RF Chipset Self-Calibration Through Mutual Port Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for testing and calibrating RF signal transmission or reception performance in ultrahigh frequency chipsets are inefficient, leading to inaccurate results and high differences in performance between products, as they require connection to test equipment or antennas, which complicates mass production and can miss defective chipsets.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device and method that allows for accurate testing and calibration of chipsets without using ultrahigh frequency antennas or inspection equipment, by setting RF signal ports to operate in specific modes to compare transmission and reception performance and store compensation values for convergence to reference standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If test equipment or antenna chambers are used to measure RF signal characteristics, then measurement accuracy is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary device that couples two chipsets together, allowing one chipset to serve as a reference for testing the other. This intermediary connection enables accurate RF signal measurement without requiring external test equipment or antenna chambers, thus resolving the contradiction between measurement accuracy and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses one chipset as a reference copy to test another chipset. By having one chipset (the reference) perform the measurement function that would otherwise require expensive external equipment, the system achieves accurate measurements while avoiding the complexity and cost of specialized test equipment
2Manufacturing precision
If each chipset is connected to separate test equipment for calibration, then transmission performance accuracy is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the testing function into the chipset itself by having one chipset test another chipset directly through their mutual connection. This eliminates the need for separate test equipment for each chipset, allowing multiple chipsets to be tested in sequence without requiring multiple test stations, thereby improving productivity while maintaining calibration accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the chipset multi-functional by enabling it to serve both as a device under test and as a reference testing device. This universal capability allows a single chipset design to perform both transmission and reception functions, as well as serve as a reference for testing other chipsets, thereby streamlining the manufacturing process
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional testing methods are used without mutual chipset connection, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability of testing decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by having one chipset measure and compare its received signal against a reference chipset's transmitted signal. This feedback mechanism allows the system to detect deviations and identify defective chipsets with high reliability, while the automated nature of the feedback loop maintains ease of manufacture
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an electronic device includes an interface for connection to an external device; and a processor electrically connected to the interface, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: set a first radio frequency (RF) signal port of a first chipset to operate in RF signal transmission mode, and set a second RF signal port of a second chipset to operate in RF signal reception mode; obtain an error of transmission performance of the first RF signal port based on a comparison between a designated transmission reference that is input to the first RF signal port and a characteristic of a first intermediate frequency (IF) signal that is output via the second RF signal port; obtain a first compensation value to enable the transmission performance of the first RF signal port to converge to the transmission reference, on the basis of the error of the transmission performance; and store at least one of the error of the transmission performance and the first compensation value in the first chipset via the interface.