Signal source and scanning method thereof

Abstract

A signal source and a scanning method thereof relate to the technical field of testing. The signal source comprises a frequency synthesis module, an attenuator control module, an automatic level control module and a control module. The control module is used for responding to user operation to enter a second scanning mode, and comprises the following steps: configuring an adjusting range of the automatic level control module for adjusting a power value output by the attenuator control module, so that at least two overlapping values exist between first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjusting gears; the control display scanning range list comprises adjusting gears and first scanning ranges corresponding to the adjusting gears; determining a second output power range according to the second scanning configuration parameter; an adjusting gear for configuring the attenuator control module is acquired and fixed as a second target gear, and scanning is performed in a first scanning range corresponding to the second target gear; and when the output power value in the second scanning configuration parameter exceeds the corresponding first scanning range, stopping scanning or entering the first scanning mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of testing technologies, and particularly to a signal source and a scanning method thereof. Background Art

[0002] During the amplitude scanning process of a signal source, it is necessary to coordinate and control multiple hardware modules. For example, the output amplitude of the signal source itself, the gain adjustment of the power amplifier, the setting of the attenuator, the setting of the switch matrix, and even the synchronous response of some test equipment. These hardware configurations often involve multi-level instruction transmission, parameter calculation, and communication handshake processes. Therefore, the switching of each scanning point is accompanied by a certain configuration delay, resulting in a relatively long overall amplitude scanning process.

[0003] In addition, due to the different configuration times of each hardware module, the system needs to stay at each amplitude scanning point for a relatively long time to wait for all hardware to be ready, which further lengthens the scanning cycle of each step, resulting in the phenomenon of "discontinuous" and "jumping" changes in the amplitude scanning. This problem of discontinuous change not only affects the smoothness of the scanning and the accuracy of the data, but also may bring errors to subsequent data analysis or equipment calibration.

[0004] At the same time, although an automatic level control (ALC) circuit is integrated in the system, its actual utilization rate is relatively low. On the one hand, the ALC circuit has the ability of fast feedback and dynamic adjustment of the output level, and could originally alleviate the problem of lagging hardware configuration to a certain extent and achieve real-time correction of the output level. However, due to less use of the ALC function in the system design, or because the control strategy has not fully integrated the coordinated control of ALC and other hardware, the ALC has not fully played its role, resulting in the overall control efficiency and amplitude stability of the system not reaching the optimal state. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a signal source and a scanning method thereof that make full use of ALC to achieve fast scanning with only ALC configured.

[0006] According to a first aspect, an embodiment provides a signal source, including: A frequency synthesis module that generates a frequency signal according to a set reference frequency; An attenuator control module connected to the frequency synthesis module and performing attenuation processing on the frequency signal; the attenuator control module has multiple adjustment gears, and each adjustment gear outputs a corresponding power value; An automatic level control module, connected to the attenuator control module; the automatic level control module is used to adjust the power values output at each adjustment level of the attenuator control module, so that the automatic level control module outputs a first scanning range corresponding to each of the adjustment levels; A control module, used to enter the first scanning mode or the second scanning mode in response to a user operation; In the first scanning mode, the control module is used for: Configure the adjustment range for the automatic level control module to adjust the power value output by the attenuator control module, so that the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment levels are continuously connected; Obtain first scanning configuration parameters, determine a first output power range according to the first scanning configuration parameters, and the first scanning configuration parameters include multiple output power values within the first output power range; Determine a first target level from the multiple adjustment levels according to the first output power range and the first scanning ranges corresponding to each adjustment level, and configure the adjustment level of the attenuator control module to the first target level; Perform a scan within the first scanning range corresponding to the first target level according to the first scanning configuration parameters; When the output power value currently scanned in the first scanning configuration parameters exceeds the first scanning range corresponding to the first target level, switch the first target level of the attenuator control module, so that the first scanning range corresponding to the switched adjustment level covers the currently scanned output power value; In the second scanning mode, the control module is used for: Configure the adjustment range for the automatic level control module to adjust the power value output by the attenuator control module, so that there are at least two overlapping values between the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment levels; Control and display a scan configuration interface, and the scan configuration interface includes a scan range list, and the scan range list includes multiple adjustment levels of the attenuator control module and the first scanning ranges corresponding to each adjustment level; Obtain second scanning configuration parameters, determine a second output power range according to the second scanning configuration parameters, and the second scanning configuration parameters include multiple output power values within the second output power range; Obtain a second target level among the multiple adjustment levels, and configure the adjustment level of the attenuator control module to be fixed at the second target level, and perform a scan within the first scanning range corresponding to the second target level according to the second scanning configuration parameters; When the output power value of the current scan in the second scan configuration parameter exceeds the first scan range corresponding to the second target gear, stop the scan or exit the second scan mode and enter the first scan mode.

[0007] According to a second aspect, an embodiment provides a signal source, including: A frequency synthesis module that generates a frequency signal according to a set reference frequency; An attenuator control module connected to the frequency synthesis module and performing attenuation processing on the frequency signal; the attenuator control module has a plurality of adjustment gears, and each adjustment gear outputs a corresponding power value; An automatic level control module connected to the attenuator control module; the automatic level control module is used to adjust the power values output by each adjustment gear of the attenuator control module so that the automatic level control module outputs a first scan range corresponding to each adjustment gear; A control module for entering the second scan mode in response to a user operation; In the second scan mode, the control module is used for: Configuring the adjustment range for the automatic level control module to adjust the power value output by the attenuator control module, so that there are at least two overlapping values between the first scan ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gears; Controlling the display of a scan configuration interface, the scan configuration interface includes a scan range list, and the scan range list includes a plurality of adjustment gears of the attenuator control module and the first scan ranges corresponding to each adjustment gear; Obtaining second scan configuration parameters, and determining a second output power range according to the second scan configuration parameters, where the second scan configuration parameters include a plurality of output power values within the second output power range; Obtaining a second target gear among the plurality of adjustment gears, and configuring the adjustment gear of the attenuator control module to be fixed at the second target gear, and performing a scan within the first scan range corresponding to the second target gear according to the second scan configuration parameters.

[0008] In an embodiment, the control module also enters the first scan mode in response to a user operation. In the first scan mode, the control module is used for: Configuring the adjustment range for the automatic level control module to adjust the power value output by the attenuator control module, so that the first scan ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gears are continuously connected; Obtaining first scan configuration parameters, and determining a first output power range according to the first scan configuration parameters, where the first scan configuration parameters include a plurality of output power values within the first output power range; Determine a first target gear position from the multiple gear positions according to the first output power range and the first scanning range corresponding to each of the adjustment gear positions, and configure the adjustment gear position of the attenuator control module to be the first target gear position; Perform scanning within the first scanning range corresponding to the first target gear position according to the first scanning configuration parameter; When the output power value of the current scan in the first scanning configuration parameter exceeds the first scanning range corresponding to the first target gear position, switch the first target gear position of the attenuator control module so that the first scanning range corresponding to the switched adjustment gear position covers the output power value of the current scan.

[0009] In one embodiment, when the output power value of the current scan in the second scanning configuration parameter exceeds the first scanning range corresponding to the second target gear position, stop scanning or exit the second scanning mode and enter the first scanning mode.

[0010] In one embodiment, the maximum range that the automatic level control module can adjust is a first adjustment range, and the control module configures the automatic level control module to adjust the power values output by each adjustment gear position of the attenuator control module within a second adjustment range, and the ratio of the first adjustment range to the second adjustment range satisfies a set ratio so that there are at least two overlapping values between the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gear positions.

[0011] In one embodiment, the difference between the maximum power adjustment value and the minimum power adjustment value in the second adjustment range is greater than the difference between the power values between any two adjacent adjustment gear positions.

[0012] In one embodiment, the difference between the power values between any two adjacent adjustment gear positions in the attenuator control module is equal.

[0013] In one embodiment, the control module also calibrates the attenuator control module and the automatic level control module to calibrate each adjustment gear position and the first scanning range corresponding to each adjustment gear position, including: For each adjustment gear position: Obtain the adjustment gear position to be calibrated; Calibrate the first scanning range of the adjustment gear position to be calibrated at the adjustment gear position to be calibrated; Save the adjustment gear position to be calibrated and the corresponding calibrated first scanning range.

[0014] In one embodiment, when the control module calibrates the first scanning range of the adjustment gear position to be calibrated at the adjustment gear position to be calibrated, it includes: Obtain a second scanning range and a preset codeword range; Determine the power values in the second scanning range corresponding to each codeword in the codeword range according to a preset data curve; Determine the first scanning range according to the power value in the second scanning range corresponding to the largest codeword in the codeword range and the power value in the second scanning range corresponding to the smallest codeword.

[0015] In one embodiment, the control module obtains the second target gear among the multiple adjustment gears, including: In response to the user's operation on the scanning configuration interface, determine the second target gear from the multiple adjustment gears.

[0016] According to a third aspect, in one embodiment, a signal source is provided, including: A frequency synthesis module that generates a frequency signal according to a set reference frequency; An attenuator control module is connected to the frequency synthesis module and performs attenuation processing on the frequency signal; the attenuator control module has multiple adjustment gears, and each adjustment gear outputs a corresponding power value; An automatic level control module is connected to the attenuator control module; the automatic level control module is used to adjust the power values output by each adjustment gear of the attenuator control module so that the automatic level control module outputs a first scanning range corresponding to each adjustment gear; A control module for entering the first scanning mode in response to a user operation; In the first scanning mode, the control module is used for: Configure the adjustment range for the automatic level control module to adjust the power value output by the attenuator control module, so that there are at least two overlapping values between the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gears; Obtain first scanning configuration parameters, and determine a first output power range according to the first scanning configuration parameters, where the first scanning configuration parameters include multiple output power values within the first output power range; According to the first output power range and the first scanning ranges corresponding to each adjustment gear, determine a first target gear from the multiple adjustment gears, and configure the adjustment gear of the attenuator control module to be the first target gear; Perform scanning in the first scanning range corresponding to the first target gear according to the first scanning configuration parameters; When the output power value of the current scan in the first scan configuration parameter exceeds the first scan range corresponding to the first target gear, switch the first target gear of the attenuator control module so that the first scan range corresponding to the adjusted gear after switching covers the output power value of the current scan.

[0017] According to a fourth aspect, an embodiment provides a scanning method for a signal source, including: Configure the adjustment range for the automatic level control module to adjust the power value output by the attenuator control module, so that there are at least two overlapping values between the first scan ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gears of the attenuator control module; Display a scan configuration interface, the scan configuration interface includes a scan range list, and the scan range list includes multiple adjustment gears of the attenuator control module and the first scan range corresponding to each adjustment gear; Obtain a second scan configuration parameter, and determine a second output power range according to the second scan configuration parameter, where the second scan configuration parameter includes multiple output power values within the second output power range; Obtain a second target gear among the multiple adjustment gears, and configure the adjustment gear of the attenuator control module to be fixed at the second target gear, and perform a scan within the first scan range corresponding to the second target gear according to the second scan configuration parameter.

[0018] According to a fifth aspect, an embodiment provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored, and the computer program can be executed by a processor to implement the method described in the above embodiment.

[0019] According to the signal source and its scanning method of the above embodiment, the signal source includes two scanning modes. In the second scanning mode, the signal source directly displays the scan configuration interface and obtains the second scan configuration parameter. The scan configuration interface includes a scan range list, and the scan range list includes multiple adjustment gears of the attenuator control module and the first scan range corresponding to each adjustment gear. After obtaining the second scan configuration parameter, determine the second output power range. Then obtain the second target gear among the multiple adjustment gears, and fix the adjustment gear in the attenuator control module at the second target gear, and perform a scan according to the second scan configuration parameter based on the second target gear. The present application adds a second scanning mode that can select the second target gear on the basis of the ordinary scan of the signal source, so that in the second scanning mode, after determining the second target gear of the attenuator control module, only the automatic level control module needs to be configured, so that the scan dwell time is equal to the configuration time of the automatic level control module, thereby achieving a fast scan of the signal source. Description of the Drawings

[0020] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the signal source in an embodiment; Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the automatic level control module in an embodiment; Figure 3 Flowchart of the method for the first scanning mode in an embodiment; Figure 4 Flowchart of the method for the second scanning mode in an embodiment; Figure 5 Flowchart of step S12 of the first scanning mode when the first scanning range has overlapping values in an embodiment; Figure 6 Calibration flowchart of the signal source in an embodiment; Figure 7 Calibration flowchart of the first scanning range in an embodiment. Detailed implementation manners

[0021] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings through specific implementation manners. Similar elements in different implementation manners are labeled with related similar element numbers. In the following implementation manners, many detailed descriptions are provided to enable a better understanding of the present application. However, those skilled in the art can easily recognize that some of the features can be omitted in different situations, or can be replaced by other elements, materials, or methods. In some cases, some operations related to the present application are not shown or described in the specification to avoid overwhelming the core part of the present application with excessive descriptions. For those skilled in the art, it is not necessary to describe these related operations in detail, and they can fully understand the related operations based on the descriptions in the specification and the general technical knowledge in the art.

[0022] In addition, the features, operations, or characteristics described in the specification can be combined in any appropriate manner to form various implementation manners. At the same time, the steps or actions in the method description can also be reordered or adjusted in an obvious manner by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various sequences in the specification and the drawings are only for clearly describing a certain embodiment and do not mean a necessary sequence unless it is stated that a certain sequence must be followed.

[0023] The serial numbers assigned to the components herein, such as "first", "second", etc., are only used to distinguish the described objects and do not have any sequential or technical meaning. The "connection" and "coupling" mentioned in the present application, unless otherwise specified, both include direct and indirect connection (coupling).

[0024] In one embodiment, the signal source includes an attenuator control module and an automatic level control module. The attenuator control module includes different adjustment gears, and each adjustment gear outputs a fixed amplitude value. The difference in power values between two adjustment gears of the attenuator control module is supplemented by the automatic level control module. That is, the gear interval between different adjustment gears in the attenuator control module is the target adjustment range of the automatic level control module. Suppose the amplitude difference between two adjustment gears of the attenuator control module is 10 dB, then the target adjustment range of the automatic level control module is generally -5 dB to 5 dB. Affected by factors such as devices and temperature, the adjustment range of the automatic level control module has deviations. Therefore, in actual design, the maximum actual adjustment range of the ALC must be greater than 10 dB. For specific configuration, please refer to Table 1.

[0025] Table 1 Amplitude Output Hardware Gear Allocation Table 1 Based on Table 1, if the amplitude scan range set by the user is -10 dB to 10 dB and the number of scan points is 11, then the scan range list constructed by the normal scan mode is shown in Table 2.

[0026] Table 2 Normal Scan Mode Reference Table In normal scanning, because the number of configured hardware is different, the time consumed is also different, resulting in the scan dwell time being calculated only according to the maximum scan time, that is, the overall time of the attenuator control module + the automatic level control module. This is not in line with expectations for some scenarios with requirements for scan time. In actual situations, during the configuration process of the attenuator control module, if the signal is not turned off, it may also cause the amplitude to suddenly increase or decrease.

[0027] Taking Table 1 as an example, if the actual output switches from 13 dBm to 17 dBm, the switching process first needs to switch the gear of the attenuator control module from 10 dB to 20 dB, and then switch the automatic level control module from 3 dB to -3 dB. When the attenuator control module switches from 10 dB to 20 dB, because the automatic level control module still maintains an output of 3 dB, the actual output at this moment is 23 dB, resulting in overshoot. In this case, the hardware may also add some other switches, which leads to a longer overall configuration time and the signal may also be discontinuous.

[0028] The adjustable range of the automatic level control module in the existing solution is limited to the power difference between two adjacent gears of the attenuator control module. Taking Table 1 as an example, it is 10 dB. If the scanning amplitude range exceeds 10 dB, the cooperation of the attenuator control module or other hardware is definitely required. Meanwhile, when the actual theoretical adjustment range of the automatic level control module is 20 dB, the actual utilization rate of the adjustment range of the automatic level control module is only 50%, resulting in a low utilization efficiency of the automatic level control module.

[0029] The present application provides a signal source and its scanning method. On the premise of the fixed gears of the existing fixed attenuator control module, the adjustable range of the automatic level control module is increased, the adjustment range of the automatic level control module is fully utilized, the number of hardware configurations is reduced, and the purpose of fast scanning is achieved with only the automatic level control module configured. The following is a specific description.

[0030] Please refer to Figure 1 , in an embodiment, a signal source 100 is provided. The signal source 100 includes a frequency synthesis module 110, an attenuator control module 120, an automatic level control module 130, and a control module 140.

[0031] In an embodiment, the frequency synthesis module 110 is one of the core modules in the signal source 100 and is used to generate a required and frequency-controllable frequency signal according to a stable set reference frequency.

[0032] It should be noted that the frequency signal can cover the entire working bandwidth of the signal source 100, so as to support multi-band testing, communication, or scanning tasks.

[0033] In an embodiment, the input end of the attenuator control module 120 is connected to the output end of the frequency synthesis module 110 and is used to receive the frequency signal sent by the frequency synthesis module 110, attenuate the frequency signal to generate an attenuation signal. Since the attenuator control module 120 includes multiple adjustment gears, each adjustment gear processes based on the attenuation signal corresponding to each gear to obtain the power value corresponding to each adjustment gear.

[0034] It should be noted that the difference in power values between any two adjacent adjustment gears in the attenuator control module 120 is equal.

[0035] In an embodiment, the input end of the automatic level control module 130 is connected to the output end of the attenuator control module 120 and is used to adjust the power values output by each adjustment gear of the attenuator control module 120, so that the automatic level control module 130 outputs a first scanning range corresponding to each adjustment gear.

[0036] Please refer to Figure 2, In one embodiment, the automatic level control module 130 includes an amplifier circuit 131, a coupling circuit 132, a detection circuit 133, a DAC circuit 134, a comparison circuit 135, and a voltage amplifier circuit 136.

[0037] In one embodiment, the input end of the amplifier circuit 131 is connected to the output end of the attenuator control module 120, and is used to amplify the power values corresponding to each adjustment gear output by the attenuator control module 120. The input end of the coupling circuit 132 is connected to the output end of the amplifier circuit 131, and is used to divide the amplified power value into two parts. One part is used as the output signal of the signal source 100, and the other part is used as the feedback signal power value and sent to the detection circuit 133. In the automatic level control module 130, the feedback signal power value output by the coupling circuit 132 directly reflects the actual power value at the current adjustment gear set by the attenuator control module 120. Therefore, this feedback signal power value can be regarded as the "initial adjustment starting point" of the automatic level control module 130. The input end of the detection circuit 133 is connected to the output end of the coupling circuit 132, and is used to convert the feedback signal power value into a detection voltage. The output end of the detection circuit 133 is connected to the input end of the comparison circuit 135, and the output end of the DAC circuit 134 is also connected to the input end of the comparison circuit 135. The comparison circuit 135 obtains the detection voltage output by the detection circuit 133 and the reference voltage output by the DAC circuit 134, compares the detection voltage and the reference voltage, and thus generates a feedback voltage. The input end of the voltage amplifier circuit 136 is connected to the output end of the comparison circuit 135, and the output end of the voltage amplifier circuit 136 is connected to the input end of the attenuator control module 120, and is used to amplify the feedback voltage and input it to the attenuator control module 120. The attenuator control module 120 adjusts upward or downward within a certain range based on the feedback voltage at the "initial adjustment starting point", so as to generate the first scanning range corresponding to each adjustment gear of the automatic level control module 130.

[0038] In one embodiment, the automatic level control module 130 can increase the second scanning range of the automatic level control module 130 by increasing the range of the detection circuit 133, that is, the automatic level control module 130 can increase the theoretical scanning range of the automatic level control module 130 by increasing the range of the detection circuit 133. In order to increase the range of the detection circuit 133, on the one hand, higher-performance detection devices can be selected, such as silicon diodes and Schottky diodes, etc. Different diodes have different current and voltage response ranges. By selecting a suitable high-dynamic-range diode, the power range of the detection circuit 133 can be improved. On the other hand, a detection element with higher linearity can also be used, such as a dedicated detection amplifier, which has a better dynamic range and can accurately process signals from a few microvolts to a few volts.

[0039] It should be noted that the theoretical scanning range refers to the maximum output power range that the signal source 100 can cover under the cooperation of all hardware adjustment resources. This theoretical scanning range is usually jointly determined by the maximum adjustable capabilities of the attenuator control module 120 and the automatic level control module 130 in the system.

[0040] In one embodiment, after the automatic level control module 130 determines the theoretical scanning range (the second scanning range) according to the hardware, it can determine the actual scanning range (the first scanning range) according to the theoretical scanning range.

[0041] In one embodiment, according to the hardware configuration of the automatic level control module 130, the theoretical scanning range of the automatic level control module 130 includes two cases: expanded or not expanded. Moreover, the signal source 100 also includes two scanning modes, namely: the first scanning mode and the second scanning mode, and the control module 140 responds to the user's operation to enter the first scanning mode or the second scanning mode respectively. Therefore, in this application, in the case where the theoretical scanning range of the automatic level control module 130 is expanded or not expanded, the different situations of the signal source 100 entering the first scanning mode or the second scanning mode are described separately. For the specific content, please refer to the following.

[0042] In one embodiment, when the theoretical scanning range of the automatic level control module 130 is not expanded, the following content is used to describe in detail the signal source 100 entering the first scanning mode and the second scanning mode.

[0043] Please refer to Figure 3 , in one embodiment, the control module 140 responds to the user operation to enter the first scanning mode, and the control module 140 executes the following steps in the first scanning mode to implement the scanning method of the signal source 100.

[0044] Step S11: Configure the adjustment range so that the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gears are continuously connected.

[0045] In one embodiment, when the theoretical scanning range of the automatic level control module 130 is not expanded, that is, when maintaining the ALC theoretical scanning range in Table 1, the control module 140 configures the adjustment range for the automatic level control module 130 to adjust the power value output by the attenuator control module 120, so that the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gears after configuration are continuously connected. That is, in any two adjacent adjustment gears after configuration, the maximum value of the previous gear is exactly the minimum value of the next gear.

[0046] For example, please refer to Table 1. The theoretical scanning range is the second scanning range, and the actual scanning range is the first scanning range. When the attenuator gear is 20 and the theoretical scanning range is -10 to 10, the configured adjustment range is -5 to 5, so that the actual output value is 15 to 25. When the attenuator gear is 10 and the theoretical scanning range is -10 to 10, the configured adjustment range is -5 to 5, so that the actual output value is 5 to 15. From the actual output values of 15 to 25 and 5 to 15 for the two gears, it can be seen that the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjusted gears after configuration are exactly continuously connected.

[0047] Step S13: Obtain the first scanning configuration parameters and determine the first output power range according to the first scanning configuration parameters.

[0048] In one embodiment, the control module 140 obtains the first scanning configuration parameters input by the user. The first scanning configuration parameters include the scanning start value, the scanning end value, the number of scanning points, the scanning step value, and the scanning dwell time, and determines the first output power range to be output according to the first scanning configuration parameters. Each number of scanning points in the first scanning configuration parameters can determine the corresponding output power value in the first output power range.

[0049] Step S15: Determine the first target gear from multiple adjustment gears according to the first output power range and the first scanning ranges corresponding to each of the adjustment gears.

[0050] In one embodiment, after the control module 140 determines the first scanning configuration parameters, it determines the adjustment gear corresponding to the first output power range among the multiple adjustment gears of the attenuator control module 120, selects the adjustment gear corresponding to the first output power range as the first target gear, and adjusts the adjustment gear of the attenuator control module 120 to the first target gear.

[0051] Step S17: Perform scanning in the first scanning range corresponding to the first target gear according to the first scanning configuration parameters.

[0052] In one embodiment, after the attenuator control module 120 determines the first target gear, it performs scanning according to the first scanning range corresponding to the first target gear. Since the first scanning configuration parameters include multiple numbers of scanning points, each number of scanning points corresponds to an output power value. The control module 140 continuously monitors whether the current output power value is within the first scanning range corresponding to the first target gear. If the output power value corresponding to the current scanning point exceeds the first scanning range corresponding to the first target gear, the control module 140 immediately switches up or down to the adjustment gear adjacent to the first target gear. Use the first scanning range corresponding to the switched adjustment gear to continue power adjustment for the remaining number of scanning points. If an out-of-bounds occurs again, repeat the process of switching the adjustment gear.

[0053] Please refer to Figure 4 , in another embodiment, the control module 140 also enters the second scanning mode in response to a user operation. The control module 140 performs the following steps in the second scanning mode to implement the scanning method of the signal source 100.

[0054] Step S21: Configure the adjustment range so that there are at least two overlapping values between the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment levels.

[0055] In one embodiment, when the signal source 100 enters the second scanning mode, the control module 140 configures the adjustment range for the automatic level control module 130 to adjust the power value output by the attenuator control module 120 on the basis of the theoretical scanning range determined by the automatic level control module 130 according to its own hardware, so that there are at least two overlapping values between the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment levels after configuration.

[0056] It should be noted that there are at least two overlapping values between the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment levels configured by the automatic level control module 130, which enhances the transition ability between different adjustment levels. Even if a certain adjustment level works in the edge area, it can achieve a smooth transition to an adjacent adjustment level through a small amount of adjustment.

[0057] Moreover, the maximum range that can be adjusted in the automatic level control module 130 is the first adjustment range. The control module 140 configures the automatic level control module 130 to adjust the power value output by each adjustment level of the attenuator control module 120 with the second adjustment range. To ensure the improvement of the utilization rate of the signal source 100, the ratio between the first adjustment range and the second adjustment range satisfies the set ratio, so that there are at least two overlapping values between the first adjustment range and the second adjustment range.

[0058] Taking Table 3 as an example, the first adjustment range is the maximum theoretical scanning range of the automatic level control module 130, that is, the ALC theoretical scanning range in Table 3, while the second adjustment range is to select an adjustment range on the basis of the maximum theoretical range of the automatic level control module 130 to adjust the power value output by each adjustment level of the attenuator control module 120, that is, in Table 3, on the basis of the ALC theoretical scanning range, select -10 to 10 as the ALC actual scanning range (the second adjustment range). Among them, the difference between the maximum power adjustment value and the minimum power adjustment value in the second adjustment range is greater than the difference between the power values of any two adjacent adjustment levels.

[0059] Table 3 Amplitude Output Hardware Gear Allocation Table 2 This can ensure that there are at least two overlapping values between the first scan ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gears after configuration. In the first scan mode, since the first scan ranges between two adjacent adjustment gears overlap, when the power value to be output at a certain adjustment gear exceeds the first scan range corresponding to that adjustment gear, the adjustment gear can only be switched. In the second scan mode, there are at least two overlapping values between the first scan ranges corresponding to two adjacent adjustment gears. If the situation in the first scan mode occurs, there is no need to switch the adjustment gear again. When only the automatic level control module 130 is configured to complete the scan of the signal source 100, the role of the automatic level control module 130 can be fully exerted, and the control efficiency of the signal source 100 can be improved.

[0060] Step S23: Control to display the scan configuration interface.

[0061] In one embodiment, after the control module 140 configures the adjustment range, the control module 140 controls to display the scan configuration interface on the human-machine interface of the signal source 100. The scan configuration interface includes a scan range list, and the scan range list includes multiple adjustment gears of the attenuator control module 120 and the first scan range corresponding to each adjustment gear.

[0062] In one embodiment, the signal source 100 switches to the scan configuration interface according to the user response. The scan configuration interface lists the "adjustment gear" and the "first scan range", and an example of the scan configuration interface is shown in Table IV.

[0063] Table IV List of Scan Configuration Interfaces Step S25: Obtain the second scan configuration parameters and determine the second output power range according to the second scan configuration parameters.

[0064] In one embodiment, the control module 140 obtains the second scan configuration parameters. The second scan configuration parameters also include a scan start value, a scan end value, a scan point number, a scan step value, and a scan dwell time. The second output power range to be output is determined according to the second scan configuration parameters. Each scan point number in the second scan configuration parameters can determine the output power value corresponding to the second output power range.

[0065] Step S27: Obtain and configure the second target gear.

[0066] In one embodiment, in response to the user's operation on the scan configuration interface, the second target gear is determined from the multiple adjustment gears of the scan configuration interface.

[0067] It should be noted that since the control module 140 displays the scanning configuration interface on the human-machine interaction interface of the signal source 100, the user can directly understand the multiple adjustment gears of the attenuator control module 120 and the corresponding first scanning range of each adjustment gear. The user determines the adjustment gear that can cover the second output power range and the corresponding first scanning range according to the required second scanning configuration parameters. After determining the adjustment gear and the corresponding first scanning range, the user selects this adjustment gear as the second target gear.

[0068] In one embodiment, the control module 140 obtains the second target gear input by the user, fixes the adjustment gear in the attenuator control module 120 at the second target gear, and performs scanning within the first scanning range corresponding to the second target gear according to the second scanning configuration parameters.

[0069] It should be noted that in the second scanning mode, after the control module 140 obtains the second target gear input by the user, the signal source 100 will be fixed at the second target gear for scanning without gear switching.

[0070] In one embodiment, since the user sets the second scanning configuration parameters after already understanding the multiple adjustment gears of the attenuator control module 120 and the corresponding first scanning range of each adjustment gear, the user will make the second scanning configuration parameters fall within the first scanning range corresponding to the second target gear according to the known scanning information. If the user's required second scanning configuration parameters cannot find the first scanning range of any adjustment gear in the scanning configuration interface that covers the second scanning configuration parameters, then the user can control the signal source 100 to stop scanning or exit the second scanning mode and enter the first scanning mode.

[0071] It should be noted that in the second scanning mode of the signal source 100 of the present application, the user is allowed to select the most suitable adjustment gear for scanning on the basis of understanding the first scanning range corresponding to each adjustment gear. The second scanning configuration parameters input by the user are limited within the first scanning range of the adjustment gear, avoiding the situation where the adjustment gear does not match the power requirement seriously. Moreover, the second scanning mode also avoids the waste of resources caused by excessive output capacity or insufficient power, and the hardware resources of each adjustment gear can be maximally and reasonably utilized, without blindly or automatically switching the adjustment gear, effectively reducing the control logic load.

[0072] In one embodiment, when the theoretical scanning range of the automatic level control module 130 is expanded, the following content is used to describe in detail the entry of the signal source 100 into the first scanning mode and the second scanning mode.

[0073] Please refer to Figure 5, in one embodiment, the control module 140 enters the first scanning mode in response to a user operation. The control module 140 performs the following steps in the first scanning mode to implement the scanning method of the signal source 100.

[0074] Step S12: Configure the adjustment range so that there are at least two overlapping values between the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gears.

[0075] In one embodiment, the control module 140 can also configure the adjustment range for the automatic level control module 130 to adjust the power value output by the attenuator control module 120 on the basis of the theoretical scanning range determined by the automatic level control module 130 according to its own hardware, so that there are at least two overlapping values between the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gears after configuration.

[0076] For example, please refer to Table 3. The theoretical scanning range is the second scanning range, and the actual scanning range is the first scanning range. When the attenuator gear is 20 and the theoretical scanning range is -10 to 10, the configured adjustment is -10 to 10, so that the actual output value is 10 to 30. When the attenuator gear is 10 and the ALC theoretical scanning range is -10 to 10, the configured adjustment range is -10 to 10, so that the actual output value is 0 to 20. From the actual output values 10 to 30 and 0 to 20 of the two gears, it can be seen that there are at least two overlapping values between the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gears after configuration.

[0077] When the theoretical scanning range of the automatic level control module 130 is expanded, the first scanning ranges corresponding to the respective adjustment gears in the first scanning mode can be correspondingly expanded so that there are at least two overlapping values between the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gears. Even if it is necessary to switch the adjustment gears between the first scanning modes, the switching frequency can be reduced and the control efficiency can be improved.

[0078] Since when entering the first scanning mode with the theoretical scanning range of the automatic level control module 130 expanded, except that step S12 is different from step S11 when entering the first scanning mode with the theoretical scanning range of the automatic level control module 130 not expanded, the remaining steps and methods adopted are the same, so they will not be elaborated here.

[0079] In one embodiment, since the second scanning mode is entered when the theoretical scanning range of the automatic level control module 130 is expanded and when the theoretical scanning range of the automatic level control module 130 is not expanded, except that the theoretical scanning ranges determined by the control module 140 according to the hardware of the automatic level control module 130 are different, resulting in a larger range that can be scanned by the first scanning range corresponding to each adjustment gear, the remaining steps and methods used are the same, so they will not be elaborated here.

[0080] Moreover, in the two second scanning modes, after the user fixedly configures the adjustment gear hardware of the attenuator control module 120, the only hardware for scanning configuration is the automatic level control module 130. In this way, the scanning dwell time is equal to the configuration time of the automatic level control module 130. Additionally, when adjusting using the automatic level control module 130, the change in the output power value is continuous without interruption or overshoot.

[0081] Please refer to Figure 6 , in one embodiment, whether entering the second scanning mode when the theoretical scanning range of the automatic level control module 130 is expanded or when the theoretical scanning range of the automatic level control module 130 is not expanded, the control module 140 needs to correct the attenuator control module 120 and the automatic level control module 130 according to the theoretical scanning range to correct each adjustment gear and the first scanning range corresponding to each adjustment gear, including the following steps.

[0082] Step S31: Obtain the adjustment gear to be corrected.

[0083] In one embodiment, the control module 140 sequentially adjusts each adjustment gear in the attenuator control module 120. The control module 140 obtains the uncorrected adjustment gear in the attenuator control module 120 as the adjustment gear to be corrected for correction to request the power value of the adjustment gear to be corrected. The attenuator control module 120 responds to the control module 140 and sends the power value of the adjustment gear to be corrected to the control module 140.

[0084] Step S33: Correct the first scanning range of the adjustment gear to be corrected at the adjustment gear to be corrected.

[0085] Please refer to Figure 7 , in one embodiment, when performing step S33 to correct the first scanning range of the adjustment gear to be corrected at the adjustment gear to be corrected, it includes the following steps.

[0086] Step S331: Obtain the second scanning range and the preset codeword range.

[0087] In one embodiment, the second scanning range is the theoretical scanning range of the automatic level control module 130, and the first scanning range is the actual scanning range of the automatic level control module 130. Since the theoretical scanning range does not represent the actual scanning range of the signal source 100, it is necessary to obtain a table of each adjustment level and calibration codeword amplitude through calibration, as shown in Table V. The codeword range in the preset calibration codeword amplitude table is 0x0 to 0xFFFF, and the codeword interval is 0x200. Among them, the calibration codeword amplitude table is jointly determined by the adjustment level, codeword, and amplitude, and the specific interval between codewords is determined according to the actual characteristics of the automatic level control module 130.

[0088] Table V Calibration Codeword Amplitude Table Step S332: Determine the power values in the second scanning range corresponding to each codeword in the codeword range according to the preset data curve.

[0089] In one embodiment, the output signal output by the automatic level control module 130 is usually in the form of a digital codeword. Each preset codeword is converted into a corresponding reference voltage through the DAC circuit 134 for generating a feedback voltage. However, due to many non-linear factors in the hardware circuit of the automatic level control module 130, the mapping relationship between the codeword and the actual output power value changes non-linearly. Therefore, the control module 140 presets an ALC hardware characteristic curve (also known as a preset data curve) reflecting the relationship between the codeword and the actual output power value. This ALC hardware characteristic curve can be preset by the equipment manufacturer before the product leaves the factory, or during the operation of the signal source 100, a feedback voltage is formed through the coupling circuit 132 and the detection circuit 133, and the actual power values corresponding to each codeword are automatically measured, and an ALC hardware characteristic curve with higher accuracy can be obtained by using self-calibration or self-fitting algorithms, or by training historical operation data with a neural network model to establish a more complex non-linear mapping relationship.

[0090] In one embodiment, based on the obtained ALC hardware characteristic curve, the control module 140 can further determine the first scanning range. Specifically, the control module 140 can obtain the maximum codeword and the minimum codeword in this range according to the codeword range corresponding to the current adjustment level, and respectively look up the corresponding power values in the ALC hardware characteristic curve.

[0091] Step S333: Determine the first scanning range according to the power value in the second scanning range corresponding to the largest codeword in the codeword range and the power value in the second scanning range corresponding to the smallest codeword.

[0092] In one embodiment, the interval between the obtained maximum power value and the minimum power value is defined as the first scanning range at this adjustment level.

[0093] Step S35: Save the adjustment gear to be calibrated and the corresponding calibrated first scanning range.

[0094] In one embodiment, after calibration is completed for each adjustment gear, the adjustment gear and its corresponding calibrated first scanning range are respectively saved.

[0095] Those skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments can be implemented in a hardware manner or in a computer program manner. When all or part of the functions in the above-mentioned embodiments are implemented in a computer program manner, the program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium may include: read-only memory, random access memory, magnetic disk, optical disk, hard disk, etc. The above functions can be realized by a computer executing the program. For example, the program is stored in the memory of the device, and when the processor executes the program in the memory, the above-mentioned all or part of the functions can be realized. In addition, when all or part of the functions in the above-mentioned embodiments are implemented in a computer program manner, the program can also be stored in a storage medium such as a server, another computer, magnetic disk, optical disk, flash drive or mobile hard disk, and saved to the memory of the local device by downloading or copying, or the system of the local device is updated. When the processor executes the program in the memory, the above-mentioned all or part of the functions in the embodiments can be realized.

[0096] The above uses specific examples to elaborate on the present invention, which is only used to help understand the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the technical field to which the present invention belongs, according to the idea of the present invention, several simple deductions, deformations or substitutions can also be made.

Claims

1. A signal source, characterized in that, Comprising: A frequency synthesis module that generates a frequency signal according to a set reference frequency; An attenuator control module connected to the frequency synthesis module and performing attenuation processing on the frequency signal; the attenuator control module has multiple adjustment gears, and each adjustment gear outputs a corresponding power value; An automatic level control module connected to the attenuator control module; the automatic level control module is used to adjust the power values output by each adjustment gear of the attenuator control module so that the automatic level control module outputs a first scanning range corresponding to each adjustment gear; A control module for entering a first scanning mode or a second scanning mode in response to a user operation; In the first scanning mode, the control module is used for: Configuring the adjustment range for the automatic level control module to adjust the power value output by the attenuator control module, so that the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gears are continuously connected; Obtaining first scanning configuration parameters, determining a first output power range according to the first scanning configuration parameters, where the first scanning configuration parameters include multiple output power values within the first output power range; Determining a first target gear from the multiple adjustment gears according to the first output power range and the first scanning ranges corresponding to each adjustment gear, and configuring the adjustment gear of the attenuator control module as the first target gear; Scanning according to the first scanning configuration parameters within the first scanning range corresponding to the first target gear; When the output power value currently scanned in the first scanning configuration parameters exceeds the first scanning range corresponding to the first target gear, switching the first target gear of the attenuator control module so that the first scanning range corresponding to the switched adjustment gear covers the currently scanned output power value; In the second scanning mode, the control module is used for: Configuring the adjustment range for the automatic level control module to adjust the power value output by the attenuator control module, so that there are at least two overlapping values between the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gears; Controlling to display a scanning configuration interface, where the scanning configuration interface includes a scanning range list, and the scanning range list includes multiple adjustment gears of the attenuator control module and the first scanning ranges corresponding to each adjustment gear; Obtaining second scanning configuration parameters, determining a second output power range according to the second scanning configuration parameters, where the second scanning configuration parameters include multiple output power values within the second output power range; Obtaining a second target gear among the multiple adjustment gears, and configuring the adjustment gear of the attenuator control module to be fixed as the second target gear, and scanning according to the second scanning configuration parameters within the first scanning range corresponding to the second target gear; When the output power value currently scanned in the second scanning configuration parameters exceeds the first scanning range corresponding to the second target gear, stop scanning or exit the second scanning mode and enter the first scanning mode.

2. A signal source, characterized in that, Comprising: A frequency synthesis module that generates a frequency signal according to a set reference frequency; An attenuator control module, connected to the frequency synthesizing module, and performing attenuation processing on the frequency signal; the attenuator control module has a plurality of adjustment gears, and each adjustment gear outputs a corresponding power value; An automatic level control module, connected to the attenuator control module; the automatic level control module is used to adjust the power values output by each adjustment gear of the attenuator control module, so that the automatic level control module outputs a first scanning range corresponding to each adjustment gear; A control module, used to enter the second scanning mode in response to a user operation; In the second scanning mode, the control module is used for: Configuring the adjustment range for the automatic level control module to adjust the power value output by the attenuator control module, so that there are at least two overlapping values between the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gears; Controlling the display of a scanning configuration interface, the scanning configuration interface includes a scanning range list, and the scanning range list includes a plurality of adjustment gears of the attenuator control module and the first scanning ranges corresponding to each adjustment gear; Obtaining second scanning configuration parameters, and determining a second output power range according to the second scanning configuration parameters, where the second scanning configuration parameters include a plurality of output power values within the second output power range; Obtaining a second target gear among the plurality of adjustment gears, and configuring the adjustment gear of the attenuator control module to be fixed at the second target gear, and performing scanning in the first scanning range corresponding to the second target gear according to the second scanning configuration parameters.

3. The signal source according to claim 2, wherein The control module also enters the first scanning mode in response to a user operation. In the first scanning mode, the control module is used for: Configuring the adjustment range for the automatic level control module to adjust the power value output by the attenuator control module, so that the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gears are continuously connected; Obtaining first scanning configuration parameters, and determining a first output power range according to the first scanning configuration parameters, where the first scanning configuration parameters include a plurality of output power values within the first output power range; Determining a first target gear from the plurality of adjustment gears according to the first output power range and the first scanning ranges corresponding to each adjustment gear, and configuring the adjustment gear of the attenuator control module to be the first target gear; Performing scanning in the first scanning range corresponding to the first target gear according to the first scanning configuration parameters; When the output power value currently scanned in the first scanning configuration parameters exceeds the first scanning range corresponding to the first target gear, switching the first target gear of the attenuator control module, so that the first scanning range corresponding to the switched adjustment gear covers the currently scanned output power value.

4. The signal source according to claim 3, characterized in that When the output power value currently scanned in the second scanning configuration parameters exceeds the first scanning range corresponding to the second target gear, stop scanning or exit the second scanning mode and enter the first scanning mode.

5. The signal source according to claim 2, characterized in that The maximum range that the automatic level control module can adjust is the first adjustment range. The control module configures the automatic level control module to adjust the power values output by each adjustment gear of the attenuator control module within the second adjustment range. The ratio of the first adjustment range to the second adjustment range satisfies a set ratio, so that there are at least two overlapping values between the first scan ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gears.

6. The signal source according to claim 5, characterized in that, The difference between the maximum power adjustment value and the minimum power adjustment value in the second adjustment range is greater than the difference between the power values between any two adjacent adjustment gears.

7. The signal source according to claim 6, characterized in that, The difference between the power values between any two adjacent adjustment gears in the attenuator control module is equal.

8. The signal source according to claim 2, wherein The control module also corrects the attenuator control module and the automatic level control module to correct each adjustment gear and the first scan range corresponding to each adjustment gear, including: For each adjustment gear: Obtain the adjustment gear to be corrected; Under the adjustment gear to be corrected, correct the first scan range of the adjustment gear to be corrected; Save the adjustment gear to be corrected and the corresponding corrected first scan range.

9. The signal source according to claim 8, wherein When the control module corrects the first scan range of the adjustment gear to be corrected under the adjustment gear to be corrected, it includes: Obtain the second scan range and the preset codeword range; Determine the power values in the second scan range corresponding to each codeword in the codeword range according to the preset data curve; Determine the first scan range according to the power value in the second scan range corresponding to the largest codeword and the power value in the second scan range corresponding to the smallest codeword in the codeword range.

10. The signal source according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control module obtains the second target gear among the multiple adjustment gears, including: In response to the user's operation on the scan configuration interface, determine the second target gear from the multiple adjustment gears.

11. A signal source, characterized in that, Including: A frequency synthesis module that generates a frequency signal according to a set reference frequency; An attenuator control module connected to the frequency synthesis module and performing attenuation processing on the frequency signal; the attenuator control module has multiple adjustment gears, and each adjustment gear outputs a corresponding power value; An automatic level control module connected to the attenuator control module; the automatic level control module is used to adjust the power values output by each adjustment gear of the attenuator control module so that the automatic level control module outputs a first scan range corresponding to each adjustment gear; A control module for entering the first scan mode in response to a user operation; In the first scan mode, the control module is used for: Configuring the adjustment range for the automatic level control module to adjust the power value output by the attenuator control module, so that there are at least two overlapping values between the first scan ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gears; Obtaining first scan configuration parameters and determining a first output power range according to the first scan configuration parameters, where the first scan configuration parameters include multiple output power values within the first output power range; Determine a first target gear position from the multiple gear positions according to the first output power range and the first scanning range corresponding to each of the adjustment gear positions, and configure the adjustment gear position of the attenuator control module to be the first target gear position; Perform scanning in the first scanning range corresponding to the first target gear position according to the first scanning configuration parameter; When the output power value of the current scan in the first scanning configuration parameter exceeds the first scanning range corresponding to the first target gear position, switch the first target gear position of the attenuator control module so that the first scanning range corresponding to the switched adjustment gear position covers the output power value of the current scan.

12. A scanning method for a signal source, characterized in that, Comprising: Configure the adjustment range for the automatic level control module to adjust the power value output by the attenuator control module, so that there are at least two overlapping values between the first scanning ranges corresponding to any two adjacent adjustment gear positions of the attenuator control module; Display a scanning configuration interface, the scanning configuration interface includes a scanning range list, and the scanning range list includes multiple adjustment gear positions of the attenuator control module and the first scanning range corresponding to each adjustment gear position; Obtain a second scanning configuration parameter, and determine a second output power range according to the second scanning configuration parameter, where the second scanning configuration parameter includes multiple output power values within the second output power range; Obtain a second target gear position among the multiple gear positions, and configure the adjustment gear position of the attenuator control module to be fixed at the second target gear position, and perform scanning in the first scanning range corresponding to the second target gear position according to the second scanning configuration parameter.

13. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The medium stores a computer program, and the computer program can be executed by a processor to implement the method described in claim 12.

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