# US 10,320,494 B2 · RF testing system using integrated circuit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,320,494 B2 - Document ID: US10320494B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/074,978 - Filed: 2016-03-18 - Published: 2016-07-14 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2011-06-13 - Assignees: Mediatek Inc. - Applicants: MediaTek Inc. - Inventors: Yuan-Hwui Chung; Chung-Chin Tsai; Ping-Hsuan Tsu; Chun-Hsien Peng - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320494B2 ## CPC - H04B 17/00: Monitoring; Testing (of line transmission systems H04B3/46; arrangements for monitoring or testing transmission systems employing electromagnetic waves other than radio waves H04B10/07) - G01R 31/2822: {of microwave or radiofrequency circuits (of attenuation, gain, e.g. using network analyzers G01R27/28)} - H04B 17/0085: {using test signal generators} - H04B 17/19: Self-testing arrangements - H04B 17/297: {Self-testing arrangements} - G01R 31/31716: {Testing of input or output with loop-back} - H04B: TRANSMISSION - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract An integrated circuit (IC) is provided. The IC includes an RF transmitter and an RF receiver. The RF transmitter is configured to generate an RF signal in response to an analog test signal from a test signal generator of a module circuitry that is external to the IC. The RF receiver is configured to generate an outgoing signal according to an input RF signal, and to report the outgoing signal to the module circuitry. The module circuitry performs a test analysis on the RF signal generated by the RF transmitter or on the outgoing signal generated by the RF receiver to determine a test result. The test result is reported to a test equipment having no RF instruments. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An integrated circuit (IC), comprising: an RF transmitter configured to generate an RF signal in response to an analog test signal from a test signal generator of a module circuitry that is external to the IC; an RF receiver configured to generate an outgoing signal according to an input RF signal, and report the outgoing signal to the module circuitry, wherein the module circuitry performs a test analysis on the RF signal generated by the RF transmitter or on the outgoing signal generated by the RF receiver to determine a test result, wherein the test result is reported to a test equipment having no RF instruments, wherein the test equipment is configured to initiate an RF build-in-self-test (BIST) on the IC. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The IC as claimed in claim 1, furthers comprising: an internal attenuator configured to attenuate the RF signal from the RF transmitter to generate the input RF signal for the RF receiver. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The IC as claimed in claim 1, being a stand-alone RF or analog IC that does not have a digital processing circuit. ### Claim 4 A module circuitry for testing a device-under-test, comprising: a test signal generator, configured to generate a test signal; a test analyzer, configured to performs a test analysis on an RF signal generated by the device-under-test or on an analog signal generated by the device-under-test to determine a test result; and a controller that controls the test signal generator to generate the test signal and controls the test analyzer to generate the test result, wherein the test signal generator, the test analyzer and the controller are implemented in one integrated circuit, and wherein the integrated circuit further comprises an RF self-calibration circuit configured to calibrate the test signal generator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The module circuitry as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a signal converter and digitizer configured to convert the analog signal into a digital signal for the test analyzer to perform the test analysis. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The module circuitry as claimed in claim 4, wherein the integrated circuit comprises a plurality of processing cores that are capable of performing test analysis in parallel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The module circuitry as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a power detector, a signal converter, and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The module circuitry as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a signal converter comprising a signal up-converter and a signal down-converter, and the signal converter is implemented in one integrated circuit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The module circuitry as claimed in claim 8, wherein the test signal generator, the test analyzer and the controller are implemented in a first integrated circuit, and the signal converter is implemented in a second integrated circuit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The module circuitry as claimed in claim 8, wherein the test signal generator, the test analyzer, the controller and the signal converter are implemented in one integrated circuit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 4) The module circuitry as claimed in claim 4, wherein the test signal generator generates the test signal based on test patterns received from a test equipment, and the test equipment is not equipped with RF instruments. ### Claim 12 A radio frequency (RF) testing system, comprising: a module circuitry; a test equipment, configured to upload test patterns to the module circuitry; and a device-under-test configured to generate an RF signal or an analog signal in response to a test signal from the module circuitry, wherein the module circuitry generates the test signal according to the uploaded test patterns, wherein the module circuitry performs a test analysis on the RF signal or the analog signal to determine a test result, and the test equipment receives the test result from the module circuitry, wherein the module circuitry is external to the IC and the test equipment. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The RF testing system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the test equipment does not have RF instrument. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The RF testing system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the device-under-test is a stand-alone RF or analog IC. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The RF testing system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the module circuitry comprises: a test signal generator, configured to generate the test signal; a test analyzer, configured to performs the test analysis on the RF signal or the analog signal generated by the device-under-test to determine the test result; and a controller that controls the test signal generator to generate the test signal and controls the test analyzer to generate the test result. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The RF testing system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the module circuitry comprises: an integrated circuit, comprising: a test signal generator, configured to generate the test signal according to the uploaded test patterns; and a processor, configured to perform the test analysis and test flow control. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The RF testing system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the module circuitry comprises: a first integrated circuit, comprising: a signal up-converter, configured to up-convert the test signal into an RF test signal; and a signal down-converter, configured to down-convert the RF signal into a baseband signal; and a second integrated circuit, comprising: a test signal generator, configured to generate the test signal according to the uploaded test patterns; and a processor, configured to perform the test analysis and test flow control. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The RF testing system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the module circuitry comprises: an integrated circuit, comprising: a test signal generator, configured to generate the test signal according to the uploaded test patterns; a signal up-converter, configured to up-convert the test signal into an RF test signal; and a signal down-converter, configured to down-convert the RF signal into a baseband signal; and a processor, configured to perform the test analysis and test flow control. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The RF testing system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processing cores that are capable of performing the test analysis in parallel. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The RF testing system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processing cores that are capable of performing the test analysis in parallel. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The RF testing system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processing cores that are capable of performing the test analysis in parallel.