, the testing path includes a first testing path, the adjustable circuit includes a first adjustable circuit, and the first adjustable circuit is arranged at a signal receiving end of the first testing path; the radio frequency signal transmitted by the transmitter of the radio frequency chip to be tested is compensated by the first adjustable circuit in the first testing path and then received by the testing device; The adjustment information configured for the first adjustable circuit includes first adjustment information, and the first adjustment information is used to adjust circuit parameters of the first adjustable circuit so that the first adjustable circuit compensates for the received radio frequency signal.

18. The radio frequency chip testing system according to claim 17, characterized in that: The first adjustable circuit includes a signal amplifier for adjusting gain.

19. The radio frequency chip testing system according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that: The first adjustable circuit includes a transimpedance amplifier and / or a variable gain amplifier connected in series, and the first adjustment information is the gain of the transimpedance amplifier and / or the gain of the variable gain amplifier.

20. The radio frequency chip testing system according to claim 15, characterized in that: The system further includes a test device, the test path includes a second test path, the adjustable circuit includes a second adjustable circuit, the second adjustable circuit is arranged at a signal transmitting end of the second test path, the second adjustable circuit is arranged to transmit after compensating the radio frequency signal generated by the test device, the radio frequency chip to be tested is arranged at a signal receiving end of the second test path, and the receiver of the radio frequency chip to be tested is used to receive the radio frequency signal compensated by the second adjustable circuit; The adjustment information configured for the second adjustable circuit includes second adjustment information, and the second adjustment information is used to adjust circuit parameters of the second adjustable circuit so that the second adjustable circuit can compensate for the radio frequency signal generated by the test device.

21. The radio frequency chip testing system according to claim 20, characterized in that: The second adjustable circuit includes a signal amplifier for amplifying power.

22. The radio frequency chip testing system according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that: The second adjustable circuit includes a power amplifier, and the second adjustment information is the power of the power amplifier.

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