Harmonic wave testing device, harmonic wave testing system and harmonic wave testing method
By designing couplers and phase selectors, and using switching switches and microstrip lines to adjust the phase of the input port, the problems of large size and slow speed of mechanical tuners are solved, and high VSWR harmonic testing is achieved, which is suitable for integrated test machines.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-11
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-14
AI Technical Summary
Existing mechanical tuners are large, slow, expensive, and complex to operate, making it difficult to achieve high VSWR harmonic testing and difficult to mass-produce.
By employing couplers and phase selectors, and utilizing switching switches and multiple transmission lines of varying lengths to adjust the phase of the input port, combined with microstrip lines and loads, rapid switching and high VSWR harmonic testing can be achieved.
It achieves high VSWR harmonic testing, reduces device size and cost, simplifies operation procedures, and improves testing speed and stability, making it suitable for integrated testing machines.
Smart Images
Figure CN121864216A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a harmonic testing device, a harmonic testing system, and a harmonic testing method. Background Technology
[0002] Harmonic testing is an important test for RF modules. The most important equipment in harmonic testing is the tuner. The tuner can adjust the impedance of a specified port to achieve the standing wave ratio and phase required for harmonic testing.
[0003] Current tuners are mechanical tuners, which have drawbacks such as large size, slow mechanical rotation speed, high price, difficulty in networking, and complex operation. In routine harmonic testing, tuning the harmonic tuner consumes a significant amount of time, effort, and manpower; inaccurate calibration can also affect test results. Furthermore, due to the size of the harmonic tuner and the limitations of testing speed, mass production of testing equipment is difficult, and testing of harmonics with high VSWRs is challenging. Summary of the Invention
[0004] This application provides a harmonic testing device, a harmonic testing system, and a harmonic testing method, which can switch the phase of the input port of the harmonic testing device to test the harmonics of the device under test under different phase influences.
[0005] Firstly, this application provides a harmonic testing device. The harmonic testing device includes a coupler and a phase selector. The coupler is connected to an input port and an output port, used to input the harmonic signal from the device under test (DUT) into the harmonic testing device and then transmit the harmonic signal out of the harmonic testing device. The phase selector includes a switching switch and multiple transmission lines. The switching switch can be understood as a single-pole multi-throw switch, with one end fixed to a port and the other end switching the connection port. Specifically, one end of the switching switch in this application is connected to the coupler, and the other end includes multiple switching ports. Each of the multiple switching ports is connected to a transmission line, and at least two switching ports are connected to transmission lines of different lengths. By controlling the switching switch, different transmission lines in the phase selector can be selected to connect to the test channel, thereby adjusting the phase of the reflection coefficient of the input port to enrich the parameters for testing harmonics in the harmonic testing system. In this scheme, the phase of the input port can be switched by controlling the switching switch, and the switching speed is relatively fast, making the entire harmonic testing speed faster. In addition, different transmission line lengths correspond to different phases, the harmonic testing device does not require calibration, and its performance is relatively stable.
[0006] In the specific technical solution, the aforementioned harmonic testing device also includes a dielectric substrate, and the transmission line is a microstrip line located on the dielectric substrate. Microstrip lines have very low line loss, which is beneficial for achieving high VSWR and simplifies the testing process. This solution also helps reduce the cost and size of the harmonic testing device, thereby reducing the size of the harmonic testing system and facilitating the integration of testing equipment.
[0007] In a further technical solution, the coupler includes multiple microstrip lines located on a dielectric substrate. This solution also utilizes the microstrip lines provided to the dielectric substrate to form the coupler, thereby integrating the coupler and phase selector into a single structure. This further reduces the size of the harmonic testing device.
[0008] In the phase selector described above, any two transmission lines of different lengths correspond to two different phases of the reflection coefficient at the input port. The transmission lines connected by the switching switch correspond to multiple phases, with any two adjacent phases having the same difference. Specifically, this allows the phase selector to uniformly distribute the selectable phases within the range of 0° to 180°.
[0009] The harmonic testing device in this application can achieve a high standing wave ratio (VSWR). Specifically, when the frequency of the harmonic signal tested by the harmonic testing device is greater than or equal to 5 GHz, the VSWR of the harmonic signal is greater than or equal to 10. This enables the testing of the harmonic signal of the device under test at a high VSWR.
[0010] To test the harmonic signals of the device under test (DUT) at high VSWR, a load is connected to the end of the transmission line away from the switching port. The load includes at least one of a resistor, inductor, and capacitor. The size of this load has a significant impact on the VSWR, and the type and parameters of the load can be designed according to the required VSWR.
[0011] Secondly, this application also provides a harmonic testing system. The harmonic testing system includes a controller, a harmonic measurement board, and the harmonic testing device provided in the first aspect. The controller is connected to a switch and is used to control the switch to switch the access port of the measurement channel. The harmonic measurement board is connected to the output port of a coupler. This harmonic testing system can adjust the phase, enriching its functionality. Furthermore, the system is small in size, the harmonic testing device does not require calibration, and the harmonic testing speed is fast and the performance is stable.
[0012] Thirdly, this application provides a harmonic testing method. This harmonic testing method utilizes the harmonic testing system provided in the second aspect above to test the harmonics of the device under test (DUT). The harmonic testing method includes: connecting the DUT to an input port; then, controlling a switch via a controller to connect a transmission line and coupler corresponding to the first phase; and finally, measuring the harmonics of the DUT under the influence of the first phase using a harmonic measurement board.
[0013] This scheme utilizes a harmonic testing system to test the harmonics of the device under test (DUT) under the influence of the first phase, thereby evaluating the DUT's performance. Subsequently, another DUT can be connected to the input port for testing, examining its harmonics under the first phase. Alternatively, before or after connecting another DUT to the input port, a controller can be used to connect a transmission line and coupler corresponding to the third phase, allowing testing of the third-phase harmonics of that other DUT. This harmonic testing system can meet the different phase requirements of various DUTs during testing, thus enriching its application scenarios. The harmonic testing device in this scheme requires no calibration, offers fast testing speed, and exhibits stable performance.
[0014] In one technical solution, the harmonics of the device under test under the influence of a first phase are measured using a harmonic measurement board, followed by: controlling a switching switch to connect a transmission line and coupler corresponding to a second phase using a controller; and measuring the harmonics of the device under test under the influence of the second phase using the harmonic measurement board; wherein the first phase and the second phase are different.
[0015] In this scheme, a switch is used to switch the phase of the access test channel, thereby testing the harmonics of the device under test under different phase influences, so as to comprehensively test the device under test.
[0016] In one technical solution, the harmonics of the device under test under the influence of the first phase are measured by a harmonic measurement board. The preceding steps include: placing the harmonic testing system and the device under test in a temperature control chamber, where the temperature is a preset temperature.
[0017] In this scheme, the harmonic testing device is small, which makes the harmonic testing system smaller in size. This makes it easier to place the harmonic testing system and the device under test in the temperature control chamber at the same time, so as to test the harmonics of the device under test in a high temperature or low temperature environment. Attached Figure Description
[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of the harmonic testing system in this application embodiment;
[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a harmonic testing device in one embodiment of this application;
[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an application scenario for a harmonic testing system in a comparative example.
[0021] Figure label:
[0022] 100 - Device under test; 1 - Harmonic testing device;
[0023] 11 - Input port; 12 - Output port;
[0024] 13-Coupled; 14-Phase Selector;
[0025] 15 - Toggle switch; 16 - Switch port;
[0026] 17 - Transmission line; 18 - Dielectric board;
[0027] 2-Harmonic test board; 3-Controller;
[0028] 4-Power supply; 5-Signal generator;
[0029] 6- Dual signal transducer; 7- Tuner;
[0030] 8-Load. Detailed Implementation
[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The same reference numerals in the figures denote the same or similar structures, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted. The terms expressing position and direction described in the embodiments of this application are illustrative based on the accompanying drawings, but changes can be made as needed, and all such changes are included within the scope of protection of this application. The accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this application are only for illustrating relative positional relationships and do not represent actual scale.
[0032] It should be noted that specific details are set forth in the following description to facilitate understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0033] To facilitate understanding of the harmonic testing device, harmonic testing system, and harmonic testing method provided in this application, their application scenarios will be introduced first below.
[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of the harmonic testing system in this application embodiment, such as... Figure 1As shown, in one embodiment, the harmonic testing system provided in this application is used to test the harmonics of a device under test (DUT) 100. Specifically, the DUT 100 includes a radio frequency module capable of outputting harmonic signals. The harmonic testing system includes a harmonic testing device 1, a harmonic testing board 2, and a controller 3. The harmonic testing device 1 includes an input port 11 and an output port 12. The harmonic signal is transmitted from the input port 11 to the harmonic testing device 1 and then output to the harmonic testing device 1 via the output port 12. The input port 11 of the harmonic testing device 1 is connected to the DUT 100 and is used to receive the harmonic signals emitted by the DUT 100 and adjust the harmonic signals emitted by the DUT 100. The output port 12 of the harmonic testing device 1 is connected to the harmonic measurement board, which receives the harmonics processed by the harmonic testing device 1 for testing. The controller 3 is connected to the harmonic testing device 1 and is used to control the harmonic testing device 1 to adjust the harmonic parameters of the DUT 100. The harmonic testing system is designed to detect whether the harmonics of the device under test (DUT) 100 meet the requirements under various operating conditions, so that the DUT 100 can operate in a stable frequency band.
[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, in the actual test process, in order to generate harmonic signals in the device under test 100, the device under test 100 may also be connected to a power supply 4 and a signal generator 5.
[0036] In one embodiment, the harmonic testing system further includes a housing, in which the controller 3, harmonic measurement board, and harmonic testing device 1 are all mounted. The harmonic testing device 1 in this embodiment is relatively small, which facilitates integration into a testing machine. This reduces the size of the harmonic testing system and enables mass production. In a specific embodiment, the testing machine can integrate multiple testing devices to detect various performance indicators of the device under test 100.
[0037] In one embodiment, the harmonic testing system can be an automatic test equipment (ATE) for integrated circuits.
[0038] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a harmonic testing device 1 in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the harmonic testing device 1 of this application includes a coupler 13 and a phase selector 14. The coupler 13 is connected to the input port 11 and the output port 12. The device under test 100 is connected to the input port 11, and the harmonic signal of the device under test 100 is transmitted to the harmonic testing device 1 via the input port 11. The output port 12 is connected to a harmonic measurement board, and the harmonic signal processed by the harmonic testing device 1 is transmitted to the harmonic measurement board via the output port 12 for testing the harmonic signal.
[0039] The phase selector 14 includes a switching switch 15 and a plurality of transmission lines 17. One end of the switching switch 15 is connected to a coupler 13, and the other end includes a plurality of switching ports 16. In one embodiment, it can be considered that one end of the switching switch 15 remains connected to the coupler 13, and the other end selects at least one of the plurality of switching ports 16 to connect to the coupler 13. Any one of the plurality of switching ports 16 in the switching switch 15 is connected to a transmission line 17. In one understanding, the port of the switching switch 15 connected to the transmission line 17 can be considered as the switching port 16, that is, the switching switch 15 may include a plurality of ports that can be switched, but only the port connected to the aforementioned transmission line 17 is referred to as the switching port 16 in this application. At least two switching ports 16 are connected to transmission lines 17 of different lengths, so that transmission lines 17 of different lengths correspond to different phases of the reflection coefficient of the input port 11. In one embodiment, the harmonic testing device 1 includes multiple transmission lines 17, at least two of which have different lengths. Each transmission line 17 is connected to a switching port 16 of a switching switch 15. In this embodiment, by controlling the switching switch 15, different transmission lines 17 in the phase selector 14 can be selected to access the test channel, thereby adjusting the phase of the reflection coefficient of the input port 11 to enrich the parameters for testing harmonics in the harmonic testing system. In this scheme, the phase of the input port 11 can be switched by controlling the switching switch 15, and the switching speed is relatively fast, making the entire harmonic testing faster. In addition, different lengths of transmission lines 17 correspond to different phases, and the harmonic testing device 1 does not require calibration, resulting in relatively stable performance.
[0040] It is worth noting that the input port 11 of the harmonic testing device 1 has a reflection coefficient, which includes amplitude and phase. The standing wave ratio (SWR) can be calculated from the amplitude. The phase selector 14 in this application can set the phase of the input port 11 of the harmonic testing device 1 via the switching switch 15. The load 8 connected to the transmission line 17 can affect the amplitude of the input port 11 of the harmonic testing device 1, thereby affecting the SWR of the input port 11 of the harmonic testing device 1.
[0041] In one embodiment, the aforementioned switch 15 can be understood as a single-pole multi-throw switch. The aforementioned switch 15 can be a semiconductor switch, thereby facilitating the control of the switch 15's operation using the controller 3.
[0042] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an application scenario for a harmonic testing system in a comparative example, such as... Figure 3As shown in the comparative example, the harmonic testing device 1 includes a coupler 13, a dual-signal unit 6, a tuner 7, and a load 8. This harmonic testing system cannot adjust the phase, and its function is relatively simple. The core component of this harmonic testing device 1 is the tuner 7, which is mostly a mechanical tuner 7. It requires calibration before use, making the harmonic testing process complex, slow, and also resulting in large size and high cost. Furthermore, different structures in this harmonic testing device 1 need to be connected using connecting wires, resulting in significant line loss that requires additional processing, further complicating the testing process.
[0043] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 2 In one embodiment, the harmonic testing device 1 further includes a dielectric substrate 18, and the transmission line 17 is a microstrip line located on the dielectric substrate 18. The microstrip line has very low line loss, which is beneficial for achieving a high VSWR and simplifies the testing process. The phase selector 14 is located on the dielectric substrate 18, which can specifically be a circuit board, and the transmission line 17 is a microstrip line on the circuit board. This solution also helps reduce the cost and size of the harmonic testing device 1, thereby reducing the size of the harmonic testing system and facilitating the integration of the testing machine.
[0044] In addition, the aforementioned transmission line 17 can also be a coaxial cable or other type of transmission line 17, as long as it can transmit signals.
[0045] In a further embodiment, the coupler 13 may also include multiple microstrip lines, which are also located on the aforementioned dielectric substrate 18, so that the phase selector 14 and the coupler 13 form an integrated structure. In one technical solution, the coupler 13 can be formed using microstrip lines on a circuit board. The harmonic testing device 1 in this solution is small in size, which is beneficial for integrating the harmonic testing device 1 with other structures to form a testing machine.
[0046] In this embodiment, the end of the transmission line 17 opposite to the switching port 16 is connected to a load 8. By selecting and setting the load 8 connected to the transmission line 17, a certain standing wave ratio (VSWR) can be formed. The load 8 connected to the transmission line 17 can include at least one of a resistor, an inductor, and a capacitor. Furthermore, the resistor, capacitor, and inductor can be formed on the dielectric substrate 18, which is beneficial for fabricating the load 8 and reduces costs.
[0047] In this application, the transmission line 17 has low line loss, and the signal insertion loss of the entire harmonic testing device 1 is low. The type and parameters of the load 8 can be selected and designed according to requirements, thereby achieving a high standing wave ratio (SWR) of the harmonic signals processed by the harmonic testing device 1. For example, when the frequency of the harmonic signal tested by the harmonic testing device 1 is greater than or equal to 5 GHz, the SWR of the harmonic signal is greater than or equal to 10. The harmonic testing device 1 provided in this scheme can test harmonic SWRs with high values, especially in scenarios where high-frequency harmonic signals are tested. For example, the SWR of the aforementioned harmonic signal can be 11, 12, 13, 13.5, 14, 15, 15.5, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20, etc., which are not listed in this application.
[0048] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 2 In one embodiment, the phase selector 14 has multiple phase selection options, meaning the transmission line 17 has multiple length selection options. By setting an appropriate transmission line 17 length, the transmission line 17 can correspond to a certain phase. It is understood that any two transmission lines 17 of different lengths in the phase selector 14 correspond to two different phases. Among the multiple phases connected by the switching switch 15, the difference between any two adjacent phases is the same. Specifically, the phase selector can uniformly distribute the selectable phases within the range of 0° to 180°. For example, a corresponding transmission line 17 can be set every 10° of phase, or every 20° of phase, or every 30° of phase; these are not listed here. Physically, the transmission lines 17 corresponding to different phases can be arranged in order of phase magnitude, or they can be arranged in a manner other than phase magnitude.
[0049] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the phase corresponding to the transmission line 17 in the phase selector 14 can be selected and designed according to actual test requirements, and may not be uniformly distributed in the range of 0° to 180°.
[0050] Based on the same inventive concept, this application also provides a harmonic testing method, which utilizes the harmonic testing system provided in this application to test the harmonics of the device under test. The harmonic testing method includes:
[0051] Step S101: Connect the device under test to the input port;
[0052] In a specific embodiment, the device under test (DUT) can be connected to the input port via a pluggable connector. This connection method between the DUT and the harmonic testing system is simple and convenient, which helps to accelerate the detection speed of the harmonic testing system. This also facilitates the use of the harmonic testing system to test different DUTs, and the process of switching between different DUTs is relatively simple.
[0053] Step S102: Connect the transmission line and coupler corresponding to the first phase by controlling the switching switch through the controller;
[0054] Step S103: Measure the harmonics of the device under test under the influence of the first phase using a harmonic measurement board.
[0055] This scheme utilizes a harmonic testing system to test the harmonics of the device under test (DUT) under the influence of the first phase, thereby evaluating the DUT's performance. Subsequently, another DUT can be connected to the input port for testing, examining its harmonics under the first phase. Alternatively, before or after connecting another DUT to the input port, a controller can be used to connect a transmission line and coupler corresponding to the third phase, allowing testing of the third-phase harmonics of that other DUT. This harmonic testing system can meet the different phase requirements of various DUTs during testing, thus enriching its application scenarios. Furthermore, the harmonic testing device in this scheme requires no calibration, offers fast testing speed, and exhibits stable performance.
[0056] In one embodiment, after step S103, the following may be further included:
[0057] Step S104: Connect the transmission line and coupler corresponding to the second phase by controlling the switching switch through the controller;
[0058] Step S105: Measure the harmonics of the device under test under the influence of the second phase using a harmonic measurement board; the first phase and the second phase are different.
[0059] In this scheme, a switch is used to switch the phase of the access test channel, thereby testing the harmonics of the device under test under different phase influences, so as to comprehensively test the device under test.
[0060] In one embodiment, prior to step S103, the following may be included:
[0061] Step S106: Place the harmonic testing system and the device under test in a temperature control chamber, where the temperature is a preset temperature.
[0062] In this scheme, the harmonic testing device is small, which makes the harmonic testing system smaller in size. This makes it easier to place the harmonic testing system and the device under test in the temperature control chamber at the same time, so as to test the harmonics of the device under test in a high temperature or low temperature environment.
[0063] The above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A harmonic testing device, characterized in that, include: A coupler, which connects an input port and an output port; A phase selector includes a switching switch and multiple transmission lines. One end of the switching switch is connected to a coupler, and the other end of the switching switch includes multiple switching ports. Each of the multiple switching ports is connected to one of the transmission lines, and at least two of the switching ports are connected to transmission lines of different lengths.
2. The harmonic testing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a dielectric substrate, wherein the transmission line is a microstrip line located on the dielectric substrate.
3. The harmonic testing device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The coupler includes multiple microstrip lines located on the dielectric substrate.
4. The harmonic testing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, In the phase selector, any two transmission lines of different lengths correspond to two different phases of the reflection coefficient of the input port. Among the multiple phases connected by the switching switch, the difference between any two adjacent phases is the same.
5. The harmonic testing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, When the frequency of the harmonic signal tested by the harmonic testing device is greater than or equal to 5 GHz, the standing wave ratio of the harmonic signal is greater than or equal to 10.
6. The harmonic testing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The end of the transmission line away from the switching port is connected to a load, which includes at least one of a resistor, an inductor, and a capacitor.
7. A harmonic testing system, characterized in that, The device includes a controller, a harmonic measurement board, and a harmonic testing apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 6. The controller is connected to the switching switch and is used to control the switching switch to switch the access port of the measurement channel. The harmonic measurement board is connected to the output port of the coupler.
8. A harmonic testing method, characterized in that, The harmonic testing method for testing the harmonics of a device under test using the harmonic testing system as described in claim 7 includes: Connect the device under test to the input port; The controller controls the switching switch to connect the transmission line corresponding to the first phase and the coupler. The harmonics of the device under test are measured by the harmonic measurement board under the influence of the first phase.
9. The harmonic testing method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The harmonics of the device under test under the influence of the first phase are measured using the harmonic measurement board, followed by: The controller controls the switching switch to connect the transmission line corresponding to the second phase and the coupler. The harmonics of the device under test under the influence of the second phase are measured using the harmonic measurement board. The first phase and the second phase are different.
10. The harmonic testing method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The step of measuring the harmonics of the device under test under the influence of the first phase using the harmonic measurement board includes: The harmonic testing system and the device under test are placed in a temperature-controlled chamber, and the temperature inside the temperature-controlled chamber is a preset temperature.