Test apparatus, calibration system and calibration method

Abstract

The application provides a test device, a calibration system and a calibration method, and relates to the field of antennas. The device comprises a signal processing chip and a signal providing and processing unit electrically connected, the signal providing and processing unit is electrically connected with a target phased array antenna, the signal providing and processing unit is used for generating a first radio frequency signal and outputting the first radio frequency signal to the target phased array antenna; the signal providing and processing unit is also used for receiving a second radio frequency signal sent by the target phased array antenna based on the first radio frequency signal, and sending a third radio frequency signal obtained by processing the second radio frequency signal to the signal processing chip; the signal processing chip is used for converting the third radio frequency signal into a digital signal, and obtaining an amplitude and / or a phase used for calibrating the target phased array antenna according to the converted digital signal. In this way, the test device is used instead of a vector network analyzer, the cost can be greatly reduced, and the response speed of the test device is fast, so that the time cost can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of antenna technology, and more specifically, to a test device, calibration system, and calibration method. Background Technology

[0002] Conventional calibration methods for phased array antennas include near-field calibration, far-field calibration, and mid-field calibration. Due to the simplicity of remote calibration systems, far-field calibration is generally used. In remote calibration, a vector network analyzer is used to acquire the amplitude and phase data of the phased array antenna, thereby completing the calibration. However, this method requires a vector network analyzer, which is expensive and costly; furthermore, the slow command execution speed of the vector network analyzer leads to complex control and high time costs in the calibration process. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a testing device, calibration system, and calibration method that can replace a vector network analyzer with the testing device, significantly reducing costs. Furthermore, the testing device has a fast response speed, reducing time costs.

[0004] The embodiments of this application can be implemented as follows:

[0005] Firstly, embodiments of this application provide a testing device.

[0006] The testing equipment includes an electrically connected signal processing chip and a signal providing and processing unit, wherein the signal providing and processing unit is electrically connected to the target phased array antenna to be calibrated.

[0007] The signal providing and processing unit is used to generate a first radio frequency signal and output the first radio frequency signal to the target phased array antenna;

[0008] The signal providing and processing unit is also used to receive a second radio frequency signal transmitted by the target phased array antenna based on the first radio frequency signal, and to send a third radio frequency signal obtained by processing the second radio frequency signal to the signal processing chip;

[0009] The signal processing chip is used to convert the third radio frequency signal into a digital signal, and obtain the amplitude and / or phase for calibrating the target phased array antenna based on the converted digital signal.

[0010] In an optional embodiment, the test equipment further includes a power processing unit.

[0011] The power processing unit is electrically connected to the target phased array antenna. The power processing unit is used to process the voltage of the power supply provided by the power supply device according to the voltage adjustment command sent by the calibration control device, so as to provide the target phased array antenna with the target operating voltage required by the target phased array antenna. The voltage adjustment command is used to instruct the voltage to be adjusted to the target operating voltage.

[0012] In an optional implementation, the signal providing and processing unit includes an intermediate frequency signal generation subunit, a local oscillator signal generation subunit, and a first mixer.

[0013] The intermediate frequency signal generation subunit is used to generate the target intermediate frequency signal;

[0014] The local oscillator signal generation subunit is used to generate the target local oscillator signal;

[0015] The first mixer is electrically connected to the intermediate frequency signal generation subunit and the local oscillator signal generation subunit, and is used to perform up-conversion processing on the target intermediate frequency signal and the target local oscillator signal to obtain the first radio frequency signal, wherein the frequency of the first radio frequency signal is within the operating frequency range of the target phased array antenna.

[0016] In an optional implementation, the intermediate frequency signal generation subunit and the local oscillator signal generation subunit are specifically used to generate radio frequency signals according to the frequency control command sent by the calibration control device. The frequency control command is generated by the calibration control device based on the operating frequency range of the target phased array antenna, the frequency range of the signal that the intermediate frequency signal generation subunit can generate, and the frequency range of the signal that the local oscillator signal generation subunit can generate.

[0017] In an optional implementation, the signal providing and processing unit further includes a second mixer.

[0018] The second mixer is electrically connected to the target phased array antenna, the local oscillator signal generation subunit, and the signal processing chip. The second mixer is used to perform down-conversion processing on the target local oscillator signal and the second radio frequency signal to obtain the second radio frequency signal, and send the second radio frequency signal to the signal processing chip.

[0019] In an optional embodiment, the signal processing chip is communicatively connected to the calibration control device and the target phased array antenna. The signal processing chip is also used to send the received antenna control command sent by the calibration control device to the target phased array antenna so that the target phased array antenna executes the antenna control command for calibration.

[0020] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a calibration system, the system comprising: a power supply device, a calibration control device, and a test device as described in any of the foregoing embodiments;

[0021] The power supply device is electrically connected to the test equipment and is used to provide electrical energy to the test equipment;

[0022] The calibration control device is communicatively connected to the signal processing chip and the target phased array antenna to be calibrated. It is used to control the working state of the signal processing chip and the target phased array antenna, and to obtain the amplitude and / or phase for calibrating the target phased array antenna through the signal processing chip, and to obtain the target amplitude and / or target phase corresponding to the target phased array antenna based on the obtained amplitude and / or phase.

[0023] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a calibration method applied to the calibration system described in the foregoing embodiments, wherein the test equipment includes a power processing unit, and the method includes:

[0024] The calibration control device sends a voltage adjustment command to the power processing unit, so that the power processing unit processes the electrical energy provided by the power device into electrical energy with the target operating voltage required by the target phased array antenna and provides it to the target phased array antenna.

[0025] The calibration control device controls the test equipment to cause the test equipment to output the first radio frequency signal;

[0026] The calibration control device controls the operating state of the target phased array antenna;

[0027] The test equipment sends the calculated amplitude and / or phase of each antenna element in the target phased array antenna to the calibration control equipment;

[0028] The calibration control device calculates the target amplitude and / or target phase of each antenna element based on the amplitude and / or phase of each antenna element.

[0029] In an optional implementation, the calibration control device controls the operating state of the target phased array antenna, including:

[0030] The calibration control device sends antenna control commands to the test device;

[0031] The test equipment sends the antenna control command to the target phased array antenna to control the switching state and phase state of each antenna element in the target phased array antenna.

[0032] In an optional implementation, the calibration control device controls the operating state of the target phased array antenna, including:

[0033] Each antenna element in the target phased array antenna is sequentially used as the target antenna element. The target antenna element is turned on while the other antenna elements are turned off. The target antenna elements are controlled to be in different target phase levels in sequence according to the order of increasing or decreasing target phase level. This allows the test equipment to calculate the amplitude and / or phase of the target antenna element at different target phase levels. The different target phase levels include at least four phase levels, and the at least four phase levels include at least two groups of levels. Each group of levels includes two phase levels with a phase difference of 180 degrees.

[0034] The testing equipment, calibration system, and calibration method provided in this application include an electrically connected signal processing chip and a signal providing and processing unit. The signal providing and processing unit is electrically connected to the target phased array antenna to be calibrated. The signal providing and processing unit generates a first radio frequency (RF) signal and outputs the first RF signal to the target phased array antenna. The signal providing and processing unit also receives a second RF signal transmitted by the target phased array antenna based on the first RF signal and sends a third RF signal obtained by processing the second RF signal to the signal processing chip. The signal processing chip converts the third RF signal into a digital signal and obtains the amplitude and / or phase for calibrating the target phased array antenna based on the converted digital signal. Thus, this testing equipment can replace the vector network analyzer used in phased array antenna calibration, reducing equipment costs. Furthermore, the testing equipment has a fast response speed, reducing response and waiting time, thereby reducing time costs. Attached Figure Description

[0035] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the current remote calibration method;

[0037] Figure 2 A block diagram of the testing equipment provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0038] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the calibration system provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0039] Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart of the calibration method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between phase level and phase, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0041] Icons: 10-Calibration system; 100-Test equipment; 110-Signal supply and processing unit; 111-Intermediate frequency signal generation subunit; 112-Local oscillator signal generation subunit; 113-First mixer; 114-Second mixer; 120-Signal processing chip; 130-Power supply processing unit; 200-Calibration control equipment; 300-Power supply equipment; 400-Target phased array antenna. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0043] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0044] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0045] In the description of this application, it should be noted that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "inner," or "outer" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of the invention is in use, they are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this application. Furthermore, if terms such as "first" or "second" appear, they are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0046] It should be noted that, where there is no conflict, the features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0047] For example Figure 1 As shown, the calibration system in current remote calibration methods includes a PC controller, a DC power supply, and a vector network analysis instrument (i.e., Figure 1 (The instrument is labeled as a vector network analyzer). A DC power supply is connected to the phased array antenna, and a PC controller is connected to both the phased array antenna and the vector network analyzer via a local area network (LAN). The calibration process is as follows: 1. Turn on the DC power supply and manually set the voltage required for the phased array antenna to operate; 2. The PC controller controls the phased array antenna via the LAN to control the state of the antenna elements (e.g., putting the antenna elements in receiving mode); 3. The PC controller controls the vector network analyzer via the LAN, making the Por2 port of the vector network analyzer act as a source to output RF signals, and the Por1 port as a receiver to acquire the amplitude and phase values ​​of the phased array antenna, and then perform calibration based on the acquired amplitude and phase values.

[0048] Therefore, it can be seen that the existing remote calibration method requires the use of a vector network analyzer, but network analyzers are expensive and costly; moreover, the vector network analyzer executes instructions slowly, which makes the control of the calibration method more complex and time-consuming.

[0049] In view of the above situation, the embodiments of this application provide a test device, a calibration system and a calibration method, which can use the test device to replace the vector network analyzer, which can significantly reduce costs, and the test device has a fast response speed, which can reduce time costs.

[0050] Please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a block diagram of the test device 100 provided in an embodiment of this application. In this embodiment, the test device 100 may include a signal providing and processing unit 110 and a signal processing chip 120. The signal providing and processing unit 110 is electrically connected to the target phased array antenna 400 to be calibrated. The target phased array antenna includes multiple antenna elements.

[0051] The signal providing and processing unit 110 is used to generate a first radio frequency (RF) signal for calibration and outputs the first RF signal to the target phased array antenna 400. The signal providing and processing unit 110 is also used to receive a second RF signal transmitted by the target phased array antenna 400 based on the first RF signal, and to send a third RF signal obtained by processing the second RF signal to the signal processing chip 120. The second RF signal is the RF signal received by the target phased array antenna 400 after the first RF signal is radiated towards it. The signal processing chip 120 is used to convert the third RF signal into a digital signal and obtain the amplitude and / or phase for calibrating the target phased array antenna 400 based on the converted digital signal.

[0052] like Figure 3 As shown, the signal providing and processing unit 110 generates a first radio frequency (RF) signal, which is transmitted to the feed horn and then radiated onto the array surface of the target phased array antenna 400 via a reflector. The reflector may be the portion of the anechoic chamber where the calibration system is located during calibration that reflects the first RF signal. The antenna elements in the target phased array antenna 400 receive the radiated RF signal and then send it as a second RF signal to the signal providing and processing unit 110. The signal providing and processing unit 110 processes the second RF signal, for example, through demodulation, to obtain a third RF signal, which is then sent to the signal processing chip 120. The signal processing chip 120 first performs signal conversion on the third RF signal to obtain a digital signal, and then analyzes the digital signal to obtain the amplitude and / or phase used for calibration.

[0053] Thus, the calibration of the target phased array antenna can be completed using test equipment 100 without the need for a vector network analyzer, thereby reducing equipment costs. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the signal processing chip 120 is used to first convert the radio frequency signal into a digital signal and then analyze it to obtain the phase and / or amplitude, which can speed up the acquisition of phase and / or amplitude and thus reduce waiting time.

[0054] Optionally, such as Figure 2As shown, in this embodiment, the signal providing and processing unit 110 may include: an intermediate frequency (IF) signal generation subunit 111, a local oscillator (LO) signal generation subunit 112, and a first mixer 113. The IF signal generation subunit 111 generates a target IF signal, and the LO signal generation subunit 112 generates a target LO signal. The first mixer 113 is electrically connected to the IF signal generation subunit 111 and the LO signal generation subunit 112. The first mixer 113 performs up-conversion processing on the target IF signal and the target LO signal, that is, it adds the target IF signal and the target LO signal to obtain the first radio frequency (RF) signal. The frequency of the first RF signal is within the operating frequency range of the target phased array antenna. Thus, a first RF signal corresponding to the target phased array antenna 400 can be provided. The specific composition of the IF signal generation subunit 111 and the LO signal generation subunit 112 can be set according to actual needs and is not specifically limited here.

[0055] Optionally, as a possible implementation, the calibration control device 200 can obtain the operating frequency range of the target phased array antenna 400, and then, combining the frequency range of the radio frequency signal that can be generated by the intermediate frequency signal generation subunit 111 and the frequency range of the radio frequency signal that can be generated by the local oscillator signal generation subunit 112, generate a first frequency control command and send it to the intermediate frequency signal generation subunit 111, and generate a second frequency control command and send it to the local oscillator signal generation subunit 112. The intermediate frequency signal generation subunit 111 generates a target intermediate frequency signal based on the first frequency control command, which indicates the frequency of the target intermediate frequency signal; the local oscillator signal generation subunit 112 generates a target local oscillator signal based on the second frequency control command, which indicates the frequency of the local oscillator signal.

[0056] Thus, the intermediate frequency signal generation subunit 111 and the local oscillator signal generation subunit 112 generate corresponding radio frequency signals according to the frequency control command sent by the calibration control device 200, thereby obtaining the first radio frequency signal; and the test device 100 can test phased array antennas with different operating frequency ranges without replacing the intermediate frequency signal generation subunit 111 and the local oscillator signal generation subunit 112.

[0057] like Figure 2As shown, in this embodiment, the signal providing and processing unit 110 may further include a second mixer 114. The second mixer 114 is electrically connected to the target phased array antenna 400, the local oscillator signal generation subunit 112, and the signal processing chip 120. The second mixer 114 is used to perform down-conversion processing on the target local oscillator signal and the second radio frequency signal, that is, subtracting the target local oscillator signal from the second radio frequency signal to obtain the second radio frequency signal, and sending the second radio frequency signal to the signal processing chip 120. In this way, the test equipment 100 can have a frequency shifting function, that is, it has up-conversion and down-conversion functions; and it also has its own intermediate frequency signal and local oscillator signal.

[0058] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The signal processing chip 120 is communicatively connected to the calibration control device 200 and the target phased array antenna 400. The signal processing chip 120 is also used to send antenna control commands received from the calibration control device 200 to the target phased array antenna 400, so that the target phased array antenna 400 executes the antenna control commands for calibration. The antenna control commands are used to control the operating state of the target phased array antenna, for example, controlling some antenna elements to be turned on and others to be turned off; or, for example, controlling the phase shifters in the target phased array antenna to perform phase shifting operations, thereby changing the phase level of the antenna elements. In this way, the operating state of the target phased array antenna 400 can be controlled without the need for separate connecting cables for communication between the calibration control device 200 and the target phased array antenna 400.

[0059] Please refer to this again. Figure 2 and Figure 3In this embodiment, the test device 100 may further include a power processing unit 130. The power supply unit is electrically connected to the test device 100 and provides power to the test device 100. The power processing unit 130 is electrically connected to the target phased array antenna 400 and communicatively connected to the calibration control device 200. The calibration control device 200 can obtain the target operating voltage required by the target phased array antenna 400 in any way, for example, by receiving input from a worker. Then, the calibration control device 200 sends a voltage adjustment command to the power processing unit 130 according to the target operating voltage, the voltage adjustment command instructing the voltage to be adjusted to the target operating voltage. After receiving the voltage adjustment command, the power processing unit 130 processes the power provided by the power supply unit 300 according to the voltage adjustment command to provide the target phased array antenna with the target operating voltage, thereby enabling the target phased array antenna 400 to obtain the required power for normal operation. The power supply unit 300 may be a current power source. With the above settings, the operating status of the target phased array antenna can be controlled by the power processing unit 130 and the signal processing chip 120.

[0060] In this embodiment, no manual voltage adjustment is required. The power supply unit 130 can automatically provide the required power to the target phased array antenna. It can also provide the corresponding voltage when testing different phased array antennas, and can adapt to phased array antennas with different operating voltages.

[0061] like Figure 3 As shown in the illustration, this application embodiment also provides a calibration system 10, which may include: a calibration control device 200, a power supply device 300, and the aforementioned test device 100. The power supply device 300 is electrically connected to the test device 100 and is used to provide power to the test device 100. The calibration control device 200 is communicatively connected to the signal processing chip 120 and the target phased array antenna 400 to be calibrated, and is used to control the operating state of the signal processing chip 120 and the target phased array antenna 400, and to obtain the amplitude and / or phase for calibrating the target phased array antenna 400 through the signal processing chip 120, and to obtain the target amplitude and / or target phase corresponding to the target phased array antenna 400 based on the obtained amplitude and / or phase.

[0062] During calibration, the target phased array antenna 400 can be connected to the calibration system 10, and the calibration system 10 can be placed in a microwave anechoic chamber. In this embodiment, a detailed description of the calibration system 10 can be found in the preceding description of the test equipment 100, and will not be repeated here. In the calibration system 10 provided in this application embodiment, the test equipment 100 replaces the vector network analyzer, which can significantly reduce equipment costs; furthermore, the communication interconnection between the test equipment 100 and the target phased array antenna 400 reduces control response and waiting time, thus lowering time costs.

[0063] Please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart of the calibration method according to an embodiment of this application. The calibration method can be applied to the calibration system 10 described above. The test equipment 100 of the calibration system 10 includes a power processing unit 130. The calibration method will be described below. In this embodiment, the calibration method may include steps S110 to S150.

[0064] In step S110, the calibration control device 200 sends a voltage adjustment command to the power processing unit 130, so that the power processing unit 130 processes the electrical energy provided by the power device 300 into electrical energy with the target operating voltage required by the target phased array antenna 400 and provides it to the target phased array antenna 400.

[0065] In this embodiment, the calibration control device 200 first obtains the target operating voltage of the target phased array antenna, and then sends a voltage adjustment command to the power processing unit 130 in the test device 100 according to the target operating voltage. The power processing unit 130 adjusts the power supplied by the power supply device 300 according to the voltage adjustment command, so as to supply the target phased array antenna 400 with power having the target operating voltage, thereby enabling the target phased array antenna 400 to obtain suitable power for operation.

[0066] In step S120, the calibration control device 200 controls the test device 100 so that the test device 100 outputs the first radio frequency signal.

[0067] In this embodiment, the calibration control device 200 can obtain the operating frequency range of the target phased array antenna 400, and obtain the frequency range of the signal generated by the intermediate frequency signal generation subunit 111 and the frequency range of the signal generated by the local oscillator signal generation subunit 112 in the test device 100. Then, it generates corresponding frequency control commands and sends them to the intermediate frequency signal generation subunit 111 and the local oscillator signal generation subunit 112, so that the first mixer 113 performs up-conversion processing on the target intermediate frequency signal generated by the intermediate frequency signal generation subunit 111 and the target local oscillator signal generated by the local oscillator signal generation subunit 112, thereby outputting a first radio frequency signal with a frequency within the operating frequency range of the target phased array antenna 400.

[0068] In step S130, the calibration control device 200 controls the operating state of the target phased array antenna 400.

[0069] In step S140, the test device 100 sends the calculated amplitude and / or phase of each antenna element in the target phased array antenna 400 to the calibration control device 200.

[0070] In step S150, the calibration control device 200 calculates the target amplitude and / or target phase of each antenna element based on the amplitude and / or phase of each antenna element.

[0071] In this embodiment, the calibration control device 200 can control the operating state of each antenna element in the target phased array antenna 400 according to test requirements, thereby meeting the test conditions. When the conditions are met, the calibration control device 200 can control the signal processing chip 120 so that the signal processing chip 120 obtains the amplitude and / or phase of the antenna element in the current state through signal processing. Then, the calibration control device 200 can calculate the target amplitude and / or target phase of each antenna element based on the amplitude and / or phase acquired by the signal processing chip 120, thereby completing the calibration of the target phased array antenna 400. Specifically, the amplitude and / or phase are acquired once by the signal processing chip 120 after each state control operation.

[0072] Optionally, as a possible implementation, the calibration control device 200 sends antenna control commands to the test device 100; the test device 100 then sends the antenna control commands to the target phased array antenna 400 to control the switching state and phase state of each antenna element in the target phased array antenna 400. In this way, the target phased array antenna 400 can be indirectly controlled.

[0073] Optionally, as a possible implementation, the calibration control device 200 can sequentially use each antenna element in the target phased array antenna 400 as a target antenna element, control the target antenna element to be turned on and the other antenna elements to be turned off, and control the target antenna elements to be in different target phase levels in sequence according to the order of increasing or decreasing target phase level, so that the test device 100 can calculate the amplitude and / or phase of the target antenna element at different target phase levels. The different target phase levels include at least four phase levels, and the at least four phase levels include at least two groups of levels, each group of levels including two phase levels with a phase difference of 180 degrees. This sequential adjustment of phase levels has a relatively simple implementation logic.

[0074] Different phase levels correspond to different phases. Taking K=6 as an example, there are 64 phase levels, each level differing by 5.625° (2π / 2). k The relationship between phase level and phase is as follows: Figure 5 As shown: Phase level 0 corresponds to 0°; Phase level 1 corresponds to 5.625°; Phase level 2 corresponds to 11.25°; ...; Phase level 63 corresponds to 354.375°.

[0075] For any antenna element, after obtaining the amplitude and / or phase of the antenna element at different target phase levels, the calibration control device can calculate the target amplitude and / or target phase of the antenna element based on the Phase-Toggle algorithm. The Phase-Toggle algorithm eliminates interference and clutter by reversing the phase of the vector, thus obtaining the true amplitude and phase.

[0076] For example, when the antenna elements are powered on and radio frequency signals are connected, there exists a set of vectors in space, which are vectors emitted by the elements themselves. And other anomalous vectors in space Composition, assuming it is a vector At this point, after the phase of the array element is deflected by 180 degrees through the phase shifter, a set of vectors simultaneously exists in space, which are vectors emitted by the array element itself. and other anomaly vectors in space Composition, assuming it is a vector To obtain vector This requires using vectors Subtract vector This can be expressed by the formula as follows: Therefore, the final result is

[0077] Furthermore, in space, to facilitate vector calculations, the imaginary and real parts of the vector are typically used for addition and subtraction. Therefore, vectors can be used... The real part (denoted by sc) minus the vector The real part (denoted by mc) of the vector The imaginary part (denoted by sci) minus the vector The imaginary part of (denoted by mci) can be expressed by the formula:

[0078] 2·ac=sc-mc

[0079] 2·aci=sci-mci

[0080] Therefore, during data processing, when the amplitude A1 and phase P1 before phase shift and the amplitude A2 and phase P2 after phase shift (i.e., rotation of 180 degrees) are acquired by the test equipment 100, ac and aci can be calculated using the following formula:

[0081]

[0082]

[0083] Finally, since the radian of a vector is the arctangent of the slopes of its imaginary and real parts, and the magnitude of a vector is the arithmetic square root of its real and imaginary parts, we can substitute the obtained real and imaginary parts into the following formula to calculate the radian and the magnitude of the vector, respectively. The formula is as follows:

[0084]

[0085]

[0086] At this point, the obtained radians and modulus are used to calculate the final amplitude and phase using a formula:

[0087]

[0088] At this point, the processing of a set of data before and after the flip is complete, where pc is the phase used for calibration calculated based on the data before and after the flip, and ac is the amplitude used for calibration calculated based on the data before and after the flip. Subsequently, the average of the phases corresponding to multiple sets of data can be used as the target phase of an antenna element, and the average of the amplitudes corresponding to multiple sets of data can be used as the target amplitude of an antenna element. It can be understood that each antenna element has its own corresponding target phase and target amplitude.

[0089] The following example illustrates how to perform calibration.

[0090] First, the power supply device 300 is turned on, putting the test device 100 into operation. The calibration control device 200 regulates the power processing unit 130, causing it to output a constant voltage required by the target phased array antenna 400, thereby putting the target phased array antenna into operation. The target operating voltage required by the target phased array antenna 400 can be manually input into the calibration control device 200.

[0091] The calibration control device 200 adjusts the intermediate frequency signal generation subunit 111, the local oscillator signal generation subunit 112, and the first mixer 113 according to the operating frequency range of the target phased array antenna, so that the first mixer 113 outputs a first radio frequency signal with a frequency within the operating frequency range of the target phased array antenna. This first radio frequency signal is reflected by a reflective surface and radiated to the target phased array antenna 400 for reception.

[0092] The calibration control device 200 sends antenna control commands to the test device 100. The test device 100 then transmits these commands to the target phased array antenna 400 via a communication control line, causing the target phased array antenna 400 to open its first receiving channel while keeping the other channels closed; that is, one antenna element is open while the others are closed. The calibration control device 200 also sends antenna control commands to the target phased array antenna 400, using a phase shifter to set the phase level of the first receiving channel of the target phased array antenna 400 to 0. Simultaneously, the first receiving channel of the target phased array antenna 400 transmits the radiated radio frequency signal, after passing through an internal link, to the test device 100 as a sum signal.

[0093] The second mixer 114 in the test equipment 100 processes the radio frequency signal and the "sum" signal generated by the local oscillator signal generation subunit 112, along with the mixer (down-conversion), to obtain an intermediate frequency signal, which is then sent to the signal processing chip 120. The signal processing chip 120 processes the intermediate frequency signal into a digital signal and then analyzes it to obtain the amplitude and phase values ​​of the first receiving channel in the target phased array antenna 400 when the phase level is 0.

[0094] Subsequently, the calibration control device 200 controls the phase level of the first receiving channel of the target phased array antenna 400 to be 1. Similarly, the amplitude and phase values ​​of the first receiving channel of the target phased array antenna 400 at phase level 1 are obtained. This process continues until all phase levels of the first receiving channel have been traversed once, resulting in 64 sets of amplitude and phase values ​​for channel 1.

[0095] After completing data acquisition for channel 1, the calibration control device 200 sends antenna control commands to the test device 100. The test device 100 then transmits these commands to the target phased array antenna 400 via the communication control line, causing the target phased array antenna 400 to open its second receiving channel while keeping the other channels closed. The calibration control device 200 also sends antenna control commands to the target phased array antenna 400 to set the phase level of its second receiving channel to 0, thus obtaining the amplitude and phase values ​​at phase level 0. Subsequently, it sets the phase level of the second receiving channel to 1, again obtaining the amplitude and phase values ​​at phase level 1. This process continues until all phase levels of the second receiving channel have been traversed, resulting in 64 sets of amplitude and phase values ​​for channel 2. This cycle is repeated until the amplitude and phase values ​​of each receiving channel of the target phased array antenna at different phase levels are obtained.

[0096] Finally, the calibration control device 200 can calculate the target phase and target amplitude of each receiving channel based on the amplitude and phase values ​​of the receiving channel at different phase levels.

[0097] In the aforementioned calibration process, in practical applications, the command to control the single channel of the target phased array antenna 400 to be in receiving mode and the command to control the signal processing chip 120 to perform amplitude and phase acquisition can be simultaneously sent to the test equipment 100. Since the signal processing chip 120 can quickly complete amplitude and phase acquisition, the waiting time can be reduced.

[0098] In summary, this application provides a testing device, calibration system, and calibration method. The testing device includes an electrically connected signal processing chip and a signal providing and processing unit, with the signal providing and processing unit electrically connected to the target phased array antenna to be calibrated. The signal providing and processing unit generates a first radio frequency (RF) signal and outputs the first RF signal to the target phased array antenna. The signal providing and processing unit also receives a second RF signal transmitted by the target phased array antenna based on the first RF signal and sends a third RF signal obtained by processing the second RF signal to the signal processing chip. The signal processing chip converts the third RF signal into a digital signal and obtains the amplitude and / or phase for calibrating the target phased array antenna based on the converted digital signal. Thus, this testing device can replace the vector network analyzer used in phased array antenna calibration, reducing equipment costs. Furthermore, the testing device has a fast response speed, reducing response and waiting time, thereby reducing time costs.

[0099] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A testing device, characterized in that, The testing equipment includes an electrically connected signal processing chip and a signal providing and processing unit, wherein the signal providing and processing unit is electrically connected to the target phased array antenna to be calibrated. The signal providing and processing unit is used to generate a first radio frequency signal and output the first radio frequency signal to the target phased array antenna, wherein the first radio frequency signal is reflected by the reflective surface and then radiated to the target phased array antenna; The signal providing and processing unit is also used to receive a second radio frequency signal transmitted by the target phased array antenna based on the first radio frequency signal, and to send a third radio frequency signal obtained by processing the second radio frequency signal to the signal processing chip; The signal processing chip is used to convert the third radio frequency signal into a digital signal, and obtain the amplitude and / or phase for calibrating the target phased array antenna based on the converted digital signal; The signal processing chip is further configured to sequentially use each antenna element in the target phased array antenna as a target antenna element, control the target antenna element to be turned on and other antenna elements to be turned off, and control the target antenna element to be in different target phase levels sequentially according to the target phase level increasing or decreasing, so as to obtain the amplitude and / or phase of the target antenna element at different target phase levels. The different target phase levels include at least four phase levels, and the at least four phase levels include at least two groups of levels, each group including two phase levels with a phase difference of 180 degrees. The amplitude and / or phase of the target antenna element at different target phase levels are used to obtain the target amplitude and / or target phase of the target antenna element. The target amplitude is obtained based on the reference amplitude corresponding to each group of levels. The reference amplitude corresponding to one group of levels is calculated based on the Phase-Toggle algorithm and the amplitudes corresponding to the two phase levels in that group of levels. The target phase is obtained based on the reference phase corresponding to each group of levels. The reference phase corresponding to one group of levels is calculated based on the Phase-Toggle algorithm and the phases corresponding to the two phase levels in that group of levels.

2. The testing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The testing equipment also includes a power processing unit. The power processing unit is electrically connected to the target phased array antenna. The power processing unit is used to process the voltage of the power supply provided by the power supply device according to the voltage adjustment command sent by the calibration control device, so as to provide the target phased array antenna with the target operating voltage required by the target phased array antenna. The voltage adjustment command is used to instruct the voltage to be adjusted to the target operating voltage.

3. The testing equipment according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, The signal providing and processing unit includes an intermediate frequency signal generation subunit, a local oscillator signal generation subunit, and a first mixer. The intermediate frequency signal generation subunit is used to generate the target intermediate frequency signal; The local oscillator signal generation subunit is used to generate the target local oscillator signal; The first mixer is electrically connected to the intermediate frequency signal generation subunit and the local oscillator signal generation subunit, and is used to perform up-conversion processing on the target intermediate frequency signal and the target local oscillator signal to obtain the first radio frequency signal, wherein the frequency of the first radio frequency signal is within the operating frequency range of the target phased array antenna.

4. The testing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The intermediate frequency signal generation subunit and the local oscillator signal generation subunit are specifically used to generate radio frequency signals according to the frequency control command sent by the calibration control device. The frequency control command is generated by the calibration control device based on the operating frequency range of the target phased array antenna, the frequency range of the signal that can be generated by the intermediate frequency signal generation subunit, and the frequency range of the signal that can be generated by the local oscillator signal generation subunit.

5. The testing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The signal providing and processing unit also includes a second mixer. The second mixer is electrically connected to the target phased array antenna, the local oscillator signal generation subunit, and the signal processing chip. The second mixer is used to perform down-conversion processing on the target local oscillator signal and the second radio frequency signal to obtain the third radio frequency signal, and send the third radio frequency signal to the signal processing chip.

6. The testing equipment according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, The signal processing chip is communicatively connected to the calibration control device and the target phased array antenna. The signal processing chip is also used to send the antenna control command received by the calibration control device to the target phased array antenna so that the target phased array antenna executes the antenna control command to perform calibration.

7. A calibration system, characterized in that, The system includes: a power supply device, a calibration control device, and a test device according to any one of claims 1-6; The power supply device is electrically connected to the test equipment and is used to provide electrical energy to the test equipment; The calibration control device is communicatively connected to the signal processing chip and the target phased array antenna to be calibrated. It is used to control the working state of the signal processing chip and the target phased array antenna, and to obtain the amplitude and / or phase for calibrating the target phased array antenna through the signal processing chip, and to obtain the target amplitude and / or target phase corresponding to the target phased array antenna based on the obtained amplitude and / or phase.

8. A calibration method, characterized in that, Applied to the calibration system of claim 7, wherein the test equipment includes a power processing unit, the method includes: The calibration control device sends a voltage adjustment command to the power processing unit, so that the power processing unit processes the electrical energy provided by the power device into electrical energy with the target operating voltage required by the target phased array antenna and provides it to the target phased array antenna. The calibration control device controls the test equipment to cause the test equipment to output the first radio frequency signal; The calibration control device controls the operating state of the target phased array antenna; The test equipment sends the calculated amplitude and / or phase of each antenna element in the target phased array antenna to the calibration control equipment; The calibration control device calculates the target amplitude and / or target phase of each antenna element based on the amplitude and / or phase of each antenna element. The calibration control device controls the operating state of the target phased array antenna, including: Each antenna element in the target phased array antenna is sequentially used as the target antenna element. The target antenna element is turned on while the other antenna elements are turned off. The target antenna elements are controlled to be in different target phase levels sequentially according to the order of increasing or decreasing target phase level. This allows the test equipment to calculate the amplitude and / or phase of the target antenna element at different target phase levels. The different target phase levels include at least four phase levels, and the at least four phase levels include at least two groups of levels. Each group of levels includes two phase levels with a phase difference of 180 degrees. The target amplitude is obtained based on the reference amplitude corresponding to each group of levels. The target phase is obtained based on the reference phase corresponding to each group of levels. The reference amplitude corresponding to one group of levels is calculated based on the Phase-Toggle algorithm and the amplitudes corresponding to the two phase levels in that group of levels. The reference phase corresponding to one group of levels is calculated based on the Phase-Toggle algorithm and the phases corresponding to the two phase levels in that group of levels.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The calibration control device controls the operating state of the target phased array antenna, including: The calibration control device sends antenna control commands to the test device; The test equipment sends the antenna control command to the target phased array antenna to control the switching state and phase state of each antenna element in the target phased array antenna.

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