A multi-antenna air interface performance test system and method supporting duplex remote amplification signal test

Abstract

The application discloses a multi-antenna air interface performance test system and method supporting duplex remote amplification signal test, comprising a bidirectional external signal control unit, a near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit, a far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit and a plurality of measurement antennas, wherein the near-end unit is connected with the far-end unit through a common cable transmission cable. The far-end unit is arranged close to the measurement antennas, works by using supplied direct current, and selects to radiate after remote power amplification on a downlink communication signal or selects to return to the near-end unit after remote power amplification on an uplink communication signal from the measurement antennas according to the control signal. The application also discloses corresponding calibration and test methods. The application shortens the transmission distance of the last-stage amplification signal by splitting the power amplifier into the near-end and far-end units and simultaneously transmitting three types of signals, i.e. communication, power supply and measurement and control signals through the common cable, and solves the problems of serious signal attenuation, high cost and poor uplink and downlink test reciprocity in the test of large-size devices under test.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a multi-antenna air interface performance testing system and method that supports full-duplex remote amplification signal testing. Background Technology

[0002] Mobile communication technology has incorporated Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technology since the 4G era, significantly improving the spectral efficiency of wireless communication. To effectively evaluate the overall communication performance of multi-antenna mobile communication devices, the primary solution is to deploy a multi-probe antenna radiation system in an anechoic chamber, combining it with an external signal control unit such as a channel simulator and a switch box, as well as a transmitter or receiver signal simulation tester, to form an air interface performance testing system. Within this system, air interface reconstruction methods of the wireless channel are used to simulate the wireless environment, thereby testing indicators such as throughput and multi-antenna receiver sensitivity of the multi-antenna mobile communication device. Traditional test system structures include... Figure 1 As shown in the figure. This test method can effectively shield against uncontrollable interference in the environment and implements a channel reconstruction algorithm through the system to achieve performance testing of multi-antenna mobile communication devices in a target wireless channel environment.

[0003] With the empowerment of 5G wireless communication for vertical industries, more and more intelligent connected devices can access wireless networks to complete information communication and signal control. In the future, mobile communication devices will no longer be limited to small-sized wireless communication devices like mobile phones. The rapid development of intelligent connected vehicles and smart home appliances necessitates multi-antenna communication capabilities. Therefore, during the testing of such devices, the testing distance for antenna detection within the anechoic chamber will be further increased, and the probes will no longer use a fixed pattern to enlarge the test area. Under this large test radius, the communication link from the channel simulator output to the non-uniformly arranged antenna probes within the anechoic chamber will be longer. To ensure the signal dynamic range within the test area, a more effective method is to further increase the gain and compression point output of the power amplifier, and reduce the cable loss itself to offset the signal loss caused by the long cable and large test distance.

[0004] However, existing technologies have the following drawbacks: Due to the large number of links between the channel simulator and the anechoic chamber antenna probe in existing test systems, existing power amplifiers are typically integrated with multiple channels for convenient system power supply, meaning multiple power amplifier links are placed within the same power amplifier box. However, with the increasing demand for larger-sized devices under test (DUTs) and the enlarged area of ​​the anechoic chamber test area, the distance from the anechoic chamber probe to the test area increases. Regardless of the placement of the power amplifier box, the cable length between the power amplifier box output and the anechoic chamber antenna probe will increase accordingly. The problem is that after the power amplifier amplifies the signal to near its 1dB compression point, it is then transmitted back to the anechoic chamber antenna probe over a long cable, resulting in significant signal loss and wasted power. To fully guarantee the effective dynamic range of the signal within the test area, higher power amplifier gain and a lower 1dB compression point are required, along with lower line loss requirements for the cable between the power amplifier output and the anechoic chamber antenna probe. This leads to increased manufacturing difficulty and cost of the power amplifiers within the system; thicker and more rigid cables are used, increasing the complexity of system wiring and significantly raising costs.

[0005] Furthermore, for uplink and downlink duplex testing, traditional methods mainly fall into two categories. One method connects the uplink and downlink paths to different probe antennas within the anechoic chamber via power amplifiers. The other method uses a switch within the power amplifier for flexible duplex switching, combined with bidirectional anechoic chamber probe antennas and external link equipment to achieve uplink and downlink duplex testing. The first approach, using different probe antennas for uplink and downlink, can easily lead to non-reciprocity in the uplink and downlink test area coverage. The second approach, with its asynchronous switching of uplink and downlink paths, will result in an imbalance in the uplink and downlink links. Therefore, neither approach can effectively guarantee the reciprocity of bidirectional testing. Simultaneously, uplink and downlink duplex testing of large-sized devices under test also faces issues of signal attenuation and high system costs.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a multi-antenna air interface performance testing solution that can solve the problems of severe signal attenuation, high cost, and difficulty in guaranteeing uplink and downlink test reciprocity in large-size test object testing scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This application aims to provide a multi-antenna air interface performance testing system and method that supports full-duplex remote amplification signal testing, in order to solve the technical problems in the prior art, such as severe signal cable loss, high system cost, and difficulty in ensuring the reciprocity of uplink and downlink tests due to the increase in test distance.

[0008] According to one aspect of this application, a multi-antenna air interface performance testing system supporting duplex remote amplification signal testing is provided. The system includes: a bidirectional external signal control unit for providing downlink communication signals and trigger signals, and receiving and processing uplink communication signals; a near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit for near-end amplification of the downlink communication signals from the bidirectional external signal control unit, and for near-end amplification of the received uplink communication signals before sending them back to the bidirectional external signal control unit; a far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit, the signal end of which is connected to multiple measurement antennas and arranged close to the measurement antennas; and a common transmission cable connecting the near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit and the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit. The near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit transmits a DC power supply signal, a link control signal, and the downlink communication signal amplified at the near end to the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit via the shared transmission cable. The far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit operates using the DC power supply signal and, based on the link control signal, selects to amplify several downlink communication signals from the shared transmission cable at the far end before radiating them through the measurement antenna, or selects to amplify several uplink communication signals from the measurement antenna at the far end before transmitting them back to the near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit via the shared transmission cable.

[0009] In one embodiment, the near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit includes: a near-end control signal modulation and demodulation module, used to modulate and generate the link control signal according to a trigger signal from the bidirectional external signal control unit, or demodulate the measurement and control signal transmitted back from the remote end; a power supply transmission module, used to generate the DC power supply signal; and a near-end bidirectional amplification module, based on a trigger reference from the external signal control unit, selectively amplifying the signal from the external signal control unit and transmitting it as a downlink communication signal to the remote bidirectional power amplifier unit via a cable, or selectively amplifying and transmitting the uplink communication signal transmitted back via the cable back to the external signal control unit. The link control signal and the DC power supply signal are transmitted via the shared transmission cable.

[0010] In one embodiment, the remote bidirectional power amplifier unit includes: a remote power supply module for extracting the DC power supply signal from the shared transmission cable; a remote control signal modulation and demodulation module for demodulating the link control signal from the shared transmission cable, or modulating and generating a measurement and control signal for back transmission; and a remote bidirectional amplification module for selectively amplifying the downlink communication signal transmitted through the cable, or selectively amplifying the uplink communication signal transmitted back from the antenna, based on the control signal demodulated by the remote control signal modulation and demodulation module, and transmitting it back to the near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit through the cable; wherein, the remote power supply module supplies power to the remote control signal modulation and demodulation module and the remote bidirectional amplification module, and the remote control signal modulation and demodulation module controls the link switching of the remote bidirectional amplification module, or modulates and generates a measurement and control signal for back transmission to the near end, based on the demodulated link control signal.

[0011] In one embodiment, the remote bidirectional power amplifier unit further includes a mixer module; the mixer module is used to upconvert the communication signal from the shared transmission cable to a higher frequency band during downlink communication, and / or downconvert the communication signal from the measurement antenna during uplink communication.

[0012] In one embodiment, the system can be configured as a unidirectional amplification test system; in this case, the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit is replaced by a far-end unidirectional power amplifier unit that only includes a downlink amplifier module and a power supply receiver module; the near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit is replaced by a near-end unidirectional power amplifier unit.

[0013] According to another aspect of this application, a method for calibrating a multi-antenna air interface performance testing system is provided. The method includes the following steps: a downlink calibration step: acquiring downlink transmission parameters and calculating downlink amplitude and phase compensation values; an uplink calibration step: acquiring uplink transmission parameters and calculating uplink amplitude and phase compensation values; and a calibration alignment step: using the bidirectional external signal control unit, applying the downlink and uplink compensation values ​​to align the attenuation and amplitude consistency of the uplink and downlink channels.

[0014] In one embodiment, the downlink calibration step includes: using the port with the largest amplitude attenuation among all downlink output ports as a reference, calculating the amplitude and phase compensation values ​​of the remaining downlink output ports relative to the reference.

[0015] In one embodiment, the uplink calibration step includes: using the port with the largest amplitude attenuation among all uplink input ports as a reference, calculating the amplitude and phase compensation values ​​of the remaining uplink input ports relative to the reference.

[0016] In one embodiment, the calibration alignment step includes: in response to the insertion of a downlink calibration compensation value into the bidirectional peripheral link signal control unit during uplink testing, performing element-wise division between the original uplink channel coefficient matrix and the downlink calibration compensation matrix, and performing element-wise multiplication with the uplink calibration compensation matrix to align the power levels and generate calibrated uplink channel simulation coefficients; or, in response to the insertion of an uplink calibration compensation value into the bidirectional peripheral link signal control unit during downlink testing, performing element-wise division between the original downlink channel coefficient matrix and the uplink calibration compensation matrix, and performing element-wise multiplication with the downlink calibration compensation matrix to align the power levels and generate calibrated downlink channel simulation coefficients.

[0017] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a method for testing the multi-antenna air interface performance of the system. The method includes the following steps: a calibration step: calibrating the system according to the calibration method described above; a link establishment step: after calibration, placing the device under test (DUT) in the test area and establishing a communication connection with it through the bidirectional external signal control unit; and a testing step: testing the multi-antenna communication performance of the DUT under a full-duplex wireless channel environment simulated by the system.

[0018] In one embodiment, prior to the testing step, a verification step is included: verifying the air interface channel reconfiguration capability of the calibrated system according to a standardized procedure.

[0019] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the testing method described above.

[0020] This application discloses a multi-antenna air interface performance testing system supporting full-duplex remote signal amplification. By splitting the power amplifier into a near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit and a far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit, and using a shared cable transmission method, the system achieves the transmission and interaction of DC power supply signals, switch control signals, and wireless communication signals between the two power amplifier units. This significantly shortens the signal transmission distance between the output port of the final stage power amplifier and the anechoic chamber probe antenna, solving the problem of significant signal attenuation in the system connection link after signal amplification by traditional power amplifiers during the wireless communication air interface performance testing of large-size devices under test. This invention also discloses a calibration and testing method for a multi-antenna air interface performance testing system supporting uplink and downlink full-duplex signal amplification, solving the problem that traditional multi-antenna air interface performance testing systems cannot complete air interface testing under uplink and downlink reciprocity conditions. By splitting the power amplifier into near-end and far-end units and using shared cable transmission technology, this application significantly shortens the transmission distance of the final stage amplified signal to the antenna, effectively solving the signal attenuation problem in the testing of large-size devices under test, reducing the stringent requirements and costs of the power amplifier and cables, and ensuring the reciprocity of uplink and downlink tests through an innovative calibration method. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings: Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of a multi-antenna air interface performance testing system based on the multi-probe anechoic chamber method, (a) a unidirectional system, and (b) a bidirectional testing system. Figure 2 A diagram illustrating the architecture of a multi-antenna air interface performance testing system supporting duplex remote amplification signal testing, provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 3 Flowchart of calibration and testing method for multi-antenna air interface performance testing system for uplink and downlink duplex amplified signal testing; Figure 4 This is a diagram of the architecture of a multi-antenna bidirectional signal amplification module based on shared cable transmission. Figure 5 Calibration block diagram for a multi-antenna air interface performance test system to support duplex remote amplification signal testing; Figure 6 This is a simplified architecture diagram of a multi-antenna unidirectional signal amplification module based on shared cable transmission; Figure 7 This is an architecture diagram of an extended multi-antenna bidirectional signal mixing and amplification module based on shared cable transmission. Detailed Implementation

[0022] 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 in conjunction with specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0023] To better understand the innovative aspects of this application, we will first combine... Figure 1 Describe the structures of two typical multi-antenna air interface performance testing systems in the prior art. For example... Figure 1 As shown in (a), in a one-way test system, the base station simulator (or tester) serves as the signal source. Its signal passes through the channel simulator and power amplifier, and is then radiated to the device under test (DUT, such as the vehicle under test) through multiple probe antennas in the anechoic chamber. Figure 1 (b) A more sophisticated two-way test system is demonstrated, in which the tester connects to a channel simulator, power amplifier, and anechoic chamber probe via a two-way switching network to achieve two-way communication with the DUT. Specifically, in Figure 1In the system shown, the base station simulator or tester, acting as a signal simulator for transmission or reception, is responsible for establishing a wireless communication link and ensuring service availability with the device under test (DUT) in the anechoic chamber. A channel simulator or bidirectional switching network is responsible for controlling signal fading. A power amplifier amplifies the signal to compensate for anechoic chamber space loss and subsequent cable loss in the channel simulator. Finally, the tester's signal is radiated through multiple probe antennas within the anechoic chamber. Combined with the air interface channel reconstruction method of external signal control units such as the channel simulator, the system simulates the real wireless communication environment of multi-antenna devices. Within this environment, the communication quality between the DUT and the signal simulator is tested, with key indicators including throughput and total radiated MIMO sensitivity (TRMS).

[0024] The innovation of this invention lies in proposing a multi-antenna air interface performance testing system architecture based on a shared-cable signal transmission mode, supporting full-duplex remote amplification signal testing, and a method for implementing uplink and downlink reciprocal air interface wireless performance testing of the device under test (DUT) within this system architecture. Therefore, the invention focuses on protecting a large-size multi-antenna air interface performance testing system for DUTs supporting full-duplex remote amplification signal testing, emphasizing the remote bidirectional structure strategy where the amplification module is powered via shared-cable transmission. It also protects the reciprocity calibration method and uplink / downlink communication performance testing method within the proposed system, as well as the measurement and control program and physical carrier applying these methods.

[0025] The technical solutions provided by the various embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Example 1: Test system architecture supporting duplex amplification refer to Figure 2 This embodiment provides a multi-antenna air interface performance testing system that supports full-duplex remote amplification signal testing. Combined with... Figure 2 The proposed system architecture provides a detailed description of a multi-antenna air interface performance testing system and method for large-size devices under test (DUTs) supporting duplex remote signal amplification testing, as implemented in this application. The system mainly includes an external signal control unit for wireless environment simulation and external signal control, a multi-channel near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit and a far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit for efficient bidirectional signal amplification, and multiple measurement antennas. These multiple measurement antennas need to be placed within the test environment to construct a multi-antenna air interface performance testing environment. The inventive concept of this system is that it includes a bidirectional external signal control unit, a near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit, a far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit, and measurement antennas. This system aims to solve the problems of high system line loss and high power amplifier performance requirements after power amplification in traditional multi-antenna air interface performance testing systems for large-size DUTs.

[0027] System Composition and Connection. The test system includes: a bidirectional external signal control unit, used to provide downlink communication signals and trigger signals, and to receive and process uplink communication signals; a near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit, used to amplify the downlink communication signals from the bidirectional external signal control unit at the near end, and to amplify the received uplink communication signals at the near end before sending them back to the bidirectional external signal control unit; a far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit, whose signal terminals are connected to multiple measurement antennas and arranged close to the measurement antennas; and a common transmission cable connecting the near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit and the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit.

[0028] Core interaction and transmission mechanism: The near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit transmits DC power supply signal, link control signal and downlink communication signal amplified at the far end to the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit through the common transmission cable.

[0029] The bidirectional external signal control unit is used to simulate bidirectional signal fading in a real wireless environment, change the amplitude and phase between multi-channel transceiver links, and switch between multi-channel transceiver links, providing downlink variable signals and receiving and processing uplink signals for the test system. The remote-end bidirectional power amplifier unit and the near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit transmit and interact with control and measurement signals such as full-duplex time-slot trigger signals, DC power supply signals, and communication signals via a shared cable. The remote-end bidirectional power amplifier unit can be used on the measurement antenna bracket and near the measurement antenna to achieve remote signal amplification of uplink and downlink at close range.

[0030] Bidirectional selective amplification function: The remote bidirectional power amplifier unit operates using the DC power supply signal. Based on the link control signal, it selectively amplifies the downlink communication signal from the shared transmission cable at the remote end and then radiates it through the measurement antenna, or selectively amplifies the uplink communication signal from the measurement antenna at the remote end and then transmits it back to the near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit through the shared transmission cable.

[0031] The selectivity specifically refers to selecting, based on the link control signal, the uplink switching link of the remote bidirectional power amplifier unit for uplink communication signal amplification and backhaul, or the downlink switching link for downlink signal amplification and antenna radiation measurement, and selecting several units or ports from multiple remote bidirectional power amplifier units for system power amplification and communication signal transmission.

[0032] The measurement antenna is used to complete the uplink and downlink signal interaction with the remote bidirectional power amplifier unit. Through flexible antenna layout, it enables downlink signal radiation and uplink signal reception on the device under test (DUT) within the test environment. The main innovation of the system lies in providing power and control signals to the remote power amplifier unit near the probe via a shared cable transmission method. This achieves bidirectional signal amplification between multiple channels of the system. Specifically: at the near end near the external signal control unit, the near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit amplifies the multi-antenna communication system link to compensate for cable loss during transmission from the system to the probe antenna; at the far end near the multi-probe antenna, amplified communication signals, power supply signals, and information control signals transmitted via cable between the near end and the far end amplify the signals to the RF link transceiver channel, providing high-power antenna output for downlink signals and high-power antenna reception for uplink signals. This increases the system's dynamic range and reduces the cost of system amplifiers and cables.

[0033] Example 2: Based on Figure 4 Modular implementation details Combination Figure 4 This section elaborates in more detail on the internal structure and working process of the near-end and far-end bidirectional power amplifier units.

[0034] The near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit comprises: in one specific embodiment, the near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit includes: a near-end control signal modulation and demodulation module, used to modulate and generate the link control signal according to the trigger signal from the bidirectional external signal control unit, or demodulate the measurement and control signal returned from the remote end; a power supply transmission module, used to generate the DC power supply signal; and a near-end bidirectional amplification module, based on the trigger reference of the external signal control unit, selectively amplifying the signal of the external signal control unit and transmitting it to the remote bidirectional power amplifier unit via a cable, or selectively amplifying the uplink communication signal returned via the cable and transmitting it back to the external signal control unit; wherein the link control signal and the DC power supply signal are transmitted via the shared transmission cable.

[0035] More specifically, such as Figure 4 As shown on the left, during downlink communication in each of the multi-antenna channels, an external signal control unit provides trigger and reference signal inputs. The control signal modulation unit in the near-end bidirectional amplifier unit receives the external trigger and reference signals, and uses these trigger signals to control the downlink output in the near-end bidirectional amplifier module according to the downlink communication time slot. The near-end control signal modulation and demodulation module modulates the external trigger reference signal and measurement and control signals for downlink control by the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit, and outputs a frequency of [frequency value missing]. The control signal; frequency is The downlink communication signal is input to the near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit from an external signal control unit, amplified by the amplifier in the near-end bidirectional amplifier module, and finally output as a downlink communication signal. The power supply transmission module generates a DC power supply signal for the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit, which is then output by the DC power supply module. The downlink control signal, communication signal, and DC power supply signal are transmitted via a common cable between the near-end bidirectional amplifier module and the far-end bidirectional amplifier module. At the receiving end of the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit, the far-end power supply module receives the DC signal and uses it to provide DC power to the amplifier module and other active devices in the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit; the far-end control signal modulation and demodulation module modulates the frequency... The demodulation of the trigger reference control signal controls the downlink transmission of the remote bidirectional power amplifier module. Simultaneously, the modulation module sends measurement and control data results back to the near-end bidirectional power amplifier module via the transmission cable for demodulation and utilization. The remote bidirectional amplifier module then performs frequency... The downlink communication signal is received, amplified by a downlink power amplifier, and finally radiated by a measuring antenna in an anechoic chamber.

[0036] Correspondingly, during uplink communication on each of the multi-antenna channels, an external signal control unit provides trigger and reference signal inputs. The control signal unit in the near-end bidirectional amplifier unit receives the external trigger and reference signals, and uses these trigger signals to control the uplink output in the near-end bidirectional amplifier module according to the uplink communication time slot. The near-end control signal modulation / demodulation module modulates the external trigger reference signal and the measurement and control signal for uplink control by the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit, and outputs a frequency of [frequency value missing]. The control signal; the power supply transmission module generates the DC power supply signal for the remote bidirectional power amplifier unit and outputs it from the DC power supply module. The power supply signal and control signal are transmitted via a common cable between the near-end bidirectional amplifier module and the far-end bidirectional amplifier module. At the receiving end of the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit, the far-end power supply module receives the DC signal and uses it to provide DC power to the amplifier modules and other active devices in the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit; the far-end control signal modulation and demodulation module modulates the frequency... The demodulation of the trigger reference control signal controls the uplink reception of the remote bidirectional power amplifier module. Simultaneously, the modulation module sends measurement and control data results back to the near-end bidirectional power amplifier module via transmission cable for demodulation and utilization. The remote bidirectional amplifier module then performs frequency... The received uplink communication signal is amplified by a power amplifier and transmitted via the cable between the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit and the near-end power amplifier unit. At this point, it still shares the same cable with the power supply and control signals; however, the uplink communication signal is transmitted in the reverse direction from the far end to the near end, and is ultimately processed by the near-end bidirectional power amplifier module at a frequency of [frequency value missing]. After the uplink communication signal is amplified and output, it is then sent to an external signal control unit to output the uplink communication signal.

[0037] The remote bidirectional power amplifier unit comprises: a remote power supply module for extracting the DC power supply signal from the shared transmission cable; a remote control signal modulation and demodulation module for demodulating the link control signal from the shared transmission cable; and a remote bidirectional amplification module for selectively amplifying the downlink communication signal transmitted through the cable or selectively amplifying the uplink communication signal returned by the antenna based on the control signal demodulated by the remote control signal modulation and demodulation module, and transmitting it back to the near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit through the cable.

[0038] The remote power supply module supplies power to the remote control signal modulation and demodulation module and the remote bidirectional amplification module. The remote control signal modulation and demodulation module controls the link switching of the remote bidirectional amplification module according to the demodulated link control signal, or modulates and generates measurement and control signals for transmission back to the near end.

[0039] More specifically, at the receiving end of the remote bidirectional power amplifier unit, the remote power supply module receives the DC signal and uses it to provide DC power to the active modules such as amplifiers in the remote bidirectional power amplifier unit; the remote control signal modulation and demodulation module modulates the frequency... The demodulation of the trigger reference control signal is used to control the switching of the remote bidirectional power amplifier module to achieve downlink transmission. At the same time, the modulation module sends the measurement and control data results back to the near-end bidirectional power amplifier module for demodulation and utilization via the transmission cable.

[0040] Example 3: Calibration method for test systems refer to Figure 3 and Figure 5 This embodiment details a multi-antenna air interface performance testing method for calibrating a multi-antenna air interface performance testing system as described in any embodiment of this application. The method includes the following steps: Step 310: Construction and Calibration Preparation.

[0041] By employing a method of transmitting amplified signals, control signals, and power supply signals over a shared cable, and through remote amplification, a structure is constructed as follows: Figure 2 The multi-antenna air interface performance test system for uplink and downlink duplex signal amplification shown is tested through... Figure 5The system was calibrated using a vector network analyzer.

[0042] Step 320: Downlink calibration. Obtain the downlink transmission parameters and calculate the downlink amplitude and phase compensation values.

[0043] Specifically, the implementation involves: using a vector network analyzer to calibrate the downlink of the multi-antenna air interface performance test system for duplex signal amplification, and obtaining the S-value of the downlink multi-antenna link. 21 Transmission parameter H DL_MN Calculate the amplitude and phase compensation values ​​between the system input and output ports to complete the channel calibration of the downlink multi-antenna link.

[0044] More specifically, for downlink calibration compensation, the amplitude and phase compensation values ​​of the remaining downlink output ports relative to the port with the largest amplitude attenuation among all downlink output ports are calculated with reference to this reference.

[0045] For example, in a specific implementation, when the input is port 1, the maximum output attenuation of the M channel link outputs is a. DL1,max (Unit: dB) and corresponding phase θ DL1,a_max (Unit: °) is used as a reference to equalize the amplitude and phase values ​​of input ports 1 to M, and the amplitude attenuation compensation value for each output port is a. DL1,max -a DL1,i , i∈M, the phase compensation value of each port is θ DL1,a_max -θ DL1,i Then, based on the reference output port, align the amplitude and phase values ​​among the N inputs, with the amplitude attenuation compensation value for each input port being a. DL1,max -a DLj,rf The phase compensation value for each input port is θ DL1,a_max -θ DLj,rf , j∈N. rf represents the reference output port.

[0046] Step 330: Uplink calibration. Obtain the uplink transmission parameters and calculate the uplink amplitude and phase compensation values.

[0047] Specifically, the implementation involves: using a vector network analyzer to calibrate the uplink of the multi-antenna air interface performance test system for duplex signal amplification, and obtaining the S-value of the uplink multi-antenna link. 12 Transmission parameter H UL_MN It calculates the amplitude and phase compensation values ​​of the system input and output ports to complete the channel calibration of the uplink multi-antenna link.

[0048] More specifically, for uplink calibration compensation, the port with the largest amplitude attenuation among all uplink input ports is used as a reference, and the amplitude and phase compensation values ​​of the remaining uplink input ports relative to this reference are calculated.

[0049] For example, the maximum attenuation output a of the M channel link inputs to output 1. ULmax,1 (Unit: dB) and corresponding phase θ ULa_max,1 (Unit: °) is used as a reference to equalize the amplitude and phase values ​​of input ports 1 to M at output port, with the amplitude compensation value for each input port being a. ULmax,1 -a ULi,1 , i∈M, the phase compensation value of each port is θ ULa_max,1 -θ ULi,1 Then, based on the reference input port, align the amplitude and phase values ​​among the N output ports, with each output port's amplitude compensation value being a. ULmax,1, -a UL_rf,j The phase compensation value for each input port is θ ULa_max,1 -θ UL_rf,j , j∈N.

[0050] Step 340: Calibration Alignment. Using the bidirectional external signal control unit, apply the compensation values ​​for the downlink and uplink to align the attenuation and amplitude consistency of the uplink and downlink channels.

[0051] Specifically, the implementation involves aligning the downlink and uplink multi-antenna channel calibration links through an external signal control unit, ensuring that the downlink and uplink channel attenuation are at the same level and that the amplitudes of the uplink and downlink channels remain consistent, thereby completing the calibration of the uplink and downlink duplex signal amplification multi-antenna air interface performance test system.

[0052] In the specific implementation process, considering that bidirectional communication is achieved through the bidirectional port of the external signal control unit, the compensation value for multiple channels can only be one of the uplink or downlink calibration compensation values. Since the system achieves uplink / downlink switching through near-end and far-end bidirectional amplification units between the external signal control units, if only the compensation value matrix after the downlink switch is turned on is entered during calibration, the channel simulation coefficient H of the calibrated external signal control unit uplink will be... U L_cal Change to: H UL_cal = H UL H DL_MN⊙ H UL_MN× 10 (aDL1,max-aULmax,1) / 10) (1) Where H UL H represents the original uplink channel coefficient. UL H DL_MN This indicates an element-wise division of the original uplink coefficient matrix with the downlink calibration transmission matrix. The symbol... ⊙This indicates that an element-wise multiplication is then performed with the uplink calibration matrix. If only the supplementary numerical matrix after the uplink switch is turned on is input during the calibration process, the downlink channel simulation coefficient H of the calibrated external signal control unit will be used during downlink testing. DL_cal Change to: H DL_cal = H DL H UL_MN⊙ H DL_MN× 10 (aULmax,1-aDL1,max) / 10) (2) Where H DL H represents the original downlink channel coefficients. DL H UL_MN This indicates an element-wise division of the original downlink coefficient matrix with the uplink calibration transmission matrix. The symbol... ⊙ This indicates that an element-wise multiplication will be performed with the downlink calibration matrix.

[0053] This corresponds to the calibration leveling step, which includes: for uplink testing, if downlink calibration compensation values ​​are placed in the bidirectional peripheral link signal control unit, then the original uplink channel coefficient matrix and the downlink calibration compensation matrix are divided element-wise, and then multiplied element-wise with the uplink calibration compensation matrix to level up the power magnitude and generate calibrated uplink channel simulation coefficients; or, for downlink testing, if uplink calibration compensation values ​​are placed in the bidirectional peripheral link signal control unit, then the original downlink channel coefficient matrix and the uplink calibration compensation matrix are divided element-wise, and then multiplied element-wise with the downlink calibration compensation matrix to level up the power magnitude and generate calibrated downlink channel simulation coefficients.

[0054] Example 4: Performance testing method using the system This embodiment describes a multi-antenna air interface performance testing method using a system as described in any embodiment of this application, referencing... Figure 3 The method includes the following steps: Step 410: System calibration.

[0055] The system is calibrated according to the method described in steps 310-340 of the embodiment.

[0056] Step 420: System Verification (Optional) Before performing the link establishment step, a verification step may be included: verifying the air interface channel reconstruction capability of the calibrated system according to a standardized process.

[0057] Specifically: Referencing international standards or relevant industry standards, verify the system's air interface reconfiguration capability to ensure effective channel reconfiguration. During implementation, the downlink or uplink channel verification process follows the procedures specified in 3GPP 38.151 or relevant industry standards.

[0058] Step 430: Establish connection and execute test.

[0059] Step 430A: Perform the link establishment step: After calibration, place the device under test in the test area and establish a communication connection with it through the bidirectional external signal control unit.

[0060] Specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, the calibration and verification devices are removed, and the device under test (DUT) is placed in the test area. Communication is established between the DUT and the external signal control unit. The uplink and downlink communication performance of the DUT's multi-antenna wireless communication is tested, including the acquisition of metrics such as throughput.

[0061] Step 430B: Perform test steps: Test the multi-antenna communication performance of the device under test in the duplex wireless channel environment simulated by the system.

[0062] Specifically, the uplink and downlink communication performance of the multi-antenna wireless communication of the device under test is tested, including the acquisition of indicators such as throughput.

[0063] Full process flow Figure 3 As shown, a bidirectional calibration and testing method for a large-size device-on-a-device (DAD) multi-antenna air interface performance testing system supporting duplex remote amplification signal testing is proposed. By realizing the calibration and attenuation alignment of uplink and downlink multi-channel links, uplink and downlink reciprocity test conditions are achieved, thus realizing the air interface duplex performance testing capability of the multi-antenna air interface performance testing system.

[0064] Example 5: Simplified system architecture with unidirectional amplification (corresponding to) Figure 6 ) refer to Figure 6 This implementation use case introduces a simplified scenario for downlink unidirectional amplification.

[0065] System configuration. In one embodiment, the system is a unidirectional amplification test system; the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit is replaced with a far-end unidirectional power amplifier unit that only includes a downlink amplifier module and a power supply receiver module; the near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit is replaced with a near-end unidirectional power amplifier unit.

[0066] Working principle: During downlink communication in each of the multi-antenna channels, trigger and reference signals are provided by an external signal control unit. The control signal unit in the near-end amplification unit receives the external trigger and reference signals at a frequency of [frequency missing]. The downlink communication signal is input from an external signal control unit, amplified by the near-end amplification module, and output as a downlink communication signal. The power supply transmission module generates a DC power supply signal for the remote bidirectional power amplifier unit, which is then output by the DC power supply module. The downlink communication signal and the DC power supply signal are transmitted via a shared cable between the near-end amplification module and the remote bidirectional amplification module. At the receiving end of the remote power amplifier unit, the power supply module receives the DC signal and uses it to provide DC power to the amplifier module in the remote power amplifier unit; the remote amplification module then amplifies the signal at a frequency of... The downlink communication signal is received and amplified by a remote amplification module, and finally radiated through a measurement antenna in an anechoic chamber.

[0067] Example 6: Bidirectional mixer architecture supporting high-frequency extension (corresponding to) Figure 7 ) refer to Figure 7 This implementation use case introduces a scenario extension for high-frequency duplex amplification.

[0068] The system integrates a mixing function. The remote bidirectional power amplifier unit also includes a mixer module; the mixer module is used to upconvert the communication signal from the shared transmission cable to a higher frequency band during downlink communication, and / or downconvert the communication signal from the measurement antenna during uplink communication.

[0069] High-frequency downlink process. During downlink communication in each of the multi-antenna channels, an external signal control unit provides trigger and reference signal inputs. The control signal modulation unit in the near-end bidirectional amplifier unit receives the external trigger and reference signals, and uses these trigger signals to control the switch in the near-end bidirectional amplifier module to switch downlink according to the downlink communication time slot. The near-end control signal modulation and demodulation module modulates the external trigger and reference signals for the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit to control the switching, and outputs a frequency of... The control signal; frequency is The downlink communication signal is input from an external signal control unit, amplified by the amplifier in the near-end bidirectional amplifier module, and finally output as a downlink communication signal. The power supply transmission module generates a DC power supply signal for the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit, which is then output by the DC power supply module. The downlink communication signal, control signal, and DC power supply signal are transmitted via a common cable between the near-end bidirectional amplifier module and the far-end bidirectional amplifier module. At the receiving end of the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit, the far-end power supply module receives the DC signal and uses it to provide DC power to the amplifiers and mixers in the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit. The far-end control signal modulation and demodulation module modulates the frequency... The demodulation of the trigger reference control signal is used to control the switching of the remote bidirectional power amplifier module, thereby achieving downlink switching; the remote bidirectional amplifier module performs frequency... The reception of downlink communication signals is achieved through an upconversion mixer. arrive The frequency is converted, then the power is amplified by an amplifier, and finally measured by a measuring antenna in an anechoic chamber. Radiation of high-frequency downlink signals.

[0070] High-frequency uplink process. During uplink communication on each of the multi-antenna channels, an external signal control unit provides trigger and reference signal inputs. The control signal unit in the near-end bidirectional amplifier unit receives the external trigger and reference signals, and uses these trigger signals to control the uplink switching in the near-end bidirectional amplifier module according to the uplink communication time slot. The near-end control signal modulation / demodulation module modulates the external trigger and reference signals for the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit to control the switching, and outputs a frequency of... The control signal; the power supply transmission module generates the DC power supply signal for the remote bidirectional power amplifier unit and outputs it from the DC power supply module; the power supply signal and control signal are transmitted via a common cable between the near-end bidirectional amplifier module and the remote bidirectional amplifier module. At the receiving end of the remote bidirectional power amplifier unit, the remote power supply module receives the DC signal and uses it to provide DC power to the amplifier module and mixer and other active modules in the remote bidirectional power amplifier unit; the remote control signal modulation and demodulation module modulates the frequency... The demodulation of the trigger reference control signal is used to control the switching of the remote bidirectional power amplifier module, thereby achieving uplink switching; the remote bidirectional amplifier module performs uplink switching at a frequency of... The received uplink communication signal, after passing through a down-conversion mixer, is then amplified by a power amplifier to achieve the desired down-conversion frequency. The signal in the frequency band is amplified and transmitted via the cable between the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit and the near-end power amplifier unit. At this point, it still shares the same cable with the power supply and control signals; however, the uplink communication signal is transmitted in the reverse direction from the far end to the near end, and the final frequency is... The uplink communication signal is amplified by the amplifier of the near-end bidirectional amplification module via the near-end power amplification module, and then output to the external signal control unit.

[0071] The system and method proposed in this application solve the problems of high RF cable transmission loss and low system power in existing bidirectional multi-antenna air interface test systems when measuring large-size test objects over long test distances. By transmitting bidirectional communication signals, control signals, and DC power signals through a shared cable, the system supports a far-end bidirectional power amplifier module located close to the probe in the anechoic chamber, thereby effectively improving signal strength and dynamic range and significantly reducing the R&D costs of power amplifiers and cables. Furthermore, it solves the uplink and downlink imbalance problem caused by the use of different RF devices in the uplink and downlink of existing bidirectional multi-antenna air interface test systems, enabling bidirectional air interface testing under reciprocal uplink and downlink channel conditions.

[0072] It should also be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element. Those skilled in the art will understand that, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical, terminological, and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The above descriptions are merely embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A multi-antenna air interface performance testing system supporting full-duplex extended amplification signal testing, characterized in that, include: A bidirectional external signal control unit is used to provide downlink communication signals and trigger signals, and to receive and process uplink communication signals; The near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit is used to amplify the downlink communication signal from the bidirectional external signal control unit at the near end and amplify the received uplink communication signal at the near end before sending it back to the bidirectional external signal control unit. A remote bidirectional power amplifier unit, the signal terminal of which is connected to multiple measurement antennas and is arranged close to the measurement antennas; A common transmission cable is used to connect the near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit and the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit. The near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit transmits a DC power supply signal, a link control signal, and the near-end amplified downlink communication signal to the far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit simultaneously via the shared transmission cable. The far-end bidirectional power amplifier unit operates using the DC power supply signal and, based on the link control signal, selects to amplify several downlink communication signals from the shared transmission cable at the far end before radiating them through the measurement antenna, or selects to amplify several uplink communication signals from the measurement antenna at the far end before transmitting them back to the near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit via the shared transmission cable.

2. The multi-antenna air interface performance testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit includes: The near-end control signal modulation and demodulation module is used to modulate and generate the link control signal according to the trigger signal from the bidirectional external signal control unit, or demodulate the measurement and control signal transmitted back from the remote end. A power transmission module is used to generate the DC power supply signal; The near-end bidirectional amplifier module, based on the trigger reference of the external signal control unit, selectively amplifies the signal of the external signal control unit and transmits it to the remote bidirectional power amplifier unit via cable, or selectively amplifies the uplink communication signal transmitted back via cable and transmits it back to the external signal control unit. The link control signal and the DC power supply signal are transmitted via the shared transmission cable.

3. The multi-antenna air interface performance testing system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The remote bidirectional power amplifier unit includes: The remote power supply module is used to extract the DC power supply signal from the shared transmission cable; A remote control signal modulation and demodulation module is used to demodulate the link control signal from the shared transmission cable, or to modulate and generate a measurement and control signal for back transmission; and The remote bidirectional amplifier module, based on the control signal demodulated by the remote control signal modulation and demodulation module, selectively amplifies the downlink communication signal transmitted via cable, or selectively amplifies the uplink communication signal returned by the antenna, and transmits it back to the near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit via cable; The remote power supply module supplies power to the remote control signal modulation and demodulation module and the remote bidirectional amplifier module. The remote control signal modulation and demodulation module controls the link switching of the remote bidirectional amplifier module according to the demodulated link control signal.

4. The multi-antenna air interface performance testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The remote bidirectional power amplifier unit also includes a mixer module; The mixer module is used to upconvert the communication signal from the shared transmission cable to a higher frequency band during downlink communication, and / or downconvert the communication signal from the measurement antenna during uplink communication.

5. The multi-antenna air interface performance testing system according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The system can be configured as a unidirectional amplification test system; The remote bidirectional power amplifier unit is replaced with a remote unidirectional power amplifier unit that only includes a downlink amplifier module and a power supply receiver module. The near-end bidirectional power amplifier unit is replaced with a near-end unidirectional power amplifier unit.

6. A method for testing the air interface performance of a multi-antenna system, used to calibrate the multi-antenna air interface performance testing system as described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Obtain the downlink transmission parameters and calculate the downlink amplitude and phase compensation values; Obtain the uplink transmission parameters and calculate the uplink amplitude and phase compensation values; By utilizing the bidirectional external signal control unit, the compensation values ​​of the downlink and uplink are applied to align the attenuation and amplitude consistency of the uplink and downlink channels.

7. The calibration method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The downlink calibration step includes: taking the port with the largest amplitude attenuation among all downlink output ports as a reference, calculating the amplitude and phase compensation values ​​of the remaining downlink output ports relative to the reference.

8. The calibration method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The uplink calibration step includes: taking the port with the largest amplitude attenuation among all uplink input ports as a reference, calculating the amplitude and phase compensation values ​​of the remaining uplink input ports relative to the reference.

9. The calibration method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The calibration and equalization step includes: In response to the uplink test, the downlink calibration compensation value is placed in the bidirectional peripheral link signal control unit. The original uplink channel coefficient matrix and the downlink calibration compensation matrix are divided by elements and multiplied by elements with the uplink calibration compensation matrix to generate calibrated uplink channel simulation coefficients. or, In response to downlink testing, the uplink calibration compensation value is inserted into the bidirectional peripheral link signal control unit. The original downlink channel coefficient matrix and the uplink calibration compensation matrix are divided element by element and multiplied element by element with the downlink calibration compensation matrix to equalize the power order and generate the calibrated downlink channel simulation coefficients.

10. A method for testing the air interface performance of multiple antennas, using the system as described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The system is calibrated according to the method described in any one of claims 6-9; After calibration, the device under test is placed in the test area and a communication connection is established with it through the bidirectional external signal control unit. The test examines the multi-antenna communication performance of the device under test in a full-duplex wireless channel environment simulated by the system.

11. The test method according to claim 10, characterized in that, Before the testing step, a verification step is also included: verifying the air interface channel reconstruction capability of the calibrated system according to a standardized procedure.

12. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the test method as described in any one of claims 6 to 11.

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