Group delay characteristic measurement method, device, equipment, medium and product

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of wireless, and provides a group delay characteristic measurement method and device, equipment, a medium and a product. The method comprises the following steps: determining a radio frequency (RF) band corresponding to a to-be-measured group delay characteristic of a base station transceiver and a target band corresponding to the to-be-measured group delay characteristic; based on the RF frequency band and the target frequency band, performing dual-tone excitation on a direct-through cable between ports in the vector network analyzer to obtain a first group delay value corresponding to the RF frequency band and a second group delay value corresponding to the target frequency band; determining an overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on the RF frequency band and the target frequency band; and measuring group delay characteristics based on the first group delay value, the second group delay value and the overall group delay. According to the group delay characteristic measurement method provided by the invention, the problem that the group delay calibration is limited by the frequency band of the calibration frequency converter can be eliminated, the group delay characteristic test of the tested piece at any frequency band can be realized, the group delay calibration process is greatly simplified, and the frequency conversion group delay test efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wireless technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus, device, medium and product for measuring group delay characteristics. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of mobile communications, accurate measurement of the group delay characteristics of base transceiver stations (BTS) is a crucial step in ensuring signal transmission quality. As a core parameter characterizing phase distortion, the accuracy of group delay testing directly affects the bit error rate, modulation and demodulation performance, and phase consistency of multi-carrier signals in a communication system.

[0003] The current mainstream group delay characteristic calibration scheme is based on the error correction theory of vector network analyzers. It requires the construction of the S-parameter model of the calibration inverter using standard components such as open circuit, short circuit, and load. Then, the group delay error of the instrument itself is corrected by calibrating the inverter, and then the device under test is connected to achieve accurate measurement of group delay. Thus, the calibration inverter must be characterized first before it can be used as a calibration inverter for system group delay calibration. The calibration process is complex. Moreover, the group delay calibration is limited by the calibration inverter frequency band and cannot achieve the testing of group delay characteristics of inverters in arbitrary frequency bands. Therefore, the test efficiency is reduced when using the calibration inverter-based method to test group delay characteristics. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a method, apparatus, device, medium, and product for measuring group delay characteristics, which solves the defects in the prior art where the calibration process is complex and the group delay calibration is limited by the calibration frequency band, making it impossible to test the group delay characteristics of frequency converters in any frequency band, thus reducing measurement efficiency. It eliminates the problem of group delay calibration being limited by the calibration frequency band of the frequency converter, enabling the testing of the group delay characteristics of the device under test in any frequency band, greatly simplifying the group delay calibration process, and improving the efficiency of frequency converter group delay testing.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a method for measuring group delay characteristics, comprising: Determine the radio frequency (RF) band corresponding to the group delay characteristic to be measured of the base station transceiver and the target frequency band corresponding to the group delay characteristic to be measured; Based on the RF band and the target band, two-tone excitation is performed on the through cable between ports in the vector network analyzer to obtain the first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and the second group delay value corresponding to the target band. Based on the RF band and the target frequency band, determine the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver; The group delay characteristics are measured based on the first group delay value, the second group delay value, and the overall group delay.

[0006] In one embodiment, the step of performing two-tone excitation on the through-port cable in the vector network analyzer based on the RF band and the target band to obtain a first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and a second group delay value corresponding to the target band includes: determining a first two-tone signal based on the RF band and the target bandwidth of the vector network analyzer; determining a second two-tone signal based on the target band and the target bandwidth of the vector network analyzer; and performing two-tone excitation on the through-port cable in the vector network analyzer based on the first two-tone signal and the second two-tone signal to obtain the first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and the second group delay value corresponding to the target band.

[0007] In one embodiment, the step of performing two-tone excitation on the inter-port straight-through cable in the vector network analyzer based on the first two-tone signal and the second two-tone signal to obtain the first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and the second group delay value corresponding to the target frequency band includes: transmitting the first two-tone signal to the inter-port straight-through cable through the output port of the vector network analyzer to perform two-tone excitation on the inter-port straight-through cable to obtain a first excitation signal; receiving the first excitation signal through the input port of the vector network analyzer; determining the first group delay value based on the first excitation signal; transmitting the second two-tone signal to the inter-port straight-through cable through the output port of the vector network analyzer to perform two-tone excitation on the inter-port straight-through cable to obtain a second excitation signal; receiving the second excitation signal through the input port of the vector network analyzer; and determining the second group delay value based on the second excitation signal.

[0008] In one embodiment, determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on the RF band and the target band includes: determining the output frequency of the vector network analyzer based on the RF band; determining the receiving frequency of the vector network analyzer based on the target band; determining at least one set of third dual-tone signals of the vector network analyzer based on the output frequency; and determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each of the third dual-tone signals and the receiving frequency.

[0009] In one embodiment, determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base transceiver based on each of the third dual-tone signals and the receiving frequency includes: transmitting each of the third dual-tone signals to the base transceiver through the output port of the vector network analyzer; the base transceiver performing frequency conversion processing on each of the third dual-tone signals to obtain dual-path target signals corresponding to each of the third dual-tone signals; receiving each of the dual-path target signals based on the receiving frequency through the input port of the vector network analyzer; and determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base transceiver based on each of the dual-path target signals and the corresponding third dual-tone signals.

[0010] In one embodiment, the dual-path target signal includes a first target signal and a second target signal, and the third dual-tone signal includes a first signal and a second signal. Determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each of the dual-path target signals and the corresponding third dual-tone signal includes: determining a first phase difference and a frequency difference between each of the first signals and the second signal corresponding to each of the first signals; determining a second phase difference between each of the first target signals and the second target signal corresponding to each of the first target signals; and determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each of the first phase differences, each of the second phase differences, and each of the frequency differences.

[0011] In one embodiment, determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each of the first phase differences, each of the second phase differences, and each of the frequency differences includes: determining a first difference result between each of the first phase differences and each of the second phase differences based on each of the first phase differences and each of the second phase differences; determining a third group delay value corresponding to each of the third dual-tone signals based on each of the first difference results and each of the frequency differences; and determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each of the third group delay values.

[0012] In one embodiment, measuring the group delay characteristic based on the first group delay value, the second group delay value, and the overall group delay includes: determining an average group delay value based on the first group delay value and the second group delay value; and measuring the group delay characteristic based on each group delay in the average group delay value and the overall group delay.

[0013] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide an apparatus for group delay characteristics, comprising: The first determining module is used to determine the radio frequency (RF) band corresponding to the group delay characteristic to be measured of the base station transceiver and the target frequency band corresponding to the group delay characteristic to be measured. The excitation module is used to perform two-tone excitation on the through-port cable in the vector network analyzer based on the RF band and the target band, respectively, to obtain the first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and the second group delay value corresponding to the target band; The second determining module is used to determine the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on the RF frequency band and the target frequency band. The third determining module is used to measure the group delay characteristics based on the first group delay value, the second group delay value, and the overall group delay.

[0014] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device, including a processor and a memory storing a computer program, wherein the processor executes the program to implement the steps of the method for measuring group delay characteristics as described in the first or second aspect.

[0015] Fourthly, this application also provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method for measuring group delay characteristics as described in the first or second aspect.

[0016] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method for measuring group delay characteristics as described in the first or second aspect.

[0017] The method, apparatus, equipment, medium, and product for measuring group delay characteristics provided in this application determine the RF band and target band corresponding to the group delay characteristic to be measured of a base station transceiver. Based on the RF band and target band, two-tone excitation is applied to the through-cable between ports in a vector network analyzer to obtain a first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and a second group delay value corresponding to the target band. Based on the RF band and target band, the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver is determined. Based on the first group delay value, the second group delay value, and the overall group delay, the group delay characteristic is measured. This eliminates the need for calibration inverters to calibrate and measure the group delay characteristics of the base station transceiver, removing the limitation of group delay calibration by the calibration inverter's frequency band. It enables group delay characteristic testing of devices under test in any frequency band, greatly simplifying the group delay calibration process and improving the efficiency of frequency conversion group delay testing. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the method for measuring group delay characteristics provided in this application.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the excitation straight-through cable of the vector network analyzer provided in this application.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure for measuring the two-tone group delay of a BTS provided in this application.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the group delay characteristic measurement device provided in this application.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0025] In this field, phase response testing of multi-stage frequency converters employing embedded local oscillator structures faces a dual challenge: on the one hand, due to their integrated design, these devices cannot directly acquire local oscillator signals for phase synchronization, nor do they have a calibration interface for external reference signals; on the other hand, the phase noise of each embedded local oscillator in a multi-stage frequency converter link exhibits a cumulative effect, and the phase drift between different frequency conversion stages is nonlinearly coupled, making it difficult for traditional testing methods to effectively separate and compensate for these error sources. Based on this, an error correction theory based on a vector network analyzer was proposed. However, this method has significant limitations. First, the calibration process requires strict matching between the frequency converter under test and the calibrating frequency converter in terms of port impedance, conversion loss, local oscillator power, etc., while the cascaded structure of multi-stage frequency converters leads to fundamental differences in their equivalent conversion characteristics compared to standard calibration components. Second, for complex frequency converter links containing multiple embedded local oscillators (such as a three-stage up-conversion + two-stage down-conversion architecture), the phase noise distribution of each local oscillator exhibits asymmetry and frequency dependence, making it impossible to achieve full-band phase error compensation through single-point calibration. Even more serious is that some multi-stage frequency converters have baseband IQ modulation links and radio frequency multi-step shifts in their frequency conversion path because the local oscillator signal is completely embedded and uncontrollable, causing traditional calibration methods based on standard frequency converters to completely fail.

[0026] In addition, existing technologies have several problems: 1) When the number of frequency converter links exceeds three, the dimension of the calibration inverter model required for calibration increases exponentially, and existing error correction models cannot cover high-order nonlinear phase distortion; 2) The temperature drift effect of the embedded local oscillator causes the calibration results to be valid only for a short period of time, requiring frequent repetition of the calibration process, which seriously affects test efficiency; 3) For cascaded frequency converter systems (e.g., the first-stage local oscillator is 10MHz, and the second-stage is 1GHz), the spectral broadening of phase noise at each stage is superimposed, making it difficult for traditional time-domain gating methods to accurately separate each noise component. These problems often result in test results exhibiting random fluctuation characteristics, and in severe cases, even masking the true group delay characteristics.

[0027] Base transceiver stations (BTSs) often integrate complex microwave components such as multi-stage frequency conversion, amplification, and filtering. A common testing method is the two-tone method, which calculates group delay by utilizing the difference in phase between the input and output sides of the two-tone signals and the frequency interval of the two-tone signals. However, to accurately measure the group delay characteristics of the DUT, a calibration converter covering both the DUT's input and output frequencies is required for system calibration to eliminate group delay errors in the vector network analyzer system. This measurement scheme is highly susceptible to limitations imposed by the calibration converter's frequency. Furthermore, the calibration converter requires frequency conversion characteristic characterization before group delay calibration, making the operation complex and resulting in low efficiency in frequency conversion group delay testing. Additionally, existing limitations in frequency conversion systems can lead to low measurement accuracy.

[0028] To address the aforementioned issues, this application proposes a method for measuring group delay characteristics. This method calibrates and measures group delay characteristics without the need for a calibration inverter, eliminating the limitation of group delay calibration on the frequency band of the calibration inverter. It enables testing of group delay characteristics of the device under test in any frequency band, greatly simplifies the group delay calibration process, and improves the efficiency of inverter group delay testing.

[0029] The following is combined with Figures 1-3 The present application describes a method for measuring group delay characteristics. The subject executing this method can be an electronic device or a method for measuring group delay characteristics installed in the electronic device. The device for measuring group delay characteristics can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of both.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the method for measuring group delay characteristics provided in this application, as shown below. Figure 1 As shown, the method includes the following: Step 101: Determine the RF band corresponding to the group delay characteristic to be measured of the base station transceiver and the target frequency band corresponding to the group delay characteristic to be measured.

[0031] Here, Radio Frequency (RF) refers to the frequency range of radio waves. The RF band refers to a specific radio frequency band that needs to be tested when a BTS is in use, that is, the original frequency band without frequency conversion processing.

[0032] Here, the target frequency band refers to the intermediate frequency signal obtained after the radio frequency signal is converted. Since the target frequency band is lower than the radio frequency band and higher than the baseband signal, the target frequency band can also be called the intermediate frequency (IF) band.

[0033] Here, the group delay characteristic is used to characterize the time difference experienced by signals of different frequencies when passing through the system.

[0034] Step 102: Based on the RF band and the target band, perform dual-tone excitation on the through cable between ports in the vector network analyzer to obtain the first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and the second group delay value corresponding to the target band.

[0035] It should be noted that a vector network analyzer has one output port and one input port. A straight-through cable between ports means that there is only a cable between the output port and the input port.

[0036] Here, the first group of delay values ​​refers to the phase offset introduced by the RF segment straight-through cable and the vector transmission link, and the second group of delay values ​​refers to the phase offset introduced by the IF segment straight-through cable and the vector transmission link.

[0037] Here, dual-tone excitation refers to using a composite signal composed of two sine waves of different frequencies superimposed to excite the cable, obtain a response signal, and determine the group delay value based on the response signal.

[0038] For example, the step of performing two-tone excitation on the through-port cable in the vector network analyzer based on the RF band and the target band to obtain a first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and a second group delay value corresponding to the target band includes: determining a first two-tone signal based on the RF band and the target bandwidth of the vector network analyzer; determining a second two-tone signal based on the target band and the target bandwidth of the vector network analyzer; and performing two-tone excitation on the through-port cable in the vector network analyzer based on the first two-tone signal and the second two-tone signal to obtain the first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and the second group delay value corresponding to the target band.

[0039] Here, the target bandwidth of the vector network analyzer can be the maximum intermediate frequency bandwidth.

[0040] It should be noted that the first dual-tone signal is obtained by superimposing two sine waves of different frequencies. The frequencies of the two sine waves in the first dual-tone signal are within the RF band, and the interval between the two sine waves is less than the maximum intermediate frequency bandwidth of the vector network analyzer.

[0041] Here, the method for determining the first two-tone signal can be to select two sine waves with different frequencies in the RF band, and the interval between the two frequencies is less than the target bandwidth of the vector network analyzer.

[0042] It should be noted that the second dual-tone signal is obtained by superimposing two sine waves of different frequencies. The frequencies of the two sine waves in the second dual-tone signal are within the target frequency band, and the interval between the two sine waves is less than the maximum intermediate frequency bandwidth of the vector network analyzer.

[0043] Here, the method for determining the second two-tone signal is to select two sine waves with different frequencies in the target frequency band, i.e., the IF band, and the interval between the two frequencies is less than the target bandwidth of the vector network analyzer.

[0044] After determining the first 2-tone signal and the second 2-tone signal, the vector network analyzer transmits the first 2-tone signal and the second 2-tone signal to the straight-through cable between ports to obtain the corresponding excitation signals. Based on the excitation signals, the first group delay value and the second group delay value are determined.

[0045] In this embodiment, the dual-tone step-by-step test and calibration technology of the radio frequency band and intermediate frequency band through the straight-through cable between the two measurement ports of the vector network analyzer is used to obtain the introduced system group delay error in the radio frequency band and intermediate frequency band respectively. Group delay calibration can be completed without calibrating the mixer, which greatly simplifies the group delay calibration process and improves the efficiency of frequency conversion group delay testing.

[0046] Further, the step of performing two-tone excitation on the inter-port straight-through cable in the vector network analyzer based on the first two-tone signal and the second two-tone signal to obtain the first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and the second group delay value corresponding to the target frequency band includes: transmitting the first two-tone signal to the inter-port straight-through cable through the output port of the vector network analyzer to perform two-tone excitation on the inter-port straight-through cable to obtain a first excitation signal; receiving the first excitation signal through the input port of the vector network analyzer; determining the first group delay value based on the first excitation signal; transmitting the second two-tone signal to the inter-port straight-through cable through the output port of the vector network analyzer to perform two-tone excitation on the inter-port straight-through cable to obtain a second excitation signal; receiving the second excitation signal through the input port of the vector network analyzer; and determining the second group delay value based on the second excitation signal.

[0047] Here, the first excitation signal is the first response signal obtained after the first two-tone signal excites the straight-through cable. The vector network analyzer obtains phase information and frequency information by analyzing the first response signal, and calculates the first group delay value based on the phase information and frequency information.

[0048] Here, the second excitation signal is the second response signal obtained after the second two-tone signal excites the straight-through cable. Vector network analysis has obtained phase information and frequency information by analyzing the second response signal, and calculated the second group delay value based on the phase information and frequency information.

[0049] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the excitation straight-through cable of the vector network analyzer provided in this application, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the vector network analyzer includes port 1 and port 2, where port 1 is an output port and port 2 is an input port. The vector network analyzer transmits the first or second two-tone signal to the straight-through cable through port 1 and receives the corresponding first or second excitation signal through port 2.

[0050] In this embodiment, the dual-tone step-by-step test and calibration technology of the radio frequency band and intermediate frequency band through the straight-through cable between the two measurement ports of the vector network analyzer is used to obtain the introduced system group delay error in the radio frequency band and intermediate frequency band respectively. Group delay calibration can be completed without calibrating the mixer, which greatly simplifies the group delay calibration process and improves the efficiency of frequency conversion group delay testing.

[0051] Step 103: Based on the RF band and the target frequency band, determine the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver.

[0052] Here, the overall group delay refers to the group delay covering the operating frequency band of the BTS (Body Test System).

[0053] Furthermore, determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on the RF band and the target band includes: determining the output frequency of the vector network analyzer based on the RF band; determining the receiving frequency of the vector network analyzer based on the target band; determining at least one set of third dual-tone signals of the vector network analyzer based on the output frequency; and determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each of the third dual-tone signals and the receiving frequency.

[0054] Here, the output frequency band of the vector network analyzer can be directly set to the RF band, or a suitable band can be determined based on the RF band as the output frequency band of the vector network analyzer. Generally, the output frequency band is within the range of the RF band.

[0055] Here, the receiving frequency band of the vector network analyzer can be directly set to the target frequency band, or a suitable frequency band can be determined based on the target frequency band as the output frequency band of the vector network analyzer. Generally, the receiving frequency band is within the range of the target frequency band.

[0056] It should be noted that a vector network analyzer can only receive a signal if its receiving frequency includes the frequency of the signal to be received. Therefore, the receiving frequency of the vector network analyzer needs to be set within the target frequency band.

[0057] Here, the third dual-tone signal is a composite signal formed by the superposition of two sine waves of different frequencies. The two different frequencies are within the frequency band of the output frequency, and the interval between the two different frequencies is less than the maximum intermediate frequency bandwidth of the vector network analyzer.

[0058] Here, the excitation signal can be obtained by performing two-tone excitation on the BTS using the third two-tone signal, and the overall group delay can be obtained based on the analysis and calculation of the excitation signal.

[0059] In this embodiment of the application, the overall group delay test is performed after accessing the BTS, which eliminates the problem that the group delay calibration is limited by the frequency band of the calibration mixer, and can realize the group delay characteristic test of the device under test in any frequency band.

[0060] Further, determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each of the third dual-tone signals and the receiving frequency includes: transmitting each of the third dual-tone signals to the base station transceiver through the output port of the vector network analyzer; the base station transceiver performing frequency conversion processing on each of the third dual-tone signals to obtain dual-path target signals corresponding to each of the third dual-tone signals; receiving each of the dual-path target signals based on the receiving frequency through the input port of the vector network analyzer; and determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each of the dual-path target signals and the corresponding third dual-tone signals.

[0061] Here, frequency conversion processing refers to mixing the third dual-tone signal and the local oscillator signal in the BTS.

[0062] It should be noted that the dual-channel target signal can be obtained by directly mixing the third two-tone signal, or by preprocessing the third two-tone signal and then mixing the preprocessed signal, or by preprocessing the mixed signal itself. Preprocessing can include filtering, amplification, gain adjustment, etc.

[0063] For example, the vector network analyzer is configured to output a third dual-tone signal. Signals of different frequencies from this third dual-tone signal are simultaneously injected into the radio frequency (RF) input of the BTS, simulating the simultaneous operation of multiple frequency signals in a real-world communication scenario. The RF front-end within the BTS performs preprocessing such as filtering and amplification on the input signal before sending it to the frequency conversion module. In the BTS's frequency conversion module, the dual-tone signal is mixed with the local oscillator signal, converting the RF signal to the intermediate frequency (IF) band. The converted IF signal then passes through the BTS's internal IF processing circuitry, including IF filtering and gain adjustment, to obtain dual target signals, which are finally output from the BTS's IF output port and transmitted to the receiving end of the vector network analyzer. After receiving the dual target signals, the vector network analyzer uses its built-in high-resolution signal acquisition and processing system to sample and analyze the signals. By comparing the phase information of the input third dual-tone signal (in the RF band) and the dual target signals (in the IF band), the overall group delay is obtained based on the phase information.

[0064] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure for measuring the two-tone group delay of a BTS provided in this application, as shown below. Figure 3 As shown, the structure for measuring the BTS two-tone group delay includes a vector network analyzer, port 1, port 2, and the BTS. The vector network analyzer transmits the third two-tone signal to the BTS through port 1. The BTS performs frequency conversion processing on the third two-tone signal to obtain dual target signals. The vector network analyzer receives the dual target signals through port 2, analyzes the dual target signals to obtain phase information, and determines the BTS two-tone group delay based on the phase information.

[0065] In this embodiment, each third dual-tone signal is transmitted to the base station transceiver through the output port of the vector network analyzer, and the target signal after frequency conversion processing is received through the input port of the vector network analyzer to perform overall group delay testing. This eliminates the problem of group delay calibration being limited by the frequency band of the calibration mixer, and enables group delay characteristic testing of the device under test in any frequency band.

[0066] Furthermore, the dual-path target signal includes a first target signal and a second target signal, and the third dual-tone signal includes a first signal and a second signal. Determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each of the dual-path target signals and the corresponding third dual-tone signal includes: determining a first phase difference and a frequency difference between each of the first signals and the second signal corresponding to each of the first signals; determining a second phase difference between each of the first target signals and the second target signal corresponding to each of the first target signals; and determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each of the first phase differences, each of the second phase differences, and each of the frequency differences.

[0067] Here, the first target signal is the signal after frequency conversion of the first signal, and the second target signal is the signal after frequency conversion of the second signal.

[0068] Here, the first phase difference can be the phase difference between the first signal and the second signal, or it can be the difference between the phase weight of the first signal and the phase weight of the second signal.

[0069] Here, the second phase difference can be the phase difference between the first target signal and the second target signal, or it can be the difference between the phase weight of the first target signal and the phase weight of the second target signal.

[0070] Here, the method for determining the overall group delay can be any suitable method. For example, the overall group delay can be obtained by substituting each first phase difference, each second phase difference, and each frequency difference into the calculation formula, or by inputting each first phase difference, each second phase difference, and each frequency difference into the network model.

[0071] It should be noted that the RF band contains multiple frequencies, and the overall group delay includes the group delay value corresponding to each operating frequency in the RF band.

[0072] In this embodiment, by measuring the group delay values ​​of each frequency in the BTS operating frequency band, it is ensured that the BTS is not limited by the calibration mixing frequency band, and the group delay characteristics of the device under test in any frequency band can be tested.

[0073] For example, determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each of the first phase differences, each of the second phase differences, and each of the frequency differences includes: determining a first difference result between each of the first phase differences and each of the second phase differences based on each of the first phase differences and each of the second phase differences; determining a third group delay value corresponding to each of the third dual-tone signals based on each of the first difference results and each of the frequency differences; and determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each of the third group delay values.

[0074] Here, the first difference result can be the difference between the first phase difference and the second phase difference, or it can be the difference between the weighted sum of the first phase difference and the weighted sum of the second phase difference.

[0075] Here, the third group delay value can be the ratio of the first difference result to the frequency difference, or it can be the weighted ratio of the first difference result to the weighted frequency difference.

[0076] Here, the group delay values ​​corresponding to all third dual-tone signals are determined as the overall group delay.

[0077] For example, the third group delay value The calculation is as follows: (1) (1) in, This represents the phase difference between the two intermediate frequency frequencies in the dual-channel target signal, also known as the second phase difference. This represents the phase difference between the two radio frequency signals in the third dual-tone signal, i.e., the first phase difference. This indicates the frequency of the second signal in the third dual-tone signal. This indicates the frequency of the first signal in the third dual-tone signal.

[0078] In the embodiments of this application, by calculating the group delay value of each frequency in the overall group delay, it is ensured that the BTS is not limited by the calibration mixing frequency band, and the group delay characteristic test of the device under test in any frequency band can be realized.

[0079] Step 104: Measure the group delay characteristics based on the first group delay value, the second group delay value, and the overall group delay.

[0080] Here, the group delay characteristic can be obtained by substituting the first group delay value, the second group delay value, and the overall group delay into the calculation formula, or it can be obtained by inputting the first group delay value, the second group delay value, and the overall group delay into the network model.

[0081] For example, measuring the group delay characteristic based on the first group delay value, the second group delay value, and the overall group delay includes: determining an average group delay value based on the first group delay value and the second group delay value; and measuring the group delay characteristic based on the average group delay value and each group delay in the overall group delay.

[0082] Here, the group delay characteristic can be the difference between the group delay of each group and the average skirt delay value in the overall group delay, or it can be the difference between the weighted sum of the group delays of each group and the weighted sum of the average skirt delay value in the overall group delay.

[0083] For example, average group delay value The calculation is as follows: (2) (2) in, This represents the delay value for the first group. This represents the delay value for the first group.

[0084] Furthermore, the actual group delay value corresponding to a certain operating frequency in the group delay characteristic is calculated as follows: (3) (3) in, This represents the actual group delay value corresponding to a certain operating frequency.

[0085] In this embodiment, after connecting the device under test (BTS), the overall group delay is tested, and then the group delay value introduced by the instrument and test cable is subtracted to obtain the test result of the device under test, thereby improving the accuracy and precision of the measurement.

[0086] In this embodiment, a straight-through cable is connected between the two measurement ports of the vector network analyzer. Dual-tone excitation is performed in the radio frequency band and intermediate frequency band of the device under test (DUT), respectively. The group delay values ​​of the vector network analyzer and the straight-through cable in the radio frequency band and intermediate frequency band are obtained. After connecting to the DUT, the overall group delay test is performed. In this way, it is not necessary to use a calibration inverter to calibrate and measure the group delay characteristics of the BTS, eliminating the problem that the group delay calibration is limited by the frequency band of the calibration inverter. It can realize the group delay characteristic test of the DUT in any frequency band, greatly simplifying the group delay calibration process and improving the efficiency of inverter group delay test.

[0087] The measurement apparatus for group delay characteristics provided in this application will be described below. The measurement apparatus for group delay characteristics described below can be referred to in correspondence with the measurement method for group delay characteristics described above.

[0088] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the group delay characteristic measurement device provided in this application, as shown below. Figure 4 As shown, the group delay characteristic measurement device 400 includes the following: The first determining module 410 is used to determine the radio frequency (RF) band corresponding to the group delay characteristic to be measured of the base station transceiver and the target frequency band corresponding to the group delay characteristic to be measured. The excitation module 420 is used to perform two-tone excitation on the through cable between ports in the vector network analyzer based on the RF band and the target band, respectively, to obtain the first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and the second group delay value corresponding to the target band; The second determining module 430 is used to determine the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on the RF frequency band and the target frequency band; The third determining module 440 is used to measure the group delay characteristics based on the first group delay value, the second group delay value, and the overall group delay.

[0089] In another embodiment, the excitation module 420 is specifically configured to: determine a first two-tone signal based on the RF frequency band and the target bandwidth of the vector network analyzer; determine a second two-tone signal based on the target frequency band and the target bandwidth of the vector network analyzer; and perform two-tone excitation on the through-port cable in the vector network analyzer based on the first two-tone signal and the second two-tone signal, respectively, to obtain the first group delay value corresponding to the RF frequency band and the second group delay value corresponding to the target frequency band.

[0090] In another embodiment, the excitation module 420 is further specifically configured to: transmit the first two-tone signal to the inter-port straight-through cable through the output port of the vector network analyzer, and excite the inter-port straight-through cable with two tones to obtain a first excitation signal; receive the first excitation signal through the input port of the vector network analyzer to obtain a first group delay value; transmit the second two-tone signal to the inter-port straight-through cable through the output port of the vector network analyzer, and excite the inter-port straight-through cable with two tones to obtain a second excitation signal; and receive the second excitation signal through the input port of the vector network analyzer to obtain a second group delay value.

[0091] In another embodiment, the second determining module 430 is specifically configured to: determine the output frequency of the vector network analyzer based on the RF frequency band; determine the receiving frequency of the vector network analyzer based on the target frequency band; determine at least one set of third dual-tone signals of the vector network analyzer based on the output frequency; and determine the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each of the third dual-tone signals and the receiving frequency.

[0092] In another embodiment, the second determining module 430 is further specifically configured to: transmit each of the third dual-tone signals to the base station transceiver through the output port of the vector network analyzer; the base station transceiver is configured to perform frequency conversion processing on each of the third dual-tone signals to obtain dual-path target signals corresponding to each of the third dual-tone signals; receive each of the dual-path target signals based on the receiving frequency through the input port of the vector network analyzer; and determine the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each of the dual-path target signals and the corresponding third dual-tone signals.

[0093] In another embodiment, the dual-path target signal includes a first target signal and a second target signal, the third dual-tone signal includes a first signal and a second signal, and the second determining module 230 is further specifically used to: determine a first phase difference and a frequency difference between each of the first signals and the second signals corresponding to each of the first signals; determine a second phase difference between each of the first target signals and the second target signals corresponding to each of the first target signals; and determine the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each of the first phase differences, each of the second phase differences and each of the frequency differences.

[0094] In another embodiment, the second determining module 430 is further configured to: determine a first difference result between each first phase difference and each second phase difference based on each first phase difference and each second phase difference; determine a third group delay value corresponding to each third dual-tone signal based on each first difference result and each frequency difference; and determine the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each third group delay value.

[0095] In another embodiment, the third determining module 440 is specifically configured to: determine an average group delay value based on the first group delay value and the second group delay value; and measure the group delay characteristics based on the average group delay value and each group delay in the overall group delay.

[0096] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the physical structure of the electronic device provided in this application, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the electronic device may include: a processor 510, a communications interface 520, a memory 530, and a communication bus 540, wherein the processor 510, the communications interface 520, and the memory 530 communicate with each other through the communication bus 540. The processor 510 can call logical instructions in the memory 530 to execute a method for measuring group delay characteristics. The method includes: determining the radio frequency (RF) band corresponding to the group delay characteristic to be measured of the base station transceiver and the target frequency band corresponding to the group delay characteristic to be measured; performing two-tone excitation on the through-cable between ports in a vector network analyzer based on the RF band and the target frequency band to obtain a first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and a second group delay value corresponding to the target frequency band; determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on the RF band and the target frequency band; and measuring the group delay characteristic based on the first group delay value, the second group delay value, and the overall group delay.

[0097] Furthermore, the logical instructions in the aforementioned memory 530 can be implemented as software functional units and, when sold or used as independent products, can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0098] On the other hand, this application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program that can be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the computer can execute the group delay characteristic measurement method provided by the above methods. The method includes: determining the radio frequency (RF) band corresponding to the group delay characteristic to be measured of a base station transceiver and the target frequency band corresponding to the group delay characteristic to be measured; performing two-tone excitation on the through-port cable in a vector network analyzer based on the RF band and the target frequency band to obtain a first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and a second group delay value corresponding to the target frequency band; determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on the RF band and the target frequency band; and measuring the group delay characteristic based on the first group delay value, the second group delay value, and the overall group delay.

[0099] In another aspect, this application also provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon. When executed by a processor, the computer program implements a method for measuring group delay characteristics provided by the methods described above. The method includes: determining a radio frequency (RF) band corresponding to the group delay characteristic to be measured of a base station transceiver and a target frequency band corresponding to the group delay characteristic to be measured; performing two-tone excitation on a through-port cable in a vector network analyzer based on the RF band and the target frequency band to obtain a first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and a second group delay value corresponding to the target frequency band; determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on the RF band and the target frequency band; and measuring the group delay characteristic based on the first group delay value, the second group delay value, and the overall group delay.

[0100] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without any creative effort.

[0101] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms, and of course, it can also be implemented by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solutions, in essence or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments or some parts of the embodiments.

[0102] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A method for measuring group delay characteristics, characterized in that, include: Determine the radio frequency (RF) band corresponding to the group delay characteristics to be measured of the base station transceiver and the target frequency band after the RF band is frequency-converted by the base station transceiver; Based on the RF band and the target band, two-tone excitation is performed on the through cable between ports in the vector network analyzer to obtain the first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and the second group delay value corresponding to the target band. Based on the RF band and the target frequency band, determine the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver; The group delay characteristics are measured based on the first group delay value, the second group delay value, and the overall group delay.

2. The method for measuring group delay characteristics according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of performing two-tone excitation on the through-port cable in the vector network analyzer based on the RF band and the target band, respectively, to obtain the first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and the second group delay value corresponding to the target band, includes: Based on the RF band and the target bandwidth of the vector network analyzer, the first dual-tone signal is determined; The second dual-tone signal is determined based on the target frequency band and the target bandwidth of the vector network analyzer; Based on the first two-tone signal and the second two-tone signal, two-tone excitation is performed on the through cable between ports in the vector network analyzer to obtain the first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and the second group delay value corresponding to the target frequency band.

3. The method for measuring group delay characteristics according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of applying two-tone excitation to the through-port cable in the vector network analyzer based on the first two-tone signal and the second two-tone signal to obtain the first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and the second group delay value corresponding to the target frequency band includes: The first dual-tone signal is transmitted to the straight-through cable between the ports through the output port of the vector network analyzer, and the straight-through cable between the ports is subjected to dual-tone excitation to obtain the first excitation signal. The first excitation signal is received through the input port of the vector network analyzer; Based on the first excitation signal, determine the first group delay value; The second dual-tone signal is transmitted to the inter-port straight-through cable through the output port of the vector network analyzer, and the inter-port straight-through cable is subjected to dual-tone excitation to obtain the second excitation signal. The second excitation signal is received through the input port of the vector network analyzer; The second group delay value is determined based on the second excitation signal.

4. The method for measuring group delay characteristics according to claim 1, characterized in that, The determination of the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on the RF band and the target frequency band includes: The output frequency of the vector network analyzer is determined based on the RF band. Based on the target frequency band, determine the receiving frequency of the vector network analyzer; Based on the output frequency, at least one set of third dual-tone signals of the vector network analyzer is determined; Based on each of the third dual-tone signals and the receiving frequency, the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver is determined.

5. The method for measuring group delay characteristics according to claim 4, characterized in that, The step of determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each of the third dual-tone signals and the receiving frequency includes: The third dual-tone signals are transmitted to the base transceiver through the output port of the vector network analyzer; the base transceiver is used to perform frequency conversion processing on each of the third dual-tone signals to obtain the dual-channel target signals corresponding to each of the third dual-tone signals; The dual-channel target signals are received through the input port of the vector network analyzer based on the receiving frequency; Based on each of the dual-path target signals and the corresponding third dual-tone signal, the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver is determined.

6. The method for measuring group delay characteristics according to claim 5, characterized in that, The dual-path target signal includes a first target signal and a second target signal, and the third dual-tone signal includes a first signal and a second signal. Determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each of the dual-path target signals and the corresponding third dual-tone signal includes: Determine the first phase difference and frequency difference between each of the first signals and the second signals corresponding to each of the first signals; Determine the second phase difference between each of the first target signals and the second target signal corresponding to each of the first target signals; Based on each of the first phase differences, each of the second phase differences, and each of the frequency differences, the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver is determined.

7. The method for measuring group delay characteristics according to claim 6, characterized in that, The step of determining the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on each of the first phase differences, each of the second phase differences, and each of the frequency differences includes: Based on each of the first phase differences and each of the second phase differences, a first difference result between each of the first phase differences and each of the second phase differences is determined; Based on each of the first difference results and each of the frequency differences, the third group delay value corresponding to each of the third dual-tone signals is determined respectively; Based on the delay values ​​of each of the third groups, the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver is determined.

8. The method for measuring group delay characteristics according to claim 1, characterized in that, The measurement of the group delay characteristics based on the first group delay value, the second group delay value, and the overall group delay includes: The average group delay value is determined based on the first group delay value and the second group delay value; The group delay characteristics are measured based on the average group delay value and each group delay in the overall group delay.

9. A device for measuring group delay characteristics, characterized in that, include: The first determining module is used to determine the radio frequency (RF) band corresponding to the group delay characteristic to be measured of the base station transceiver and the target frequency band corresponding to the group delay characteristic to be measured. The excitation module is used to perform two-tone excitation on the through-port cable in the vector network analyzer based on the RF band and the target band, respectively, to obtain the first group delay value corresponding to the RF band and the second group delay value corresponding to the target band; The second determining module is used to determine the overall group delay corresponding to the base station transceiver based on the RF frequency band and the target frequency band. The third determining module is used to measure the group delay characteristics based on the first group delay value, the second group delay value, and the overall group delay.

10. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and running on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the method for measuring group delay characteristics as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the method for measuring the group delay characteristics as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

12. A computer program product, comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the method for measuring the group delay characteristics as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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