ATE Waveform Scanning Across Time and Voltage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated test equipment (ATE) for analyzing transmission lines lacks the capability to efficiently scan waveforms across a range of times and voltages, limiting its effectiveness in detecting faults and attributes of transmission lines.
Innovation Solution
The proposed ATE configuration includes a transmitter to output waveforms to transmission lines and circuitry that scans the waveforms across a range of times and voltages, using delay elements and programmable thresholds to obtain data for the waveforms, which is then stored in memory for analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing ATE is used for transmission line analysis, then basic measurement functionality is provided, but the capability to efficiently scan waveforms across a range of times and voltages is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the threshold voltage level across multiple measurement cycles to scan through different voltage ranges. The threshold is incrementally modified between successive waveform measurements, enabling the detection equipment to adaptively cover a broad voltage spectrum without requiring manual reconfiguration for each voltage level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a time-dimensioned scanning approach by systematically varying the measurement time window across multiple cycles. By extending and adjusting the observation time range in successive measurements, the system captures waveform data across different temporal dimensions, enabling comprehensive analysis of both fast and slow transient phenomena.
2Measurement precision
If waveform scanning across multiple times and voltages is implemented, then detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement system is designed with multi-functional circuitry that can operate in multiple modes: basic single-point measurement mode and comprehensive multi-dimensional scanning mode. The same hardware infrastructure supports both simple rapid measurements and complex systematic scans across time and voltage ranges, eliminating the need for separate dedicated equipment for each measurement type.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves enhanced measurement precision by systematically varying key parameters (threshold voltage, time window) across measurement cycles rather than requiring complex simultaneous multi-parameter measurement circuits. This parameter-sweeping approach transforms a potentially complex high-dimensional measurement problem into a sequence of simpler single-parameter measurements.
3Measurement precision
If systematic waveform scanning is performed, then transmission line attributes can be accurately determined, but measurement time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary rapid measurements at selected threshold levels to identify regions of interest or anomalies in the transmission line response. Based on these preliminary results, the systematic scanning process is then focused on specific time and voltage ranges where faults are most likely to occur, reducing the total measurement time while maintaining comprehensive coverage of critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The waveform scanning is implemented as a periodic cyclic process with multiple measurement cycles, each cycle scanning through a portion of the total time and voltage range. This periodic approach allows for systematic coverage of all parameter spaces while maintaining a regular rhythm that optimizes the use of measurement resources and enables intermediate results to be processed incrementally.
Data Source
AI summary
Example automatic test equipment (ATE) includes a transmitter to output a waveform to a transmission line; circuitry to detect data for the waveform on the transmission line, with the circuitry being configured to scan the waveform across a range of times and across a range of voltages to obtain the data for the waveform; and memory to store the data detected by the circuitry.