An ultra-wideband plane wave generation system, a test system having the same, and a near-field test method of the test system

Abstract

The invention discloses an ultra-wideband plane wave generating system and a test system having the same, and a near-field test method of the test system. The ultra-wideband plane wave generating system includes a debugging-free plane wave generator, an electromagnetic shielding body, an absorbing material, an EUT device under test and a carrier turntable. The plane wave generator, the absorbing material, the carrier turntable and the EUT device under test are located in the electromagnetic shielding body, the electromagnetic shielding body forms a quiet zone with the same size as the plane wave generator mouth, the plane wave generator is located on one side of the inner wall of the electromagnetic shielding body, the EUT device under test is fixed on the carrier turntable, the carrier turntable and the EUT device under test are located on the other side of the inner wall of the electromagnetic shielding body, the plane wave generator includes a power division feeding network, an amplitude-stabilizing and phase-stabilizing cable and an antenna array composed of N antenna units, the antenna unit is connected to the power division feeding network through the amplitude-stabilizing and phase-stabilizing cable, and the absorbing material is located on the inner wall of the electromagnetic shielding body. The invention has a short field source distance, no debugging, high test accuracy, low cost, convenient testing, low site requirements, and low maintenance requirements.

Description

Technical field:

[0001] The invention relates to a low-cost, debugging-free, high-precision ultra-wideband plane wave generation test system and a near-field test method, and belongs to the technical field of plane wave measurement. Background technology:

[0002] The plane wave microwave measurement system is one of the most commonly used test systems in the field of electromagnetic field and microwave technology, and is one of the necessary test systems for product development, production and sales in the field of electronic information. There are four common plane wave measurement methods. The first is the far-field method, which transmits a spherical wave through a distant transmitting antenna. When the receiving antenna meets the far-field condition, the amplitude and phase of the signal received by the device under test (EUT) can approximately meet the plane wave condition. The far-field method has the disadvantages of large test site size and high cost. The second is the compact field method. The compact field measurement method is a close-range plane wave far-field measurement technology. The compact field uses one or more parabolic reflectors to generate a quasi-plane wave in the EUT area of ​​the device under test. The compact field measurement reduces the requirements for the test distance, but has the disadvantages of high manufacturing process, high maintenance cost and high construction cost of the parabolic reflector. The third is the near-field method, which uses a near-field probe array or scanning to sample and measure the sphere, cylinder or plane of the near-field area of ​​the device under test (EUT), and obtains the far-field electromagnetic parameters of the object under test after data processing. However, it has the disadvantages of low measurement accuracy and inability to measure some technical parameters. The fourth method is the plane wave generation method, which generates plane waves near the antenna array through an antenna array and an amplitude and phase adjustment control circuit connected to each antenna unit. This method has the disadvantages of complex amplitude and phase adjustment control, high high-frequency testing cost and low quiet zone quality.

[0003] The above four methods all have certain limitations. The test system using the debugging-free ultra-wideband tightly coupled plane wave generator forms a low-cost, debugging-free, high-precision plane wave in the near field through the ultra-wideband antenna array. The aperture size of the quiet zone is equal to the size of the antenna array, thereby effectively reducing the size of the measurement site. It has the advantages of large quiet zone size, small system size, high quiet zone quality, low cost, and the ability to directly measure 5G base station RF and service signals.

[0004] The low-cost, no-debugging, high-precision ultra-wideband plane wave generation system and near-field test method is an emerging near-field test solution that can be widely used in test scenarios such as wireless communication RF air interface testing. Using low-cost, no-debugging plane wave synthesis technology, a high-quality quiet zone of the same size as the array is generated near the antenna array, which greatly shortens the test distance, reduces system costs, and improves test efficiency. Summary of the invention:

[0005] The present invention is to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art and to provide an ultra-wideband plane wave generation system and a test system having the same, as well as a near-field test method of the test system, which solves the problem that the traditional plane wave test occupies a large space and has a small quiet zone size. Compared with the existing plane wave generation technology, the amplitude and phase control circuit and lens metamaterial of each unit are reduced, and the problems of complex amplitude and phase control, difficult debugging, and high cost of the unit are solved. The present invention can generate high-quality plane waves of the same size as the array in the near field of antenna array radiation at a close distance, and the quality of the plane waves is better than that of the far field and the compact field.

[0006] The present invention adopts the following technical scheme: an ultra-wideband plane wave generating system, comprising a debugging-free plane wave generator, an electromagnetic shielding body, an absorbing material, an EUT device under test and a carrier turntable, wherein the plane wave generator, the absorbing material, the carrier turntable and the EUT device under test are located in the electromagnetic shielding body, the electromagnetic shielding body forms a quiet zone with the same size as the plane wave generator mouth, the plane wave generator is located on one side of the inner wall of the electromagnetic shielding body, the EUT device under test is fixed on the carrier turntable, the carrier turntable and the EUT device under test are located on the other side of the inner wall of the electromagnetic shielding body, the plane wave generator comprises a power division feeding network, an amplitude and phase stabilizing cable and an antenna array composed of N antenna units, the antenna unit is connected to the power division feeding network through the amplitude and phase stabilizing cable, and the absorbing material is located on the inner side wall of the electromagnetic shielding body.

[0007] Furthermore, the area of ​​the antenna array is equal to the area of ​​the side of the electromagnetic shielding body minus the area of ​​the absorbing material, and the broadband quiet zone formed by the antenna array is equal to the volume of the electromagnetic shielding body minus the volume of the absorbing material.

[0008] Furthermore, the antenna units include Vivaldi, dipole, monopole, pyramid horn, and ridged horn.

[0009] Furthermore, the polarization modes of the antenna unit include linear polarization, dual polarization, circular polarization and ±45° dual slant polarization.

[0010] Furthermore, the antenna array includes a plurality of debugging-free tightly coupled antenna dummy elements, which are located around the antenna array. The antenna array and its antenna dummy elements radiate to the space inside the electromagnetic shielding body, forming a uniform plane wave inside the electromagnetic shielding body.

[0011] The present invention also adopts the following technical scheme: a test system, including a test instrument, a computer connected to the test instrument, and an ultra-wideband plane wave generating system, wherein the test instrument is respectively connected to a power division network, an amplitude-stabilizing and phase-stabilizing cable, and an antenna array, the device under test is connected to the test instrument through a cable to form a radio frequency link, the computer is connected to the test instrument and a carrier turntable to form a control link, the electromagnetic wave generated by the signal source generates a broadband same-frequency and same-phase signal through the power division feeding network and the amplitude-stabilizing and phase-stabilizing cable, and forms a broadband uniform plane wave in an electromagnetic shielding body through the antenna array, the computer adjusts the rotation angle of the EUT device under test and controls the working frequency of the plane wave generator, and records the test data.

[0012] Furthermore, the test instrument includes a signal generator, a spectrum analyzer, a vector network analyzer and a power meter.

[0013] The present invention also adopts the following technical solution: a near-field testing method of a testing system, comprising the following steps:

[0014] Step 101, fix the EUT device under test on the object turntable;

[0015] Step 102, controlling the coordinate position and rotation angle of the object turntable so that the EUT is located at a predetermined distance, azimuth and elevation angle;

[0016] Step 103, sending a plane wave to the device under test through a signal source and a debugging-free high-precision ultra-wideband plane wave generation system;

[0017] Step 104, receiving a reflection signal or a transmission signal of the object to be measured;

[0018] Step 105: Record relevant measured signals and data.

[0019] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0020] First: The debugging-free high-precision ultra-wideband plane wave generation system can generate larger plane waves in a smaller space. The aperture size of the quiet zone is equal to the size of the antenna array, which effectively reduces the size of the measurement site. It has the characteristics of large quiet zone size and small system size.

[0021] Second: Based on the debugging-free high-precision ultra-wideband plane wave generation system, a high-quality quiet zone can be formed, and the ripple parameters of the quiet zone level are better than those of the far-field method and the compact field method;

[0022] Third: The debugging-free high-precision ultra-wideband plane wave generation system is applied to wireless communication RF air interface testing, which can significantly reduce path loss and improve the dynamic range of the test system;

[0023] Fourth: The debugging-free high-precision ultra-wideband plane wave generation system has the advantages of low construction price, low maintenance requirements, convenient testing, low site requirements, and improved testing efficiency. Description of the drawings:

[0024] The drawings described herein are used to provide further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of this application. The illustrative embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute improper limitations on the present invention.

[0025] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the arrangement architecture of the ultra-wideband plane wave near-field test system of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ultra-wideband plane wave generator of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the ultra-wideband plane wave generation principle of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 A top view of the tightly coupled antenna array for generating ultra-wideband plane waves according to the present invention.

[0029] Figure 5 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the ultra-wideband plane wave generator and the quiet zone of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the near-field test system for generating ultra-wideband plane waves according to the present invention.

[0031] Figure 7 The present invention is a flowchart of the near-field test of ultra-wideband plane wave generation.

[0032] The following is a supplementary description of the attached drawings:

[0033] 1- plane wave generator; 11- power division and feeding network; 12- amplitude and phase stabilization cable; 13- antenna array; 2- shielding shell; 3- absorbing material; 4- plane wave; 5- equipment under test (EUT); 6- turntable; 7- quiet zone; 8- test instrument; 9- computer. Specific implementation method:

[0034] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the specific embodiments of the present invention and the corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0035] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1The schematic diagram of the layout architecture of the ultra-wideband plane wave generation near-field test system of the present invention. The ultra-wideband plane wave generation system of the present invention includes a non-adjustment plane wave generator 1, an electromagnetic shielding body 2, an absorbing material 3, an EUT device under test 5 and a carrier turntable 6. The plane wave generator 1, the absorbing material 3, the carrier turntable 6 and the EUT device under test 5 are located in the electromagnetic shielding body 2. A quiet zone 7 of almost the same size as the surface of the plane wave generator 1 is formed in the electromagnetic shielding body 2. The plane wave generator 1 includes an antenna array 13, a power division feeding network 11 and an amplitude-stabilizing and phase-stabilizing cable 12. The plane wave generator 1 is the core device for generating plane waves. The plane wave generator 1 includes an antenna array composed of N antenna units, N is an integer ≥2, and the antenna units are connected to the power division feeding network 11 through the amplitude-stabilizing and phase-stabilizing cable 12. The power division feeding network 11 realizes the same frequency and phase feeding of each antenna unit through different transmission lengths.

[0036] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the structure of the low-cost, debugging-free, high-precision ultra-wideband plane wave generator of the present invention is shown. The low-cost, debugging-free, high-precision ultra-wideband plane wave generator 1 includes a power division feeding network 11, an amplitude-stabilized and phase-stabilized cable 12, and an antenna array 13. The antenna units include but are not limited to Vivaldi, dipole, monopole, pyramidal horn, and ridged horn. The polarization modes of the antenna units include but are not limited to linear polarization, dual polarization, circular polarization, and ±45° dual slant polarization. The debugging-free ultra-wideband tightly coupled antenna array includes a plurality of antenna units, and the debugging-free ultra-wideband tightly coupled antenna array includes a plurality of debugging-free tightly coupled antenna dummy elements, and the antenna dummy elements are located around the antenna array.

[0037] See also Figure 3 , Figure 3 The schematic diagram of the principle of high-precision debugging-free ultra-wideband plane wave generation of the present invention. The plane wave generator 1 inputs the RF signal of the signal source to the debugging-free ultra-wideband tightly coupled antenna array through an M-level power divider, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and the amplitude-stabilized and phase-stabilized cable 12, so as to form the same amplitude and same phase feeding of all units, and form a large-size broadband plane wave through the debugging-free ultra-wideband tightly coupled antenna array. The debugging-free ultra-wideband tightly coupled antenna array is located on one side of the inner wall of the electromagnetic shielding body 2, and is radiated to the space inside the electromagnetic shielding body 2 by the debugging-free ultra-wideband tightly coupled antenna array and its antenna dummy, so as to form a uniform plane wave inside the electromagnetic shielding body 2. Compared with the traditional amplitude and phase control circuit, the amplitude and phase debugging of each unit is eliminated, the test complexity is reduced, and the system cost and test cost are reduced.

[0038] See also Figure 4 , Figure 4 The top view of the high-precision ultra-wideband plane wave tightly coupled antenna array generated by the present invention without debugging is shown in FIG.

[0039] See also Figure 5 , Figure 5 The figure is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the debugging-free high-precision ultra-wideband plane wave generator and the quiet zone of the present invention. The object turntable 6 and the EUT device to be tested 5 are located on the other side of the inner wall of the electromagnetic shielding body 2. Based on the debugging-free high-precision ultra-wideband plane wave generator system and the test method of the present invention, the quiet zone volume is large and the shielding shell volume is small. The area of ​​the debugging-free ultra-wideband tightly coupled antenna array is equal to the area of ​​the electromagnetic shielding body 2 side minus the absorbing material 3, and the broadband quiet zone formed by the antenna array 13 is equal to the volume of the electromagnetic shielding body 2 minus the absorbing material 3.

[0040] See also Figure 6 , Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the near-field test system for ultra-wideband plane wave generation without debugging of the present invention. The near-field test system for ultra-wideband plane wave generator without debugging of the present application includes the above-mentioned plane wave generator 1. The ultra-wideband plane wave generator test system without debugging with high precision also includes a test instrument 8 and a computer 9 connected to each other, and the test instrument 8 includes but is not limited to a vector network analyzer and a frequency analyzer. The test instrument 8 is respectively connected to a power division network 11, an amplitude-stabilized and phase-stabilized cable 12, and an antenna array 13. The device under test 5 is connected to the test instrument 8 through a cable to form a radio frequency link; the computer 9 is connected to the test instrument 8 and the object turntable 6 to form a control link. The electromagnetic wave generated by the signal source generates a broadband same-frequency and same-phase signal through the power division feeding network 11 and the amplitude-stabilized and phase-stabilized cable 12, and forms a broadband uniform plane wave in the electromagnetic shielding body 2 through the ultra-wideband tightly coupled antenna array without debugging. The computer 9 is used to adjust the rotation angle of the EUT device under test 5 and control the operating frequency of the ultra-wideband plane wave generator without debugging with high precision, and record the test data.

[0041] Figure 7 This is a flow chart of the near-field test of the high-precision ultra-wideband plane wave generation without debugging of the present invention.

[0042] The present application also provides a debugging-free high-precision ultra-wideband plane wave system and a near-field test method. Using the above test system, refer to Figure 7 , including the following steps:

[0043] Step 101, fix the EUT device under test on the object turntable;

[0044] Step 102, controlling the coordinate position and rotation angle of the object turntable so that the EUT is located at a predetermined distance, azimuth and elevation angle;

[0045] Step 103, sending a plane wave to the device under test through a signal source and a debugging-free high-precision ultra-wideband plane wave generation system;

[0046] Step 104, receiving a reflection signal or a transmission signal of the object to be measured;

[0047] Step 105: Record relevant measured signals and data.

[0048] The test instruments include but are not limited to signal generators, spectrum analyzers, vector network analyzers and power meters. The signals received by the feed source are analyzed by the test instruments to determine the condition of the device under test.

[0049] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that a person skilled in the art can make several improvements without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements should also be regarded as within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ultra-wideband plane wave generation system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a debugging-free plane wave generator (1), an electromagnetic shielding body (2), an absorbing material (3), an EUT device under test (5) and a carrier turntable (6); the plane wave generator (1), the absorbing material (3), the carrier turntable (6) and the EUT device under test (5) are located in the electromagnetic shielding body (2); the electromagnetic shielding body (2) is formed with a quiet zone (7) of the same size as the opening of the plane wave generator (1); the plane wave generator (1) is located on one side of the inner wall of the electromagnetic shielding body (2); the EUT device under test (5) is located in the electromagnetic shielding body (2); The device under test (5) is fixed on a carrier turntable (6), the carrier turntable (6) and the EUT device under test (5) are located on the other side of the inner wall of the electromagnetic shielding body (2), the plane wave generator (1) comprises a power division feeding network (11), an amplitude and phase stabilizing cable (12), and an antenna array (13) composed of N antenna units, the antenna units are connected to the power division feeding network (11) via the amplitude and phase stabilizing cable (12), and the absorbing material (3) is located on the inner wall of the electromagnetic shielding body (2); The area of ​​the antenna array (13) is equal to the area of ​​the side of the electromagnetic shielding body (2) minus the area of ​​the absorbing material (3), and the broadband quiet zone formed by the antenna array (13) is equal to the volume of the electromagnetic shielding body (2) minus the volume of the absorbing material (3).

2. The ultra-wideband plane wave generation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The antenna units include Vivaldi, dipole, monopole, pyramid horn, and ridged horn.

3. The ultra-wideband plane wave generation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The polarization modes of the antenna unit include linear polarization, dual polarization, circular polarization and ±45° dual slant polarization.

4. The ultra-wideband plane wave generation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The antenna array (13) comprises a plurality of adjustment-free tightly coupled antenna dummy elements, which are located around the antenna array. The antenna array (13) and its antenna dummy elements radiate to the space inside the electromagnetic shielding body (2), forming a uniform plane wave inside the electromagnetic shielding body (2).

5. A testing system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a test meter (8), a computer (9) connected to the test meter (8), and an ultra-wideband plane wave generating system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the test meter (8) is respectively connected to a power division feeding network (11), an amplitude and phase stabilizing cable (12), and an antenna array (13); the EUT device under test (5) is connected to the test meter (8) via a cable to form a radio frequency link; the computer (9) is connected to the test meter (8) and a carrier turntable (6) to form a control link; the electromagnetic wave generated by the signal source generates a broadband same-frequency and same-phase signal through the power division feeding network (11) and the amplitude and phase stabilizing cable (12), and forms a broadband uniform plane wave in an electromagnetic shielding body (2) through the antenna array (13); the computer (9) adjusts the rotation angle of the EUT device under test (5) and controls the working frequency of the plane wave generator, and records the test data.

6. The test system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The test instrument (8) comprises a signal generator, a spectrum analyzer, a vector network analyzer and a power meter.

7. A near-field testing method for a testing system, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step 101, fix the EUT device under test on the object turntable; Step 102, controlling the coordinate position and rotation angle of the object turntable so that the EUT is located at a predetermined distance, azimuth and elevation angle; Step 103, sending a plane wave to the device under test through a signal source and the ultra-wideband plane wave generation system as claimed in claim 1; Step 104, receiving a reflection signal or a transmission signal of the object to be measured; Step 105: Record relevant measured signals and data.

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