Method and system for automatic identification of electronic calibration piece port based on phase variation

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of radio frequency testing, and discloses a method and system for automatically identifying ports of electronic calibration pieces based on phase variation, which comprises the following steps: controlling all ports of an electronic calibration piece to be simultaneously switched to a default path containing a phase characteristic circuit structure; controlling each test port of a vector network analyzer to sequentially send a sweep excitation signal, so as to obtain a measured phase response curve in a default state; controlling a target port of the electronic calibration piece to be switched to an identification path, and keeping other ports in the default path; controlling each test port of the vector network analyzer to again sequentially send a sweep excitation signal, so as to obtain a measured phase response curve in a variation state; calculating a phase variation degree; and identifying a test port with a phase variation degree satisfying a preset matching condition as a device port connected with the target port; and the application can realize full-automatic and high-accuracy port identification.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of radio frequency testing technology, and specifically to a method and system for automatic identification of ports of electronic calibration components based on phase variation. Background Technology

[0002] Vector network analyzers (VNAs) are core instruments for testing radio frequency and microwave devices. To improve calibration efficiency and accuracy, electronic calibration modules (ECal) are widely used in the automatic calibration of VNAs. ECal integrates multiple calibration standards (such as OPEN, SHORT, LOAD, etc.) and a switch matrix, enabling automatic multi-port calibration by controlling the switch switching.

[0003] However, in practical use, the port connection between the electronic calibration component and the vector network detector often needs to be manually specified. Specifically, the following problems exist: 1. Connection relationship requires manual configuration: When the number of ports on the electronic calibration component is inconsistent with the number of ports on the vector network calibrator, or when the user adopts a non-standard connection method, the port correspondence needs to be manually set in the vector network calibrator software, which is cumbersome and prone to errors.

[0004] 2. Uncertainty introduced by cables: Test cables with external switch matrix expansion ports are often used in test systems to connect vector network detectors (VNDs) to electronic calibration components. Cables and switching devices can introduce different electrical delays, phase shifts, and impedance mismatches, making it impossible for the VND to identify the ports using simple electrical parameters.

[0005] 3. Difficulty in identifying multi-channel calibration devices: For multi-port electronic calibration devices (such as four-port and eight-port devices), the physical location of each port is fixed, but the vector network analyzer cannot automatically detect which calibration device port is connected to which vector network analyzer port, requiring the user to set them one by one.

[0006] 4. Risk of incorrect connection: If a connection error occurs when manually configuring the port correspondence, it may lead to abnormal calibration results, which in turn will affect the accuracy of subsequent tests.

[0007] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a method that can automatically identify the port connection relationship between electronic calibration components and vector network detectors to improve calibration efficiency and accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To address the aforementioned shortcomings in the prior art, this invention provides a method and system for automatic port identification of electronic calibration components based on phase variation.

[0009] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the technical solution adopted by this invention is as follows: In a first aspect, the present invention proposes a method for automatic port identification of electronic calibration components based on phase variation, comprising the following steps: All ports of the control electronic calibration component are simultaneously switched to the default path containing a phase characteristic circuit structure, which generates a distinguishable phase response within a preset frequency range; The vector network analyzer sequentially sends sweep excitation signals to each test port, measures the reflection coefficient phase response of each test port, and obtains the measured phase response curve under default conditions. The target port of the control electronic calibration component is switched to the identification path containing the phase characteristic circuit structure, while keeping other ports in the default path; The test ports of the control vector network analyzer are sent with frequency sweep excitation signals in sequence again to measure the phase response of the reflection coefficient of each test port and obtain the measured phase response curve of the variation state. The phase response curves of each test port in the default state are compared with those in the variable state to calculate the phase variability. Test ports whose phase variation meets the preset matching conditions are identified as device ports connected to the target port; Repeat the above steps, using all ports of the electronic calibration component as target ports, to establish a mapping relationship between the test ports and the ports of the electronic calibration component, and control the electronic calibration component to perform calibration according to the mapping relationship.

[0010] Furthermore, the default path is an open-circuit path, and the identification path is a short-circuit path.

[0011] Furthermore, the phase characteristic circuit structure is integrated inside each port of the electronic calibration component to generate an RF response with a defined phase difference in both open-circuit and short-circuit states.

[0012] Furthermore, the phase characteristic circuit structure includes at least one or a combination of delay lines of different lengths, parallel capacitors of different capacitance values, series inductors of different inductance values, and reflection circuits of different impedances.

[0013] Furthermore, the measured phase response curves of each test port in the default state are compared with those in the variability state to calculate the phase variability, including: Extract multiple sweep frequency points within a preset frequency range; For each test port, calculate the phase difference between the measured phase response curve of the default state and the measured phase response curve of the variable state at each frequency sweep point; Calculate at least one of the following as the phase variability: cumulative phase difference, root mean square error, or correlation coefficient, based on the phase difference values ​​of all swept frequency points.

[0014] Furthermore, test ports whose phase variation meets preset matching conditions are identified as device ports connected to the target port, including: Obtain the phase variation for all test ports; Select the test port with the largest phase variation as the device port to be connected to the target port.

[0015] Furthermore, identifying test ports whose phase variation meets preset matching conditions as device ports connected to the target port also includes: The phase change rate is calculated based on the ratio of the maximum cumulative phase difference to the length of the swept frequency point sequence; Determine if the phase change rate is greater than a set threshold; If so, then perform the identification operation; Otherwise, it will be determined that the target port is not connected to any valid test port, and a prompt message will be output.

[0016] Furthermore, the above steps are repeated, traversing all ports of the electronic calibration component as target ports, to establish a mapping relationship between the test ports and the ports of the electronic calibration component. This also includes: When the phase variability of multiple vector network analyzers' test ports is at its maximum for the same target port, it is determined that a many-to-one topology relationship exists between the test port and the target port. If all variability values ​​cannot be mapped to distinguish the relationship, a prompt message is output to instruct the user to check the physical connection or modify the sweep frequency for re-identification.

[0017] Furthermore, the above steps are repeated, traversing all ports of the electronic calibration component as target ports, to establish a mapping relationship between the test ports and the ports of the electronic calibration component. This also includes: When the test port corresponding to the maximum phase variation appears repeatedly for different target ports, it is determined that there is a one-to-many topology relationship between the test port and the target port, indicating that the identification result is not unique. A prompt message is output to instruct the user to check the physical connection or modify the sweep frequency for re-identification.

[0018] Secondly, this invention proposes an automatic identification system for electronic calibration component ports based on phase variation, comprising: Electronic calibration components; The vector network analyzer is connected to multiple calibration ports of the electronic calibration device via test cables; The vector network analyzer has a built-in automatic port identification module, which is used to execute the above-described method for automatic port identification of electronic calibration components based on phase variation.

[0019] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: (1) Automatic port identification without manual configuration: By integrating circuit structures with defined phase characteristics into each port, the vector network can automatically identify the calibration port connected to each test port through frequency sweep measurement, completely eliminating the tedious operation of manually setting the port correspondence.

[0020] (2) Adaptation to single-ended calibration: This invention is based on the comparison of phase response curves of a single port under different states, rather than the transmission response between multiple ports. Therefore, it supports the single-port calibration algorithm to determine the connection relationship between the vector network and a certain calibration port.

[0021] (3) Support for multi-port calibration components: This invention can be extended to electronic calibration components with any number of ports, realizing one-to-one automatic identification of multiple ports.

[0022] (4) Adapting to complex test scenarios: This invention is based on the comparison of phase response curves of a single port under different states, rather than the difference in curves between ports. The decision threshold is not affected by the insertion loss and impedance of external connecting cables and switches of each port, thus adapting to complex external test scenarios.

[0023] (5) Preventing incorrect connections: The automatic identification function can detect connection errors in a timely manner (such as connecting the calibration component port 1 to the vector network port 2) and reflect them in the identification results, making it convenient for users to correct the connection or automatically adapt to the calibration process.

[0024] (6) Plug and play experience: Users only need to connect the cable, and the vector network and electronic calibration components will automatically complete port identification and calibration configuration, which greatly simplifies the user's calibration code, improves testing efficiency and user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a method for automatic port identification of electronic calibration components based on phase variation according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic identification system for electronic calibration component ports based on phase variation according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The specific embodiments of the present invention are described below to enable those skilled in the art to understand the present invention. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the scope of the specific embodiments. For those skilled in the art, various changes are obvious as long as they are within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined and determined by the appended claims. All inventions utilizing the concept of the present invention are protected.

[0027] This invention proposes a method for determining the port connectivity of electronic calibration components based on phase variation. The core idea is to utilize the unique phase response generated by different port states (e.g., OPEN, SHORT, LOAD) within the electronic calibration component under RF signal excitation, and to use a VNA to actively scan and analyze the phase variation of each port state combination as a "fingerprint" to uniquely determine the physical connection relationship.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for automatic identification of electronic calibration component ports based on phase variation, comprising the following steps S1 to S7: S1. Control all ports of the electronic calibration component to switch simultaneously to the default path containing the phase characteristic circuit structure, which generates a distinguishable phase response within a preset frequency range. In an optional embodiment of the present invention, step S1 first integrates a controllable circuit structure (OPEN, LOAD, SHORT) with defined phase characteristics into each port of the electronic calibration component, and uses the controllable circuit structure with defined phase characteristics to generate a distinguishable phase response curve within a preset frequency range. In this embodiment, the phase characteristic circuit structure includes at least one or a combination of delay lines of different lengths, parallel capacitors of different capacitance values, series inductors of different inductance values, and reflection circuits of different impedances.

[0029] After establishing a communication connection between the vector network analyzer and the electronic calibration component, the vector network analyzer sends a port identification command to the electronic calibration component. The electronic calibration component responds to the command and controls its internal switching matrix to simultaneously switch each port to the default path OPEN, which contains the aforementioned phase characteristic circuit structure. Here, the default path is an open-circuit path.

[0030] S2. Control the vector network analyzer to send sweep frequency excitation signals to each test port in sequence, measure the reflection coefficient phase response of each test port, and obtain the measured phase response curve under default state; In an optional embodiment of the present invention, step S2 controls the vector network analyzer to sequentially send sweep excitation signals through each of its test ports, receive and measure the reflection coefficient phase response of each test port at different frequencies, and obtain the measured phase response curve of each test port in the OPEN default state.

[0031] S3. Control the target port of the electronic calibration component to switch to the identification path containing the phase feature circuit structure, and keep other ports in the default path; In an optional embodiment of the present invention, after the vector network analyzer establishes a communication connection with the electronic calibration component, step S3 involves controlling the vector network analyzer to send a port identification command to the electronic calibration component again. The electronic calibration component responds to the command and controls its internal switching matrix to switch the first port of the electronic calibration component to the identification path SHORT, which includes the aforementioned phase characteristic circuit structure. Here, the identification path is a short-circuit state path.

[0032] S4. Control the vector network analyzer to send sweep frequency excitation signals to each test port in sequence, measure the reflection coefficient phase response of each test port, and obtain the measured phase response curve of the variable state. In an optional embodiment of the present invention, step S4 controls the vector network analyzer to sequentially send sweep excitation signals through each of its test ports, receive and measure the reflection coefficient phase response of each test port at different frequencies, and obtain the measured phase response curve of the SHORT variation state of each test port.

[0033] S5. Compare the measured phase response curves of each test port in the default state with the measured phase response curves in the variable state, and calculate the phase variability. In an optional embodiment of the present invention, step S5 includes: Extract multiple sweep frequency points within a preset frequency range; For each test port, calculate the phase difference between the measured phase response curve of the default state and the measured phase response curve of the variable state at each frequency sweep point; Calculate at least one of the following as the phase variability: cumulative phase difference, root mean square error, or correlation coefficient, based on the phase difference values ​​of all swept frequency points.

[0034] In this embodiment, the phase variation characteristics of the measured phase response curves of each test port in the OPEN default state and the measured phase response curves in the SHORT variant state are compared, and the phase variation degree of the phase response curves is calculated. The phase variation degree can be calculated by any one of the following methods: calculating the root mean square error between the measured phase response curves in the default state and the variant state, calculating the correlation coefficient between the measured phase response curves in the default state and the variant state, or calculating the cumulative phase difference between the measured phase response curves in the default state and the variant state.

[0035] S6. Identify the test ports whose phase variation meets the preset matching conditions as device ports connected to the target port; In an optional embodiment of the present invention, step S6 includes: Obtain the phase variation for all test ports; Select the test port with the largest phase variation as the device port to be connected to the target port.

[0036] In this embodiment, the test port corresponding to the phase response curve with the highest phase variation is determined as the device port connected to the first port of the electronic calibration component.

[0037] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, step S6 further includes: The phase change rate is calculated based on the ratio of the maximum cumulative phase difference to the length of the swept frequency point sequence; Determine if the phase change rate is greater than a set threshold; If so, then perform the identification operation; Otherwise, it will be determined that the target port is not connected to any valid test port, and a prompt message will be output.

[0038] S7. Repeat the above steps, using all ports of the electronic calibration component as target ports, to establish a mapping relationship between the test ports and the ports of the electronic calibration component, and control the electronic calibration component to perform calibration according to the mapping relationship.

[0039] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, step S7 repeats steps S2 to S6, traversing all ports of the electronic calibration component to establish a one-to-one mapping relationship between the test ports of the vector network analyzer and the ports of the electronic calibration component. Based on the established port mapping relationship, the vector network analyzer automatically configures the calibration program and controls the electronic calibration component to perform calibration according to the correct port correspondence.

[0040] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, step S7 further includes: When the phase variability of multiple vector network analyzers' test ports is at its maximum for the same target port, it is determined that a many-to-one topology relationship exists between the test port and the target port. If all variability values ​​cannot be mapped to distinguish the relationship, a prompt message is output to instruct the user to check the physical connection or modify the sweep frequency for re-identification.

[0041] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, step S7 further includes: When the test port corresponding to the maximum phase variation appears repeatedly for different target ports, it is determined that there is a one-to-many topology relationship between the test port and the target port, indicating that the identification result is not unique. A prompt message is output to instruct the user to check the physical connection or modify the sweep frequency for re-identification.

[0042] like Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment of the invention also provides an automatic identification system for electronic calibration component ports based on phase variation, comprising: Electronic calibration components; The vector network analyzer is connected to multiple calibration ports of the electronic calibration device via test cables; The vector network analyzer has a built-in automatic port identification module, which is used to execute the above-described method for automatic port identification of electronic calibration components based on phase variation.

[0043] The invention will now be described in detail using a four-port SOLT electronic calibration device (containing a through standard) as an example. The reflective standard of this electronic calibration device is defined as OPEN, SHORT, and LOAD, and the circuit parameters of the three states are different, resulting in different impedances and reflection coefficients.

[0044] First, connect the test ports 1-4 of the vector network analyzer to any port of the electronic calibration kit (the calibration kit ports are defined as A-D respectively) using test cables.

[0045] Then switch all ports of the electronic calibration device to the default OPEN state.

[0046] Next, the vector network analyzer is controlled to scan S11~S44 on the RF port respectively to obtain the phase responses ∠S11_open(f), ∠S22_open(f), ∠S33_open(f), and ∠S44_open(f), where f is the frequency sweep sequence.

[0047] Then control the electronic calibration component to switch port A to state SHORT.

[0048] Next, the vector network analyzer is controlled to scan S11~S44 again on the RF port to obtain the phase responses ∠S11_short (f), ∠S22_short (f), ∠S33_short (f), and ∠S44_short (f).

[0049] Then, calculate the cumulative phase difference (Δ∠Snn(f)) between the previous and next states of each RF port: the cumulative phase difference Δ∠S11(f) between ∠S11_open(f) and ∠S11_short(f), the cumulative phase difference Δ∠S22(f) between ∠S22_open(f) and ∠S22_short(f), the cumulative phase difference Δ∠S33(f) between ∠S33_open(f) and ∠S33_short(f), and the cumulative phase difference Δ∠S44(f) between ∠S44_open(f) and ∠S44_short(f).

[0050] Next, port A is determined. Since the state switching of calibration port A causes a drastic phase change, the data with the greatest variability corresponds to the RF port connected to calibration port A. In this embodiment, the maximum cumulative phase difference max(Δ∠Snn(f)) from the above results is selected, and the corresponding port n is the VNA RF port connected to calibration port A.

[0051] In port determination, this embodiment also requires effective determination. Referring to the phase change of the OPEN and SHORT states of the calibration device, the phase change rate is defined as max(Δ∠Snn(f)) / N_f, where N_f is the length of the sweep frequency point sequence. The above phase change rate result must be greater than 10°. If this condition is not met, it means that there is no RF port phase variation when the calibration device switches ports, indicating that there is no external connection to the calibration device port.

[0052] Finally, repeat the above steps to switch port B for determination until port D ends, establishing a one-to-one binding relationship between the multi-port of the vector network analyzer and the multi-port of the electronic calibration kit. Using this binding topology, continue to complete the calibration function of the electronic calibration kit.

[0053] After port determination, this embodiment also includes an anomaly handling mechanism. Specifically, when the phase variability of multiple test ports of the same target port is at its maximum value, it is determined that a many-to-one topology relationship exists between the test port and the target port, and it is determined that all variability values ​​cannot be mapped to distinguish the relationship. When the test port corresponding to the maximum phase variability appears repeatedly for different target ports, it is determined that a one-to-many topology relationship exists between the test port and the target port, and it is determined that the identification result is not unique. When it is determined that the identification result is not unique or cannot be mapped to distinguish the relationship, a prompt message is output to instruct the user to check the physical connection or modify the sweep frequency for re-identification.

[0054] This invention is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0055] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0056] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0057] Specific embodiments have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the embodiments above are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this invention. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0058] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments described herein are intended to help the reader understand the principles of the invention, and should be understood that the scope of protection of the invention is not limited to such specific statements and embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make various other specific modifications and combinations based on the technical teachings disclosed in this invention without departing from the spirit of the invention, and these modifications and combinations are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A method for automatic port identification of electronic calibration components based on phase variation, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: All ports of the control electronic calibration component are simultaneously switched to a default path containing a phase characteristic circuit structure, which generates a distinguishable phase response within a preset frequency range; the phase characteristic circuit structure is integrated inside each port of the electronic calibration component and is used to generate an RF response with a defined phase difference in open-circuit and short-circuit states. The vector network analyzer sequentially sends sweep excitation signals to each test port, measures the reflection coefficient phase response of each test port, and obtains the measured phase response curve under default conditions. The target port of the control electronic calibration component is switched to the identification path containing the phase characteristic circuit structure, while other ports are kept in the default path; the default path is an open-circuit path, and the identification path is a short-circuit path. The test ports of the control vector network analyzer are sent with frequency sweep excitation signals in sequence again to measure the phase response of the reflection coefficient of each test port and obtain the measured phase response curve of the variation state. The phase response curves of each test port in the default state are compared with the phase response curves in the variable state to calculate the phase variability, including: extracting multiple sweep frequency points within a preset frequency range; calculating the phase difference between the phase response curves of the default state and the variable state at each sweep frequency point for each test port; and calculating at least one of the cumulative phase difference, root mean square error, or correlation coefficient based on the phase difference values ​​of all sweep frequency points as the phase variability. Test ports whose phase variation meets the preset matching conditions are identified as device ports connected to the target port; Repeat the above steps, using all ports of the electronic calibration component as target ports, to establish a mapping relationship between the test ports and the ports of the electronic calibration component. Control the electronic calibration component to perform calibration according to the mapping relationship. This also includes: When the phase variability of multiple vector network analyzers' test ports is at its maximum for the same target port, it is determined that there is a many-to-one topology relationship between the test port and the target port. It is determined that all variability values ​​cannot be mapped to distinguish the relationship, and a prompt message is output to instruct the user to check the physical connection or modify the sweep frequency to re-identify. When the test port corresponding to the maximum phase variation appears repeatedly for different target ports, it is determined that there is a one-to-many topology relationship between the test port and the target port, indicating that the identification result is not unique. A prompt message is output to instruct the user to check the physical connection or modify the sweep frequency for re-identification.

2. The method for automatic port identification of electronic calibration components based on phase variation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The phase characteristic circuit structure includes at least one or a combination of delay lines of different lengths, parallel capacitors of different capacitance values, series inductors of different inductance values, and reflection circuits of different impedances.

3. The method for automatic port identification of electronic calibration components based on phase variation according to claim 1, characterized in that, Test ports whose phase variation meets preset matching conditions are identified as device ports connected to the target port, including: Obtain the phase variation for all test ports; Select the test port with the largest phase variation as the device port to be connected to the target port.

4. The method for automatic identification of electronic calibration component ports based on phase variation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The test port whose phase variation meets the preset matching conditions is identified as the device port connected to the target port, and also includes: The phase change rate is calculated based on the ratio of the maximum cumulative phase difference to the length of the swept frequency point sequence; Determine if the phase change rate is greater than a set threshold; If so, then perform the identification operation; Otherwise, it will be determined that the target port is not connected to any valid test port, and a prompt message will be output.

5. A system for automatic port identification of electronic calibration components based on phase variation, characterized in that, include: Electronic calibration components; The vector network analyzer is connected to multiple calibration ports of the electronic calibration device via test cables; The vector network analyzer has a built-in automatic port identification module, which is used to execute the method for automatic port identification of electronic calibration components based on phase variation as described in any one of claims 1 to 4.

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